UFC 177 ‘Dillashaw vs. Barao 2’ Preview

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Women’s Bantamweights

Bethe Correia (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Shayna Baszler (15-8, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Correia will attempt to work her way into the conversation at the top of the women’s bantamweight division in a scrap against well-traveled veteran Baszler, who has fought nearly everyone of note in her long career.

Correia is extremely well-rounded and a plus athlete. At range, the Pitbull Brothers product is a technical and defensive striker who is difficult to hit cleanly. Her best punch is a looping left hook that she rips to the head and body, both as a lead and as a counter.

She excels at lever punching, meaning she doubles up on a strike, like a left hook to the body, rotates the hips back and then follows with a left hook to the head. She complements that crisp punching game with sharp low kicks, though she rarely sets them up with punches, which makes her vulnerable to counters. Correia’s striking meshes well with her strong clinch work, which utilizes underhooks and head pressure to control an opponent. Her wrestling is likewise strong, with smooth entries and chained takedown attempts. Mostly a grinder on the ground, Correia maintains a solid base and is difficult to shake off.

Baszler is a grizzled veteran with almost 11 years of experience, and she has crisp technical skills in every phase to show for her tenure in the sport. She throws a nice jab with a long cross for company at range and is perfectly willing to bite down on her mouthguard and throw leather in the pocket; however, she could stand to move her head more and lacks the power to do much damage in exchanges. A skilled but not overpowering clinch fighter, Baszler makes excellent use of knees at close range, and she is a solid if not overpowering wrestler with an array of trips and more traditional shot takedowns in her arsenal. The ground is Baszler’s strongest suit, as her catch wrestling background gives her a strong base, smooth guard passes and unorthodox submission chains.

Betting Odds: Correia (-150), Baszler (+130)

The Pick: From the perspective of pure skills, Baszler probably holds the edge, especially in the clinch and on the ground. Unfortunately for “The Queen of Spades,” skill alone does not win fights, and her Achilles’ heel against the cream of the division crop has always been her lack of raw physical tools. Those are areas in which Correia holds advantages over the vast majority of women’s bantamweights, and Baszler is no exception. Combine that with Correia’s already fine and improving striking ability and great control in the clinch, and the recipe for the Brazilian to win a unanimous decision is clear.

Next Fight » Ramsey Nijem vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira