Women’s Flyweights
NR | Casey O’Neill (7-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. NR | Antonina Shevchenko (9-3, 3-3 UFC)ODDS: O’Neill (-230), Shevchenko (+190)
The UFC has succeeded in finding young talent for its women’s flyweight division, and O’Neill is one of the more intriguing cases of the bunch. Expectations were mixed for the Scottish-Australian heading into her UFC debut earlier this year. O’Neill’s regional film showed a well-rounded fighter, but “King” beat a relatively poor level of competition and did not appear to have the athleticism to make her game run quite as smoothly at the UFC level. While early returns have been good, O’Neill still figures to hit an athletic ceiling at some point. However, she has proven ready to hang against better opponents, wearing out and finishing Shana Dobson and Lara Procopio with her relentless approach. Up next is Shevchenko, who is the perfect next level of step up for O’Neill.
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Shevchenko has some similarities to her sister and reigning flyweight champion, but without the level of strength and athleticism that makes her sibling an elite-level fighter. Shevchenko has the longer frame and can snipe at her opponent from range, but without the power to back it up, her fights often wind up in close quarters, where she can overwhelm at times but often finds herself outmatched in terms of strength. This could easily be the wall that O’Neill hits for the time being—if she is the better athlete, it will not be by much—but she will be the one pressing the action and does not seem to have the type of gaps in her grappling that Shevchenko has been able to exploit in other opponents. The pick is O’Neill via decision.
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