Bellator 264 predictions: Is anyone picking John Salter over Gegard Mousasi?

	Mousasi vs. Salter	Homasi vs. Koreshkov	Magomedov vs. Stots	Cummings vs. Franklin	Bestaev vs. Gwerder
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 120-72	Mousasi (82%)	Koreshkov (85%)	Magomedov (76%)	Cummings (51%)	Bestaev (64%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 119-73	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Franklin	Bestaev
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 118-74	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Franklin	Bestaev
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 118-74 2018 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Gwerder
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 115-77 2020 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Gwerder
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 114-78 2014 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Franklin	Bestaev
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 114-78	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 113-79	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Bestaev
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Homasi	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 112-80	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Stots	Cummings	Gwerder
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 110-82 2017 Champion	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 108-84	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 43-33	Mousasi	Koreshkov	Magomedov	Cummings	Gwerder

Bellator is back in Connecticut this week, and the middleweight title is on the line.

Bellator 264 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, middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) puts his title up against challenger John Salter (18-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA). Mousasi is fighting for the first time since he recaptured the 185-pound title in October 2020 against Douglas Lima, and all 13 of our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him to defend the belt.

In the co-feature, Sabah Homasi (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) takes on former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (23-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA). Our staff members are picking the ex-champ by a wide margin at 12-1.

Also on the main card, Magomed Magomedov (18-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is a runaway pick in his bantamweight fight against Raufeon Stots (16-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Magomedov has a 10-3 lead in the picks.

Our most contentious fight is at heavyweight between Everett Cummings (15-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and Davion Franklin (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA). The top five pickers in our standings all like Franklin. But the lower eight all are going with Cummings.

And to open the main card, Khadzhi Bestaev (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) takes on Ty Gwerder (5-2 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) in a middleweight bout. Hawaii’s Gwerder has a sizable 9-4 edge in the picks from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Mousasi (82 percent), Koreshkov (85 percent), Magomedov (76 percent), Cummings (51 percent) and Bestaev(64 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.