Bellator 253 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview – Caldwell vs McKee
- Caldwell and McKee fight in the semis of the featherweight grand prix
- Can Caldwell end the hype of McKee and hand him his first loss?
- See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full Bellator 253 main card, below
Bellator MMA remains in Uncasville, Connecticut for Bellator 253 on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun.
In the main event, former bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell battles undefeated prospect A.J. McKee in the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix. The co-main event sees former UFC champion Benson Henderson moves back up to welterweight to battle Jason Jackson.
Bellator 253 main card airs live on CBS Sports Network and DAZN in Canada at 7:00 PM EST. The table below shows odds for the main card followed by best bets for the event.
Bellator 253 Odds
| Fighter | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Darrion Caldwell | +175 |
| A.J. McKee | -225 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Benson Henderson | +145 |
| Jason Jackson | -182 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Joey Davis | -360 |
| Bobby Lee | +265 |
Odds taken Nov. 17
Does McKee Remain Undefeated?
This is one of the best fights Bellator can put on at featherweight except for McKee vs the champ Patricio Pitbull, which could happen if both men win their semifinal matchups.
Caldwell & McKee Recent Fights
| Adam Borics, win by submission | Fight 1 | Derek Campos, win by submission |
| Henry Corrales, win by decision | Fight 2 | Georgia Karakhanyan, win by KO |
| Kyoji Horiguchi, loss by decision (title fight) | Fight 3 | Pat Curran, win by decision |
| Kyoji Horiguchi, loss by submission (title fight) | Fight 4 | Daniel Crawford, win by submission |
To me, this is the first real tough test for A.J. McKee to see if he is the real deal. McKee has looked impressive in his Bellator tenure and some consider him the best prospect in all of MMA. But, against Caldwell, he will fight a former NCAA wrestling champion who will test McKee’s takedown defense. It will also be the first time the 25-year-old fights a five-round fight.
Caldwell vs McKee Stats
| 32 | Age | 25 |
| 5’10” | Height | 5’10” |
| 74″ | Reach | 73.5″ |
| 6 | Bellator finishes | 11 |
Early on, I do expect Caldwell to have success with his wrestling and pressure. When Caldwell gets on top of you, it is hard to deal with, but McKee has solid jiu-jitsu and wrestling that I do think he will survive the early onslaught by the former bantamweight champion.
However, a major knock is Caldwell’s cardio, which I do think will hinder him here. I expect Caldwell to win the first and second round. Yet, he will start to fade, and McKee will start picking him apart on the feet. He’ll eventually rock him and finish him by TKO in the fourth round to advance to the finals of the grand prix.
Pick: A.J. McKee (-225)
Will Jackson Pick Up The Biggest Win Of His Career?
Benson Henderson is moving back up to welterweight to battle one of the top prospects in the division in Jason Jackson.
Henderson & Jackson Recent Fights
| Michael Chandler, loss by KO | Fight 1 | Jordan Mein, win by decision |
| Myles Jury, win by decision | Fight 2 | Kiichi Kunimoto, win by decision |
| Adam Piccolotti, win by split decision | Fight 3 | Ed Ruth, loss by split decision |
| Saad Awad, win by decision | Fight 4 | Hemerson Souza, win by split decision (LFA title fight) |
This is phenomenal matchmaking by Bellator to see if Jason Jackson is as good as many think he is. He is the former LFA welterweight champion and beat UFC veteran Jordan Mein last time out, but now gets a tough test in Benson Henderson.
This will be a striking matchup. I like Henderson to be more active and mix in the odd takedown to outpoint Jackson and win a decision.
Pick: Benson Henderson (+145)
Other Bellator 253 Pick:
- Joey Davis (-360): Davis will use his wrestling to get the fight to the ground and submit Lee to remain undefeated.
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.
