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Women’s Bantamweights
#9 WBW | Karol Rosa (15-4, 4-1 UFC) vs. #12 WBW | Lina Lansberg (10-6, 4-5 UFC)ODDS: Rosa (-295), Lansberg (+245)
This is a solid pairing to get one of these ranked bantamweights a rebound win. Lansberg had about the toughest entry possible into the UFC back in 2016. She got the call to main event a card in Brazil against Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino—a matchup made even worse by the fact that her clinch-heavy style figured to lead her right into the teeth of the Brazilian’s offense. Lansberg put in a game effort per those standards and has since put together a decent if not particularly dynamic career, bolstered mostly by her ability to overpower some opponents in an absolute grind. After dropping an early 2020 bout to Sara McMann, Lansberg then took two years off due to pregnancy. The worry upon her comeback in April was that she had slowed down at 40 years of age, but she picked up right where she left off, for better or for worse, though she still wound up dropping a decision to Pannie Kianzad. Lansberg looks to snap her two-fight losing streak against Brazil’s Rosa, who has been a pleasant surprise since the UFC picked her up in 2019. A training partner of Jessica Andrade, Rosa’s regional film did not show her to be a particularly promising prospect, but she and fellow newcomer Lara Procopio went toe-to-toe in a high-paced war where both impressed. From there, Rosa’s fast pace and well-rounded game led her to mostly tune up subpar athletes like Vanessa Melo and Bethe Correia or raw talents like Joselyne Edwards. However, that momentum came to a halt in March, when McMann outwrestled her for a clear decision victory. The worry is that Rosa may struggle against opponents that have both some athleticism and technical depth, so she could face a redux here against Lansberg. With that said, the bet is that Rosa’s willingness to throw volume and her superior cardio should win her at least two of these three rounds. The pick is Rosa via decision.
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