Event: Bellator 80 Matchup: Joe Warren (-1050) vs. Owen Evinger (+650) Location: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida Time: 8 p.m. (ET) How to watch: Spike.com, MTV2 TALE OF THE TAPE: THE FAVORITE 
Name: Joe “The Baddest Man on the Planet” Warren MMA Record: 7-3 Bellator Record: 5-2 Age: 35 Nationality: American Height: 5-5 Weight: 135 pounds Style: Greco-Roman Wrestling Camp: Team Quest Strengths: Wrestling, heart, strength, warrior spirit Weaknesses: Chin, striking, age Last 5 Fights: L – Pat Curran (KO), L – Alexis Vila (KO), W – Marcos Galvao (SD), W – Joe Soto (KO), W – Patricio “Pitbull” (SD) Notable Career Wins: Patricio “Pitbull” (SD), “Kid” Yamamoto (SD), Chase Bebee (TKO) Notable Career Losses: Pat Curran (KO), Alexis Vila (KO), Bibiano Fernandes (SUB) Notable Career Achievements: Former Bellator World Featherweight Champion Keys to Victory: Dominate the grappling, don’t get caught on the feet TALE OF THE TAPE: THE UNDERDOG Name: Owen Evinger MMA Record: 7-3 Bellator Record: 0-2 Age: 29 Nationality: American Height: 5-8 Weight: 135 pounds Style: Submissions Camp: Unknown Strengths: Offensive submissions, toughness Weaknesses: Submission defence, lacks athleticism Last 5 Fights: L – Allen Gibson (SUB), L – Aaron Ely (SUB), W – Chad Vandenberg (UD), L – Brandon Shelton (SUB), W – William Joplin (SUB) Notable Career Wins: None Notable Career Losses: None Notable Career Achievements: None Keys to Victory: Look for subs off his back, try and catch Warren by surprise on the feet FIGHT BREAKDOWN, PREDICTION, PICK & BET The main event of Bellator 80 is what appears to be a mismatch on paper as former Bellator World Featherweight Champion Joe Warren is moving back down to 135 pounds to square off against Owen Evinger in what should be a one-sided affair. Warren is coming off two brutal knockout losses to Pat Curran and Alexis Vila, but prior to that, he won five straight fights in Bellator (even if he just squeaked by in some because the judges liked his style enough to score him as the winner). He is an Olympic-caliber Greco-Roman wrestler, and his grappling has translated well to MMA, as he’s used it to grind out decisions in five of his seven victories. Although he does possess some power, he learned striking too late in his career, and combined with his suspect chin, he’s a dangerous guy to bet on. One thing to remember though is that this guy is tough as nails and has a heart way bigger than his 5-foot-5 frame, so he’ll be competitive in all of his fights either until he wins or goes to sleep. Owen Evinger is a journeyman. He’s lost three out of his last four fights, yet Bellator has elected to match him up with a former champion. If the fight seems like a mismatch on paper, that’s because it is. Evinger isn’t on Warren’s level at all, and the only reason this fight is occurring is because the Florida Athletic Commission is lenient and assumed because both men have identical 7-3 records that this is a fair fight. Evinger brings nothing to the table in this fight except for a decent submission game and general toughness. However, Warren should completely outclass him in the grappling aspect of this match, and it’s very unlikely Evinger will catch him in a submission. The only real way he wins this fight is by landing a big punch on Warren that knocks him out cold, but the chance of that happening is slim. Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, Owen is the brother of female MMA fighter Tonya Evinger. Adam’s Fight Prediction: Warren will mix in the takedowns and strike to score points and grind out a three-round decision. He needs to play it safe and not take too many risks because if he gets caught by a punch or a submission and loses to Evinger, his MMA career will basically be over. Adam’s Pick: Joe Warren (-1050) via unanimous decision (click for latest MMA odds). Adam’s Recommended Play: Joe Warren should win this fight, but with that suspect chin, I don’t think he’s worth playing at his sky-high price of -1050. Owen Evinger doesn’t have many ways to win though, so don’t bet him either. Pass on this one entirely.
