Bellator 89 The Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte, NC Thursday, February 14, 2013 Bantamweight Title Fight: Eduardo Dantas (215) vs. Marcos Galvao (+165) Fight Breakdown: Bellator World Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on Bellator Bantamweight Tournament winner Marcos Galvao. Dantas opened as a -215 favorite (bet $215 to win $100), while the comeback on Galvao sits at +165 (bet $100 to win $165). One interesting thing to note about this fight is that Galvao was the person who introduced Dantas to mixed martial arts, and the two are long-time training partners at Nova Uniao. Dantas (14-3) is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champ, having defeated Zach Makovsky via submission to win the title last year. However, after the Makovsky fight he took what he thought was a tune-up fight against unknown Tyson Nam at a Brazilian charity event and was knocked out in brutal fashion. He hasn’t competed since last August, and although he was supposed to fight Galvao last November the fight had to be postponed when Dantas complained of concussion issues. Now healthy, he’ll be lookng to defend his strap. The 24-year-old is 4-1 in Bellator and has looked better and better with each fight, but the loss to Nam could be devastating. We know he’s talented, but just where his head is at right now is a huge question mark and one that will only be answered by his performance inside of the cage on Thursday night. Galvao (13-5) is coming off of an extremely impressive TKO victory over Luis Nogueira to win the last bantamweight tournament. The 31-year old is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and he’s been fighting MMA for eight years, competing in promotions such as Shooto and the WEC before making his presence known in Bellator. He is 4-2 while fighting for Bellator MMA but most people agree he should have got the judges’ nod over Joe Warren and some felt he should have got the decision over Alexis Vila, too. Galvao is a talented fighter in all facets of the game, and his well-roundedness has led him to collect 11 decision victories in his career. One thing that’s especially concerning about Galvao is his chin, as he’s been knocked out by Brian Bowles and Damacio Page in the past. If he can use his veteran smarts and believe in the tools he possesses, he can defeat Dantas, but he has to be careful. Fight Prediction: Marcos Galvao knows that Eduardo Dantas’ head isn’t in the game after the knockout loss to Tyson Nam. He’s been training with his pupil for years, and he knows what his strengths and weaknesses are. Galvao will use his veteran experience in this fight and wait for the right opportunity to capitalize, and he’ll defeat Dantas to become the new Bellator World Bantamweight Champion. Adam’s Pick: Marcos Galvao via TKO (click for latest MMA odds) Adam’s Recommended Play: I picked Marcos Galvao in his last fight when he defeated the favored Luis Nogueira, and I’m taking a stab at him again here — nothing big since Dantas is a talented fighter, but a small play at +165 for sure.
