Women’s Flyweights
Miranda Maverick (10-4, 3-2 UFC) vs. Shanna Young (8-4, 1-2 UFC)ODDS: Maverick (-610), Young (+460)
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It has been a bit rockier than expected, but Maverick looks to continue her climb through the flyweight ranks here. Maverick came to the UFC in 2020 as a highly touted prospect, both because of her youth and her ability to bank wins with a powerful wrestling game. When she leaned on her striking to dominate Liana Jojua in her UFC debut, the hope was that Maverick would be ready to compete at a high level even quicker than expected. Instead, 2021 saw Maverick hit a wall against the other top young talents at 125 pounds. She gave up the initiative against Maycee Barber and lost a controversial decision, then mostly got worked over by the much more assertive Erin Blanchfield. There was a sense that Maverick might be becoming technical to a fault heading into her March encounter with Sabina Mazo, which thankfully saw everything come together ahead of a second-round submission win. She will look to build on that momentum against Young, a woman she defeated in a one-round exhibition match under the Invicta Fighting Championships banner in 2019. Young was also a 2020 UFC call-up, making a late-notice debut at bantamweight against Macy Chiasson before remaining at 135 pounds for a subsequent loss to Stephanie Egger. Young staying at bantamweight was a surprise—she is well-rounded enough but obviously did not have the physicality to hang at 135 pounds—so it was nice to see her move back down to flyweight for an April match against Gina Mazany, which also saw “The Shanimal” scrap her way to a second-round finish. There is a chance Young could turn things sideways if given the opportunity, but the athleticism gap and Maverick’s grappling skills suggest that the favorite will end this fight before that turning point ever comes. The pick is Maverick via second-round submission.
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