Bellator 240/Dublin: Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- Bellator is in Dublin this Saturday (Feb. 22nd) for Bellator 240/Bellator Dublin at 3Arena
- The card is being split in two with former champ Brent Primus headlining Bellator 240 and Leah McCourt headlining Bellator Dublin
- See the betting preview for both main events and picks for the main cards
The second half of Bellator’s doubleheader this weekend takes place on Saturday, Feb. 22nd, in Dublin, Ireland. The promotion has decided to split the card into Bellator 240 and Bellator Dublin. They will both take place at 3Arena, one after the other.
In the main event of Bellator 240, former lightweight champion Brent Primus returns to the cage to take on Chris Bungard, who’s replacing an injured Peter Queally. The main event of Bellator Dublin pairs Leah McCourt against Judith Ruis, which is a potential number-one contender bout at women’s featherweight.
The table below shows the odds for the Bellator 240 main cards. That’s followed by analysis and picks.
Bellator 240 Odds
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Primus | -800 | -700 |
| Chris Bungard | +500 | +500 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| Georgi Karakhanyan | -165 | -165 |
| Paul Redmond | +135 | +135 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| Kiefer Crosbie | -450 | -450 |
| Iamik Furtado | +325 | +350 |
All odds taken Feb. 18.
Can Bungard Pull Off The Upset?
Brent Primus (9-1) is coming off a very impressive Gogoplata submission win over Tim Wilde. It was his first fight since losing the lightweight title to Michael Chandler by decision after he won the first fight for the title by doctor stoppage. In his career, the 34-year-old has notable wins over Derek Anderson and Gleristone Santos.
Chris Bungard (15-5) also returned to the win column last time out as he submitted Benjamin Branders. Before that, he lost to Charlie Leary. Bungard has been fighting mostly in Europe and Primus is his biggest opponent to date.
In this fight, Primus is no doubt the better all-around fighter; he is the former champion after all while Bungard has not even come close to title contention.
I suspect Primus will try to show off his striking early in the fight. When I talked to him, he said he is frustrated with the matchmaking and people thinking he got lucky beating Chandler. He had a big statement win last time out and I believe he will either score a TKO win early or get Bungard to the ground and earn yet another submission win.
After this, don’t be surprised if Primus calls for the Chandler trilogy or a fight for the belt.
Pick: Brent Primus (-700)
Primus vs Bungard Matchup Table
| 34 | Age | 31 |
| 5’10” | Height | 5’11” |
| 73″ | Reach | 72.5″ |
| 5 | Bellator finishes | 2 |
Other Bellator 240 Picks:
- Georgi Karakhanyan (-165): Karakhanyan is moving up to lightweight and is a better striker with a ton of experience. He’ll be able to pick a part Redmond for a decision win.
- Kiefer Crosbie (-450): I don’t really understand the matchmaking here. Crosbie is a much better fighter and he should earn a first-round stoppage in front of the home crowd.
Bellator Dublin Odds
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Leah McCourt | -450 | -400 |
| Judith Ruis | +325 | +300 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| Aaron Chalmers | -260 | -220 |
| Austin Clem | +200 | +180 |
Does McCourt vs Ruis Winner Earn a Title Shot?
Leah McCourt (3-1) is riding a three-fight winning streak after losing her professional debut. She hails from Northern Ireland, trains at the famous SBG Ireland, and is coached by Owen Roddy, who also works with Conor McGregor. This will be her most-notable fight and opponent to date. It will also be her third fight in Bellator.
Judith Ruis (6-4) is set for her Bellator debut and will do so as the main event of Bellator Dublin. The German is on a two-fight winning streak with both wins coming by submission. She has fought Katharina Lehner who was on The Ultimate Fighter and has notable wins over Melinda Fabian and Cinja Kiefer.
There is no question that the path to victory for both fighters is simple.
McCourt needs to keep this fight on the feet and use her size advantage to piece up Ruis and hurt her with something powerful. Although McCourt won by submission last time out, Ruis is the better grappler.
I suspect this fight will stay standing and McCourt will earn a decision win. But she won’t earn a title shot, yet. She will need one more win after this.
Pick: Leah McCourt (-400)
McCourt vs Ruis Matchup Table
| 27 | Age | 34 |
| 5’8″ | Height | 5’5″ |
| 72″ | Reach | N/A |
| 2 | Career finishes | 4 |
Other Bellator Dublin Pick:
- Aaron Chalmers (-220): Chalmers is a reality TV star who is now 5-1 as a pro. I expect him to extend that to 6-1 with a first or second-round submission win over Austin Clem.
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
