Bellator and PFL are now under the same ownership. To start things off, the two brands are colliding for this stacked fight card. There’s plenty of money to be made, but we’re sticking with three Bellator vs. PFL picks. You’ll want to stick around to get our free advice.
- What: Bellator vs. PFL
- When: Saturday, February 24
- Where: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader Betting Pick
Two heavyweights slug it out in the main event. As it stands, the best Bellator betting sites have pegged the fight quite close. Have a look-see at the current Ferreira-Bader moneyline odds:
Neither of these two are what you would call “spring chicken.” Bader is 40 years old, while Ferreira is 34. However, age is slightly less of an issue at heavyweight — a weight class that isn’t all that athletic to begin with. At this weight, it’s still very much about slugging it out and power usually sticks around faster than speed and reflexes.
Bader has the bigger name cause he’s been around so long. If you remember, he got his start with UFC’s Ultimate Fighter show in 2008. Since then, he’s built himself a 31-7 record across the UFC and Bellator. The last time we saw him, he KO’d Fedor Emelianenko and sent the legend into retirement. He ended as Bellator’s heavyweight champion.
Ferreira is less known, mostly because PFL is newer. Here’s what you need to know though: he won the 2023 PFL Heavyweight champion. Ferreira certainly has the physical advantage. Not only is he six years younger, but Ferreira is way bigger than Bader. He’s 6-foot-8 with an 85-inch reach. Come fight time, Ferreira will tower over the six-foot-two Bader (with only a 72-inch reach).
Bader is certainly more accomplished of the two, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Ferreira will get the upset. Beyond the striking, he’s a much better grappler of the two. Moreover, Bader hasn’t fought in a year, and even that fight was easy work against a way past-his-prime Emelianenko. We’re picking the PFL fighter to prevail in this matchup.
Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay Betting Pick
The semi-main event features a middleweight clash. As it stands, Eblen is a convincing -400 favorite over Kasanganay. There's not a whole lot of betting value on that so it might be best to take the over/under instead. As of this publish date, oddsmakers have yet to release this line but we expect it to come in at 1.5 rounds as the fight nears.
We’re quite confident that Eblen will indeed win. It might be controversial to say but we legit think he’s a top-5 middleweight in the entire world — even against UFC competition. Eblen is 14-0 over his career. Say what you want about his caliber of competition in Bellator, but the skill set is obvious. He can stand up and strike, but Eblen really excels at wrestling — both getting the takedown and controlling from the ground. Eblen is a name to watch out for, especially if he can land with the UFC before he ages.
Kasanganay was with the UFC, but didn’t last long before getting cut. This despite going 4-2 for the promotion. Since then, he’s bounced around weight classes. Welterweight for one, and most recently at light heavyweight, winning the 2023 PFL Tournament in that class. However, he’s back to middleweight here — only three months removed from winning the tourney.
We see this fight going one way: Eblen wrestling the hell out of Kasanganay. He’s just so damn good at it that we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. This one is going to the judges' scorecard too so take the over bet.
Yoel Romero vs. Thiago Santos
We know exactly what you're thinking, "Yoel Romero is STILL fighting?" Yes, he's 46 years old now and still going at it in the cage. This will be a fun matchup against another former UFC fighter, Santos. The Romero-Santos moneyline odds are almost even, have a look for yourself:
The 40-year-old Santos is representing PFL here. This fight will be at light heavyweight. Santos has spent most of his career here, while Romero is more of a middleweight. Because of that, Santos will definitely have the size advantage. That's a big thing to call out because Romero thrives on wrestling. Will it be as effective against a bigger fighter? We doubt it. For this reason, Santos is getting our money here.
How To Bet On Bellator vs. PFL?
This card is stacked with way more fights and way more bets than the three we covered. If you want a complete list of bets for Bellator vs. PFL card, hit one of the bookies below. These are the “cream of the crop”, offering all types of bets for fighting.
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