Bellator 279 showcases tons of betting opportunities left and right. One of those opportunities, which was almost a main card event, is Bellator 279: Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots.
Due to Sergio Pettis’ injury, this title fight is now up for grabs as a placeholder and Stots taking the fight on short notice. The winner will eventually take on Pettis once he returns to the bantamweight division.
Fight Details
- Date: April 22, 2022
- Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Venue: Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Archuleta vs Stots Stats
Juan Archuleta (17-1-0) Stats
Archuleta is coming off of a loss against Sergio Pettis back in May of last year. This snapped his previous two-fight winning streak dating back to January of 2020.
Looking at what he has accomplished so far, he has 11 wins by knockout, one by submission, and 13 by decision. As for losses, he has two by decision and has never been knocked out.
He is currently ranked as the best fighter in the bantamweight division behind Pettis. He has handled himself well against some of the best in the division, such as Patrick Mix and Henry Corales.
Archuleta is great on the ground, despite only having one victory by submission. For the most part, he typically stays standing and will strike with his opponents.
That striking scenario could definitely happen since he has a three-inch reach advantage on Stots. Either way, he has a tremendous opportunity to keep his name in the title contention.
Raufeon Stots (25-3-0) Stats
Stots is currently on a nine-fight winning streak heading into this event, dating back to December of 2017. His most recent performance was a unanimous decision against Magomed Magomedov.
Looking at what he has pieced together so far, he has three wins by knockout, four by submission, and 10 by decision. His only loss in his career so far was a spinning back fist knockout back in June of 2017 against Merab Dvalishvili.
Currently, Stots sits at the third-ranked spot for the bantamweight division. With quality wins lately backing up his efforts, he is a rising star and no doubt a scary fighter to be up against.
Stots is fairly balanced when it comes to finding a way to win battles. If he can control the pace of this fight, he has a shot to win.
Even though he has a three-inch reach disadvantage, he might be able to make up for it. He can either stay aggressive with takedowns or create pressure to close any gaps.
Archuleta vs Stots Betting Trends
The market is loving Stots to succeed in this battle for the title. On average, the moneyline odds have been hanging around the following:
Stots: -210
Archuleta: +170
Keep in mind that these could change at any time. Depending on the sportsbook of choice, these MMA odds could vary greatly and betting trends will definitely change.
Archuleta vs Stots Betting Predictions
Stots is talking up a pretty big game ahead of this matchup. Previously, Stots was preparing to face his best friend in Pettis.
Pettis actually called Stots ahead of time to apologize for being injured. The two had been training partners for quite some time, only to distance themselves due to this fight.
Since Pettis suffered a torn ACL, he was unable to compete. This made Stots relieved that he did not have to fight him just yet.
As for Archuleta, he has already fought for the belt once but came up unsuccessful. Since Archuleta is the top-ranked fighter in the division right now, it only makes sense to have him compete.
The two have a knack for landing several strikes aggressively before retreating back. However, this is likely where the differences could be made.
Stots could look to create pressure and force Archuleta to stay on the back of his feet. If this is the case, this fight could end quickly.
Stots also regularly trains with Pettis and has had a tremendous year growing as a fighter. Assuming he takes over after the first round or two, he could deliver an early knockout. Look for Stots to land a ton of strikes and earn his way to the interim title.
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