| Awad vs. Girtz |
Kruchten vs. Straus |
Jasper vs. Koreshkov |
Berry vs. Schilling |
|
|
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 56-21 |
 Awad (62%) |
 Straus (85%) |
 Koreshkov (89%) |
 Schilling (85%) |
|
Fernanda Prates @nandaprates_ 2019: 58-19 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Trent Reinsmith @TrentReinsmith 2019: 56-21 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Ben Fowlkes @BenFowlkesMMA 2019: 54-23  2016 Champion
|
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 54-23 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 52-25 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 52-25 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
 Berry |
|
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 52-25 |
 Girtz |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Berry |
|
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 51-26 2014 Champion
|
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 50-27 2018 Champion
|
Girtz |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 50-27 2017 Champion
|
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 48-29 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
Steven Marrocco @MMAjunkieSteven 2019: 48-29 |
Girtz |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Schilling |
|
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 46-31 |
Awad |
Straus |
Koreshkov |
Berry |
Bellator is back in California this week with a pair of former champions on the card.
Bellator 219 takes place Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, Saad Awad (23-10 MMA, 11-7 BMMA) takes on Brandon Girtz (15-8 MMA, 7-6 BMMA) in a lightweight clash of promotional veterans. Girtz has dropped four of his past five, which might be a big reason Awad is the pick of 10 of our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
The card features two unanimous picks – both of whom are former Bellator champions. Former featherweight champ Daniel Straus (24-8 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) returns from a long layoff and moves to lightweight to take on Shane Kruchten (12-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Straus is a 13-0 pick from our staff members.
And former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (21-3 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) is the other unanimous pick in his fight against Mike Jasper (13-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Koreshkov was supposed to headline Bellator 219 against Lorenz Larkin until Larkin pulled out with an injury.
And to open the main card, kickboxing standout Joe Schilling (3-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) is a heavy 10-3 pick in his middleweight bout against Keith Berry (15-14-1 MMA, 2-3-1 BMMA).
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Awad (62 percent), Straus (85 percent), Koreshkov (89 percent) and Schilling (85 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on Bellator 219, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
