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

	Bader vs. Machida	Carmouche vs. Porto	Borics vs. Kennedy	Parker vs. Zingano	Moret vs. Yamauchi
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 31-26	Bader (64%)	Carmouche (69%)	Borics (72%)	Zingano (90%)	Yamauchi (88%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 35-22 2020 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 35-22	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 34-23 2018 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 33-24 2017 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 32-25	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 32-25	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 29-28	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 29-28 2014 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 27-30	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Bader -300	Carmouche -185	Kennedy -125	Zingano -800	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 Ryan Bader (27-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on Lyoto Machida (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 Liz Carmouche (14-7 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a -185 favorite against former Invicta FC women’s flyweight Vanessa Porto (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 Adam Borics (16-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) just a -125 favorite against Jeremy Kennedy (16-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Borics has a slim 7-5 picks lead.

Our second unanimous nod is former UFC title challenger Cat Zingano (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who is a huge -800 favorite against promotional newcomer Olivia Parker (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 Goiti Yamauchi (25-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) in a lightweight bout against Dan Moret (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.