This Friday night, Bellator 132 returns to SpikeTV and the Pechanga Casino in California with a main event featuring new featherweight champion Patricio Freire‘s first title defense against Daniel Straus.
Right now, the fight line is pretty tight, with Straus a slight underdog at (+140), and Freire paying (-180). The over/under on this five round bout is 4.5, with the over paying (-170) and the under paying (+130). It is sure to be a hard fought fight, as both men have met before. Straus is aslo a former champion who lost the belt to Pat Curran, the man “Pitbull” Freire won the belt from. Regardless of who wins, a confrontation with Curran is almost assured, as both men are 1-1 against Curran. Freire won the first meeting by unanimous decision over three rounds with Strauss back in May of 2011, but both men are at different levels than they were at that time.
Also at featherweight, Georgi Karakhanyan (-110) faces Bubba Jenkins (-130) in a match that is nearly pick ’em. The match is three rounds, and the over/under is set at 2 1/2, with the over paying (-190) and the under at (+150). both men are trying to crack the upper echelon of the division where Freire, Straus and Curran reside, and a win here would be a good statement for both men. Jenkins is 8-1 and doesn’t have the experience of his opponent, but he has won four in a row and has been building momentum. Karakhanyan lost his last outing with the WSOF, which sees him return to Bellator for another run.
The rematch between Virgil Zwicker (-120) and Houston Alexander (-120) is also tight, and based on their entertaining first fight, the line is right on. The over/under on this three rounder is 1.5, with the over at (-160) and the under at (+120). The first fight was a draw, and it is important to remember that Alexander had a point taken at one point. Alexander however, also appeared to fade in the late going, so a look at Zwicker may be warranted.
At welterweight, veteran Fernando Gonzalez (+125) is a slight underdog to Marius Zaromskis, who returns at (-165). The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds, with the over paying (-230) and the under at (+170).
Take a look at the video from Bellator’s channel – a great highlight package on Featherweight champion Patricio Freire:
