Bellator 256 predictions: Ryan Bader or Lyoto Machida in tournament rematch?

Check out our staff members’ predictions for the Bellator 256 main card, featuring Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida in the 205-pound tournament.

Bader
vs.
Machida
Carmouche
vs.
Porto
Borics
vs.
Kennedy
Parker
vs.
Zingano
Moret
vs.
Yamauchi
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 31-26
bader2021
Bader
(64%)
carmouche2021
Carmouche
(69%)
borics2021
Borics
(72%)
zingano2021
Zingano
(90%)
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
(88%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 35-22
trophy copy 2020 Champion
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 35-22
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 34-23
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 34-23
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 34-23
trophy copy 2018 Champion
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 34-23
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 33-24
trophy copy 2017 Champion
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 32-25
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 32-25
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 29-28
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 29-28
trophy copy 2014 Champion
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 27-30
bader2021
Bader
carmouche2021
Carmouche
borics2021
Borics
zingano2021
Zingano
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi
BetMGM
Betting Favorites
bader2021
Bader -300
carmouche2021
Carmouche -185
kennedy2021
Kennedy -125
zingano2021
Zingano -800
yamauchi2021
Yamauchi -400

Bellator keeps its 2021 rolling Friday, and a former light heavyweight champion will try to get back on track at the top of the bill.

Bellator 256 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime 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 light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (27-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the opening round of Bellator’s 205-pound tournament. The two first fought in the UFC nearly nine years ago, and Machida won by knockout. This time, Bader is a -300 favorite at BetMGM in the rematch, and our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are taking him unanimously – one of three 12-0 nods on the main card.

In the co-feature, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a -185 favorite against former Invicta FC women’s flyweight [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and Carmouche is a near-unanimous pick on the main card at 11-1 from our staff members.

Also on the main card, our only truly contentious fight from a picks standpoint takes place at lightweight with [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) just a -125 favorite against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Borics has a slim 7-5 picks lead.

Our second unanimous nod is former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who is a huge -800 favorite against promotional newcomer [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a women’s featherweight bout. Zingano, not surprisingly given the odds, is a 12-0 pick.

And to open the main card, our third 12-0 unanimous pick is [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) in a lightweight bout against [autotag]Dan Moret[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is a -400 betting favorite.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Bader (64 percent), Carmouche (69 percent), Borics (72 percent), Zingano (90 percent) and Yamauchi (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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