Bellator Champions Series predictions: Is anyone picking a lightweight title upset in San Diego?

Bellator is in Southern California with the lightweight title on the line at the top of the card.

Bellator Champions Series: San Diego (Max) takes place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Jora Ayvazyan vs. Yancy Medeiros

Jora Ayvazyan vs. Yancy Medeiros – Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Cooper Neill / Bellator)

Records: Ayvazyan (14-1), Medeiros (17-8)
Past five: Ayvazyan 5-0, Medeiros 1-4
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 09.02.24): Ayvazyan -410, Medeiros +320
Junkie pick results: Medeiros 6, Ayvazyan 5

Sumiko Inaba vs. Mackenzie Stiller

Sumiko Inaba vs. Mackenzie Stiller – Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Cooper Neill / Bellator)

Records: Inaba (7-1), Stiller (3-0)
Past five: Inaba 4-1, Stiller 3-0
Division: Women’s flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 09.02.24): Inaba -180, Stiller +150
Junkie pick results: Inaba 10, Stiller 1

Levan Chokheli vs. Lorenz Larkin

Levan Chokheli vs. Lorenz Larkin – Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Cooper Neill / Bellator)

Records: Chokheli (13-2), Larkin (26-8)
Past five: Chokheli 4-1, Larkin 4-1
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 09.02.24): Chokheli +120, Larkin -140
Junkie pick results: Larkin 7, Chokheli 4

Aaron Jeffery vs. Douglas Lima

Aaron Jeffery vs. Douglas Lima – Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Cooper Neill / Bellator)

Records: Jeffery (14-5), Lima (33-11)
Past five: Jeffery 3-2, Lima 1-4
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 09.02.24): Jeffery -160, Lima +140
Junkie pick results: Jeffery 7, Lima 4

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexander Shabliy

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexander Shabliy – Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Cooper Neill / Bellator)

Records: Nurmagomedov (17-0), Shabliy (24-3)
Past five: Nurmagomedov 5-0, Shabliy 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Nurmagomedov No. 7
Odds (as of 09.02.24): Nurmagomedov -470, Shabliy +360
Junkie pick results: Nurmagomedov 11, Shabliy 0

Check out all the main card picks below.

Bellator San Diego main card picks

	Nurmagomedov vs. Shabliy	Jeffery vs. Lima	Chokheli vs. Larkin	Inaba vs. Stiller	Ayvazyan vs. Medeiros
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 143-83	Nurmagomedov (83%)	Lima (62%)	Larkin (74%)	Inaba (N/A)	Ayvazyan (81%)
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 148-78	Nurmagomedov	Lima	Larkin	Inaba	Medeiros
Ken Hathaway @1khathaway 148-78	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Chokheli	Inaba	Ayvazyan
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 143-83 2014 Champion	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Larkin	Inaba	Medeiros
Matt Erickson @MattE 139-87	Nurmagomedov	Lima	Chokheli	Inaba	Medeiros
Nolan King @mma_kings 139-87 2023 Champion	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Larkin	Inaba	Medeiros
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 137-89	Nurmagomedov	Lima	Chokheli	Inaba	Ayvazyan
Simon Samano @SJSamano 136-90	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Chokheli	Inaba	Medeiros
Brian Garcia @thegoze 135-91	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Larkin	Inaba	Ayvazyan
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 135-91	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Larkin	Inaba	Medeiros
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 128-98	Nurmagomedov	Jeffery	Larkin	Inaba	Ayvazyan
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 122-104	Nurmagomedov	Lima	Larkin	Stiller	Ayvazyan

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Playoffs 3.