Women’s Bantamweights
Yana Kunitskaya (12-5) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (9-3-2)ODDS: Kunitskaya (-235), Stoliarenko (+195)
Since coming into the UFC as a sacrificial featherweight contender for Cristiane Justino, Kunitskaya has done well down at bantamweight. The division is not particularly deep, but it is full of fighters willing to smash into each other to see who comes out on top, so while the Russian is not a technical marvel, her combination of size and durability has been enough to outlast most of her opponents. That did not include Aspen Ladd, however, who managed to put away Kunitskaya with a third-round stoppage. Kunitskaya now looks to rebound against a UFC returnee. Stoliarenko’s first stint in the UFC was not much to talk about, as she came off the final season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and got outmuscled by Leah Letson for three rounds. However, she did at least make some history as the UFC’s first Lithuanian-born fighter. Most of Stoliarenko’s career has followed a set pattern: Either she immediately submits her opponent with an armbar, or she loses later in the fight. Her last bout broke that pattern and earned her this UFC shot, as she went 25 minutes for a bloody war with Lisa Verzosa in Invicta Fighting Championships in March. Despite opening up some gnarly damage on Verzosa’s face, Stoliarenko still has not shown finishing ability outside of those armbars. Kunitskaya is certainly not above getting tapped, but she is decent enough on the ground by women’s bantamweight standards, so Stoliarenko should find herself completely outgunned here. The pick is Kunitskaya via decision.
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