BELLATOR 85: CHANDLER VS. HAWN Date: January 17, 2013 Location: Irvine, California Venue: Bren Center Broadcast: Spike TV, Spike.com Bellator Fighting Championships Featherweight Title Bout Bellator Featherweight Champion Pat Curran (-120) Profile: Pat Curran (17-4) has won four straight bouts since losing a unanimous decision to Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator lightweight championship last April 2. The 24-year-old Florida native is coming off a third-round knockout win over Joe Warren at Bellator 60 for the featherweight championship on March 9. Curran dropped a weight class from lightweight following the loss to Alvarez and competed in the 2011 Summer Series featherweight tournament, earning wins by submission, decision and knockout en route to the title. He became the first Bellator fighter to capture tournament titles in two different weight classes after previously winning the 2010 lightweight tourney final over Toby Imada by split decision. Bellator #1 Featherweight Contender Patricio Freire (-110) Profile: Patricio Freire (17-1) has won three fights in a row since suffering his only career loss to Warren by split decision in the Bellator Season Two Featherweight Tournament Final. The 24-year-old Brazilian fought strictly in his home country and won his first 12 bouts before signing with Bellator. “Pitbull” earned a unanimous decision victory against Daniel Straus in the Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament Final at Bellator 45 last May 21, and he has spent the last year recovering from a broken hand. Freire was expected to face Warren in a rematch but got this title shot against Curran after they fought each other. Opening Bellator Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has installed Curran as a small -120 favorite (bet $120 to win $100) against Freire, who is a -110 underdog according to the MMA odds. The one-year layoff for Freire is definitely a factor here, as Curran has become a force at featherweight since then. However, Curran has also been off 10 months with this fight against Freire originally scheduled for Bellator 73 last August. Curran was a heavy favorite against Warren in their title bout and looked the part in a dominating victory, which also comes into play. Of Freire’s 17 wins, six have come by knockout and seven via submission to go along with four decisions. Curran has seen an equal number of knockouts and submissions (five) among his wins with seven decisions, and he has not lost as a featherweight with a perfect 4-0 record. (Original opening MMA odds for Bellator 73 below)
