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| Mitrione vs. Kharitonov |
Ayala vs. Minakov |
Fortune vs. Schaffroth |
Amosov vs. Rickels |
Lara vs. Turner |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 141-72 (66%) |
 Mitrione (51%) |
 Minakov (89%) |
 Fortune (83%) |
 Amosov (65%) |
 Lara (79%) |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 50-16 (76%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 52-19 (73%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 146-67 (69%) |
 Kharitonov |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 144-69 (68%) |
Kharitonov |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 40-20 (67%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 141-72 (66%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 138-76 (65%)  2018 Champion |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 138-75 (65%) 2014 Champion |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Steven Marrocco @MMAjunkieSteven 2019: 137-76 (64%) |
Kharitonov |
Minakov |
 Schaffroth |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 137-76 (64%) 2017 Champion |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 130-83 (61%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 128-85 (60%) |
Mitrione |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 69-52 (57%) |
Kharitonov |
Minakov |
Fortune |
Amosov |
Lara |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 120-93 (56%) |
Mitrione |
 Ayala |
Fortune |
 Rickels |
 Turner |
Bellator returns to Connecticut this week, but instead of its usual Mohegan Sun Arena venue, the promotion is touching down in a new city.
Bellator 225 takes place Saturday at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, heavyweight Matt Mitrione (13-6 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) takes on Sergei Kharitonov (29-7 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) in a rematch from earlier this year. Their first fight ended in a quick no contest when Kharitonov couldn’t continue after an accidental kick to the groin. Mitrione is a slight favorite in the fight, but he has a heavy advantage in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, who are picking him at a 10-4 clip.
In the heavyweight co-feature, Javy Ayala (11-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) takes on former Bellator heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov (21-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA). Minakov is a massive favorite from our staff members. Only one picker is taking Ayala to upset the ex-champ.
That 13-1 rate carries over to the rest of the main card. Former women’s flyweight title challenger Alejandra Lara (7-3 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has a 13-1 blowout lead in the picks against Taylor Turner (4-5 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in their fight at bantamweight.
Only one picker is going against Tyrell Fortune (6-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) in his heavyweight fight against fellow unbeaten Rudy Schaffroth (6-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).
And to open the main card, the unbeaten Yaroslav Amosov (21-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) has a huge 13-1 edge in his 175-pound catchweight bout against longtime Bellator fighter David Rickels (21-5 MMA, 15-5 BMMA).
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Mitrione (51%), Minakov (89 percent), Fortune (83 percent), Amosov (65 percent) and Lara (79 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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