Combate Americas 53: Copa Combate Odds & Picks
- Combate Americas doing another one-night tournament
- Betting lines for quarterfinal bouts available
- See the picks and breakdowns for the tournament
Combate Americas is holding their final event of 2019 which also serves as another Copa Combate one-night tournament for the lightweight division.
On one side of the bracket, UFC veteran Humberto Bandenay battles Hugo Prada and Jose Luis Verdugo takes on Lucas Corbage. On the other side of the bracket, Yoel Jimenez faces Erick Gonzalez and Kevin Koldobsky collides with Salvador Becerra. The alternate bout in case someone gets injured is Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Milko Tucto.
All the quarterfinal fights will be one five minute round.
The card airs live at 8:00 pm EST and will air on DAZN.
Humberto Bandenay vs Hugo Prada Odds
| Fighter (Record) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Humberto Bandenay (15-7) | -385 |
| Hugo Prada (8-3) | +310 |
All odds taken Dec. 18
Humberto Bandenay is set for his second fight since being released from the UFC after going on a three-fight losing streak. He went 1-3 in the promotion with his lone win being a 26-second head kick knockout over Martin Bravo.
Against Prada, Bandenay will have the striking advantage as he has proved he has knockout power. Yet, where he has struggled is in grappling as he has been submitted a couple of times in his career. For Prada, he is on a two-fight losing streak and has been knocked out in one of those fights.
Given it is only one round, I expect Bandenay to come out and use his experience to piece up Prada and score a TKO or knockout win. Bandenay should also be considered the favorite to win the entire tournament.
Pick: Humberto Bandenay (-385)
Jose Luis Verdugo vs Lucas Corbage Odds
| Fighter (Record) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jose Luis Verdugo (10-8) | -135 |
| Lucas Corbage (10-0) | +105 |
Lucas Corbage is putting his undefeated record on the line to try and win the Copa Combate tournament.
Although Jose Luis Verdugo doesn’t have a very impressive record at first glance, he has always fought the top fighters in the sport and has beaten some of them like Erick Sanchez. He is on a two-fight winning streak and has looked impressive in Combate Americas.
In this fight, Corbage will need to get it down to the mat and use his wrestling to try and control the one round and search for a finish. I believe that is exactly how it will play out and he will earn a decision win by controlling the fight on the ground.
Pick: Lucas Corbage (+105)
Erick Gonzalez vs Yoel Jimenez Odds
| Fighter (Record) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Erick Gonzalez (10-4) | -300 |
| Yoel Jimenez (5-3) | +240 |
Erick Gonzalez is looking to get back into the win column and prove he is the best lightweight in Combate Americas.
Gonzalez has to be one of the dark horses to win the entire tournament as he has shown he is one of the best fighters on Combate Americas roster.
The only chance Jimenez has in this fight is to try and get this fight to the ground and look for a submission. Yet, Gonzalez has improved immensely on the ground and I expect him to earn a stoppage win or win the round very easily.
Pick: Erick Gonzalez (-300)
Salvador Becerra vs Kevin Koldobsky Odds
| Fighter (Record) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Salvador Becerra (8-2) | -350 |
| Kevin Koldobsky (9-6) | +275 |
Salvador Becerra was the wildcard entrant but is the 1A, 1B favorite to win the entire thing with Bandenay.
Becerra is only 24-years-old and should be on the UFC’s and Bellator’s radar as an up and coming prospect to sign. He recently headlined Combate Americas 50 and picked up a massive win over Ignacio Bahamondes. He had one fight in Bellator and lost by knockout to Adam Piccolotti who is one of the top lightweights in Bellator.
In this fight, Becerra should look to take it down to the ground and fish for a submission as Koldobsky struggled with that in Brave CF. Becerra’s ground and pound may also be the difference-maker in this fight, but I like Becerra to win by stoppage.
Pick: Salvador Becerra (-350)
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Milko Tucto Odds
| Fighter (Record) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ignacio Bahamondes (9-3) | -175 |
| Milko Tucto (4-1) | +145 |
This is the alternate bout for the tournament in case someone can’t continue on and to me, it is a very close fight.
Bahamondes has more experience and has fought tougher opponents. Yet, Tucto is a submission specialist so all he needs to do is get this fight to the ground and win the round that way or earn a submission win. Two of the three losses on Bahamondes’ record are by submission so there is a chance that happens.
For Bahamondes he needs to use his striking and piece up Tucto. I think that will happen as Bahamondes will keep it standing for the round and win by decision.
Pick: Ignacio Bahamondes (-175)
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.
