Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Rodriguez vs. Caceres’

Women’s Strawweights

Maryna Moroz (7-1) vs. Danielle Taylor (7-1)

THE MATCHUP: Taylor fights a little like Jessica Andrade -- except she is almost as short for the strawweight division as Andrade was for bantamweight. At just 5-foot, Taylor will give up seven inches of height to Moroz and plenty of reach, as well. She mitigates this disadvantage by fighting from long range and then blitzing in with power punches and reactive takedowns when her opponents overcommit. Taylor is still raw, and her attacks tend to consist of alternate left and right hooks. When forced to lead, this predictability can hurt her: She was brutally knocked out rushing into a straight right in her first fight with Jamie Colleen in King of the Cage.

Moroz does know how to use her reach. She fights behind a stiff jab and mixes in heavy kicks from long range. Despite this advantage, she cannot resist exchanges. In her heart, Moroz is a boxer-puncher. She likes to throw heavy combinations, chaining together left hooks and right uppercuts in close. She uses in-and-out movements to defend herself after these bursts but tends to retreat in straight lines and has been hurt in exchanges in the past.

On the ground, Moroz is the more dangerous grappler. Though she does not have a deep grappling background, she has sharp instincts on the ground, whether striking from top position or throwing up submissions from her back.

THE ODDS: Moroz (-230), Taylor (+195)

THE PICK: It is tough to know what to expect from a young, inexperienced fighter like Taylor. Though she has as many fights as Moroz, she has not yet faced the same level of competition. That edge should allow Moroz to work her reach advantage and control the pace and location of this fight, but Taylor is a power puncher who will swarm the moment she senses weakness. Moroz will need to be sharp and controlled to escape this battle unscathed, but she has also proven herself to be tough enough to survive a gritty, back-and-forth fight. She should be able to stick Taylor at long distance and slug when necessary. Moroz by unanimous decision is the pick.

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