Ryan Bader enters Bellator 273 as betting underdog vs. Valentin Moldavsky

Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader is in serious danger of losing his title this weekend – at least according to oddsmakers.

Bader is set to unify the title against interim champ Valentin Moldavsky on Saturday at Bellator 273 from Footprint Center in Phoenix. It’s a home game for Bader, who fights out of nearby Chandler, Ariz., but he’s not favored to win.

According to Tipico Sportsbook, Bader (28-7 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) is a moderate underdog at +220, meaning a $100 bet would yield winnings of $220. Moldavsky (11-1 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) comes back as a sizeable favorite at -290, meaning a wager of $290 would be needed to earn $100.

The odds could be attributed to both age (Bader 38, Moldavsky 29) and the direction in which their careers have gone as of late.

Bader, who was a Bellator dual champion, has dropped two of his past three bouts, including a second-round TKO loss to Vadim Nemkov for the light heavyweight title. Bader had been on a seven-fight winning streak prior to that loss, which included going 3-0 in the promotion’s heavyweight grand prix to win the title in January 2019. Bader hasn’t competed at heavyweight since a September 2019 bout with Cheick Kongo, which ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke by Bader.

Moldavsky, meanwhile, is off to a perfect 6-0 start in Bellator dating back to his debut in July 2017. He became Bellator’s interim heavyweight champion last June after winning a unanimous decision against Tim Johnson.

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