| Jackson vs. Kielholtz |
Novenyi vs. Zerhouni |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 106-68 |
 Kielholtz (61%) |
 Novenyi (88%) |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 117-57 |
 Jackson |
Novenyi |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 116-58 |
Jackson |
Novenyi |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 116-58 |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 114-60 |
Jackson |
Novenyi |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 113-61  2019 Champion* |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 113-61 |
Jackson |
Novenyi |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 113-61 2017 Champion |
Jackson |
Novenyi |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 110-64 2014 Champion |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 109-65 |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 107-67 |
Jackson |
Novenyi |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 106-68 |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 105-69 2018 Champion |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 103-71 |
Kielholtz |
Novenyi |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 73-101 |
Jackson |
 Zerhounni |
(Note: The main card lineup additions of Simone D’Anna vs. Brian Moore and Chris Duncan vs. Iamik Furtado came too late for our picks deadline. In addition, a previously scheduled main card fight between Ilias Bulaid and Ivan Naccari was moved to Bellator’s Oct. 10 event, leaving us with just two picks for this card.)
Bellator is back this week with its first of what will become regular Thursday events.
Bellator 247 takes place Thursday at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network following prelims on on MMA Junkie and Bellator’s YouTube page.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
The planned main event between Paul Daley (42-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) and Derek Anderson (16-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) at welterweight was scrapped Wednesday when Daley became ill and was removed from the card.
That left our only contentious fight, at women’s flyweight, as the main event. [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in the new headliner. Our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts see the fight as a close one. Jackson has just a slim 8-6 lead in the picks.
It’s nearly unanimous in the middleweight co-main event. [autotag]Norbert Novenyi[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has a 13-1 picks blowout against promotional newcomer [autotag]Laid Zerhouni[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA).
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Kielholtz (61 percent) and Novenyi (88 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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