Bellator 243 predictions: Chandler or Henderson? Which former champ comes out on top?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 243 main card in Connecticut, featuring Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson.

Chandler
vs.
Henderson
Johnson
vs.
Mitrione
Jury
vs.
Karakhanyan
Homasi
vs.
Millender
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 72-49
chandler2020
Chandler
(62%)
mitrione2020
Mitrione
(79%)
jury2020
Jury
(83%)
millender2020
Millender
(88%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 85-36
chandler2020
Chandler
johnson2020
Johnson
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 85-36
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 83-38
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 81-40
trophy copy 2014 Champion
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
homasi2020
Homasi
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 80-41
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 80-41
trophy copy 2017 Champion
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
karakhanyan2020
Karakhanyan
millender2020
Millender
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 80-41
chandler2020
Chandler
johnson2020
Johnson
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 79-42
trophy copy 2018 Champion
henderson2020
Henderson
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 78-43
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 77-45
chandler2020
Chandler
johnson2020
Johnson
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 76-45
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
karakhanyan2020
Karakhanyan
millender2020
Millender
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 73-48
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 73-48
chandler2020
Chandler
mitrione2020
Mitrione
jury2020
Jury
millender2020
Millender
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 52-69
henderson2020
Henderson
mitrione2020
Mitrione
karakhanyan2020
Karakhanyan
homasi2020
Homasi

Bellator is back in Connecticut this week with a pair of former lightweight champions atop the bill.

Bellator 243 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former Bellator lightweight champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) takes on ex-UFC and WEC champ [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA). Chandler is more than a 2-1 favorite in the fight, and he’s got the support of a whopping 12 of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts in the picks.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) will go after his second Bellator heavyweight win on the heels of his upset of 9-1 favorite Tyrell Fortune in February. This time, he’s just a slight underdog against [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), but it’s Mitrione with a big 11-3 picks lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is a big favorite against [autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) in their lightweight bout, and he’s got a 10-3 picks lead.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Sabah Homasi[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) will try to upset [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) at welterweight. Millender nearly is a 3-1 favorite, and hes got a heavy 11-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Chandler (62 percent), Mitrione (79 percent), Jury (83 percent) and Millender (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.