Maryna Moroz has finished all six of her foes, five of them in
the first round. | Photo: Piotr Pedziszewski/Sherdog.com
Women’s Strawweights
Maryna
Moroz (6-0, 1-0 UFC) vs.
Valerie
Letourneau (7-3, 2-0 UFC)
THE MATCHUP: The Ukrainian Moroz burst out of
nowhere to defeat
Joanne
Calderwood in a massive upset in Krakow in April, and her
post-fight callout of champion
Joanna
Jedrzejczyk has made her one of the potential rising stars in
the division. She draws Letourneau here in an intriguing
strawweight matchup, the Canadian’s second at 115 pounds, with the
winner in good position for a top-contender fight.
Moroz boasts an intriguing mixture of athleticism, size and skills.
She is a member of Ukraine’s national boxing team and a coach to
boot, which shows in her fast, powerful hands and the quick trigger
with which she throws long combinations. Her striking game is
diverse, combining aggressive forward pressure with the willingness
to exchange in the pocket and throw off the back foot. Moroz is
there to be hit, however, and is not a defensively oriented
fighter. Her finisher is the armbar, for which she has a variety of
setups. Offensive wrestling is a serious problem, though, and Moroz
is often forced to pull guard in order to get into position for her
preferred submission. She sprawls well and is aggressive from her
back, but that could be a real problem against more experienced and
dangerous opposition.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: Brian
Townsend/Sherdog.com
Letourneau prefers to strike.
Letourneau trains at
American Top Team and has made substantial strides in her last
few fights. She is mostly a striker who sticks and moves behind
sharp jabs and low kicks, using crisp footwork and movement to stay
off the cage. The left kick is her favorite weapon and her most
dangerous strike, and she throws it to the body and head early and
often. While not exceptionally dangerous, she mixes her punches and
kicks nicely, works at a good pace and has real skills. The rest of
Letourneau’s game is competent and features good defensive
wrestling, the occasional trip or single-leg and an aggressive if
not outstanding grappling game.
BETTING ODDS: Moroz (-200), Letourneau (+170)
THE PICK: Letourneau should have an advantage at
the fringes of striking distance and perhaps in the clinch, but the
rest of this fight favors Moroz. She throws more volume and packs
more power on the inside, and her armbar is lethal from her back.
The Canadian is durable and fights smart, however, and I think
Moroz will have to overcome some adversity. The pick is Moroz by
hard-fought decision.
Last Fights »
The Prelims
