Last Minute Bellator 189 Odds For Friday – Bellator is in Oklahoma with a big 14 fight MMA card that sees the four feature fights air on SpikeTV. As usual for Bellator, the sports books are looking at those four fights at the last minute.
The evening’s five round main event comes to us in the 145 pound women’s featherweight division as champion Julia Budd faces Arlene Blencowe. The bout is a rematch, and if you missed the first fight back in October of 2016, Blencowe but on a very credible performance in extending Budd the full three rounds. In the end the judges had a majority decision for Budd, who went on to become Bellator’s champion in her next fight.
Budd defeated veteran Marloes Coenen to inaugurate the Bellator title in the 145 pound weight class. The end came in the fourth round, and the loss sent the veteran Coenen into retirement with a memorable record of 23-8. The only two losses in Budd’s career come to Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes, so she has been in with the best.
Blencowe is a rugged competitor who comes to us all the way from Australia. She bounced back from her loss to Budd with a three fight winning streak to earn the rematch. The bottom line in this one is that the pair have three rounds fought already and it was close. This time the time limit is extended to five rounds because of the title fight and that will test the conditioning of both ladies.
The middleweight co-feature between Chris Honeycutt and Rafael Lovato Jr is a fight between two grappling studs. Honeycutt is a decorated division I collegiate wrestler who won two all-American honors at Edinboro. He has been with Bellator since September of 2014 and he as gone 5-1 with one no contest in that time frame.
Lovato Jr is a jiu-jitsu stylist through and through. He has competed at the highest level in that sport and in submission grappling for his entire adult life. Lovato Jr is the first non-Brazilian competitor to win his weight class in Brazil’s National Championships and he later also won the open-weight class. He has gone 6-0 in MMA, winning two fights already under the Bellator flag.
Lovato Jr has to get credit as a competitor because he made his MMA debut after his 30th birthday. His striking needs a lot more work whereas Honeycutt has at least shown he can hit hard. With two ground experts like this look for the fight to be decided on the feet.
Exciting striker Chidi Njokuani is looking to bounce back from an August loss to former Bellator champion Andrey Koreshov. He faces relative unknown Hisaki Kato of Japan, a 35 year old with an 8-2 record.
Bellator stalwart David Rickels is back for his ninteenth fight under the promotional flag and he is facing Adam Piccolotti. Picolotti went 9-0 to start his MMA career before eating a loss in his last outing to Japan’s Goiti Yamauchi.
Below are the odds and the over/under lines for the main fights above. Check your local listings for start times on SpikeTV.
Winstar Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma – Spike TV
Featherweight 5 rounds –
Arlene Blencowe +350 o4½ -145
Julia Budd -440 u4½ +125
Middleweight 3 rounds –
Rafel Lovato Jr +200 o1½ -130
Chris Honeycutt -240 u1½ +110
Hisaki Kato +155 o1½ -115
Chidi Njokuani -175 u1½ -105
Catchweight 3 rounds –
David Rickels +160 o2½ -115
Adam Piccolotti -185 u2½ -105
Last Minute Bellator 189 Odds For Friday / Into boxing as well? Check out more boxing news and features at The Sweet Science.
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