Another double-header weekend is here for our MMASucka staff picks as the month of February reaches its end.
Later this evening, February 25 will see Bellator 275 take place from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. This marks the promotion’s second event from the Irish country since November lastly seeing Peter Queally suffer a homeland title defeat in a rematch with Patricky Pitbull. The main card will begin live at 4:00pm ET (1:00pm PT) on Showtime.
Bellator 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford results are available here at MMASucka.
Stay tuned tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon for our UFC Vegas 49 staff picks.
The Fights
Bellator’s middleweight championship will be on the line in this evening’s featured main event between Gegard Mousasi and Austin Vanderford.
Current divisional champion Mousasi will hopes to secure his second title defense in his second run as champion since joining the promotion in mid-2018. A veteran since 2003, the fan-favorite has won three in-a-row most recently stopping John Salter by knockout last August. Mousasi’s opponent, Vanderford, looks to continue his undefeated professional run holding eleven victories with six by stoppage (3 KO/TKO, 3 SUB). The growing talent will aim for one of the biggest upsets in his career in his first-ever mainstage title shot.
Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt will take on Ireland’s Sinead Kavanagh in the day’s featherweight co-main event. 29-year-old McCourt looks for her seventh-straight win including two impressive performances over Janay Harding and Jessica Borga in 2021. Dublin’s own Kavanagh aims to rebound following an unsuccessful title attempt against all-time great Cris Cyborg in November suffering a sub-100 second knockout.
Who wins from the five-fight main card at Bellator 275? Find who the MMASucka staff is taking further below.
Staff Picks
Staff picks in 2022 will follow the same set of rules from the 2021 season. Throughout the calendar year, staff picks will be composed of main card fights from both UFC and Bellator events. Main card fights and selected preliminary fights will be selected for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the entire fight card.
Dates for the return of both PFL MMA and Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 are soon-to-be announced.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2022 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. A winner is determined simply by the individual correctly picking the most victorious fighters at the year’s end. Nate Freeman secured his first victory with MMASucka in 2021 with a compiled record 243-136.
Find our staff picks for Bellator 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford below.
Staff Records after Bellator 274:
1. Brandon Joint: 25-7
2. Coby Weinsier: 21-11
3T. Michael DeSantis: 20-12
3T. Andrew Benjamin: 20-12
3T. Mike Lynch: 20-12
3T. Chinyere Okafor: 20-8
7T. Jeremy Brand: 19-13
7T. Frazer Krohn: 19-13
9T. Wesley Riddle: 18-14
9T. Nate Freeman: 18-14
9T. Julio Monteros Jr.: 18-14
12. Ash Camyab: 17-15
13T. Chris Presnell: 16-16
13T. Jacek Okninski: 16-16
13T. William Dong: 16-16
16. Tim Wheaton: 14-13
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
Brian Moore (14-8), +410
vs.
Jornel Lugo (7-0), -575
Bantamweight Division, 135 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Moore via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Moore via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Chinyere Okafor: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Lugo via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Moore: 2
Staff picking Lugo: 14
Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0), -1600
vs.
Jose Sanchez (11-1), +900
Featherweight Division, 145 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Magomedsharipov via Round 1 SUB
Ash Camyab: Magomedsharipov via Round 3 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Magomedsharipov via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 TKO
Mike Lynch: Magomedsharipov via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 SUB
Tim Wheaton: Magomedsharipov via Round 3 SUB
Chris Presnell: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 SUB
Coby Weinsier: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 SUB
Brandon Joint: Magomedsharipov via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Magomedsharipov via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 TKO
Chinyere Okafor: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 SUB
Julio Monteros Jr.: Magomedsharipov via Round 2 SUB
Staff picking Magomedsharipov: 16
Staff picking Sanchez: 0
Ciaran Clarke (4-0), -550
vs.
Abou Tounkara (7-2), +400
Featherweight Division, 145 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Clarke via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Clarke via Round 2 SUB
Ash Camyab: Tounkara via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Clarke via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Clarke via Round 3 SUB
Coby Weinsier: Clarke via Round 3 SUB
Brandon Joint: Tounkara via Round 2 TKO
Jacek Okninski: Tounkara via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Chinyere Okafor: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Clarke via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Clarke: 13
Staff picking Tounkara: 3
Leah McCourt (6-1), +125
vs.
Sinead Kavanagh (7-5), -145
Featherweight Co-Main Event, 145 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: McCourt via Round 3 SUB
Wesley Riddle: McCourt via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Kavanagh via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: McCourt via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Kavanagh via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: McCourt via Split Decision
Brandon Joint: Kavanagh via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Kavanagh via Round 1 TKO
William Dong: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Chinyere Okafor: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: McCourt via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking McCourt: 12
Staff picking Kavanagh: 4
Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2), -220
vs.
Austin Vanderford (11-0), +180
Middleweight Divisional Championship, 185 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Mousasi via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Mousasi via Round 4 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Mousasi via Round 3 TKO
Ash Camyab: Mousasi via Round 3 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Mousasi via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Mousasi via Round 4 TKO
Mike Lynch: Mousasi via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Mousasi via Round 3 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Mousasi via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Mousasi via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: Vanderford via Round 3 TKO
Brandon Joint: Mousasi via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Mousasi via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Mousasi via Round 4 TKO
Chinyere Okafor: Mousasi via Round 2 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Mousasi via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Mousasi: 15
Staff picking Vanderford: 1
*Fight Odds from DraftKings*
FEATURED IMAGE:
Ciaran Clarke (left) and Abou Tounkara ahead of their main card featherweight fight taking place at Bellator 275 on Friday, February 24th from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland (photo credits to Bellator MMA).
