In a rarity, there is no UFC event this weekend, but that doesn’t mean mixed martial arts bettors at Mybookie are out of luck. That’s because there is a solid Bellator card Saturday headlined by a welterweight bout between Michael “Venom” Page and Giovanni Melillo.
Bellator London 2 Odds, Preview & Picks
- When: Saturday, 5 PM ET
- Where: The SSE Arena, London
- Live Stream: Bellator.com
Main Card
- Michael Page vs Giovanni Melillo (Welterweight)
- Terry Brazier vs Soren Bank (Lightweight)
- Fabian Edwards vs Michael Shipman (Middleweight)
Preliminary Card
- Charlie Ward vs Pietro Penini (Middleweight)
- Denise Kielholtz vs Sabriye Sengul (Women’s Flyweight)
- Kent Kauppinen vs Andy Manzolo (Middleweight)
- George Tokkos vs Kevin Fryer (Middleweight)
- Charlie Leary vs Tim Wilde (Lightweight)
- Aiden Lee vs Damian Frankiewicz (Featherweight)
- Robert Whiteford vs Sam Sicilia (Featherweight)
- Alfie Davis vs Alessandro Botti (Catchweight – 161 lbs)
- Walter Gahadza vs Lewis Long (Welterweight)
- Akonne Wanliss vs Tim Barnett (Lightweight)
- Raphael Uchegbu vs Shane Campbell (Welterweight)
- Chris Bungard vs Benjamin Brander (Lightweight)
- Nathan Rose vs Harry Hardwick (Featherweight)
- Jeremy Petley vs Tommy Mearns (Catchweight – 150 lbs)
- Josie Barber vs Charlotte McIntyre (Women’s Featherweight)
Michael Page (15-1) vs. Giovani Melillo (13-4)
- Bellator London 2 Odds: Page -950 / Melillo +575
This card will be the sixth event of the Bellator European Series and second of 2019 in London. It was to be headlined by a welterweight bout between Page and Derek Anderson. However, on November 13, it was announced Anderson had pulled out of the bout due to an undisclosed injury and replaced by Melillo. Anderson was on a two-bout winning streak after taking decisions over Zak Bucia at Bellator 197 and Guilherme Vasconcelos at Bellator 229.
Page, who is from London, is a heavy -950 favorite with Melillo at +575. Page is looking to make it two consecutive victories, as he followed his first career loss (a knockout to current welterweight champion Douglas Lima) with a flying-knee finish of Richard Kiely at Bellator 227 in the first round.
MVP, 32, stepped into Irishman Kiely’s backyard at Bellator Dublin and faced a huge chorus of boos against the hometown hero. But he needed just over three minutes to inflict a brutal KO as he leapt high to catch him with a right knee.
The two fighters were on the mat and Page worked from side control and landed some nice shots but suddenly the referee stepped in and stood Page up, taking a point from him for sportsmanship in a bit of an odd move. The two returned back to their feet and exchanged again. Page was looking like himself. As Kiely stepped in, Page fired off a devastating flying knee that sent Kiely crashing to the mat. Page then instantly called for a rematch against Lima, the man who inflicted defeat on him after just 35 seconds in May.
Referee Dan Miragliotta later admitted to calling Page a “f—— piece of s—“, apologized for doing so, and he and “MVP” seemed to be in agreement that the referee should not officiate any of Page’s fights going forward. Despite accepting Miragliotta’s apology, Page said there is no need to go back on the pair’s decision to never share the ring again.
Page showed he is a top 10 welterweight with an earlier over Paul Daley, but after his knockout loss to the now-welterweight champion Lima, Bellator is yet to challenge him with anything other than local fighters.
“It just made it more exciting that he actually got the belt,” Page said of fighting Lima again. “It just means there are two things I’ve got to look forward to when I beat him. The knockout [by Lima] was spectacular, but before any of that actually happened, I felt like I was dominating. I had just rocked him, even on the ground I nullified him, [but] when I hit him and saw his legs go, I kind of got overexcited. I know that I can beat him, so I just want to get it back.”
For the Italian Melillo, this will be his first foray under the Bellator MMA banner. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over one-time UFC fighter Will Chope. Melillo’s biggest win in his career to date is his highlight-reel KO over Mohsen Bahari at Cage Warriors 83 in 2017. In addition to Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, Melillo has fought for several premier European organizations including Venator Fighting Championship, Superior FC and Absolute Championship Akhmat. All four of his losses have come by TKO or KO.
Fabian Edwards (8-0) vs. Mike Shipman (13-2)
- Bellator London 2 Odds: Edwards -330 / Shipman +265
Edwards is priced at -325 at Mybookie and Shipman +250 for this middleweight bout.
Edwards is 3-0 in Bellator on the European series. Before signing with Bellator, he was fighting in BAMMA, and he is also the younger brother of UFC welterweight, Leon Edwards. In Bellator, he has beaten Lee Chadwick, Falco Neto, and Jonathan Bosuku. Edwards has six stoppage wins to his credit, including five in the first round.
Mike Shipman lost his last fight to Costello van Steenis by knockout. The loss snapped the Englishman’s 13-fight win streak as he lost his pro debut. Shipman has been in Bellator since 2016 and has notable wins over Scott Futrell, Carl Noon, and UFC veteran, Craig White, who he beat him in a regional promotion.
Edwards targeted a matchup with Shipman back in February, hoping to meet his rival at Bellator Birmingham. Edwards would instead face Neto at the May 4 event, defeating him with a spectacular combination started by an up-kick.
Edwards believes that beating Shipman will prove that he’s the best middleweight in the U.K. After reaching that milestone, he wants to show he’s the best middleweight in Europe. Van Steenis is his target on that goal, and then, he moves on to fight elite middleweights on Bellator’s books.
“Being co-main event on a London card that’s headlined by Page, I think in that sense it is the biggest fight of my career, (but) not so much the opponent,” Edwards said.
“I’m going to wipe Van Steenis out, so people don’t question who’s the best guy in Europe,” he added. “After that, I’m gonna wipe out the Americans and these old legends. That’s the way I’m gonna chip away and forge my path to a world title shot. I don’t want to leave any doubt. I don’t want people saying, ‘Why didn’t he fight that guy?’”
Bellator London Expert Picks
Page and Edwards win by stoppage.
