This weekend is going to be exciting for Bellator Fans, as we get TWO events back-to-back, one night after the other, and they both take place in Honolulu, Hawai, in the United States.
The first event takes place on Friday 22nd, and we get an exciting 5-fight main card.
The main event sees the match between undefeated champion Juliana Velasquez and the seasoned challenger Liz Carmouche for the Female Flyweight title.
The Co-Main sees the bantamweight bout between Enrique Barzola and Nikita Mikhailov.
We also have a bantamweight, a light heavyweight, and a 160lbs Catchweight bout to finish the main card.
You can check all the Bellator/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in this fight.
Bellator 278 – Velasquez vs. Carmouche – Betting Odds & Free Pick – Info
When: Friday, April 22nd, at 8:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Juliana Velasquez -160 / Liz Carmouche +135
Enrique Barzola -145 / Nikita Mikhailov +125
Jornel Lugo +250 / Danny Sabatello -310
Christian Edwards +130 / Grant Neal -160
Manny Muro +270 / Nate Andrews -340
Draw Offs: –
Where Can I Watch? Showtime
Bellator 278: Juliana Velasquez vs. Liz Carmouche
Why Bet on Juliana Velasquez
Velasquez for her credit has done everything asked of her.
She’s defeated two former Bellator champions on her way to Carmouche, unseating MacFarlane to win the title and then defeating former Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz to retain the title in an exciting fight.
Why Bet on Liz Carmouche
Carmouche might be the best fighter in WMMA history who has never held a world title in a company.
She’s gone toe to toe with the best and has wins over Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Andrade, and now she’s got a big showdown with undefeated Bellator standout Velasquez.
Final Betting Analysis: Juliana Velasquez vs. Liz Carmouche
This is a style clash, with Velasquez having a far more technical approach to striking, using a lot of front kicks to knock her opponent’s back before unlocking a combo to rack up the points.
Carmouche is far more aggressive and will likely look to get inside and bang with her but isn’t always the most active from the clinch.
If the fight goes to the ground, Carmouche will more than likely have the advantage. She’s a bit more sizeable than Velasquez, and has a black belt in Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, giving her the slight edge over the judoka Velasquez.
We are expecting the champion to not only survive but get the best of the rounds in the long run.
Bellator 278: Enrique Barzola vs. Nikita Mikhailov
Why Bet on Enrique Barzola
Barzola was a contestant on TUF, and this is his second fight after leaving the UFC.
He destroyed Darrion Caldwell by knockout in the third round in January 2022.
His last five at the UFC went 2-2-1, with all ten official UFC appearances ending by decision, though he had exhibition finishes on Ultimate Fighter.
Why Bet on Nikita Mikhailov
Nikita is from the same gym as Fedor Emelianenko.
He’s on a five-fight winning streak which includes a Majority Decision win over Mukhamed Eminov, then a 13-0 prospect, and now AMC Fights Champion.
His one record loss is to a Russian submission fighter named Aleksandr Podlesniy.
Final Betting Analysis: Enrique Barzola vs. Nikita Mikhailov
Barzola’s grappling is his bread and butter.
His style shifts from hands down, karate stance fighting with very active footwork, to hands high-pressure fighting.
His bout with Yahya was a mix of stand-up fighting and creative submission work, but Yahya’s striking defense was less than desirable, squinting and closing his eyes mid exchange.
Nikita is a lanky and aggressive striker.
His takedowns need work, and even at lower levels he’s struggled to finish singles and doubles but thrives using trips against the cage.
Nikita has looked great in Bellator, and his striking acumen is going to put him as our betting pick over Barzola.
Rest of the Main Card:
Bellator 278: Journal Lugo vs. Danny Sabatello
Lugo comes in as the undefeated underdog in this lightweight match-up. He’s been with Bellator since 2019 and has been active since 2016 as an amateur.
Sabatello has been fighting since 2018, mainly for Titan FC where he defeated Da’Mon Blackshear.
His dominant win over Brett Johns put him on a shortlist of top Bellator talent.
Jornel has fought two undefeated fighters, and more recently Bellator’s 14-9 Brian Moore.
The competition contrast is stark, and this is Lugo’s toughest test to date by a long shot.
Our pick is on Sabatello to hand Lugo the first loss of his professional career.
Bellator 278: Christian Edwards vs. Grant Neal
Both fighters were undefeated coming off upset losses.
Edwards was knocked cold by the Big Tuna, Ben Parrish after we called him a sure thing and our top parlay pick.
Grant Neal was finished by Alex Polizzi, a fighter whose only loss was to Julius Anglickas at Bellator 251.
Both fighters are going to be bringing the heat to get back on the winning path.
Neal is the smaller fighter, and his grappling style doesn’t play well against Edwards, who’s an accomplished submission fighter.
Neal will be looking to exhaust Edwards and is likely to run into a litany of strikes and near submission attempts.
Our token is placed on Edwards for this match.
Bellator 278: Manny Muro vs. Nate Andrews
This is a rematch fight as the first took place in 2016, where Andrews won via submission in the third round.
Over their last five, Muro has done slightly better.
Despite his recent stumble against top opponents, Andrews is a shoo-in for victory.
He has nearly five times as many fight finishes, has defeated tougher fighters overall, and has made more improvements to his game in the six years since he first faced Muro.
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