BKFC Bethlehem Picks, Predictions, Odds and Best Bets October 9

BKFC Bethlehem Betting Preview Including Best Bets

WagerTalk handicapper Andy Lang gives his BKFC Bethlehem predictions and picks for October 9 with Gregoris Cisneros vs Ryan Petersen headlining in the main event. The main card kicks off at 8:00PM ET from the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA!

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BKFC Bethlehem Main Event: Gregoris Cisneros vs Ryan Petersen

Friday, October 9	BKFC Bethlehem Betting Notes (Courtesy of Caesars)
Moneyline:	Gregoris Cisneros vs Ryan Petersen
Rounds:	N/A
Fight Time:	Main Card Starts at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT
Arena:	Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA
TV:	BKFC+, TrillerTV and Fubo Sports

BKFC Bethlehem Predictions

Taylor Dagner (-205) vs Marisol Ruelas (+164)

Dagener had a nice BKFC debut. She landed some big shots, bloodied up her opponent, and looked impressive for much of the fight. She won rounds one and three but got knocked down in the second, which ultimately resulted in a draw.

She’s tall, uses her jab well, and knows how to take advantage of her length. That’s going to be a major problem for Ruelas, who is shorter and simply isn’t a good striker. Ruelas is 1-9 as a professional across multiple combat sports, and boxing clearly isn’t suited for her.

She’s been knocked out before, her striking technique is poor, and I don’t see how she deals with Dagener’s reach and jab. Dagener is the easy pick and should pick Ruelas apart for as long as this fight lasts.

Brett Shoenfelt (-150) vs Christian Torres (+124)

Torres is really bad. He lost a boxing match in February that was difficult to watch. He barely threw anything, showed no urgency, and essentially stood there getting punched. His last BKFC appearance was in November 2024, when he was knocked out, although he actually looked somewhat competent at times in that fight.

What I saw in February was a guy who looked like he had given up on his fighting career and was simply showing up to collect a paycheck.

Shoenfelt lost his last fight, but it was a decision against a good opponent. He has legitimate striking skills, has shown durability, and should be considerably better than Torres at this stage. Shoenfelt is the easy pick.

Maurice Morris (-300) vs Lewis Rumsey (+230)

Rumsey is 1-5 in his last six BKFC fights, and his lone win came against a doctor who was competing because the event was being held in his home state of Utah. Rumsey is a big guy who can absorb some punishment, but only for so long. He’s slow, lacks technique, and mostly relies on throwing wild punches.

Morris has lost two straight himself, and he’s been extremely active over the last four years, absorbing plenty of damage along the way. He should be the better fighter, but when you have two guys who are going to stand and swing wildly, laying -300 becomes dangerous.

I’ve also seen Morris get frustrated during fights and essentially give up when things aren’t going his way. Morris should win, but at these odds, Rumsey +230 or nothing.

Travis Thompson (-188) vs Nick Burgos (+152)

Burgos has lost two straight, both by knockout, but he isn’t a terrible fighter. He can strike and move well, but his striking defense is awful.

He gets caught with clean shots, gets clipped too often, and has a tendency to get knocked down. Thompson has also lost two straight, although both were decisions. He has some knockout wins on his record, but only one has come in the last three years.

What really concerns me about Thompson is his decision-making. In his last fight, he repeatedly threw his opponent to the ground and nearly got disqualified.

I don’t trust him as a favorite because he’s capable of doing something stupid, losing a point, or creating unnecessary problems for himself. There’s always drama surrounding him. Burgos at +152 is the underdog pick.

Mike Liberto (-210) vs Jojo Schilizzi (+170)

They’re fighting in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Liberto’s nickname is “The Bethlehem Brawler,” so it’s pretty obvious they want to get the hometown guy a win. The problem is Liberto isn’t very good. He’s slow, plodding, gets hit too often, and doesn’t have much technical ability. Fortunately for him, they found someone even worse.

Schilizzi is practically a walking comedy routine as a fighter. He fights wildly, has no real stance, throws punches with his hands down, and looks ready to quit whenever he faces adversity.

Liberto will probably get hit early because his defense isn’t good, and that’s what makes this difficult to bet. Schilizzi could land a couple of shots before Liberto gets going, but once Liberto starts punching back, I expect Schilizzi to fold. Liberto is the pick, but I wouldn’t recommend betting him at -210.

Justin Walters (-166) vs Douglas Lobasso (+136)

Lobasso has fought just once in the last ten years, and that fight ended with him getting knocked out in only 36 seconds back in 2020. That’s a massive concern heading into a bare-knuckle fight against someone with actual BKFC experience.

Walters has a few BKFC fights under his belt and looked excellent in his most recent appearance in August. He knocked his opponent down multiple times before getting the second-round finish. He’s the more proven and active bare-knuckle fighter, and I don’t see much reason to trust Lobasso here. Walters at -166 is the only way to play this fight.

Jay Haas (-110) vs Antonio Castillo Jr. (-110)

This is a tough fight to handicap. Both guys have extensive MMA experience, but neither has a winning record. Haas has never competed in BKFC, while Castillo has one bare-knuckle appearance, which ended in a loss.

Haas has traditionally relied on kicks and takedowns in MMA, so there’s some uncertainty about how his game translates to bare knuckle. However, Castillo’s striking hasn’t impressed me either, and I don’t see anything that makes me particularly confident in him. It’s not a fight I love, but Haas at -110 is the pick.

Lex Ludlow (-340) vs Sean Schultz (+260)

Ludlow is an absolute maniac both inside and outside the ring. He comes out with relentless pressure, throwing nonstop punches and overwhelming opponents with violent flurries. Even when guys survive that initial attack, they’re usually so damaged that they can’t recover enough to get back into the fight.

Schultz is completely out of his league here. He’s been competing in low-level boxing and has only one BKFC fight on his record. I don’t think he’s prepared for the speed, aggression, and pressure Ludlow is going to bring from the opening bell. Ludlow is the easy pick, likely by an early finish.

BKFC Bethlehem Main Event: Gregoris Cisneros (-410) vs Ryan Petersen (+300)

This is a massive mismatch in power and athleticism. Petersen is in his 40s and is coming off a win against an opponent who had lost four straight. Before that, Petersen had been knocked out in two consecutive fights, and I think we’re going to see the same thing happen here.

Cisneros made his BKFC debut against Cameron VanCamp and immediately showed what he’s capable of, blitzing him with pressure and melting him in the first round.

Petersen’s only realistic chance is landing a perfect counter as Cisneros crashes forward or somehow surviving the early onslaught and hoping Cisneros gets tired. I just don’t see either scenario happening. Cisneros by an early finish is the pick.

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