PFL vs. Bellator Predictions, Card, Odds, Start Time, Betting Trends, & How to Watch

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The top fighters of the Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA are set to collide this weekend for PFL vs. Bellator: Champs. The monumental event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 24, and will be held at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

.@CCCcollard fights are nothing but ???????? ??????? ?

Get ready for another one on February 24th

[ #PFLvsBellator | Saturday, Feb 24th | 3pm EST | ? https://t.co/C7U3kwS1zr] pic.twitter.com/S6KEqrZZCi

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 21, 2024

As with any other MMA event, there are plenty of betting opportunities in store for the PFL vs Bellator festivities. Fortunately, Betting News is here to help you get the most out of your experience this weekend.

Let’s dive into my predictions and best bets for Saturday’s card.

PFL vs Bellator Main Card Predictions & Best Bets

PFL vs Bellator odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 11:16 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

PFL vs Bellator Main Event: Renan Ferreira vs Ryan Bader Prediction — Heavyweight

• Renan Ferreira (+115)
• Ryan Bader (-135)

Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader (31-7, 1 NC) has been on fire since unifying the title, winning each of his last three fights. He’s now set to go one-on-one with Renane Ferreira (12-3, 3 NC), who won the 2023 PFL Heavyweight Tournament back in November.

Ferreira is a solid fighter, but he doesn’t quite have the same level of experience as the favorite. Bader, 40, has been around the block a couple of times and has defeated tougher opponents than his younger counterpart.

It’s going to be a close contest, but Bader’s experience and versatility give him the edge in Saudi Arabia.

Ferreira vs Bader Pick: Ryan Bader (-135)

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PFL vs Bellator Co-Main Event: Impa Kasanganay vs Johnny Eblen Prediction — Middleweight

• Impa Kasanganay (+300)
• Johnny Eblen (-400)

Johnny Eblen (14-0) remains flawless after successfully defending the Bellator Middleweight World Championship against Fabian Edwards in September. Although Impa Kasanganay (15-3) most recently won the PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament, it’s worth noting that he hasn’t competed as a middleweight since facing Jared Gooden at XMMA 5.

I just can’t bring myself to go against Eblen this weekend. He’s undefeated for a reason and it’s hard to trust Kasanganay, who has only fought as a middleweight once in nearly four years. Backing the favorite doesn’t provide much value, but it’s the way to go here.

Kasanganay vs Eblen Pick: Johnny Eblen (-400)

Patricio Pitbull vs Gabriel Braga Prediction — Featherweight

• Patricio Pitbull (-185)
• Gabriel Braga (+160)

Patricio Pitbull (35-7) has been a fixture in Bellator for nearly 15 years, but he could use a rebound performance following back-to-back losses. Meanwhile, Gabriel Braga (12-1) was off to a perfect start to his MMA career before falling to Jesus Pinedo in the PFL Featherweight Finals.

Pitbull has the experience advantage, but I’m not much of a fan after he failed to even last three minutes with Chihiro Suzuki last July. Braga is also coming off a loss, but he has more to prove at this stage of his career. If he can survive Pitbull’s onslaught and take him to the distance, I like Braga’s odds of pulling off an upset.

Pitbull vs Braga Pick: Gabriel Braga (+160)

Ray Cooper III vs Jason Jackson Prediction — Catchweight (182 lbs)

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Jason Jackson not letting go of the Champ vs. Champ belt ??

[ #PFLvsBellator | Saturday, Feb 24th | 3pm EST | ? https://t.co/C7U3kwS1zr] pic.twitter.com/29lVXbeb9A

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 21, 2024

• Ray Cooper III (+350)
• Jason Jackson (-450)

Jason Jackson (17-4) was originally supposed to face Magomed Magomedkerimov at PFL vs Bellator until the latter withdrew due to injury. Instead, Jackson will faceoff against Ray Cooper III, who’s coming off a unanimous decision loss to Derek Brunson in November.

I’m not going to overthink this fight at all. On top of taking this fight on short notice, Cooper is also 1-2 in his last three fights — his worst stretch in nearly five years. I don’t see him turning that around on Saturday, especially with Jackson riding a seven-fight winning streak at the moment.

Cooper vs Jackson Pick: Jason Jackson (-450)

Bruno Cappelozza vs Vadim Nemkov Prediction — Heavyweight

• Bruno Cappelozza (+395)
• Vadim Nemkov (-520)

Just when it looked like Bruno Cappelozza (15-6) had defeated Matheus Scheffel via TKO in April, the decision was overturned after Cappelozza failed a drug test. He now looks to get back on track against Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Vadim Nemkov, who’s 11-0 with a no-contest in his last 12 fights.

Sure, Cappelozza won the 2021 PFL Heavyweight Tournament, but he hasn’t looked all that impressive since then. Meanwhile, Nemkov hasn’t lost in nearly nine years, finishing seven opponents with a trio of UD victories since then.

Cappelozza just isn’t on Nemkov’s level. The upset odds are juicy, though, so feel free to sprinkle a little bit on the underdog if you’re feeling risky.

Cappelozza vs Nemkov Pick: Vadim Nemkov (-520)

Thiago Santos vs Yoel Romero Prediction — Light Heavyweight

• Thiago Santos (-131)
• Yoel Romero (+111)

Thiago Santos (22-11, 1 NC) might be the favorite at PFL vs Bellator, but he doesn’t look like it after losing five of his last seven fights. Yoel Romero (15-7) hasn’t had much recent success either, dropping to 2-5 in his last seven outings with a UD loss to Nemkov last June.

Santos has reached higher levels than his counterpart, but he also only has one win since February 2019. Romero is struggling to produce results, but at least he has a pair of KO/TKO victories in his last three fights — both of which occurred within the last 21 months.

Considering how Santos technically lost his PFL debut to Rob Wilkinson before it was overturned, it’s best to ride with the underdog on this one.

Santos vs Romero Pick: Yoel Romero (+111)

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Clay Collard vs AJ McKee Prediction — Lightweight

• Clay Collard (+210)
• A.J. McKee (-270)

Clay Collard (24-11, 1NC) heads into the weekend hoping to rebound from a UD loss to Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the 2023 PFL Lightweight Tournament Final. He’ll have his hands full against former Bellator featherweight champ A.J. McKee, who’s on a three-fight winning streak.

McKee is the better fighter here, especially when it comes to grappling. He’s also lost only one time in his career, boasting a 61.9% finish rate along the way. Momentum is clearly on his side and I think he’ll become too much for Collard to handle the longer that this fight goes on.

Collard vs McKee Pick: A.J. McKee (-270)

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PFL vs Bellator Early Card Predictions & Best Bets

Aaron Pico vs Henry Corrales Prediction — Featherweight

PFL vs. Bellator fight card shuffle impacts Patricio Freire, Aaron Pico matchups https://t.co/thcg8VlXu0

— MMA News (@MMA_News) February 20, 2024

• Aaron Pico (-450)
• Henry Corrales (+350)

Aaron Pico (12-4) was originally supposed to take on Braga before the latter got put up against Pitbull. Instead, Pico goes one-on-one with Henry Corrales (21-7), a 13-year MMA veteran.

Pico has been one of the most dominant featherweights in Bellator over the last few years and I just don’t see him losing to Corrales, who’s fighting on less than one week’s notice. Expect a one-sided bout at Kingdom Arena.

Pico vs Corrales Pick: Aaron Pico (-450)

Biaggio Ali Walsh vs Emmanuel Palacio Prediction — Lightweight

• Biaggio Ali Walsh (-1100)
• Emmanuel Palacio (+800)

PFL vs Bellator marks Biaggio Ali Walsh’s professional debut after going 6-1 as an amateur. Standing in his way of more success is Emmanuel Palacio (1-0), who made his MMA debut with a submission victory against Pedro Barrios two months ago.

This fight is another one that you don’t want to overthink. Walsh is fighting like a top prospect, highlighted by his knocking out each of his last six opponents with four of those wins occurring in Round 1. I truly think it’ll be a miracle if Palacio somehow survives all three rounds.

Walsh vs Palacio Pick: Biaggio Ali Walsh (-1100)

Claressa Shields vs Kelsey DeSantis Prediction — Women’s Super Lightweight

• Claressa Shields (-450)
• Kelsey DeSantis (+350)

Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields (1-1) looks to continue her MMA journey when she takes on Kelsey DeSantis (1-2) on Saturday.

Shields did come up short in her last fight, but she’s still one of the best boxers on the planet, giving her an edge against the inexperienced DeSantis. If the underdog isn’t ready to handle the favorite’s upcoming barrage, I don’t see this fight lasting all that long.

Shields vs DeSantis Pick: Claressa Shields (-450)

Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs Yoel Romero Prediction — Featherweight

• Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-1501)
• Edukondala Rao (+851)

Abdullah Al-Qahtani (7-1) is the clear-cut favorite this weekend after recording back-to-back wins over Lamar Brown and David Zelner. Meanwhile, Edukondala Rao (5-1) is eager to bounce back after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Gurtej Singh at MFN 12.

Back by support from his fellow Saudi Arabians, Al-Qahtani is in a great spot to win on Saturday. He’s already used to facing tougher competition than Rao, who’s spent his career in the Indian MMA scene. The two aren’t really comparable and Al-Qahtani will prove that by making quick work of the competition.

Al-Qahtani vs Rao Pick: Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-1501)

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Malik Basahel vs Vinicius Pereira Prediction — Flyweight

• Malik Basahel (TBD)
• Vinicius Pereira (TBD)

Due to this bout being an amateur fight, there aren’t any Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira odds available. Having said that, I’d be surprised if the favorite didn’t pull through with a win.

Basahel owns a promising 17-2-1 amateur MMA record, whereas Pereia sits at 2-3 and is coming off three straight losses. Considering how Pereira was also finished in each of those defeats, chances are we won’t see an upset.

Basahel vs Pereira Pick: Malik Basahel (TBD)

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PFL vs Bellator Preview FAQ

When is PFL vs Bellator?

• PFL vs. Bellator: Champs will take place on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.

Where is PFL vs Bellator?

• PFL vs. Bellator: Champs will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

What time does PFL vs Bellator start?

• Early Card Start Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
• Main Card Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

How can I watch PFL vs Bellator?

• Preliminary Card Channel: ESPNN, ESPN+
• Main Card Channel: ESPN+, DAZN, PPV

How can I bet on PFL vs Bellator?

• Most of the top online sports betting sites will have PFL vs. Bellator: Champs odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for MMA betting enthusiasts:

• Trusted Online Sportsbooks
• BetOnline Sportsbook Review »
• SportsBetting Sportsbook Review »
• Bovada Sportsbook Review »
• SportBet Sportsbook Review »
• BetWhale Sportsbook Review »
• MyBookie Sportsbook Review »
• BetUS Sportsbook Review »
• BetDSI Sportsbook Review »
• Everygame Sportsbook Review »
• Bookmaker Sportsbook Review »
• WagerWeb Sportsbook Review »

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