Bellator 89 The Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte, NC Thursday, February 14, 2013 Middleweight Quarterfinal: Brett Cooper (-265) vs. Norman Paraisy (+185) Fight Breakdown: Bellator’s season eight middleweight tournament kicks off with a fun matchup between veteran middleweights Brett Cooper and Norman Paraisy. Cooper opened as a -265 favorite (bet $265 to win $100), while the comeback on Paraisy is +185 (bet $100 to win $185). Cooper (17-7) is an up-and-coming talent training out of Kings MMA in Los Angeles. Thus far in his Bellator career Cooper has gone a solid 4-2, and he’s currently riding a four-fight winning streak since a loss to current Bellator Middleweight Champion Alexander Shlemenko. The 25-year-old is a powerful striker with 11 knockout wins to his credit, but he’s pretty well-rounded in all facets of the game and has really taken advantage of training with stars like Mark Munoz and Fabricio Werdum, as well as vaunted striking coach Rafael Cordeiro. Cooper for sure has more momentum coming into this fight with Paraisy, but he can’t sleep on his opponent. Paraisy (10-2-1, 1 No Contest) lost his Bellator debut to Maiquel Falcao and looks to get back on his winning ways against Cooper. Unlike many fighters in Bellator, including his opponent Cooper, Paraisy wasn’t offered a tune-up fight, so he’ll be coming into this fight with 11 months of ring rust. Like Cooper, he’s well-rounded, with two T/KO and five submission victories to his credit, but there’s no question his opponent Cooper has faced the better competition. Paraisy is a decent fighter and he has the tools to win this fight, but at the same time it would be pretty surprising to me if he did. Fight Prediction: Brett Cooper is on another level than Norman Paraisy. It’s possible the fight is a bit of a grind, but Cooper will get it done. He’s going to be a little better everywhere the fight goes and that’s why I lean for him to pick up a decision in this fight, although I wouldn’t rule out a TKO. Adam’s Pick: Brett Cooper via unanimous decision (click for latest MMA odds) Adam’s Recommended Play: I really like Brett Cooper in this fight. Unfortunately the line has been steamed up and he’s currently sitting at -350, so it’s tough to recommend a bet on him. One thing I would do is consider parlaying him with someone from the UFC on FUEL TV 7 card — maybe a Terry Etim, Jimi Manuwa, or Renan Barao if you like one of those guys.
