Bellator 256 main card betting picks & odds – Friday, April 9

The main event of Bellator 256 is the first quarterfinal matchup of the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix as Ryan Bader takes on Lyoto Machida. That bout is just one out of a handful of interesting fights on Friday night’s card in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Light Heavyweight: Ryan Bader (-300) vs Lyoto Machida (+240)

Ryan Bader (27-6-0) was knocked out by Lyoto Machida (26-10-0) when these two fighters met back in August of 2012. Since then, Bader has developed into one of the best light heavyweights in the world with a 12-2 record over his last 14 fights that includes winning the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship and the Bellator Heavyweight World Championship.

Machida, meanwhile, has declined with age. The 42-year-old has lost each of his last two fights and is 4-5 over his last nine since 2015. This would have been a fun rematch to see a few years back, but at this stage in these two men’s careers, Bader has the fairly clear edge.

Women’s Flyweight: Liz Carmouche (-170) vs Vanessa Porto (+145)

Liz Carmouche (14-7-0) left the UFC after failing to win the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship against Valentina Shevchenko. She enjoyed a successful UFC debut with a submission win over DeAnna Bennett in September and is now 5-2 over her last seven fights. Vanessa Porto (22-8-0) meanwhile is making her Bellator debut with a 4-0 record over her last four fights with the Invicta promotion. This will be a good test for both fighters, but Carmouche’s clear edge in experience should help her grind out a win here.

Featherweight: Jeremy Kennedy (-125) vs Adam Borics (+105)

Jeremy Kennedy (16-2-0) earned a win in his Bellator debut in November with a decision victory over Matt Bessette. Kennedy will get a tougher test this Friday against Adam Borics (16-1-0). Borics has compiled a 7-1 record in Bellator and enters this fight with two straight wins. While it’s tempting to take the underdog odds on Borics here, Kennedy’s aggression in going for takedowns will be difficult to Borics to fend off for three rounds. Look for Kennedy to spend enough time in control on the mat to get the win.

Women’s Featherweight: Cat Zingano (-1000) vs Olivia Parker (+600)

Cat Zingano (11-4-0) started off her professional career with a 9-0 record before losing four of her last five fights in the UFC. Those losses all came against top-level competition, though, and Zingano showed she still has plenty left in the tank with a dominant decision win over Gabrielle Holloway in her Bellator debut in September. Olivia Parker (4-1-0) lost her one fight in Invicta last year and is clearly outclassed here.

Lightweight: Goiti Yamauchi (-410) vs Dan Moret (+310)

Goiti Yamauchi (25-4-0) has earned 20 of his 25 professional wins by way of submission, including five of the six wins on his current 6-1 streak. Dan Moret (14-6-0) makes his Bellator debut after a failed 0-3 stint in the UFC followed by one win in the ADW. Considering that Moret also relies on submission holds to earn wins, this is a bad matchup as it’s hard to imagine him besting Yamauchi on the mat.