Bellator 221 Odds, Predictions & Picks

DAZN will feature the main card for Bellator 221 on May 11, which is set for the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The main event is a Bellator Lightweight Championship bout between the current champion, Michael Chandler, and Patricio Freire, who currently holds the Bellator Featherweight belt and is looking to hold two championships at once. The co-main event is a bout between Douglas Lima and Michael Page, who are dueling in the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Semifinals. We have the full card for you to peruse, as well as Bellator betting thoughts about several of the matchups.

Bellator 221 Odds, Predictions & Picks

Event Info

• When: Saturday, March 11th, 9pm
• Where: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
• TV: DAZN
• Live Stream: Bellator Live

Main Card (DAZN)

• Michael Chandler vs Patricio Freire (Bellator Lightweight Championship)
• Douglas Lima vs Michael Page (Welterweight)
• A.J. McKee vs Pat Curran (Featherweight)
• Jake Hager vs T.J. Jones (Heavyweight)

Preliminary Card (ParamountNetwork.com)

• Adil Benjilany vs Chris Lencioni (Featherweight)
• P.J. Cajigas vs Craig Fruth (Welterweight)
• Scott Writz vs Josh Streacker (Welterweight)
• Bryan Bautista vs Robert Fenicle (Bantamweight)
• Askar Askar vs Taylor Moore (Bantamweight)

Michael Chandler (19-4) vs Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (28-4)

• Bellator 221 Odds: Chandler -278 / Freire +200

is being billed as the most significant fight in the history of the Bellator promotion. Chandler has held the Bellator lightweight belt on three different occasions, winning it back from Bent Primus with a unanimous decision back in December. He has won seven of eight fights — including a knockout win over Patricky Freire (Pitbull’s brother) back in 2016, his second win over Patricky. This sidebar has added extra tension coming into this fight. Freire has held the Bellator featherweight title on two occasions, and he has held it now since 2017, when he beat Daniel Straus to take it back. He has won three bouts in a row and 11 of 13, with his most recent victory coming over Emmanuel Sanchez in November 2018 — so he has had a significant layoff between fights. Can Chandler retain his belt? Or will Pitbull unify the title — and avenge his brother’s defeats? “Pitbull” fights with a style similar to that of Patricky, but he does not get into the brawling side as much, taking a more methodical tack with his fighting. He can bring submissions on his feet or in the wrestling game, and so he uses his versatility to draw opponents into making the mistake of choosing a part of the game that they can’t win. Chandler is one of the top fighters in the history of Bellator. His loss to Primus came after an injury, and the only other two fighters in Bellator who have beaten him are Will Brooks and Eddie Alvarez, who have moved on to the more advanced ranks of the UFC. He can take the punishment that comes in battle, which gives him an edge. Bellator 221 Prediction: Chandler wins via decision

Douglas Lima (30-7, -250) vs Michael “Venom” Page (14-0, +175)

• Bellator 221 Odds: Lima -250 / Page +175

features a gritty veteran in Lima, looking to take back his welterweight title that he lost to Rory MacDonald early in 2018. He defeated Andrey Korshekov in the quarterfinals, but his reward for this is a match with an undefeated striker who enters with plenty of confidence. Page delivered a mammoth knockout in his quarterfinal bout against Paul Daley. Lima’s last three losses came against MacDonald, Andrey Koreshov and Ben Askren — two former Bellator welterweight champs and the current champs. All three of them are solid grapplers — and Lima is a solid grappler as well. If the game moves to the ground, then Lima could win easily. Page’s road to victory comes with his ability to deliver big bombs — and knockouts. His best bet here is to line Lima up with a knockout blow. Lima has the savvy to avoid that blow and take the game to the ground. If you like Page to deliver the upset, you think that he can catch Lima with a gap in his defenses and bring an end to the fight. If you like Lima, you see him wearing down Page with grappling. Bellator 221 Prediction: Lima wins via decision