It is time to head off to Uncasville, Connecticut, MMA fans, as Bellator 274 is just five days away. With the event on February 19th, sports bettors cannot wait to see the welterweight clash between Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley. Furthermore, the other co-main is Andrei Koreshkov (the big favorite) taking on Chance Rencountre. In this article, we have best bets for Bellator 274, which will be an intriguing night to say the least. The action takes place from the exquisite Mohegan Sun.
The Bellator 274 did quickly take a considerable hit when Muhammad Berkhamov (14-0) had to pull out of the co-main event (against Andrey Koreshkov). Berkhamov would have been a likely slight favorite in this bout. The Russian possessed a variety of submissions and punching power that would have caused Koreshkov a number of issues.
In other news and notes, the women’s flyweight fight between Veta Arteaga and Keri Taylor was also cancelled. However, the main card calibre fight was quickly replaced.
That is partly why our focus for this Bellator is only on the main event and co-main. Though it has lost a little of its lustre, Bellator 274 still has that top bout to lean on.
The “main” event features Neiman Gracie versus Logan Storley. The Brazilian Bellator MMA artist is ranked number four in the Welterweight Division and has a 11-2 record. Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu background and family pedigree are well documented. He is the fourth germination of the Gracie family of Jiu-Jitsu. That stems from his Jewish heritage.
For Gracie, the Bellator fighter enters the bout with Storley splitting his last four bouts. Again, he has never had to submit or get knocked out. Gracie won via decision twice. He lost to Rory MacDonald by a five-round decision and then Jason Jackson in a three-round fight. In between, the Brazilian stopped Mark Lemminger and Jon Fitch. The Lemminger fight is notable as Gracie unloaded on him with a barrage of elbows and punches. Lemminger gave up. The odds from top UFC betting sites are listed below.
| Bellator 274 Odds -- Main Matches |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Neiman Gracie | -148 | -135 |
| Logan Storey | +118 | +105 |
| Andrey Koreskov | -270 | -275 |
| Chance Rencountre | +210 | +200 |
Now, Gracie enters this bout with a second chance at a potential title shot. One has to admit few expected the Brazilian to get by Jackson and arguably MacDonald. However, the Lemminger TKO restored some hope with those who believe Gracie has a shot to challenge for the Bellator Welterweight Title. Gracie has a style that could cause a few problems for Logan Storley.
Now, Las Vegas online betting sites tip Gracie as a decent favorite for the UFC odds, while Storley is currently listed as a +105 to +120 underdog. This tells you that the sports bettors and bookies alike are not quite as decisive here as to how this fight might go. Now, Storley has some tools that can even cause Gracie some problems in this upcoming five-round bout.
For those that forget this is not the first time that Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley have had a chance at the Welterweight crown with a win. Storley fought Yaroslav Amosov last year for the Bellator Welterweight Title. Storley had Amosov on the ropes a few times so to speak. In the end, Amosov was able to mount enough of the offense to win a split decision. Storley proved he could stand toe to toe with the champion.
Some argue that Storley has a considerably predictable style. He bores into an opponent with his folklore wrestling style. The wrestler grapples and grinds which could make a five-round fight a bit slow and even dragging to some viewers. The key for Gracie will be how often can he draw Storley out of his comfort zone. So, trench warfare could prove to be something that frequently occurs in this bout on Saturday.
Now, Storley has definitely come a long way since he started in Bellator. However, the Bellator 274 Best Bets favorite, Gracie remains far from intimidated. The trash talk alone between two younger fighters has been fascinating. However, Gracie possesses a bit more dynamic submission and knockout power. Expect Storley to try and grind to a decision while the Brazilian goes for the jugular. At VegasBetting, we side with Gracie.
Even with Gracie seeing his odds dip to -135 for February 19th, take the Brazilian to finally get closer to that next title shot. Keep an eye on those numbers and cash in!
In a matchup that might be a quick fight, Andrey Koreshkov will face Chance Recountre when they get it on this Saturday. Koreshkov has 12 knockouts and four submissions which is impressive for this weight class. Koreshkov has won two-thirds of his fights by KO/TKO. He can throw down quickly and end fights even faster especially when fighting downhill.
Consequently, Koreshkov figures this bout may not go the full three rounds. Chance Rencountre puts up a good fight but he is a short notice fill-in. To win 16 out of 20 matches in his veteran career is pretty solid. The problem exists is this. Rencountre is 35 years old and is slower now. That expects to present itself quickly in this bout.
The only time Rencountre went in against an MMA fighter with instant knockout pedigree, he was TKO’d. That was against Lyman Good. The Good fight was part of the reason why Rencountre’s UFC contract was not renewed. This makes Bellator 274 more enticing for fans and Rencountre. Rencountre must win here basically.
Per Vegas, this tilt leans hard toward Koreshkovwith -270 to -280 odds. Recountre is a big underdog with +215 odds. Unfortunately, for Rencountre, this fight figures not to go the full three rounds either. We’re siding with Koreshkov as another Bellator 274 Best Bet. Do not forget to check out some fine NASCAR Vegas Odds And Bets as the Daytona 500 approaches soon.
