Preview: UFC Fight Night 217 Prelims

Women's Flyweights

Priscila Cachoeira (12-4) vs. Sijara Eubanks (7-7)
Odds: Eubanks (-195), Cachoeira (+170)

More than ever, Sijara Eubanks could use a win here to get some momentum going. Eubanks has had a frustrating UFC career, the tone of which was set almost immediately; she made it to the finals of TUF in 2017 to earn a spot in the UFC's inaugural women's flyweight title fight, only to botch her weight cut and get pulled from the bout. That was the start of the central conflict that's defined Eubanks's UFC tenure; she's at her most effective as a bullying wrestler as a flyweight, but seems unable to actually make the weight. After missing weight again to cap off 2018, Eubanks moved up to bantamweight for an inconsistent six-fight run - she obviously rounded out her game and became a better fighter, but still faced the central issue of being unable to implement her wrestling against larger opponents while also preserving her cardio. A cut back down to flyweight in 2021 was briefly promising, particularly after her fight against Elise Reed, which saw Eubanks maul the natural strawweight and end the fight in under four minutes. But her next bout against Melissa Gatto raised a ton of issues; beyond missing weight once again, this was another fight that saw Eubanks flag down the stretch and get finished. After a 2022 where she never made it to the cage, Eubanks returns in search of a win against Priscila Cachoeira. Cachoeira's UFC debut was memorable for all the wrong reasons; a brawler on the Brazilian regional scene who wasn't a guarantee to stick in the UFC, she found herself opposite Valentina Shevchenko after some last-minute shuffling. Cachoeira's durability has historically been her greatest strength, but it was a curse in the case of her fight against Shevchenko, who laid on an extended beating and gave Cachoeira a few major injuries. That may be the reason the UFC allowed Cachoeira to fight out her contract even after some unimpressive performances, only for her to knock out Shana Dobson in just 40 seconds in what would've been her last shot at a UFC win. That started a shockingly successful run for Cachoeira, who's now won four out of her last five fights despite not showing much except for durability and aggression. She honestly could make it five out of six here, though there's just as much of a chance that she gets obliterated; Cachoeira's takedown defense is fairly abysmal, and that lone loss in her recent stretch saw her attempt to gouge out Gillian Robertson's eye rather than present any sort of actual submission defense. Eubanks should be able to quickly get a takedown and lay on some damage, but if she can't pound out an actual stoppage, this somehow looks like another fight where Cachoeira can survive and outlast an opponent; the pick is Cachoeira via third-round stoppage.

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Cachoeira vs. Eubanks