Fight fans, we have a busy weekend ahead of us! First up is the stacked Bellator 200: Carvalho vs. Mousasi event from the SSE Arena, Wembley in London, England. The show airs via tape delay in prime time on the Paramount Network.
Originally, Bellator 200 was scheduled to feature a rematch between veteran MMA heavyweight stars Roy “Big Country” Nelson and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, however Nelson was forced to pull out due to injury. Now, the show features Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator Middleweight Championship as the new main event.
Before the event kicks off in London, MMANews.com staff writer Matt Boone will provide in-depth analysis and predictions of the main card fights in our Bellator 200: Carvalho vs. Mousasi Predictions feature.
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The following is a look at the lineup scheduled for tonight’s Bellator 200: Carvalho vs. Mousasi main card at the SSE Arena, Wembley in London, England:
- Middleweights: Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi (MW Title)
- Welterweights: Michael “Venom” Page vs. David Rickels
- Light Heavyweights: Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell
- Catchweight: Aaron Chalmers vs. Ash Griffiths
- Women’s Flyweight: Anastasia Yankova vs. Kate Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgqH2ivna44
Bellator Middleweight Championship
Rafael Carvalho (15-1) vs. Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2)
With Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic removed from the lineup, the Bellator Middleweight Championship between Rafael Carvalho and Gegard Mousasi moves to the headline spot. It is certainly one of, if not the most intriguing bouts on the card.
The odds makers have Mousasi a solid three-to-one favorite, with some outlets even having him at a four-to-one favorite with hours to go before the event kicks off. I certainly feel it is a much closer match than the odds would lead you to believe.
Carvalho is riding an extremely impressive 15-fight win streak, with 12 knockouts. It doesn’t get much better than that. The key, however, is that Mousasi has faced much better competition throughout his career. He is also riding an impressive win streak himself, as he comes into the fight having won his last six bouts, with four knockouts, including victories over the likes of Vitor Belfort, Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman, just to name a few.
At the end of the day, the smart pick is Mousasi, however it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see Carvalho pull off the upset.
Prediction: Gegard Mousasi
Michael “Venom” Page (12-0) vs. David Rickels (19-4)
In the co-main event of the evening, the fan-favorite Michael “Venon” Page (MVP) will battle “The Caveman” David Rickels in a Welterweight clash.
The odds for this one have MVP a 3 1/2 to 1 favorite, which doesn’t come as any surprise, as the belief is “Venom” will be putting his wild standup skills on display in what is expected to be another showcase fight for the popular rising British superstar.
Page comes into the fight with his undefeated 12-0 professional MMA record, and looks to improve to 13-0, setting himself up for higher-profile opposition in the near future. For his part, Rickels brings his 19-4, 2 N.C. pro MMA record into the Bellator cage, and at the end of the day, I believe he will leave the cage with a 19-5, 2 N.C. record.
Prediction: Michael Page
Phil Davis (18-4, 1 N.C.) vs. Linton Vassell (18-6)
In a featured Light Heavyweight clash, one of the best 205-pound fighters on planet earth will put his skills on display, as “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis returns to the Bellator cage for the first time since his first loss in the promotion to reigning Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader at Bellator 186 back in November of 2017. Davis will look to return to his winning ways when he meets Bellator veteran Linton Vassell.
Vassell is also coming into this fight having lost his last outing against Bader, however the odds aren’t on his side in terms of getting back to the winners circle. Davis is a tough “go” for anyone who can stand on a scale that reads 205-pounds. If you need proof, check out the odds for this fight, as Davis is clearly the biggest favorite on the card and Vassell is the biggest underdog.
When all is said and done, I think “Mr. Wonderful” will get his hand raised. The only real question is will we see another one-arm choke or impressive finish, or if he will add another decision victory to his record. Davis comes into the fight with a 19-4, 1 N.C. record, with 10 of his 19 wins coming by way of decision.
Prediction: Phil Davis
Aaron Chalmers (3-0) vs. Ash Griffiths (4-5)
The second biggest favorite of the evening, Aaron Chalmers, will look to gain his fourth victory in four fights, as he brings his perfect 3-0 professional MMA record into the Bellator cage against the 4-5 Ash Griffiths, who comes into the show as the second biggest underdog on the main card.
In his Bellator MMA debut, Chalmers comes into this weekend’s event with a perfect record, as he has finished all three of his opponents, two by knockout and one by submission since making his MMA debut in May of 2017.
For his part, Griffiths comes into tonight’s event riding a three-fight losing streak, and is clearly a showcase opponent for Chalmers, whom Bellator has high hopes for.
If you want some more insight into this fight and the promising undefeated prospect, check out our MMANews.com exclusive interview with Aaron Chalmers.
Prediction: Aaron Chalmers
Anastasia Yankova (5-0) vs. Kate Jackson (9-3-1)
The show will also feature the Women’s Flyweight division on display, as undefeated Anastasia Yankova looks to improve to 6-0 when she meets 9-3-1 Kate Jackson in the Bellator 200 main card opening bout.
The odds for this fight are nearly a pick’m at this point, as Yankova comes into the cage a -125 favorite to +105 underdog Jackson.
Prediction: Anastasia Yankova
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What do you think of the above predictions and analysis for tonight’s Bellator 200 lineup? Leave your feedback in the Comments section below, and make sure to keep your browsers locked to MMANews.com and/or your social media channels locked to @mmanews_com for the best coverage of Bellator 200 and the UFC Liverpool events this weekend.
