On Friday night, Bellator hosts Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main event features Corey Anderson challenging reigning light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov. Anderson is ranked No. 5 in ESPN's light heavyweight divisional rankings, and Nemkov is ranked No. 8. This is a rematch from their bout in April -- in the finals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix -- that ended with just seconds left due to an accidental clash of heads. While Anderson thought he had won the bout and $1 million, it was ultimately ruled a no contest. In the co-main event, Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire defends his lightweight title against the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov.
The following night, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis looks to maintain his place in the rankings as he takes on Serghei Spivac at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas (4 p.m. on ESPN+, with prelims at 1 p.m. on ESPN+).
Lewis, ranked No. 8 in ESPN's divisional rankings, is coming off back-to-back losses. Most recently, Lewis lost to Sergei Pavlovich by first-round knockout in July. Spivac, who is unranked in ESPN's rankings, has won two fights in a row by knockout.
Marc Raimondi spoke to Fortis MMA coach Sayif Saud to get his perspective on the matchup in the UFC main event. He also spoke to Xtreme Couture MMA coach Eric Nicksick and Fight Ready striking coach Eddie Cha to get their thoughts on the title fights at Bellator 288. ESPN's betting experts Ian Parker and Reed Kuhn add their insights and analysis for the main events of both fight cards and other intriguing bets for this weekend.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Bellator light heavyweight title: Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson, Friday
Eric Nicksick, Xtreme Couture MMA coach
How Nemkov wins: He has to keep his distance and stay long. The blueprint for Anderson was laid out in the first fight. Nemkov needs an answer for his ground and pound. He has to try to stay away and pick Anderson apart from the outside on the feet -- use his footwork to stay off the cage. His best bet is to get Anderson into a fire fight somehow, make him miss, or overthrow something, and then clip him off the counter.
How Anderson wins: Rinse and repeat. Just get right back into round four in his head. As i said, I think the blueprint has been laid out for him. I wouldn't overthink it or worry too much about adjustments. I would see if Nemkov has made those adjustments he needed to counter what Anderson has already showed him. If the answer is no, I'm returning to the f---ing fastball. Stay on that s--- and take that guy down again.
X-factor: Nemkov knowing what Anderson is capable of. It's really just a matter of the experience Anderson has against him and Nemkov knowing he was the little brother. I wouldn't go in there trying to be too aggressive if I'm Anderson. Pick your shots and find the proper way to fit them in. He knows how to get the guy to the ground due to already being there and having done it.
Prediction: I think Anderson gets Nemkov out of there in, say, round three with his ground and pound. Make Ground and Pound Great Again.
Betting analysis
Parker: Anderson to win (-225). Anderson was robbed in his last fight, a no contest against Nemkov in April, and should already be the Grand Prix winner. After that result, Anderson now sits as a 2-1 favorite over the champ. In their last fight, Anderson showed he was the better fighter and had the gas tank to utilize his wrestling and continue to tire Nemkov out. Unless Nemkov can hurt Anderson early, which I don't see happening, I expect a very similar fight to the first one. Look for Anderson to use his striking to work his way inside to get the fight to the mat with his wrestling. Nemkov is a very talented fighter, but Anderson is firing on all cylinders right now. He should be able to get his first championship this time around.
Bellator lightweight title: Patricky Freire vs. Usman Nurmagomedov, Friday
Eddie Cha, Fight Ready striking coach
How Freire wins: He needs to pressure him. He needs to get him to the back leg, cut off angles and try to land some big shots there. A lot of great kickers, like Nurmagomedov, if they're backpedaling, they're stagnant. It's so easy to get off hard kicks when you're going against them in those situations. If you get feints and pressing forward, it's hard to feint for a kicker when you're on your back leg. Freire might be able to get some lead leg kicks off.
How Nurmagomedov wins: Nurmagomedov has great striking and beautiful kicks. He reminds me of Zabit Magomedsharipov. I think his path to victory is staying outside of kicking range. Freire has to get past those kicks and into the boxing range. Nurmagomedov needs to keep him at a distance, pick his shots wisely and use those kicks. He's got really good clinch work, too, but I don't know if it's his strength honestly.
X-factor: Freire's hands. His right hand is dynamite. If he can time one of those kicks, it could be over. Patricio Freire, Patricky's brother, does well jamming kicks, especially in southpaw against an orthodox stance. Any time his opponent tries to get a kick off, he sits on that jab and he'll just jam you. That's what Patricio did when I cornered against him with Benson Henderson. He's so good at timing it. I'm sure he's showing his brother how to set that up. The brothers have different styles, but it's something you can drill over and over again.
Prediction: I can't go against one of Capt. Eric Albarracin's guys, we coach together. So, I'm going to take Freire by knockout. Look at the Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira fight. Adesanya was the cleaner fighter. If he doesn't mess up, he's going to win. But 25 minutes is a long time to be perfect. That's what Nurmagomedov has to be, avoiding those big shots for five rounds. Five rounds is a different type of training. I have seen Nurmagomedov gas a bit in the third round. Can he be perfect? I think that's the question.
Betting analysis
Parker: Nurmagomedov to win by decision (+300). The fact that Nurmagomedov, who has never fought for a title nor faced a true top contender, is the second biggest favorite on the card (over the champion) should tell you something. Nurmagomedov's grappling is on a different level and at the pace he fights, it is almost impossible to not be taken down then held there. If he can implement his game early against 'Pitbull' to take away the striking and power of the champ, then we will see Bellator crown a new lightweight champ.
UFC heavyweight: Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac, Saturday
Look back at some of Derrick Lewis' funniest one-liners throughout his time with the UFC.
Sayif Saud, Fortis MMA head coach
How Lewis wins: Keep it on the feet, land his big power shots. Stay off the fence and stay out of grappling exchanges. Spivac will shoot for takedowns and try to go to the ground. That's not Lewis' wheelhouse. He's very good at getting back to his feet, but that's not usually how he wins fights. Spivac has also been dropped by big punches before, like against Walt Harris.
How Spivac wins: Mix it up well. Utilize his grappling, striking and clinch position to wear Lewis out. The longer the fight goes, the better it is for Spivac. He's shown that path to victory before. I don't expect him to try and recreate the wheel here when fighting one of the biggest power punchers in UFC history.
X-factor: For Lewis, he can get up in the grappling exchanges. He's shown that against high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts. Lewis can scramble up and create moments where he can land those big power shots. Guys are off balance coming out of those scrambles and Lewis can blast them. For Spivac, it's his ability to hurt Lewis on the feet. I still think he'll wrestle, but he can land strikes on Lewis as well.
Prediction: It's a 50-50 fight. Lewis has experience against guys always looking for the takedown like Curtis Blaydes. I'd favor Spivac the longer the fight goes, but Lewis is a threat to finish, especially early. It could go either way.
Betting analysis
Kuhn: Spivac to win (-190), fight does not go the distance (-650). Lewis' fights usually boil down to whether he's likely to land a big shot. As an underdog, Lewis by KO is always in play. But when evaluating the matchup as a whole, the numbers often lead you to side with his opponents. Lewis has overperformed historically, defeating fighters with better technical skills. These factors remain true here.
Spivac has excelled on the ground, spending nearly half of his fight time there, including a variety of submission finishes. Lewis' mediocre takedown defense hasn't held up well against grapplers, and if he's taken down early, it saps his cardio. The question is whether Spivac can get the fight to the mat, and avoid eating a bomb on the way in. Spivac is no stranger to facing power strikers. He has a win over Tai Tuivasa, who defeated Lewis. But that's "MMA math." In this matchup, we accept that the lean is for Spivac, but the fight ending inside the distance also hedges against Lewis's outlier strength. With any luck, Spivak gets a submission on the ground.
Best bets on the rest of the cards
Bellator heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James, Friday
Parker: Fortune to win (-300). Fortune, who is primarily a wrestler, will need to use those skills against James who has won nearly 70 percent of his fights by knockout. As long as Fortune doesn't fight like he is standing in a phone booth, he should be able to avoid James's power and implement his wrestling to win the fight.
UFC light heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ion Cutelaba, Saturday
Kuhn: Cutelaba to win (+150). For another potential underdog, consider Cutelaba. His record is deflated after having faced several ranked opponents in the division, but he still brings a better than puncher's chance with him into the cage every time. His main weakness has been submissions, but Nzechukwu is usually content to stand, and has never won by submission. If anything, Cutelaba is more likely to initiate the ground game and gain control. And, even when he's eating big punches, Cutelaba has shown resiliency and power on the feet. In the past, Cutelaba's mistakes have been his worst enemy, but without the threat of submissions here, his chances are worth a play at plus money.
UFC heavyweight: Chase Sherman vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Saturday
Parker: Cortes-Acosta to win (-210). Chase Sherman, a UFC veteran, showed in his last fight that he may not be ready to retire just yet. However, this is a terrible matchup stylistically for him. Cortes-Acosta carries a ton of power, and has the edge in athleticism and speed. If Sherman doesn't kick at his legs early in the fight, I expect Cortes-Acosta to march forward and take Sherman out before the last bell rings.
UFC welterweight: Andre Fialho vs. Muslim Salikhov, Saturday
Kuhn: Fialho to win (-105). When lines first opened, Fialho was a clear underdog. But the market has made this a near pick 'em, and it's unclear where things will land on fight night. To this point, at least, that line movement is warranted. Fialho is the bigger, rangier, and much younger fighter and his striking could take advantage of a 38-year-old opponent. Salikhov will likely prefer to get the fight down to the mat, but his takedown attempt and conversion rates are below average. Should the two stand and trade, backing the much younger and harder-hitting fighter has value at even money.
UFC welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Danny Roberts, Saturday
Parker: Della Maddalena inside the distance (-200). Della Maddalena has looked flawless during his 2-0 start in the UFC and has established himself as a true blue chip prospect. He is good everywhere and anywhere the fight can go. But he is best is when the fight is standing and he is controlling the pace. If Roberts doesn't present the threat of wrestling or try to pressure Della Maddalena early, it's going to be a rough go for him. Look for Della Maddelena to keep the fight standing and use his striking to finish Roberts inside the distance.
UFC women's flyweight: Natalia Silva vs. Tereza Bleda, Saturday
Parker: Silva to win (-170). After putting on a complete and perfect performance in her UFC debut, expect nothing less from Silva against Bleda. Silva, who is known for her submission game, showed incredible skills on the feet. She was throwing high volume with great speed and precision. I think Silva is a true blue chip prospect, and she will show every bit of her skillset against the newcomer in Bleda.