Bellator 225 Odds, Preview & Predictions

Bridgeport, Connecticut, is the site for this weekend’s Bellator 225, set for Webster Bank Arena. The main event is a heavyweight rematch between Sergei Kharitonov and Matt Mitrione. They fought at Bellator 215, but the bout ended in a no contest thanks to an accidental kick to the groin 15 seconds into the first round. The co-main event is also a heavyweight tilt, featuring Vitaly Minakov and Javy Ayala. You can catch the fights on Paramount Network and DAZN. We have the whole fight card for you as well as some MMA betting thoughts on the key bouts.

Bellator 225 Odds, Preview & Predictions

This Saturday we run it back! pic.twitter.com/OJjDWiw3Hw

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 20, 2019

Event Info

• When: Saturday, August 24, 2019. 9pm ET
• Where: Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut
• TV: Paramount Network
• Live Stream: Bellator Live

Main Card

• Matt Mitrione vs Sergei Kharitonov (Heavyweight)
• Vitaly Minakov vs Javy Ayala (Heavyweight)
• Alejandra Lara vs Taylor Turner (Women’s Flyweight)
• Tyrell Fortune vs Rudy Schaffroth (Heavyweight)
• David Rickels vs Yaroslav Amosov (Welterweight)

Preliminary Card

• Kastriot Xhema vs Rodolfo Rocha (Welterweight)
• Nick Newell vs Corey Browning (Lightweight)
• Austin Vanderford vs Joseph Creer (Middleweight)
• Sabah Homasi vs Micah Terrill (Welterweight)
• Michael Kimbel vs Chris Disonelli (Catchweight – 140 lbs)
• Grant Neal vs Alpha Toure (Light Heavyweight)
• Khronry Gracie vs Oscar Vera (Welterweight)
• Ricky Bandejas vs Ahmet Kayretli (Bantamweight)
• Timothy Johnson vs Azunna Anyanwu
• Aviv Gozali vs Eduard Muravitsky (Catchweight – 165 lbs)
• Jon Manley vs Thiago Rela (Catchweight – 175 lbs)

Matt Mitrione (13-6, 4-1 Bellator) vs Sergei Kharitonov (29-7, 2-1 Bellator)

• Bellator 225 Odds: Mitrione -140 / Kharitonov +110

The fight came to an untimely end, as we mentioned earlier, with Mitrione accidentally delivering a kick to Kharitonov’s nether regions that left him unable to fight. Mitrione uses a direct, aggressive style, moving forward to push the pace of the fight. Before the no-contest against Kharitonov, Mitrione had won four of his last five bouts, with his only loss coming against heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, in the semifinals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. He has also delivered a knockout win in the first round over Fedor Emelianenko. Kharitonov has actually had two no-contests in his last three fights, but in between them he delivered a knockout in the waning rounds of the first round in a win over Roy Nelson. This fight is important for both, as a win would put either one on the verge of a title bout, while the other would have to do a lot of winning to get a shot at the belt. Kharitonov is tough on his feet and on the ground, so Mitrione will have his work cut out for him. Even so, given his recent run in Bellator, he is the smart pick. Bellator 225 Prediction: Mitrione wins via decision

Vitaly Minakov vs Javy Ayala

• Bellator 225 Odds: TBA

This one gives us the second fight in Minakov’s return to Bellator. At Bellator 2016, he lost on the cards to Cheick Kongo, dropping his first professional bout in his career, after taking a five-year hiatus from the promotion. He had beaten Kongo and Alexander Volkov in a successful first run through Bellator. Ayala comes in on the momentum of a win, as he beat Frank Mir via TKO at Bellator 212. However, he had lost his two bouts before that, as Kongo and Roy Nelson defeated him. Bellator 225 Prediction: Ayala wins via decision

Alejandra Lara (7-3, 1-2 Bellator) vs Taylor Turner (4-5, 1-0 Bellator)

• Bellator 225 Odds: TBA

It’s Lara’s attempt to turn around a two-bout losing streak. She beat Lena Ovchynnikova in her Bellator debut but then lost to Illima-Lei Macfarlane and Julian Velasquez. Turner won her promotional debut at Bellator 222 back in June, needing just 3:53 to finish Heather Hardy in a classic “ground and pound” sequence. I see Lara turning the tables as Turner is still finding her way in the promotion. Bellator 225 Prediction: Lara wins via decision

Tyrell Fortune vs Rudy Schaffroth

• Bellator 225 Odds: TBA

These two matches up a pair of unbeatens. Fortune (6-0, 6-0 Bellator) and Schaffroth (6-0, 2-0 Bellator) know each other well, having grown up wrestling on the same circuit. Schaffroth has finished all six of his opponents in the first round, thanks to an aggressive style. The danger with that is that he will run out of gas and then find himself vulnerable to Fortune breaking him down after the opening four minutes. Bellator 225 Prediction: Fortune wins via stoppage