Juliana Velasquez Favorite Despite Shaky Title Reign
Unbeaten at 12-0, Bellator’s women’s flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez defends her title for the second time as a slight favorite on the Bellator MMA odds. Velasquez narrowly defeated Denise Kielholtz despite being upwards of a 3-1 favorite and the public has seemingly soured on her. Liz Carmouche is a “grizzled veteran” but can she pull off this upset?
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Bellator odds for Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Bellator Has A Potential Star In Juliana Velasquez
Vlasquez’ last performance left much to be desired but it was more so fans and online sports betting sites underestimating her challenger, Denise Kielholtz. Still, Velasquez turned back the prolific kickboxer to stay as champion. And despite the betting odds now being narrower, Velasquez offers tremendous value.
The Judoka looks to be no spring chicken: she is turning 36 this fall. However, Velasquez debuted in 2014 and has only had 14 pro bouts. She has not taken too much damage and could be “fresher” than many fighters younger than her.
Prior to her split decision victory over Kielholtz, Velasquez was one of Bellator’s most exciting prospects. She has several knockout wins and has a submission in her debut. Velasquez can finish fights anywhere and is versed on both her feet and the mat. But as a champion, she will continue to fight “smart”, which should be a boon for betting online.
Liz Carmouche Consistently Fights Tough
You may know Carmouche for being one of two women fighting in the UFC’s first women’s MMA fight. She put then-golden girl Ronda Rousey in a bind before succumbing to her famous armbar. That wasn’t all for Carmouche. The former Marine has been known to give the best fighters like Miesha Tate and Marloes Coenen a hard fight.
But if you look at Carmouche’s losses, what stands out is the level of her opponent: top-five fighters in the division. Carmouche is strong and can outmuscle her opponents. But she lacks plenty in terms of her striking and grappling.
This is why Carmouche, even if she is winning fights, ultimately loses to the best. A top-notch fighter like Velasquez should find a way to weather her storm. If she doesn’t? Carmouche will finally become an MMA champion after three attempts and a dozen years in the sport.
Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche Head-to-Head
Juliana Velasquez and Liz Carmouche will fight for the first time. They are both unbeaten with Bellator with Velasquez at 7-0 and Carmouche at 3-0. Carmouche will be three years older than Velasquez at 38-years-old and while both stand at 5’6”, Velasquez will sport a 1.5-inch reach advantage.
Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche Fight Information
- Fight: Juliana Velasquez (c) (12-0-0) vs Liz Carmouche (16-7-0)
- Location: Neal S. Blaisdell Center
- Day/Time: Friday, April 22, 9 p.m. ET
- Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche Streaming: Bellator Live
Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche Betting Lines
Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche Prediction
The public is heavy on Carmouche on the betting lines. The challenger opened at +170 and is now down to +130. This only means that we can get the champion, Velasquez, at a reasonable line of -160. This implies that Velasquez has a 58.6% chance of winning. She has more than that.
Carmouche will look to wrestle down Velasquez and to make the fight a grind out affair. She may even win the first two rounds here. However, Carmouche’s endurance is not the best and she is known to slow down considerably in her fights. This will play to Velasquez’s strengths as she will outstrike Carmouche, who will have nothing to offer.
Bet Velasquez straight-up or parlay her with Cris Cyborg for even better value.
