Women’s Strawweights
NR | Piera Rodriguez (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. NR | Kay Hansen (7-5, 1-2 UFC)Hansen’s UFC career is hitting a surprisingly crucial point, though there is still hope that she can turn things around. Hansen came to the UFC at just 20 years old in 2020 but already had a few years under her belt in Invicta Fighting Championships that suggested she would be a prospect to watch. Even with getting stalled out in her losses, Hansen showed a strong enough wrestling game that she figured to find wins while she developed on the UFC level. After a come-from-behind armbar win in that UFC debut against Jinh Yu Frey, Hansen suffered an undeserved decision loss to Cory McKenna that figured to be a minor setback. Afterward, Hansen essentially dropped off the radar for all of 2021. Making her return in January up a division at flyweight, Hansen revealed that she had spent the last year getting out of a difficult family situation and that her days at strawweight were essentially over, chalking them up to the fact that she was essentially fighting with an eating disorder for most of her career. However, Jasmine Jasudavicius turned out to be a tougher test than expected for Hansen at flyweight. Jasudavicius is particularly large for the division, but Hansen looked undersized and ineffective as her wrestling game essentially went nowhere, leading to a one-sided decision loss. Even with the rough outing, it is a surprise to see Hansen immediately return to strawweight; hopefully, there is a correct calculation of the risks involved heading into this fight with Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s Rodriguez comes to the UFC via this most recent edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, during which she impressed in her win over Valesca Machado. “La Fiera” did not find the finish but managed to deliver 15 consistent minutes of power in a clear decision victory. Defensive wrestling, at least to the level that she will need it here, is certainly a question mark for Rodriguez, so there is a decent chance that Hansen can bully her in a 15-minute grind. However, with the concern over Hansen’s weight cut and the fact that Rodriguez has at least shown some wrestling skill, the bet is that she can find enough moments of powerful offense on the feet to clearly win rounds. The pick is Rodriguez via decision.
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