Bellator 244 predictions: Is anyone picking Vadim Nemkov to end Ryan Bader’s dual-champ reign?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 244 main card in Uncasville, Conn., featuring a light heavyweight title fight.

Bader
vs.
Nemkov
Budd
vs.
Miele
Moldavsky
vs.
Nelson
Kapel
vs.
Salter
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 81-54
bader2020
Bader
(60%)
budd2020
Budd
(91%)
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
(75%)
salter2020
Salter
(82%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 93-42
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 92-43
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 91-44
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 90-45
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 89-46
trophy copy 2017 Champion
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 87-48
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 87-48
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
kapel2020
Kapel
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 87-48
trophy copy 2014 Champion
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 85-50
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 83-52
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
nelson2020
Nelson
salter2020
Salter
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 83-52
trophy copy 2018 Champion
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
nelson2020
Nelson
salter2020
Salter
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 81-54
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 83-52
bader2020
Bader
budd2020
Budd
modavsky2020
Moldavsky
salter2020
Salter
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 56-79
nemkov2020
Nemkov
miele2020
Miele
nelson2020
Nelson
kapel2020
Kapel

Bellator is back in Connecticut this week, and one of its dual champions puts a title on the line at the top of the card.

Bellator 244 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, heavyweight and light heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) puts his 205-pound title up against challenger [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Bader only is around a -150 favorite at the sports books, but all but one of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are picking him to stay champ-champ.

In the co-main event, former women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) for the first time since losing her belt to Cris Cyborg and takes on [autotag]Jessy Miele[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Budd is a 7-1 favorite and has a 13-1 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) is the event’s biggest favorite at more than 9-1 against [autotag]Roy Nelson[/autotag] (23-18 MMA, 1-4 BMMA). But three of our 14 picker are taking Nelson to pull off a big upset.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Andrew Kapel[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is an underdog to -250 favorite [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) in their middleweight bout, but he’s got two of our 14 pickers taking him in an upset.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Bader (60 percent), Budd (91 percent), Moldavsky (75 percent) and Salter (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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