BKFC 17: Clecker vs Burns betting picks & top odds – 30/4/2021

The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will make its Alabama debut this Friday night when the promotion puts on BKFC 17 at the Boutwell Memorial Auditorium in Birmingham. The event will be open to a live audience and is headlined by a heavyweight title eliminator between Dillon Cleckler and Josh Burns. Here are the best bets on offer for the top two fights on the card.

Main Event: Dillon Cleckler (-190) vs Josh Burns (+160)

Dillon Cleckler went 11-1 with 10 knockouts in professional mixed martial arts before joining the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2020. Cleckler’s powerful striking has translated well to the BKFC, as the 39-year-old is 2-0 with knockout wins over Frank Tate and Chris Jensen.

Josh Burns started his professional MMA career with a 5-0 run before failing to find success at higher levels including a six-fight stint in Bellator. Burns turned his attention to bare-knuckle fighting in 2017 and made his BKFC debut with a knockout win over Chris Sarro in December.

The winner of this bout is expected to earn a title fight against current BKFC Heavyweight champion Joey Beltran. Burns is a heavy hitter that is capable of stealing this fight with a well-timed blow, but it’s worth pointing out that five of his 10 losses in MMA action came by way of knockout, which points to some potential issues with his chin. Cleckler has looked the part of a legitimate contender thus far in the BKFC and should solidify that status with a knockout win here.

Co-Main Event: Marcel Stamps (-215) vs Mike Richman (+175)

The home crowd this Friday night in Birmingham will be heavily behind Marcel Stamps, who played linebacker for the Alabama Crimson Tide during his college years. After suffering his first defeat in the BKFC in a heavyweight championship bout against Joey Beltran, Stamps is moving down to light heavyweight for this bout.

Mike Richman went 18-8 over a career in professional mixed martial arts that spanned from 2008 to 2017. He also owns a 2-0 professional record as a boxer. We haven’t seen Richman yet, as he will be making his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut on Friday, but his relatively young age (35) and pedigree in combat sports make him seem like he’s worth a shot at these outsider odds.

More BKFC 17 betting odds

Fight fans in attendance in Alabama and those watching around the world will have a card of 10 bare-knuckle fights to enjoy. Here are the BKFC 17 betting odds on the rest of the card leading up to the co-main event.

• Lorenzo Hunt (-260) vs Josh Dyer (+200)
• Dimetri Angelini (-130) vs Ronnie Rogers (+100)
• Frank Tate (-170) vs Zach Calmus (+140)
• Chris Sarro (-115) vs Ezatullah Kakar (-115)
• Ryan Jones (-300) vs Robert Washington (+240)
• Thomas Shoaff (-240) vs Nathan Mitchell (+190)
• Rusty Crowder -150 vs Daniel Gary (+120)
• Anthony Retic (-200) vs Raymond Locker (+160)

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