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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Matt Erickson

Bellator 297: Make your predictions for Nemkov vs. Romero, Pettis vs. Freire title fights in Chicago

Bellator Corey Anderson Patricio Freire Phil Davis Vadim Nemkov Alex Polizzi Archie Colgan Bobby Nash Chicago Cody Law

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 297 event in Chicago.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 297 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 297 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Edwin Chavez vs. Cody Law

Records: Edwin Chavez (6-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), Cody Law (6-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA)
Past five: Chavez 2-3, Law 3-2
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Chavez +300, Law -400

Jordan Newman vs. Matthew Perry

Records: Jordan Newman (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), Matthew Perry (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)
Past five: Newman 5-0, Perry 2-3
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Newman -1000, Perry +500

Timur Khizriev vs. Richie Smullen

Records: Timur Khizriev (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), Richie Smullen (10-2-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA)
Past five: Khizriev 5-0, Smullen 5-0
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Khizriev -450, Smullen +300

Karl Moore vs. Alex Polizzi

Records: Karl Moore (11-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), Alex Polizzi (10-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA)
Past five: Moore 4-1, Polizzi 3-2
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Moore -105, Polizzi -125

Archie Colgan vs. Emmanuel Sanchez

Records: Archie Colgan (7-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), Emmanuel Sanchez (20-8 MMA, 12-7 BMMA)
Past five: Colgan 5-0, Sanchez 1-4
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Colgan -450, Sanchez +300

Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Kamil Oniszczuk

Records: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (6-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), Kamil Oniszczuk (9-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA)
Past five: Novenyi 5-0, Oniszczuk 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Novenyi -250, Oniszczuk +175

Mike Hamel vs. Shamil Nikaev

Records: Mike Hamel (10-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), Shamil Nikaev (10-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA)
Past five: Hamel 3-2, Nikaev 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Hamel -105, Nikaev -125

Ramazan Kuramagomedov vs. Jaleel Willis

Records: Ramazan Kuramagomedov (10-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), Jaleel Willis (16-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA)
Past five: Kuramagomedov 5-0, Willis 3-2
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Kuramagomedov -400, Willis +275

Pieter Buist vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov

Records: Pieter Buist (17-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), Gadzhi Rabadanov (19-4-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA)
Past five: Buist 3-2, Rabadanov 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Buist +400, Rabadanov -650

Kyle Crutchmer vs. Bobby Nash

Records: Kyle Crutchmer (9-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA), Bobby Nash (12-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)
Past five: Crutchmer 3-2, Nash 4-1
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Crutchmer -350, Nash +240

Wladmir Gouvea vs. Gabriel Sayeg

Records: Wladmir Gouvea (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), Gabriel Sayeg (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)
Past five: Gouvea 1-0, Sayeg 1-1
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): N/A

Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam

Records: Daniel James (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), Gokhan Saricam (8-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA)
Past five: James 5-0, Saricam 4-1
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 06.12.23): James -110, Saricam -120

Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis

Records: Corey Anderson (17-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA), Phil Davis (24-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA)
Past five: Anderson 3-2, Davis 4-1
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Anderson No. 7, Davis honorable mention
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Anderson -175, Davis +130

Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire

Records: Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), Patricio Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA)
Past five: Pettis 5-0, Freire 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Freire No. 3 featherweight, No. 9 pound-for-pound;
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Pettis +165, Freire -225

Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero

Records: Vadim Nemkov (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA), Yoel Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA)
Past five: Nemkov 5-0, Romero 2-3
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Nemkov No. 9
Odds (as of 06.12.23): Nemkov -350, Romero +240