The feature fight of the Bellator 288 main card, setting the table for the two title fights, will be a featherweight battle between Bellator MMA veteran Daniel Weichel (42-13) and newcomer Timur Khizriev (11-0). Read along for Weichel vs Khizriev best bets and a breakdown of this matchup.
This bout will be 3-rounds and have both the old and new styles of MMA clashing in the same cage. What an exciting fight for arguably the biggest event of Bellator’s 2022 schedule.
Weichel vs. Khizriev
- Venue and Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 18, 2022
- How to Watch: Showtime PPV
Last Fight Records
Daniel Weichel is coming off a TKO victory over Robert Whiteford in May of this year.
The undefeated Khizriev is returning to competition after over a year off since his last victory via guillotine choke against Ruslan Ryskul in 2021.
Weichel vs. Khizriev Analysis
Daniel Weichel has been in the MMA game for a long time. This will be his 17th fight in the promotion, proving that he has fought just about everyone that Bellator MMA has to offer.
Weichel has 28 finishes in his career, including an incredible 22 submissions. He has slowed down on his finishes as he gets older, with no submission victories since 2016. That is an interesting stat that makes you wonder what happened to his dominance on the ground.
Timur Khizriev is only 26 years old and will be making his stateside debut in Bellator this weekend. This seems like a perfect setup for a big prospect coming in on the main card of a huge event for the promotion, facing a well-known Bellator name.
Khizriev only has 4 finishes over his first 11 pro fights, something that is rare to see with a highly touted prospect this early in their career. That tells me that he has faced some tougher competition in Eastern Europe.
Bellator picks have trended in favor of the betting favorite for years now. The betting favorite on the main card has a winning percentage well over 50% in the recent years.
Odds Breakdown
Daniel Weichel
Bellator MMA odds have the veteran as the +260 underdog going into this Friday’s event. Weichel has been the underdog in 5 of his last 7 fights, so this is a place he is comfortable in. Weichel has a +500 line to finish this fight inside the distance.
The over/under is set at 2.5 rounds, with the under being at +200 odds. The oddsmakers have a strong opinion that this fight is going to the scorecards.
Timur Khizriev
The debutant Khizriev is the -310 betting favorite this Friday in Chicago. These are interesting odds knowing how tough Weichel is and the danger he presents on the ground. Khizriev is +250 to win inside the distance.
An interesting prop bet is Khizriev winning in round 1 is +900. This is something to look at because an exciting prospect making his debut against a veteran at the end of his career seems to have a chance at a quick finish and compliment your Weichel vs Khizriev best bets.
Weichel vs. Khizriev Betting Pick and Prediction
Making Weichel vs Khizriev best bets are tougher than you’d think with how good Weichel is. The oddsmakers are really sleeping on the potential of Weichel making this fight very difficult for the debutant.
MMA picks are interesting to make because of the unpredictability of the sport. The chance of injuries or the fact that the gloves are only 4 ounces, leading to a lot more damage being done by landing a clean shot.
Khizriev should be able to control this fight both on the feet and on the ground. Weichel is going to threaten from his back and make it difficult for Khizriev to control him on the ground, but the fight should become out of reach for Weichel in the striking exchanges.
Khizriev will be able to land with more volume and keep pressure on Weichel for all 15 minutes. This fight will most likely go to the scorecards, with both fighters not showing much finishing ability over the recent years.
- Pick 1: Khizriev moneyline -310
- Pick 2: Khizriev to win by decision -130
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