Eblen vs Edwards Odds: Champion Picked to Win
Bellator 299 Middleweight Title Fight
Eblen vs Edwards odds have been released and it’s champion Johnny Eblen favored to win.
The 13-0 fighter is the firm -500 favorite with MMA odds to retain his belt against 12-2 Fabian Edwards.
The fight headlines a quality Bellator MMA schedule, including Aaron Pico vs Pedro Carvalho and Sinead Kavanagh vs Sara Collins.
Champion Backed to Win
It has been all about Eblen with Bellator MMA odds since winning the Bellator middleweight title against Gegard Mousasi in 2022.
The 31-year-old defended his title against Anatoly Tokov at Bellator 290, where he went the full five rounds in a torrid battle.
That should give him the advantage over Edwards, who has had only one five-round fight in his career.
Eblen is tough to beat because he’s a wrestler, and once he gets his opponents on the ground, he controls the tempo and ground control time.
It can be frustrating to watch, but he owns a lot of wins by knockout. He knocked out Collin Huckbody and Daniel Madrid earlier in his career, and despite his last three fights going the distance, the power is still there.
As Eblen vs Edwards odds suggest, he’s a great chance of retaining his belt. Bookmakers are offering -500, which is a short quote for a fight of this magnitude, but he warrants the odds.
He even thinks he would beat former UFC middleweight champions Israel Adesanya.
“I think I destroy ‘Stylebender’ (Israel Adesanya),” Johnny Eblen said. “It’s just a bad matchup for him, I just mix things up too well. I wrestle, strike and he really exposed himself when he fought (Alex) Pereira, how bad his grappling was. So, I just think I’m a terrible matchup for him.”
That’s a lot of confidence for a Bellator fighter, so bettors should feel confident in his chances of beating Edwards.
Edwards Overcomes Challenges
It looked like Edwards’ title dreams were over when suffering consecutive losses to Costello van Steenis and Austin Vanderford, but he has fought back.
Despite what Eblen vs Edwards odds suggest, he has a fighting chance of having the belt around his waist on Saturday.
The 30-year-old comes off three consecutive wins against some of the best in the business. He defeated Lyoto Machida, Charlie Ward, and Mousasi.
His win over Mousasi was a tough battle, but like Eblen, he overcame it, and now he gets his first title shot in Dublin, Ireland.
He might be the +350 underdog, but he’s good enough to contend for the title. Beating Eblen isn’t something anyone has done before, but he’s ready for war.
“That is the fight. He’s been saying Fabian likes to just be clean and pretty but at the end of the day fighting’s not about getting hit but that’s what I’ve prepared myself for,” Edwards said.
“I’ve prepared myself for a war in there and I know that when I put it on him, he’ll be panicking and shooting for my legs, but that’s what he does.”
There is some value with Edwards at the price, but it will be a career-best performance to beat Eblen.
Eblen to Retain Title
Taking short odds is dangerous, but Eblen is the better fighter, and he should retain his middleweight title.
There is always plenty of excitement with an unbeaten fighter, which can inflate the odds with bookmakers. However, -500 is a fair quote given his impressive MMA record.
We’re happy to include him in our weekend UFC picks, in what should be an exciting Bellator 299 card.
