Bellator MMA is back in action this Friday, March 31st in Temecula, California with a heavyweight matchup between Marcelo Golm and Daniel James headlining the event at Bellator 293. There is a ton of great fights on this card and it is one that you will not want to miss. We will be taking a look at a middleweight matchup between John Salter vs Aaron Jeffery for our Bellator odds series for our prediction and pick.
Aaron Jeffery (13-3) has had his two best performances under the Bellator MMA banner when he finishes both Fabio Aguiar and former middleweight title challenger Austin Vanderford. Ever since his second loss on Dana White's Contender Series, he has been on a mission to prove to everyone that he is one of the best middleweights out there. He now gets to prove that against yet another former title challenger in John Salter.
John Salter (18-6) is a hard-nosed fighter that fought tooth and nail to get his title shot against then-middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi. He has also been a long staple of the Bellator MMA roster since 2015. His last three losses have been to the current and former middleweight champions. Even though Salter may be an underdog he always had the opportunity to cause the upset.
Here are the Bellator Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Bellator 293 Odds: John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery
John Salter: +320
Aaron Jeffery: -440
How To Watch John Salter vs. Aaron Jeffery
TV: Showtime
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why John Salter Could Win
John Salter has been at the top of Bellator MMA's middleweight division for quite some time now. He has the hard-nosed grind style of fighting that is hard for any fighter to gameplan against. Salter's grappling is some of the best in the middleweight division and will make even someone of Aaron Jeffery's caliber have some fits.
Salter will look to take this fight to mat and grind Jeffery against the fence to keep away from him at distance. This will give him the best opportunity to get back to his winning ways.
Why Aaron Jeffery Could Win
Aaron Jeffery has been on an absolute tear winning seven out of his last eight fights. His only two losses have been against two of the UFC's top middleweight prospects in Caio Borralho and Brendan Allen. He has shown in his most recent fight against Austin Vanderford that he can compete with the best that Bellator MMA has to offer.
His takedown defense has been on point ever since his last two losses where that was his sudden downfall. Jeffery has certainly leveled up in those regards and as long as he is able to keep this fight upright it is his fight to lose. He is without a doubt the better striker of the two with the ability to end the fight on the feet.
Final John Salter-Aaron Jeffery Prediction & Pick
This fight should play out similarly to the Austin Vanderford fight. It may not end as early as that fight did but Jeffery should have a big advantage on the feet and should win this fight handily if Salter can't somehow get this fight to the mat. Ultimately, Jeffery sprawls and brawls and finishes Salter before the final bell and puts his name in the mix for a potential title shot in the future.
Final John Salter-Aaron Jeffery Prediction & Pick: Aaron Jeffery (-440)
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