Although the sportsbooks offered odds on all 16 fights at Bellator 206 on Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, only the six main-card bouts had prop bets offered for them. The majority of the fights ended in ways that were favored by the oddsmakers, but there were a couple instances where the unexpected happened. Below are the insane prop bets that cashed at Bellator 206:
Gegard Mousasi Wins Inside the Distance (+115)
The main event at Bellator 206 saw Bellator MMA middleweight champion Mousasi earn his eighth straight win with a second-round TKO over the promotion’s welterweight titleholder in Rory MacDonald. Mousasi was a solid favorite on the moneyline for this bout, and that made some want to play MacDonald as an underdog. However, that turned out to be dead money, as Mousasi proved he was the superior mixed martial artist with a vicious finish in the second stanza. Mousasi has looked amazing with three straight wins since coming over to Bellator, and it will be interesting to see what route he takes in the near future. The prop on Mousasi winning inside the distance scored at +115. Obviously, this was not a massive number, but considering how much chalk won on the night, this was one of the more sizeable props to actually come through.
Douglas Lima Wins Inside the Distance (+210)
One of the most dominant performances of the entire event came courtesy of former two-time Bellator welterweight champion Lima, who submitted Andrey Koreshkov in the fifth round with a rear-naked choke. Lima controlled the majority of the contest with superior striking and grappling before finally getting Koreshkov into a bad situation and making the most of it with a tight submission. As this fight was part of the Bellator welterweight grand prix, it was set for five rounds. Had the fight been three rounds, this one would not have cashed out, but the prop on Lima winning inside the distance hit at a strong +210 mark. Considering Lima had knocked out Koreshkov in their previous encounter, it was surprising that the Brazilian was not only the moneyline underdog in this rematch but that this prop was so juicy.
Keri Melendez Wins by Decision (+240)
The biggest prop bet to score actually came in the women’s strawweight clash between Melendez and Dakota Zimmerman. This was a closely contested fight between the unbeaten Melendez and the MMA newcomer. However, Melendez eked out a split decision at the end of 15 minutes. A massive favorite on the moneyline, Melendez was favored by the oddsmakers to get the win via stoppage here, as she was clearly the more talented and experienced mixed martial artist. Still, Zimmerman fought hard in her pro debut and nearly authored the upset. The prop on Melendez cashed out at a healthy +240 -- nice odds for anyone who took a stab at them.
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 vs. Shogun Rua and he wishes Pride never died. Adam is based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Centennial College. Get in touch with him on Twitter @MMAdamMartin.