Bellator 257 main card picks & betting odds – Friday, April 16

This Friday night’s Bellator 257 main card features two Light Heavyweight Grand Prix fights including a championship bout between incumbent Vadim Nemkov and challenger Phil Davis. The main event and co-main event are scheduled for five rounds apiece.

Light Heavyweight: Vadim Nemkov (-193) vs Phil Davis (+168)

Vadim Nemkov (12-2-0) has taken Bellator by storm. The 28-year-old has won each of his last seven professional fights and holds a 5-0 record with this promotion. That seven-win stretch includes five knockouts, highlighted by his victory over Ryan Bader at Bellator 244 to win the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. Nemkov is clearly the one to beat in the Light Heavyweight Grand Prix and could make a statement with a convincing win here.

Phil Davis (22-5) is 9-2 over his last 11 fights, and both of his losses have come by split decision against Bader and Nemkov, the last two Bellator Light Heavyweight champions. Davis is a legitimate contender, but his last fight against Nemkov came back in 2018 when the Russian was a bit more raw. It’s hard to imagine enough has changed in his favor to turn the tide this time around.

Light Heavyweight: Corey Anderson (-170) vs Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (+145)

Corey Anderson (14-5) won his promotion debut against Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 251 in November. Anderson went 4-1 over his last five fights in the UFC with his only loss coming against the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-5-1) is set to make his Bellator debut on Friday with an eight-fight winning streak under his belt. Yagshimuradov looks like a solid prospect, but Anderson’s clear edge in experience against top-level opponents makes him the pick here.

Catchweight (175 lb): Paul Daley (-190) vs Sabah Homasi (+165)

Paul Daley (42-17-2) has compiled a long career in mixed martial arts with over 60 professional fights to his name and 33 of his 42 wins coming by way of knockout. Sabah Homasi (15-8-0) returned to Bellator in 2019 after five years away from the promotion and is 3-0 with two knockouts since his return. This should be a fun fight that will likely end in a knockout, as both of these men will be content to trade blows in the middle of the cage. Daley is the more polished fighter, but Homasi offers too much value at these odds to pass up on.

Women’s Flyweight: Veta Arteaga (-110) vs Desiree Yanez (-110)

Veta Arteaga (5-4-0) has had an underwhelming career in Bellator with a 4-4 record and losses in each of her last two fights. She’ll try to get back in the win column against Desiree Yanez (5-2-0), who will be making her Bellator debut with a 4-1 record over her last five fights. Yanez’s one loss came in her last fight against Melissa Martinez in Combate Global; Martinez is undefeated and Yanez forced a split decision. Watching the tape on that one leads us to believe that Yanez has enough to defeat Arteaga in her first taste of Bellator action.