Bellator’s MMA fighting returns to the United States this week, as the Mohegan Sun Arena, in Uncasville, Connecticut, will host Bellator 251 on Thursday night. The main event pits Melvin Manhoef against Corey Anderson in a light heavyweight bout, and the co-headliner is a heavyweight scrum between Tyrell Fortune and Said Sowma. You can catch the entire evening’s entertainment on CBS Sports Network. Take a look at the full fight card as well as our sports betting suggestions on some of the key fights that should help you with your bets against their Bellator odds.
MMA Betting and Preview for Bellator 251
Main Card (CBS Sports)
- Melvin Manhoef vs Corey Anderson (Light Heavyweight)
- Tyrell Fortune vs Said Sowma (Heavyweight)
- Austin Vanderford vs Vinicius de Jesus (Middleweight)
- Derek Anderson vs Killys Mota (Welterweight)
Melvin Manhoef Vs Corey Anderson gives us one of the storied veterans in MMA, as he is 44 years old and has 48 pro fights on his resume. He had a difficult stretch a while back, winning just three times in nine fights. However, he comes in on a two-fight winning streak, his longest dating back to 2012, when he fought for Road FC, ONE Championship and Dream and won three in a row. He was supposed to make his 2020 debut at Bellator 248 against Simon Biyong, but he was shifted to Bellator 251 instead.
Anderson went 10-5 in UFC before parting ways with the promotion. His last fight came at UFC on ESPN+ 25, when he lost in the first round to Jan Blachowicz, who dealt a right-handed hook to Anderson and stopped the fight right there. Anderson has a five-inch height advantage — and a nine-inch edge in terms of reach. However, Manhoef delivers power with each strike and knocked out Yannick Bahati in his last fight — despite the fact that Bahati was four inches taller and had that same nine-inch reach advantage — in the third minute of the fight.
For Manhoef to win, he would have to stack up points, evading Anderson’s striking game and staying out of the clinch. Manhoef needs to keep this fight in the middle of the cage. Anderson has picked up some big wins his career, including victories over Glover Teixeira, the #3 UFC light heavyweight, and Johnny Walker, who ranks ninth. It won’t be a surprise to see either fighter win.
Prediction: Manhoef wins via decision
Tyrell Fortune Vs Said Sowma features a fighter who got finished two fights ago and had a no contest due to a low blow in his last fight in Fortune. So with a loss and a no contest, he’s looking for some redemption. In his loss to Johnson, Fortune put his hands at his sides when he was within striking range, and also when he was running out of range. If he can keep those hands up, he should do much better. His agility is well above average for a heavyweight, and he has the background to serve him well in this fight as far as wrestling goes.
Sowma comes in having won six in a row as he makes his Bellator debut. He has done most of his fighting with Titan Fighting Championships, where he won the Heavyweight Championship in September, taking Bobby Brents apart in the third round via TKO at Titan FC 64. This will be the seventh time Fortune has been the opponent for someone making a Bellator debut.
Prediction: Sowma wins via knockout
Joe Supino Vs Jaylon Bates could be the sleeper matchup on the card. Bates put together a 9-0 record as an amateur, winning seven of those nine via submission or knockout. He was the Tuff-N-Uff bantamweight and featherweight champ in his youth. He also won those fights without knees to the head or elbow strikes. He likes to stay on his feet between rounds, getting the psychological edge on his opponent. Supino has six wins, finishing in four of those. He has two losses, both by decision. Can he get back up against Bates?
Prediction: Bates wins via knockout
Preliminary Card (Streamed on Bellator MMA/YouTube and CBSSports.com)
- Georgi Karakhanyan vs Bryce Logan (Lightweight)
- Julius Angelickas vs Alex Polizzi (Light Heavyweight)
- Janay Harding vs Jessica Miele (Women’s Featherweight)
- Ali Zebian vs Piankhi Zimmerman (Lightweight)
- Jaylon Bates vs Joe Supino (Bantamweight)
- Sumiko Inaba vs Jessica Ruiz (Women’s Strawweight)
