Latest Bellator 212 Odds Heavily Favor Chandler over Primus
By Sascha Paruk in Mixed Martial Arts News
Updated: April 13, 2020 at 2:11 pm EDTPublished:
- Primus vs Chandler, a rematch from 2017, headlines Bellator 212 tonight (Dec. 15).
- A round-one ankle injury to Chandler forced an early stoppage to the first fight and handed Primus the lightweight title.
- Get the latest odds for the main event and the entire undercard.
When Brent Primus and Michael Chandler stepped in the ring at Bellator 180 (Jun. 25, 2017), it had the makings of an all-out war.
But the referee/ring-side doctor put a stop to the bout just 2:27 into the first round as then-champion Chandler had already sustained significant damage to his left leg, damage which left him almost unable to stand.
The result was a huge upset win for the largely untested Primus and, as evidenced by the odds below, sportsbooks expect the universe to right itself tonight.
Brent Primus (C) vs Michael Chandler Preview
| +375 | Odds | -550 |
| 8-0 (2 KO, 4 SUB) | MMA Record | 18-4 (7 KO, 7 SUB) |
| 5’10 | Height | 5’8 |
| 73″ | Reach | 68.5″ |
| 33 | Age | 32 |
| Jun. 24, 2017 (TKO over Michael Chandler) | Last Fight | Apr. 13, 2018 (R1 sub. over Brandon Girtz) |
While Primus is undefeated, he doesn’t do any one thing particularly well and he’s averaged fewer than one fight per year in his MMA career, which dates back to 2010. Aside from his upset over Chandler, his best win was a split decision over Derek Anderson back at Bellator 141 in 2015.
He hasn’t taken a single fight since earning the title, something Chandler has lambasted him for in the build-up to Bellator 212.
Michael Chandler expects Brent Primus to show up at #Bellator212 thanks to the free Hawaiian vacation:
“It’s hard when you’re a part time fighter to muster up the finances…I think he’s going to take that opportunity and he’s going to at least show up.”https://t.co/2Ceg3q9FgD
— MMAWeekly (@MMAWeeklycom) December 14, 2018
Chandler, meanwhile, has roared back from the TKO by crushing both Goiti Yamauchi (unanimous decision, Jan. 2018) and Brandon Girtz (arm triangle, Apr. 2018).
In addition to being more active, Chandler has also faced much better competition during his decade in the sport, including wins over Benson Henderson, Derek Campos, and Akihiro Gono. The power in his hands dwarfs that of Primus. Chandler almost knocked out the current champ on one leg back in the first go-round.
Barring another freak injury, Chandler is going to take his lightweight title back tonight. Don’t hesitate to lay that big number on the pissed-off favorite.
Here’s how the odds for the rest of the main card stand as of Friday morning.
Bellator 212 Main Card & Odds
| Favorite | Weight Class | Underdog |
|---|---|---|
| Jay Ayala (-145) | Heavyweight | Frank Mir (+115) |
| AJ McKee (-1600) | Featherweight | Daniel Crawford (-1600) |
| Derek Campos (-450) | Featherweight | Sam Sicilia (+325) |
| Juliana Velasquez (-270) | Women’s Flyweight | Alejandra Lara (+210) |
Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
