Bellator 296 in Paris, France, is set to be headlined by the MMA legend Gegard Mousasi and Fabien Edwards, the #1 and #2 ranked contenders in Bellator’s middleweight division.
Will the experience of a long career be enough for Mousasi to beat the brother of the UFC welterweight champ?
Read further if you are planning to bet on MMA this weekend and want an in-depth look at this matchup, along with an official Mousasi vs Edwards prediction.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards Information
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards
Location: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Date and Time: May 12, 2023, 4:00 PM ET
How to Watch: Showtime
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards Last Fight Record
Mousasi is trying to bounce back from losing his title to Johnny Eblen last summer via unanimous decision.
Edwards is looking to earn a title shot with a win, coming off two big wins in 2022 KO of Lyoto Machida and then a decision victory over Charlie Ward in October.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards Betting Analysis
Gegard Mousasi Facts to Know
The 37-year-old Mousasi is going to make an appearance in his 60th career professional MMA fight this week at Bellator 296. He is 49-8-2, with 28 TKO/KO victories and 12 submissions. These stats are basically untouched by anybody in the sport. Mousasi will go down as one of the best mixed martial artists to ever do it.
Mousasi has world championships in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions at big promotions like Bellator, Cage Warriors, DREAM, and Strikeforce. He went to the UFC in the mid-2010s and was dominant there before leaving for a more lucrative deal at Bellator.
Fabien Edwards Facts to Know
Edwards and his team have been through a lot in the last few years. His brother, Leon, finally winning and defending his UFC gold, has to rub off on his team and especially Fabien.
Sitting at the #2 ranked contender, 11-2 record, and a big fight against an MMA legend this week, Edwards is setting himself up for a title shot in his next fight with a win.
The 30-year-old will bring a tricky southpaw stance into the cage on Friday with a solid all-around attack. You can tell he is a good athlete that turned into a fighter and has learned every aspect along the way. Edwards is a purple belt in BJJ and hasn’t been finished in his career.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to Bellator MMA.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards Betting Preview
Bellator betting lines are usually pretty tough to go through and find any good picks to make on a consistent basis. For example, even though this matchup is between the top two fighters in the division, as a main event, Mousasi is still a sizeable favorite.
Mousasi is the -280 betting favorite over the +220 Fabien Edwards. These odds aren’t really surprising; Mousasi has literally five times the experience and has much more skill in all areas than Edwards.
Edwards is probably still only +220 because of the age difference and the wear and tear factor. Edwards is just dangerous enough that you can’t take Mousasi as a complete lock for this weekend’s betting slate.
The Mousasi vs Edwards prediction won’t be impacted too much by these lines. Both moneylines have enough value to justify a straight-up pick for either fighter.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Fabian Edwards Betting Prediction
After breaking down footage of their past fights, and most recent ones especially, the Mousasi vs Edwards prediction makes itself.
Mousasi is clearly the better martial artist, and if he is going into this fight healthy, he should be able to get the job done. Most likely will go the full five rounds to see a winner, but don’t be surprised if Mousasi catches Edwards with something heavy in the middle rounds.
Bellator predictions aren’t too difficult to make compared to a higher-level promotion like the UFC. There is mostly always a clear, justifiable pick for every single fight that gets made in Bellator MMA. Even though this is a big fight, Mousasi has another run at the title in him before he calls it quits on his career.
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