Women’s Bantamweight
NR | Karol Rosa (13-3, 2-0 UFC) vs. NR | Joselyne Edwards (10-2, 1-0 UFC)ODDS: Rosa (-230), Edwards (+190)
Despite its late-notice nature, this is a fun and well-matched affair between two fighters who have overachieved upon hitting the UFC. There was not much to suggest that Brazil’s Rosa would find her footing at any sort of level in the UFC, as her regional career was a mix of uninspiring wins and concerning losses. However, Rosa hit the ground running in impressive fashion in her UFC debut, combining with Lara Fritzen Procopio to throw over 600 strikes before coming out on top in a fast-paced war. In her subsequent bout against Vanessa Melo, Rosa showed much the same approach, mixing in takedowns but generally showing a commitment to pressure and pace that few can match. There are still some concerns going forward. Rosa’s pace and offense come at the expense of any sort of defense, and she is still not much of an athlete. She matches up in interesting fashion against Panama’s Edwards, who essentially has the opposite concerns. Edwards made her debut on late notice last month with a regional record that was both intriguing and concerning. “La Pantera” showed the power to score some quick knockouts, but her lack of a gas tank and commitment to pressure often led her to ugly and ineffective grappling exchanges if she could not finish her opponent. While Yanan Wu was not a particularly high-level opponent for her UFC debut, Edwards still looked solid over the course of three rounds, which was a victory in itself. This may be a fight where the rubber hits the road for Rosa against a better athlete with the power to dissuade her from her usual pace, but the Brazilian has not been knocked out yet. If she can overcome what is sure to be some early adversity, there is the potential for her to drown and overwhelm Edwards by the later stretches of this fight. The pick is Rosa via decision.
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