The old Elton John song suggests that Saturday night is alright for fighting, but Bellator is looking to make Thursday another night to get your fight fix sorted out. They will once again be back in Uncasville at the Mohegan Sun Arena for Bellator 253. If you are a fan of the UFC that doesn’t really venture much outside of that organization to watch other fights, you should do yourself a favor and take a look at what Bellator has to offer. You might just catch some fighters that you recognize from the UFC, as well as potentially seeing some who might be ready to make the next step up. It is not a busy main card that we have on tap for Thursday night, but there are 3 very good matchups to look at, so let’s get into what we might expect to see so you can set down your bets against their Bellator odds.
Bellator 253 Betting Preview | MMA Analysis
Joey Davis (-495) Vs Bobby Lee (+370)
We get the main card rolling with a 3-round Welterweight bout that looks designed to allow one of these fighters to continue to build some serious momentum. Joey Davis has only ever fought in Bellator in his pro career and has done a stellar job of building a perfect 7-0 record. Not only has he been winning, he has been doing so in destructive style, winning 5 of his 7 fights in the opening round. This is a definite step up in class for Bobby Lee, as this will be his first appearance under the Bellator banner. He is deserving of the spot, though, as he is 12-4 in his pro career. I think this one is over quickly, though, with Davis winning by way of the KO.
Benson Henderson (+140) Vs Jason Jackson (-170)
Next up is a Lightweight bout that is listed as the co-main event on this card. This one is set for 3 rounds and I would be surprised if it did not go the distance, as this looks like a pretty evenly matched fight. Henderson has been keeping in shape by taking on some grappling bouts this year, but those aside, he is 28-9 overall and looking to bounce back after losing his last fight in Bellator. Prior to that, he had won 4 in a row, so perhaps that loss was an aberration. Jackson, meanwhile, comes in on a nice run of form, having won back to back fights and 5 of his last 6 overall. He has been involved in 4 straight fights that have gone the distance, as I think this one will. I am going with the underdog here and taking Henderson by decision.
Darrion Caldwell (+265) Vs AJ McKee Jr. (-330)
The final fight of the night is a 5-round Featherweight bout that will see one of these fighters put his perfect record on the line. That would be AJ McKee, who comes into the headline event with an impressive 16-0 career mark. He has been tearing up the ranks in this division, with 4 of his last 5 fights all ending in the earlier rounds. He will have his hands full against a relative newcomer to Bellator. Caldwell lost his first fight at this level, but he has rebounded nicely to come up with back to back wins, including an opening round submission against Adam Borics. This fight might well go the distance, but I am on Caldwell to finish it in the later rounds.
