Followers of the Mixed Martial Arts scene have an exciting night of action ahead as Bellator stages show 214 at The Forum in Inglewood, California on 26 January. There are some cracking match-ups planned; armchair fans can follow the action live on a number of TV stations around the world, as well as the promotion’s own website and Mobile App. So, here are our Fedor Emelianenko v Ryan Bader betting tips.
Fedor Emelianenko v Ryan Bader tops the bill. The warring duo do battle in what will be the long-awaited final of the Heavyweight World Grand Prix; the victor will be handed the Bellator heavyweight title in front of a packed stadium. The stuff of dreams… but who will come out on top?
Bookmakers have had their say and offer a range of exciting markets on the main event, as well as the standout fixtures of an intriguing undercard. Have your say on the winner of each and back your selection for a small profit; or you could throw a few together and make a punchy accumulator, designed to down the bookies.
Lots To Bet On
Odds makers have gone all out in the heavyweight tussle and offer more markets on that bout than the supporting acts. These include the method of victory betting which allows you the chance to call the winner of the fight and how they’ll achieve the result – knockout, submission or points. A big ask, and much more difficult than simply predicting the fight winner; however, the prizes available to those in the know are well worth having. If you do the necessary research, picking through form, performances and results, you could be well on your way to a chunky pay out.
Other betting options of note covering Fedor Emelianenko v Ryan Bader are the fight to go the distance or not and the total number of rounds. These are great if you’d prefer to avoid predicting the winner in what should be a competitive match as the arm raised at the end doesn’t have an impact on your bet. For example, if you back the bout to last the distance, it’ll be paid out regardless of the champion, as long as a winner is crowned on points. There’s a safety net there that appeals to many backers after a casual interest.
As well as the main event, there’s also plenty to grab your attention on the undercard. The main fight card is made up of Aaron Pico v Henry Corrales at featherweight; Jake Hager v JW Kiser at heavyweight and Juan Archuleta v Ricky Bandejas at bantamweight. The preliminary card showcases the talents of Mike Segura; Jay Jay Wilson; Jesse Meritt; Jorge Juarez; Sean Johnson and Desmond Torres, all playing their part in a show that’ll keep viewers glued to the action from the first buzzer.
Last Emperor Has Been Written Off
Fedor Emelianenko may have blazed a trail of glory to the final of this tournament and now stands with every chance of ending the night as heavyweight champion; however, he’ll enter the octagon as a rank outsider with bookmakers who have been strong in their predictions, writing off The Last Emperor without a moment’s hesitation. That could be perceived as being as bit hasty and it’s an approach that’ll attract the attention of value hunters eager to make traders pay.
The 42-year-old from Russia has a style which showcases a background spent fighting Sambo, Judo, Boxing and Kickboxing; that mix has resulted in a well-rounded fighter who is confident in all aspects of MMA. His stand-up game is strong and there’s little worry when he has his back to the mat. Fighting out of Stary Oskol in Belgorod, he represents the Red Devil Sport Club. He has won a host of Sambo gold medals, including four at the World Championships, standing on the top step in 2002, 2005 and 2007.
Fedor lost to Matt Mitrione when knocked out on Bellator NYC in 2017. However, he bounced back to secure victory in each of his last two; as such, handlers will be confident their man is capable and skilled enough to land the hat-trick. His comeback started with a TKO win over Frank Mir on Bellator 198 in Illinois. He took a first round victory in the quarter finals of this competition. He then dismantled Chael Sonnen inside a round in the semi finals on Bellator 208 at Uniondale, New York back in October of last year. Despite that form, Emelianenko is a market best price 3/1 with Ladbrokes. A third KO/TKO sure to be popular amongst those chasing a bigger prize.
The Master Picked by Bookies
Odds compilers have been falling over themselves to support Ryan Bader since this fight was confirmed; it’ll come as no surprise to followers of the promotion to see him hacked up as odds-on jolly to get the desired result and land the title. The 35-year-old American has an MMA record of 26 wins against five defeats. Out of those victories, 11 came by way of knockout, three by submission and a dozen on decision.
He booked his place in the final after moving up from light heavyweight, a division he dominated, with wins over Muhammad Lawal and Matt Mitrione. The former was achieved with a first round TKO; the victor barely broke sweat in the process, before he took Meathead apart on the scorecards, winning over three rounds on Bellator 207 in Connecticut.
Those results mean Bader has won each of his last six bouts; a closer look at that form shows four have come by way of knockout, the other two on points. He’s a 2/7 favourite with Bet365 and that’s worth a bet in your fight night accumulators. Those after more should back him to win on points in the method of victory market. Yes, he has won four of six by KO/TKO, but the majority of those came at light heavyweight and we expect him to be patient on the night, avoiding the heavy-handed attacks coming from his opponent
Our Tip: Bader to win – 2/7 with Bet365
Don’t forget to check out even more betting tips and our top MMA betting strategies.