Bellator 218 Odds, Preview & Predictions

WinStar World Casino, in Thackerville, Oklahoma, is the site of Bellator 218: Sanchez vs Karakhanyan 2, set for Friday night, with the broadcast on Paramount Network and DAZN. The main event is a rematch between Emmanuel Sanchez and Georgi Karakhanyan in the featherweight division. Sanchez won the first time on the cards, at Bellator 170, and Karakhanyan is looking for some payback. The co-main event is a heavyweight tilt between Valentin Moldavsky and Linton Vassell. We have your full fight card as well as some Bellator betting thoughts about the key matchups.

BBellator 218 Odds, Preview & Predictions

• When: Friday, March 22, 2019 at 9:00 PM ET (Main Card)
• Where: WinStar World Casino & Resort, Thackerville, OK
• TV: DAZN
• Live Stream: Bellator Live

Main Card (Paramount Network / DAZN)

• Emmanuel Sanchez vs Georgi Karakhanyan (Featherweight)
• Valentin Moldavsky vs Linton Vassell (Heavyweight)
• Norbert Novenyi vs William Levine (Middleweight)
• Anatoly Tokov vs Gerald Harris (Middleweight)

Preliminary Card (Bellator.com / Bellator App)

• Nation Gibrick vs Nicholas Page (Lightweight)
• Ky Bennett vs Deborah Kouzmin (Women’s Flyweight)
• Aaron Vickers vs Isaiah Gutierrez (Bantamweight)
• Johnny Eblen vs Chauncy Foxworth (Middleweight)
• Christian Edwards vs Roman Huerta (Light Heavyweight)
• Malin Hermansson vs Victoria Leonardo (Women’s Flyweight)
• Craig Fairley vs Luis Erives (Lightweight)
• John Macapa vs Kevin Groom (Featherweight)
• Vladimir Tokov vs Ryan Walker (Lightweight)
• Jordan Newman vs Joseph Holmes (Middleweight)

Emmanuel Sanchez vs Georgi Karakhanyan

• Bellator 218 Odds: Sanchez -330 / Karakhanyan +265

This fight should feature two very motivated fighters, as Sanchez lost his last fight, a featherweight title challenge against champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. Sanchez put up a huge fight, but he didn’t make his case on the cards, as he lost in a unanimous decision. Karakhanyan lost in his last Bellator fight, falling to Henry Corrales, but he did win in his last tilt, which happened outside the promotion. When Sanchez and Karakhanyan won the first time, it came in a close decision. He controlled the first two rounds but took a point deduction thanks to an illegal knee, and that brought the cards closer. Sanchez didn’t seem to fight as hard in the third round either, which helped Karakhanyan took those points. He won that round on the ground, as his grappling game was better than that of Sanchez. Karakhanyan has several terrific submission moves, and if he got Sanchez in that position again, he might well end the fight right there instead of hoping the judges vote him the victory. Even so, Sanchez should be able to keep most of this fight upright, like in the first two rounds of their first fight. I don’t see Sanchez making that mistake again, though, and I see him cruising to another decision win. Bellator 218 Prediction: Sanchez wins via decision

Valentin Moldavsky vs Linton Vassell

• Bellator 218 Odds: Vassell +120 / Moldavsky -140

This one marks Vassell’s jump up in class from light heavyweight after dropping two straight fights, one to Phil Davis, a former Bellator light heavyweight champ, and Ryan Bader, who currently holds both the light heavyweight and heavyweight belts in the Bellator promotion. Moldavsky has won his last two fights (both as part of Bellator), and his last fight saw him knock out Ernest James. Before that two-bout losing streak, though, Vassell had defeated a pair of former Bellator light heavyweight champs in Emanuel Newton and Liam McGeary, and he also beat former UFC fighter Francis Carmont. Vassell, despite being 35 years old, is still game in the cage, particularly if wrestling becomes part of the bout. Moldavsky is still new to the sport, and he has lost to fighters that don’t have Vassell’s skill set. Vassell also has three inches of height on Moldavsky. If Moldavsky wants to win, he will have to keep the bout up on his feet and bring the big bombs and go for the knockout. By staying close and minimizing Vassell’s height and reach advantage, Moldavsky can get inside and put in some short punches, then he could win. Vassell could also win in his heavyweight debut, but I’m going with the hot hand. Bellator 218 Prediction: Moldavsky wins via knockout