| Emelianenko vs. Jackson |
Chandler vs. Outlaw |
Anzai vs. Page |
Larkin vs. Nakamura |
Joanne vs. Watanabe |
Cruickshank vs. Yamauchi |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 221-130 (63%) |
Emelianenko (54%) |
 Chandler (83%) |
 Page (88%) |
 Larkin (88%) |
 Watanabe (66%) |
 Yamauchi (57%) |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 138-71 (66%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
 Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 131-73 (64%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 225-126 (64%) |
 Jackson |
Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 224-127 (64%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 223-128 (64%)  2017 Champion |
Emelianenko | Jackson |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 222-129 (63%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 220-131 (63%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
 Nakamura |
Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 218-133 (62%) 2014 Champion |
Jackson |
Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 122-76 (62%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 215-136 (61%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Watanabe |
Yamauchi |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 212-139 (60%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 147-112 (57%) |
Emelianenko | Chandler |
Page |
Larkin |
Joanne |
Yamauchi |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 185-166 (53%) |
Jackson |
 Outlaw |
 Anzai |
Nakamura |
Watanabe |
 Cruickshank |
For the first time, Bellator this week has touched down in “The Land of the Rising Sun” with a pair of heavyweight legends at the top of the ticket.
Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, Fedor Emelianenko (38-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) takes on fellow PRIDE veteran Quinton Jackson (38-13 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) in a bout between two fan favorites among the Japanese fans. Emelianenko is a slight favorite at the sports books, but he’s got a heavy lead from our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers at 9-4 in the picks.
In the co-main event, former lightweight champion Michael Chandler (19-5 MMA, 16-5 BMMA) takes on short-notice opponent Sidney Outlaw (14-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who will step in for Benson Henderson. Chandler is a heavy favorite in the 160-pound contract weight bout, and only one of our pickers is going against him.
Michael Page (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) is the biggest favorite on the card at as much as 10-1 n his 173-pound contract weight fight against Shinsho Anzai (11-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). He’s got a heavy 12-1 lead in the picks.
Also on the main card, Lorenz Larkin (21-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) meets Keita Nakamura (35-10-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at welterweight. Larkin is a 5-1 favorite and has a heavy 11-2 picks lead.
Our most competitive fight, picks-wise, is at women’s flyweight between Ilara Joanne (9-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and Kana Watanabe (8-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who is just a slight favorite. Watanabe has the slimmest possible edge in the picks at 7-6.
And to open the main card, Daron Cruickshank (22-12 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is a heavy underdog against Goiti Yamauchi (24-4 MMA, 10-3 BMMA), who has a massive 12-1 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Emelianenko (54%), Chandler (83 percent), Page (88 percent), Larkin (88 percent), Watanabe (66 percent) and Yamauchi (57 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
Bellator 237 predictions: Who's picking 'Rampage' over Fedor in Japan?
