Bellator 273: Bader vs. Moldavsky Best Bets (Archive)
Bellator is back and so is me writing about it for our amazing BMR readers! This week is slam-packed full of action across the sports landscape and the ViacomCBS owned MMA Property is back and so is Ryan Bader as he puts his Bellator Heavyweight Championship for the first time since losing in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix to Corey Anderson in 2021.
Ryan Bader vs. Valentin Moldavsky
Saturday, January 29, 2022 – 10:00 PM EST at Footprint Center
It has been an up and down couple of years for Bader, who since defeating Fedor in the finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix has gone 1-2-1 losing his light heavyweight title in the process and also keeping his Bellator heavyweight crown because a fight ended in an eye poke.
Which explains why Bader is a +240 underdog at the Bellator odds according to BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) for a fight for his own championship, which is not really ideal for a fighter. Across from Bader is a man looking to get revenge for his trainer and also become an undisputed champion for the first time in his career, Valentin Moldavsky.
Moldavsky earned the shot and the honor of being interim heavyweight champion back in June of 2021 when he would snag a unanimous decision from Timothy Johnson and has been undefeated since joining the Scott Coker-operated brand since 2017.
I think Bader’s moving back and forth between light heavyweight and heavyweight created a situation where he’s not in a comfortable rhythm, also on top of him getting dusted in two of his last three fights does not evoke confidence in me putting my money on the defending champion.
And while Moldavsky has an impressive record, his two biggest wins in MMA have been against Linton Vassell and Roy Nelson, who is not the same Roy Nelson we remember from what is almost more than a decade ago in the UFC.
Not a slight on either fighter, but for Modavsky to be such a comfortable favorite, his having to go the distance against Timothy Johnson, who got cooked by Fedor in the opening round of their fight in October of 2021, and his inability to finish anyone in all but one of his Bellator fights gives me a bit of pause.
There are too many outliers in situations like this for me to make fully throated support of the Fedor pupil, but that is the problem with heavyweight MMA, especially in Bellator is that these are fighters who are not Ngannou or Curtis Blaydes like knockout artists who can drop anyone in their path, it is a mixed bag of highly skilled fighters who may not have that fifth gear of violence.
While Moldavsky more than likely will get the nod on Saturday night on Showtime, you have to take a chance on Ryan Bader at +240. It just makes sense to lay a bit of cash on a guy who has a better resume, has the ability to finish a fight at a high level, and someone who has stepped into the cage against world championship-caliber opponents.
Bellator 273 Pick: Ryan Bader +240 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.