Bellator 275 is set for February 25 in Dublin, Ireland, at the 3Arena. The main event will feature Gegard Mousasi in his defense of the Bellator Middleweight title against Austin Vanderford. Vanderford earned the top contender slot after coming back from a bad cut at Bellator 259 to beat Fabian Edwards unanimously on the cards, giving him a five-fight winning streak in the promotion. Three of those wins have come by unanimous decision, one by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) and one by submission. The co-headliner is a women’s featherweight bout between Leah McCourt and Sinead Kavanagh. Check out the full fight card as well as our Bellator betting predictions of the top fights.
Bellator 275: Mousasi vs Vanderford Betting Preview
Main Card (Showtime)
→ Gegard Mousasi vs Austin Vanderford (Bellator Middleweight Championship)
→ Leah McCourt vs Sinead Kavanagh (Women’s Featherweight)
→ Ciaran Clarke vs Abou Tounkara (Featherweight)
→ Khasan Magomedsharipov vs Jose Sanchez (Featherweight)
→ Brian Moore vs Jornel Lugo (Bantamweight)
Preliminary Card (YouTube / Pluto TV)
→ Khurshed Kakhorov vs Brett Johns (Bantamweight)
→ Charlie Leary vs Davy Gallon (Lightweight)
→ Danni McCormack vs Stephanie Ielo Page (Women’s Strawweight)
→ Junior Morgan vs Darragh Kelly (Lightweight)
→ Gokhan Saricam vs Kiril Sidelnikov (Heavyweight)
→ Nathan Kelly vs Scott Pedersen (Featherweight)
→ Lee Hammond vs Jamie Hay (Catchweight – 146.8 lbs)
Gegard Mousasi vs Austin Vanderford is a mismatch in terms of experience. Vanderford’s winning streak in Bellator is impressive, and his win over Fabian Edwards was a milestone, but his resume still pales in comparison to Mousasi’s. You might think that Mousasi is ready to start a decline given his age, but he is still fighting at an elite level, which means that Vanderford will need an elite performance to take the belt away. Vanderford has improved his striking game but does most of his best work in the grappling game. Mousasi has serviceable takedown defense and decent jiu-jitsu, but look for Vanderford to try to creep in and grab a submission. If things stay upright, Mousasi should be able to bring enough pressure and volume to wear down Vanderford.
Final Prediction:
Mousasi wins via decision
Leah McCourt vs Sinead Kavanagh is McCourt’s latest chance to extend a winning streak that dates all the way back to her second pro fight. She is solid in all areas of her game, but Kavanagh is a tougher fighter than what she has met so far. McCourt can be a little iffy when the fight stays upright, while Kavanagh tends to struggle when things go to the ground. Kavanagh brings a powerful striking game and could deliver a knockout, while McCourt could get a submission on the ground. When fights go to the judges, Kavanagh tends to be on the short side in terms of points, so she likes to use her boxing skills to end fights before the judges get a chance to deliver an opinion.
Final Prediction:
McCourt wins via submission
Brian Moore vs Jornel Lugo is an intriguing matchup that could be the sleeper event of the night. Lugo has a 3-0 record in Bellator and is currently in the top 10. Moore brings a ton of experience and always makes life difficult for his opponent. Both of these fighters bring striking games that focus on volume, which means we should see a ton of punches. Both of them tend to use pressure in their striking game, so if things stay upright, both of these fighters could try to take the lead. Lugo is more of a technical striker while Moore looks more like a street fighter once things get going. No matter who wins, this won’t be a boring fight. I’m going with the value and the youngster.
Final Prediction:
Lugo wins via knockout
