When I got the email to come aboard to Bookmakers Review, I was excited, cause who the hell wouldn’t want to write about two of the most American of pastimes, fighting and wagering on fighting.
Then I was informed I’d have to write about a Cris Cyborg fight.
As someone who loves fighting, as someone who loves figuring out the best advantages a fighter can have to secure a win or pull
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Championship Main Event
Friday, November 12, 2021 – 11:40 PM EST at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
While my fellow Irishhuman, Sinead Kavanaugh trained at SBG, home of one of the greatest showmen the sport has ever seen in Conor McGregor, and has taken her last two fights against Katharina Lehner in 2020 by UD and dropping Olga Rubin in 2019, she is 3-3 when the fights go to the scorecards and has never been in a fight with more than three rounds in her 11 fight career.
Kavanagh has not fought more than three fights in a year since 2017, and since then she’s been 2-2 with a loss to common opponent/most recent human to fall to Cyborg, Leslie Smith by majority decision, which was forced to be a catchweight fight because Kavanagh failed to make weight.
Kavanagh has bounced between featherweight and bantamweight in her career, with Kavanagh missing on the scale in not only the Smith fight but in 2017 when she faced Maria Casanova and would be three pounds over their agreed 140 pound catchweight limit.
And while Kavanagh would get A scorecard against Leslie Smith, who can be considered Cyborg’s toughest opponent since joining Bellator in 2020, the odds are forever NOT in her favor.
According to the delightfully adorable humans at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review), Kavanagh is a +1400 underdog opposed to the -3300 favorite in the reigning and defending Bellator Women's Featherweight Champion.
In comparison, Le Martin’s Chicago Bears per BetOnline are set at -5000 to NOT make the playoffs and I’d feel more comfortable putting my money behind Justin Fields, Matt Nagy
It’s not a slight on Kavanagh, but it is an indictment on the quality of opponents for one of the greatest fighters to ever enter the sport, as Bellator is experiencing the same problem the UFC had up until a few years ago, quality opponents for great female fighters. The UFC solved that problem by developing a partnership with Invicta and cultivating talent via Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter.
Bellator can answer this problem by doing what it’s been doing and throwing money at fighters in a way the UFC refuses. Being smart in curating that audience that has been growing rapidly these last few years, developing their relationships at the regional and international level, and building out these main cards with more than just Aaron Pico being the second biggest name fighting on the card.
Stay away from this fight if you like your money, if you choose violence or have a copy of Grays Sports Almanac… I have no idea why you’re taking my advice.