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- What: Bellator 300 Co-Main Event
- Who: Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano
- Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
- Location: Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA
- Time: Prelims: 6:30 p.m. ET, Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Prelims (YouTube), Main Card (Showtime)
Bellator presents a loaded card for its 300th event. Bellator 300 takes place on Saturday, October 7, from Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA. The four-fight Showtime main card features four title fights. The opener sees women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche defending her title against former champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. Following that, heavyweight titleholder Ryan Bader faces No. 1 ranked promotional contender Linton Vassell. In the co-main event, women’s featherweight queen Cris Cyborg meets No. 1 ranked Cat Zingano, and in the main event, lightweight kingpin Usman Nurmagomedov faces ex-155-pound champ Brent Primus. Here is some information on Cyborg vs. Zingano before we discuss the betting breakdown for the Bellator 300 fight card.
Cris Cyborg (26-2-0-1) won the Bellator women’s championship in her first fight with the promotion, knocking out Julia Budd in the fourth round of their 2020 scrap. Since then, Cyborg has defended the title four times. Her most recent victory was a decision win over Arlene Blencowe in April 2022.
Cat Zingano ( 14-4) is unbeaten since she joined Bellator in September 2020. She is 4-0 in the promotion. Zingano’s most recent victory came in March of this year when she won a decision over Leah McCourt. She is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the official Bellator women’s featherweight rankings.
Before we look at the best bets for Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano at Bellator 300, check out the best UFC betting sites and our picks for the upcoming UFC 294 main event, Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2.
Bellator 300 co-main event: Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano betting picks
| To Win Bellator 300 Co-Main Event |  |  |  |
| Cat Zingano | +375 | +350 | +348 |
| Cris Cyborg | -500 | -550 | -666 |
Bellator 300 co-main event: Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano betting breakdown
Talk of this fight happening under the Bellator banner has been circulating for nearly two years. There were some rumblings about the fight happening as far back as March 2022, but that matchup never came to fruition. Once the bout had fallen off the radar, there were accusations from Cyborg that Zingano was ducking the fight, while Zingano fired back that she heard Cyborg, who failed a drug test in 2011, was refusing drug testing. With all the differences behind them, the two face off in the co-headlining bout at Bellator 300.
The 38-year-old Cyborg has long been one of the most feared strikers in the women’s divisions of MMA. Her style has evolved over time. Where she once relied on blitzing and power to overwhelm her opponents early, she has become calmer and more analytical in her approach. Where once, the former UFC champ looked to force her striking on her foes, she is much more patient, but not less powerful, when it comes to her approach to the fight game.
Zingano, who at 41, might be looking at her final title shot with a major MMA promotion at Bellator 300, and she is facing an uphill battle. The former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger has a wrestling base, and while that has served her well during her Bellator run, people often forget that Cyborg is also a very good grappler. Zingano will do her best in this fight to work in close in the clinch against the fence in the hopes of negating her opponent’s striking skills.
Bellator 300 co-main event: Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano – Who has the edge?
This is a striker vs. grappler matchup where the striker is also an accomplished grappler. With that, the only area where Zingano might have an edge over Cyborg is if she can get her against the fence and tire her out by trying to defend takedowns. As MMA championship fights go, that’s not the greatest strategy, considering the concerns over Cyborg’s gas tank have faded as she has become a smarter and more controlled striker.
There are some concerns about Cyborg’s inactivity heading into this contest, but those should be taken with a grain of salt as she is younger than Zingano and the fact that Zingano has only fought once per year since 2020.
Best Bets: Bellator 300 co-main event: Cris Cyborg vs. Cat Zingano
As far as Cris Cyborg fights go, this matchup features the closest odds of her Bellator run. With that, their is some value in placing a wager on Cyborg to win. However, the best betting value on this fight will be in picking how the champion will triumph against Zingano. Zingano has proven to be a tough out, her only knockout loss was an eye injury defeat under the UFC banner, and the only person to submit her was then-UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, and she has a 2014 knockout win over Amanda Nunes. However, Zingano’s best days are behind her and she hasn’t faced an elite foe during her Bellator run, which began in 2020.
The betting pick for the Bellator 300 co-main event is Cris Cyborg to win via knockout.
Best Bellator 300 Co-Main Event Betting Pick: Cris Cyborg to beat Cat Zingano via knockout.
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