Bellator MMA is back this week with fight fans looking for their next MMA fight to watch after a stacked month of March, full of great fights from all different promotions.
John Salter will be meeting Aaron Jeffery in the cage for a top-ranked middleweight bout, surely with title implications.
Read along for a Bellator 293 prediction on this intriguing middleweight bout between a seasoned veteran and a red-hot newcomer.
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery Information
John Salter vs Aaron Jeffery
Location of the fight: Pechanga Resort and Casino, Temecula, CA.
Date and Time: March 31, 2023. 10 PM ET.
How to Watch: Showtime
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery Last Fight Record
Salter is looking to bounce back from two straight losses to Gegard Mousasi and Johnny Eblen. Salter hasn’t gotten his hand raised since August 2020.
Jeffery will be riding the momentum of a 2-0 start in the promotion, with both wins coming via TKO in 2022.
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery Betting Analysis
John Salter Facts to Know
Salter is a crafty MMA veteran with a very high-level grappling background. Along with having his BJJ black belt, he also is a former NAIA national champion wrestler, even if that was almost 20 years ago.
This southpaw has a knack for finishing fights. Out of his impressive 18 career wins, he has finished a whopping 17 of them. That kind of finish rate is usually talked about in very high regard, but for some reason, the former Strikeforce and UFC athlete seems to not get much praise for his career’s work.
Aaron Jeffery Facts to Know
This Jeffery kid is a much more unknown fighter that broke onto the Bellator MMA scene last year with two straight TKO victories, including one over recent title challenger Austin Vanderford. Those two TKOs bring Jeffery’s career total 9 KO wins.
Jeffery will have his hands full with the wrestling of Salter, knowing that is his best weapon. The Canadian fighter has really found his strike in the last few fights. There comes a time in some fighters’ lives when they just figure things out. This might be the start of a historic Bellator run for Aaron Jeffery.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to the California State athletic commission.
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery Betting Preview
Jeffery is the -325 betting favorite in this one, according to MMA odds. The youth, power, and speed of this Canadian fighter seem to be plenty of reason for oddsmakers to give him the nod over John Salter this week.
It seems to be pretty well-known from both sides that Salter is going to have to out-wrestle and control Jeffery for all 15 minutes to win this one. If Jeffery can defend takedowns and be able to get back to his feet once he gets to the ground, it could be a rough night for Salter.
The confidence that Jeffery has in himself might be the biggest factor when trying to come up with a Bellator 293 prediction for this matchup. This is one of the more interesting fights that you will see on smaller Bellator cards like this. Usually, MMA prediction come easier in smaller promotions because of the skill gap in a lot of fights.
John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery Betting Prediction
After watching the film and breaking down the recent analytics and information on both of these athletes, the Bellator 293 prediction for this middleweight comes pretty easily to mind.
This is Jeffery’s fight to win or lose for himself. He is going to have the speed, size, and strength advantage in the cage on Friday night. As long as he remains technical and safe in the wrestling exchanges, Jeffery has a good chance of catching the 38-year-old Salter and finishing the fight.
Look for more prop bets to be available as fight week carries on, so you don’t have to try to cash on -325 moneyline odds.
- A great prediction would be a first-round TKO/KO by Jeffery.
The confidence and the pressure he will come out with might be a massive challenge for Salter to even get started.
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