Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

Bellator 279 predictions: Three unanimous picks in Hawaii – but who are they?

Cyborg
vs.
Blencowe
Archuleta
vs.
Stots
Kish
vs.
Macfarlane
Horiguchi
vs.
Mix
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
59-30
cyborg2022
Cyborg
(83%)
stots2022
Stots
(61%)
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
(88%)
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
(65%)
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
59-30
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
58-31
trophy copy 2014 Champion
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
58-31
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
58-31
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
58-31
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
mix2022
Mix
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
57-32
trophy copy 2018 Champion
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
mix2022
Mix
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
56-33
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
55-34
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
53-36
trophy copy 2017 Champion
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
mix2022
Mix
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
51-38
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
mix2022
Mix
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
41-48
cyborg2022
Cyborg
stots2022
Stots
macfarlane2022
Macfarlane
horiguchi2022
Horiguchi

Bellator is in Hawaii for the first time since late 2019 with back-to-back events – the second of which has the women’s featherweight title on the line, plus two key bantamweight grand prix bouts.

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. It is the second of back-to-back nights of Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. 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, Cris Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts her women’s featherweight title on the line in a rematch with Arlene Blencowe (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), whom she has a win over already. Cyborg, like she usually is when she fights, is a heavy betting favorite. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have her as one of three unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

In the co-feature, Juan Archuleta (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) meets Raufeon Stots (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the opening round of the bantamweight grand prix – and also for the interim bantamweight title. The winner will be interim champ and take that belt into the semifinals. Stots is more than a 3-1 favorite and our second unanimous pick.

Also on the main card, former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) takes on Justine Kish (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Macfarlane is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a shutout in the picks at 11-0.

To open the main card, on the other side of the grand prix bracket, former champion Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) takes on Patchy Mix (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA). That bout is the only contentious one among our pickers, who have the favored Horiguchi with a 7-4 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cyborg (83 percent), Stots (61 percent), Macfarlane (88 percent) and Horiguchi (65 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.