The big day is here, and Bellator 180 will get you ready for Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva later this evening.
Bellator 180: Davis vs. Bader kicks off Bellator MMA’s big New York City show Saturday night. There’s a huge light heavyweight showdown atop the four-fight main card, and a handful of notable names sprinkled throughout the other bouts. You can check out our preview here.
Cageside Press has our picks ready, with staff choosing each of the four main card bouts. It was a good night for our writers last time out at UFC Auckland, with a number of staff members going 4-4. Lets see how tonight’s Bellator cards work out.
| Staff Writers | Heather Hardy vs. Alice Yauger | Neiman Gracie vs. Dave Marfone | James Gallagher vs. Chinzo Machida | Phil Davis (c) vs. Ryan Bader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Anderson (17-9) |  |  |  |  |
| Dan Doherty (13-7) | | | |  |
| Mike McClory (11-9) | | | | |
| Heath Harshman (18-8) | | | | |
| Harry Davies (16-8) | | | | |
| Eddie Law (15-11) | | | | |
| Paarth Pande (12-8) | | | | |
Not surprisingly, all but the headlining fight wound up being a clean sweep as far as picks. No one is giving soccer mom Alice Yauger much of a chance against boxing champ Heather Hardy, despite Hardy making her pro debut at Bellator 180. Similarly, Neiman Gracie was picked to be a lock over the unheralded Dave Marfone.
In something of a surprise, no one picked Brazil’s Chinzo Machida to top Ireland’s James Gallagher. Gallagher has youth on his side, but Machida is a flashy, dangerous striker. Still, not a single staff member sees the fight going his way.
The main event was neck and neck, with four of seven writers this week seeing a new champ being crowned in Bader.
