MMASucka staff picks continue on with the second of four total fight cards this weekend.
Bellator 294 is set for action later tonight, April 21st from the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. This marks the promotion’s eighth visit to the venue with each trip seeing double-header, Friday-to-Saturday cards after hosting two events on back-to-back days in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Tonight’s preliminary bouts kick off the event at 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT) on Bellator’s YouTube channel followed by the five-fight main card at 10:00pm ET (7:00pm PT) on ShowTime.
Stay tuned to MMASucka for live results of Bellator 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2.
Be sure to recap our picks from today’s ONE Fight Night 9 event from Bangkok, Thailand. Also, stay tuned for picks from the second Bellator Hawaii card, Bellator 294: Stots vs. Mix, tomorrow morning as well as our UFC Vegas 71: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes picks.
The Fights
Liz Carmouche and DeAnna Bennett are set to clash in the night’s featured main event for the Bellator Women’s Flyweight Championship. The two had previously met in September of 2020 with Carmouche taking the victory over Bennett, who had missed weight by over five pounds, by rear-naked choke in the third round.
The bout for Carmouche was her first competing for Bellator after a ten-fight tenure in the UFC. She has since won every fight in the promotion including her capturing of the title over Juliana Velasquez in April of 2022 and her rematch with Velasquez last December. Carmouche’s opponent, Bennett, needed a rebound after the defeat that saw her career with only two victories in ten fights ranging from early 2016 to late 2020. The former Invicta title challenger did just that, putting together a stretch of three victories including two unanimous decisions last year over Justine Kish.
Only Carmouche will be eligible for tonight’s championship as Bennett missed weight by a pound and a half at Thursday’s weigh-ins. With Carmouche’s word, a loss in her corner would result in the 125-pound belt’s vacancy.
In the co-main event, heavyweights Timothy Johnson and Said Sowma look for something big to turn the tides in their Bellator tenures. Former interim challenger targets his first win after since a split decision win over Cheick Kongo in October of 2020 after three straight defeats. American Top Team’s Sowma hopes for much of the same after back-to-back, split decision loss last year to Davion Franklin and Gokhan Saricam.
See further below for our Bellator 294 staff picks.
Our Bellator Hawaii double-header begins 𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙍𝙊𝙒 🌴
Fighters face off for the final time before fight night. Give us your predictions 🤔 #Bellator294 pic.twitter.com/FrMox9VIp9
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 20, 2023
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.
The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.
Who are the MMASucka staff picking to win at Bellator 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2?
Staff Records after UFC on ESPN 44:
1. Ben Jamieson: 73-39
2T. Nate Freeman: 72-40
2T. Tim Wheaton: 72-40
4. Michael DeSantis: 70-42
5T. Wesley Riddle: 68-44
5T. Frazer Krohn: 68-44
7. Jeremy Brand: 66-46
8. Roemello Reyes: 62-34
9. Julio Monteros Jr.: 61-43
10. Jack Goodwillie: 57-38
11. Brian Knight: 54-34
12. Andrew Benjamin: 53-54
13. Jonathan Andrade: 16-14
14. Brandon Joint: 12-9
15. Andrew Harbaugh: 10-7
16. Joshua Yule: 7-6
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – ONE Fight Night 9 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Levan Chokheli (11-2, 1 NC), -200
vs.
Michael Lombardo (13-3, 1 NC), +170
Welterweight Division
– 170 LBS. ~ 77.1 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Lombardo via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Lombardo via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Chokheli via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Chokheli via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Chokheli via Round 2 SUB
Nate Freeman: Chokheli via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Lombardo via Round 1 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Lombardo via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Chokheli via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Chokheli via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Chokheli: 6
Staff picking Lombardo: 4
Danny Sabatello (13-2), -380
vs.
Marcos Breno (15-2), +310
Bantamweight Division
– 135 LBS. ~ 61.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Sabatello via Round 1 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Sabatello via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Sabatello via Round 3 SUB
Julio Monteros Jr.: Sabatello via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Sabatello via Round 1 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Sabatello via Round 2 SUB
Staff picking Sabatello: 10
Staff picking Breno: 0
Arlene Blencowe (15-9), +185
vs.
Sara McMann (13-6), -215
Women’s Featherweight Division
– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: McMann via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: McMann via Round 2 SUB
Tim Wheaton: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Blencowe via Split Decision
Ben Jamieson: McMann via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Blencowe: 1
Staff picking McMann: 9
Tim Johnson (15-9), +135
vs.
Said Sowma (8-4), -155
Heavyweight Division
– Co-Main Event –
– 265 LBS. ~ 120.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Sowma via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Sowma via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Johnson via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Sowma via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Nate Freeman: Sowma via Round 2 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Sowma via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Sowma via Round 2 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Sowma via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Johnson: 3
Staff picking Sowma: 7
*Liz Carmouche (18-7), -520
vs.
DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1), +410
Women’s Flyweight Divisional Championship
– Main Event –
– 125 LBS. ~ 56.7 KG. –
* = only Carmouche eligible for title
Jeremy Brand: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Carmouche via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Carmouche via Round 2 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Carmouche via Round 3 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Carmouche via Round 3 SUB
Nate Freeman: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Carmouche via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Carmouche: 10
Staff picking Bennett: 0
BELLATOR 294 FEATURED IMAGE:
Tim Johnson (left) and Said Sowma ahead of their Bellator 294 co-main event taking place Friday, April 21st from the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii (photo credits to Bellator MMA).
