Bellator Championship Series: Corey Anderson vs. Karl Moore continues on the main card with a fight between Tim Wilde and Manoel Sousa in the lightweight division. Wilde is riding a five-fight winning streak most recently getting a third-round knockout in his last fight meanwhile, Sousa is currently undefeated coming off a hard-fought split decision victory on the PFL Challenger Series. With that said, check out our Bellator Championship Series odds for our Wilde-Sousa prediction and pick.
Tim Wilde (17-4-1) has quietly put together a nice little run over the last few years winning eight out of nine fights with his only loss coming against former Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus. Some may say his best days are behind him at age 36 but he's looked the best he's ever had as he looks to extend his four-fight winning streak this weekend when he takes on Manoel Sousa in Belfast, Ireland.
Manoel Sousa (10-0) has remained undefeated after defeating Paulo Henrique via split decision in his fight on the PFL Challenger Series. Before his last fight, Sousa has finished nine of his 10 opponents and he will be looking to make that 10 finishes in his 11 fights when he takes on Tim Wilde in his first-ever Bellator main card in the very first installment of the Bellator Championship Series.
Here are the Bellator Championship Series Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
Bellator Championship Series: Tim Wilde-Manoel Sousa Odds
Tim Wilde: 120
Manoel Sousa: +100
Over 2.5 rounds: -150
Under 2.5 rounds: +120
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Why Tim Wilde Will Win
Tim Wilde has always been a peculiar man. But his peculiarity is what will lead him to victory against Manoel Sousa in the Bellator Championship Series this Friday.
When it comes to striking, Wilde’s skill is unmatched. With every punch and kick he throws, he surprises even himself. He has an extensive library of weird kicks and spinning moves that can disrupt any opponent's rhythm. Sousa may be a dangerous grappler, but he’ll need to get close for those types of moves which makes for a dangerous game.
For some unknown reason, Wilde’s scrambling far exceeds expectations is. He can easily get out of any situation, which gives him the confidence to strike without fear of an immediate takedown. And if he does get taken down, just know that it’s part of his plan.
The Belfast crowd loves Tim Wilde more than anything in the world… except maybe their other loved ones. They give him a significant boost in energy that even some substances can’t replicate. The pressure on Sousa will be immense – so big that you could almost physically feel it.
Wilde wants nothing more than to keep the fight standing and on his terms. He plans on dictating range with long kicks and disrupting Sousa's movement with strikes he doesn’t even know how to throw yet. If by god's grace, Sousa takes him down, all he needs to do is focus on getting back up again. So, as long as Wilde can keep this fight in his wheelhouse he should be able to extend his winning streak on Friday night.
Why Manoel Sousa Will Win
Manoel Sousa doesn’t have the fanbase and all that but trust me, he has the skills to pull out the upset and make a statement in his first fight under the Bellator banner.
Sousa is an absolute monster on the ground and Wilde knows it. I mean, he’s got decent scrambling skills himself, but Sousais is on another level entirely compared to him. Once this guy gets a hold of Wilde while they’re down there, you know what happens next. While he may be known for his grappling abilities, he still has hands and with six of his 10 wins coming by knockout. Sousa is certainly no slouch there and will give Wilde everything he can handle no matter where this fight ends up taking place.
Like I said earlier, Sousa needs to take control immediately. He’ll probably tire pretty fast while trying not to get knocked out by Wilde early on, then he should find an open spot and bring him down for good. From there? Just make sure Wilde can’t recover from being worn out and manhandled. This fight could be more interesting than we think. Don’t come crying when Sousa walks away with an upset win over Tim Wilde.
Final Tim Wilde-Manoel Sousa Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun scrap between these two lightweight contenders as both of them are finishers with 17 combined finishes with 13 of them coming by way of knockout. Tim Wilde has exceeded expectations mightily over the last few years beating some of Bellator's up-and-coming prospects like Saul Rogers, Chris Gonzalez, and Mike Hamel but he may have finally met his match when he takes on the undefeated Brazilian Manoel Sousa. Sousa can mix it up and take Wilde to the mat where he is most vulnerable but he also packs the power to make him a major threat on the feet as well. Ultimately, as long as Sousa can maintain his cardio and doesn't get into wild exchanges with Tim Wilde he should come away with the victory potentially submitting him in the process.
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Final Tim Wilde-Manoel Sousa Prediction & Pick: Manoel Sousa (+100), Under 2.5 Rounds (+100)
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