On Saturday night, Bellator 190 returns to Florence, Italy, as its 190th edition features a middleweight bout between champion Rafael Carvalho against Italian Alessio Sakara. The co-main event features Brandon Girtz looking to get back into the black against Luka Jelcic, making his debut with Bellator. You’ll also see Lena Ovchynnikova in the flyweight division, looking to extend her winning streak to three against Mary Rouse Mejia, also new to Bellator. With that in mind, let’s take a look the main card, along with the latest Bellator odds.
Bellator 190 Betting Preview, Picks & Predictions
Main Card: Rafael Carvalho (14-1 MMA, 5-0 Bellator) vs Alessio Sakara (19-11 MMA, 2-0 Bellator)
Rafael Carvalho looked electric at Bellator 176, eliminating Melvin Manhoef with a head kick that delivered a knockout in the fourth round. That made up for a split decision between the two fighters at Bellator 155. His kicks have been the difference in several of his bouts. He has the flexibility and the power to deliver big kicks up high, but he also dealt a liver kick that brought him the 185-pound belt when he took down Brandon Halsey at Bellator 144.
Sakara entered UFC back in 2005 and then moved to Bellator and has had consecutive knockouts in the promotion. At Bellator 152, he took down Brian Rogers with a series of strikes and then needed just 80 seconds at Bellator 168 to send Joey Beltran down to the canvas. Will he bring big strikes against Carvalho, or will he meet his match?
Bellator 190 Betting Prediction: Rafael Carvalho to win
Co-Main Event: Brandon Girtz (14-7 MMA, 6-5 Bellator) vs Luka Jelcic (10-2 MMA, Bellator Debut)
Brandon Girtz has lost three consecutive bouts and has not won in over two years. His last bout, at Bellator 181, was a memorable one against Derek Campos. However, the fight ended thanks to a medical stoppage before the third round thanks to the sheer amount of blood that was running. If Girtz can bring that sort of passion to the fight with Jelcic, he definitely has a chance to start a new winning streak. If not, though, it might be time to start considering a new line of work.
Luka Jelcic makes his Bellator debut in this fight, but he is certainly no stranger to big finishes. He has won 10 of his 12 professional fights, and nine of those wins have finished on the canvas instead of going to the cards. He has racked up four knockouts and five finishes by submission. In his last four bouts, Jelcic has finished his opponents in the opening round. Can he bring that momentum to Bellator?
Bellator 190 Betting Prediction: Luka Jelcic to win
Lena Ovchynnikova (12-4 MMA, 2-1 Bellator) vs Mary Rouse Mejia (1-0 MMA, Bellator debut)
Lena Ovchynnikova is on a two-bout winning streak after losing her first Bellator debut at Bellator 150. In Bellator 177, she took down Helen Harper through a medical stoppage TKO in Hungary. There isn’t a lot of information out there about Mejia, as she makes just her second professional appearance in the ring. The winner of this bout would have a claim toward taking on Ilima Macfarlane, the new female flyweight champ in Bellator.
Bellator 190 Betting Prediction: Lena Ovchynnikova to win
Mihail Nica (6-0 MMA, 1-0 Bellator) vs Carlos Leal (10-3 MMA, Bellator Debut)
Mihail Nica looks to win his seventh straight MMA fight. In his Bellator debut, he needed just 36 seconds to finish Samba Coulibaly with an anaconda choke at Bellator 176. All three of Nica’s wins have come by finish, three by knockout and three by submission — in fact, none of his fights have even made it to the third round. He faces Carlos Leal, who has won four consecutive bouts in Brazil on the regional circuits, ending three of those fights before the third round. This will be Leal’s first professional bout outside Brazil.
Bellator 190 Betting Prediction: Mihail Nica to win
