Bellator 231 takes place Friday, October 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the main card, and here they are.
Bellator 231 Opening Odds
Roy Nelson -140
Frank Mir +110
Phil Davis -280
Karl Albrektsson +220
Ed Ruth -300
Jason Jackson +240
Ben Rawlings -350
Ilara Joanne +275
Jake Hager -550
Anthony Garrett +400
And here are my initial thoughts on the Bellator 231 Opening Odds:
- I’m not sure what to think about the main event between Mir and Nelson. First off, both men are in the later stages of their careers, with Mir at age 40 and Nelson at age 43. Second, both men are on losing skids, with Mir having lost five straight fights and Nelson losing two straight. Third, Nelson and Mir are friends who say they don’t want to fight each other. I just can’t see this being a very entertaining fight. These two have fought before in the UFC, with Mir beating Nelson by decision. I would lean towards Nelson to win a decision or score a knockout, but given their friendship, who knows what’s going to happen.
- The Davis vs. Albrektsson fight is interesting. Davis is obviously one of the top light heavyweights in Bellator, while Albrektsson is making his Bellator debut after a solid run in RIZIN. Albrektsson is one of the top international light heavyweights and looks like a good signing by Bellator, but it’s hard not to lean towards Davis here given all of his experience and success in both the UFC and in Bellator. Davis by decision seems likely.
- The welterweight bout between Ruth and Jackson should be a good matchup. Ruth is one of the top welterweight prospects in Bellator and other than a loss to Neiman Gracie in the welterweight Grand Prix has been mostly unstoppable. With his wrestling and knockout power, he’s a tough out for anyone. As for Jackson, he was a champion in LFA and is coming off of three straight wins. He has plenty of experience and looks like a fighter the UFC may regret passing on. Ruth should be favored here, but don’t count out Jackson. At these sort of dog odds, I’d rather go with Jackson here.
- The women’s flyweight bout between Rawlings and Joane looks like another dog-or-pass situation. Rawlings has more experience and is probably the better fighter, but with a sub.500 MMA record of 7-8 it’s hard to lay juice on her in any situation. This is a step up for Joane, but she is coming off of two straight wins on the regional scene. I’d rather pass completely on this one, but lean towards the dog slightly.
- And finally, we have Hager taking on another overmatched opponent in Garrett. Seriously, is it that hard for Bellator to fight someone decent for Hager to fight. Garett has struggled on the regional scene and lost his last fight by stoppage. There’s no reason to think that Hager can’t take Garrett to the mat quickly and either defeat him by TKO or by submission. It’s a blowout.
