Bellator 214 on Saturday in Inglewood, California, turned out to be a highly entertaining card highlighted by a couple of brutal knockouts. The oddsmakers offered odds for only four fights but did offer a near-full sheet of props for those four bouts. With three favorites winning, there were not too many plus-money props that cashed, but there were a couple that came through for savvy bettors. They are front and center in the Bellator 214 edition of Insane Props.
Henry Corrales Wins Inside the Distance (+655)
The craziest prop to cash came in the featherweight co-main event between Corrales and Aaron Pico. Corrales won in stunning fashion, as he brutally knocked out Pico in the first round. The former King of the Cage champion was not supposed to emerge victorious, and on paper, Pico held many advantages, including edges in age, wrestling and athleticism. However, we know MMA is not a sport played on paper, and Corrales shocked the world when we survived an early knockdown to storm back and brutally finish Pico with punches moments later. Not only was Corrales easily the biggest underdog on the card to cash, but the prop on his winning inside the distance was available at massive odds. Those who had the foresight to see him getting the job done via stoppage were rewarded handsomely, as the odds for Corrales winning inside the distance cashed out at +655. Considering the quality of this wins, the odds on seeing Corrales as such a significant underdog in the future seem slim to none. He should command plenty of respect after blowing through Pico in such impressive fashion.
Juan Archuleta Wins by Decision (+113)
Ryan Bader and Jake Hager were big favorites to win, and the props on their winning inside the distance were offered at negative numbers, as most bettors believed such outcomes as likely. Bellator 214 proved to be slim pickings are far as odds go, but aside from Corrales winning in stunning fashion, there was one other prop on the card that cashed at plus money. That would be the prop on Archuleta defeating Ricky Bandejas by decision, as two of the three judges scoring cageside sided with the former King of the Cage champion. Bettors siding with Archuleta to win had a hard time picking between his winning a decision or winning by stoppage, and both outcomes were available at plus money. Considering his finishing pedigree and the fact that Bandejas is so tough, it made it hard to confidently predict how Archuleta would win the fight. He ended up getting his hand raised by decision, and that prop cashed at +113. For what it is worth, the prop on Bandejas winning by decision would have hit at +408 had one more judge given him one more round. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Adam Martin is a mixed martial arts journalist who has been covering the sport since 2011. He is currently the lead odds analyst for Sherdog.com, as well as the lead staff writer for MMAOddsbreaker.com. Adam is also the co-host of “The Parting Shot Podcast” on iTunes. His favorite fight of all-time is Dan Henderson-Mauricio Rua, and he wishes Pride Fighting Championships never died. Adam is based out of Toronto, and he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Centennial College. Get in touch with him on Twitter at @MMAdamMartin.