Career Averages - Raquel Pennington
Career Averages - Ketlen Vieira
Raquel Pennington
Ketlen Vieira
Raquel Pennington - Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julianna Peña | 1 | 92 of 317 | 29% | 112 of 345 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:33 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 92 of 260 | 35% | 123 of 308 | 2 of 3 | 66% | 1 | 0 | 5:40 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julianna Peña | 0 | 17 of 60 | 28% | 17 of 60 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 25 of 59 | 42% | 25 of 59 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Julianna Peña | 0 | 6 of 24 | 25% | 23 of 47 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 6 of 16 | 37% | 18 of 34 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 3:00 | |
| 3 | Julianna Peña | 0 | 8 of 34 | 23% | 11 of 39 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 18 of 33 | 54% | 35 of 53 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 2:20 | |
| 4 | Julianna Peña | 1 | 26 of 84 | 30% | 26 of 84 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:22 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 16 of 67 | 23% | 18 of 76 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:20 | |
| 5 | Julianna Peña | 0 | 35 of 115 | 30% | 35 of 115 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:11 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 27 of 85 | 31% | 27 of 86 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julianna Peña | 92 of 317 | 29% | 57 of 277 | 29 of 33 | 6 of 7 | 88 of 308 | 4 of 6 | 0 of 3 |
| Raquel Pennington | 92 of 260 | 35% | 82 of 248 | 9 of 11 | 1 of 1 | 90 of 256 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julianna Peña | 17 of 60 | 28% | 12 of 53 | 3 of 4 | 2 of 3 | 17 of 60 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 25 of 59 | 42% | 24 of 58 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 25 of 59 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Julianna Peña | 6 of 24 | 25% | 2 of 19 | 3 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 21 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 6 of 16 | 37% | 6 of 16 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 6 of 15 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Julianna Peña | 8 of 34 | 23% | 5 of 31 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 8 of 34 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 18 of 33 | 54% | 14 of 28 | 3 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 16 of 31 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | |
| 4 | Julianna Peña | 26 of 84 | 30% | 12 of 69 | 12 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 25 of 80 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 3 |
| Raquel Pennington | 16 of 67 | 23% | 14 of 65 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 16 of 67 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 5 | Julianna Peña | 35 of 115 | 30% | 26 of 105 | 8 of 9 | 1 of 1 | 34 of 113 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 27 of 85 | 31% | 24 of 81 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 27 of 84 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
Angelo picks Raquel Pennington to win by grinding against the cage, using her technical striking and control. He notes Julianna Peña is coming off a two-year layoff and a severe beating, which often leads to poor performances. He believes Pennington's durability and preparation at elevation will be key, and that Peña's chaotic style won't be enough. He also mentions that Pennington's wife Tisha Torres fights earlier, which could affect her mentally if Tisha loses.
Big Brady picks Raquel Pennington, citing her recent activity and impressive wins over Macy Chiasson, Ketlen Vieira, and Mayra Bueno Silva. He notes Peña has been inactive for two years and lost to Amanda Nunes. He believes Pennington is the better striker and has strong clinch work, and expects her to win a decision.
Cody picks Pennington due to Peña's two-year layoff, age, and tendency to fatigue. He highlights Pennington's durability, volume striking, and ability to fight five rounds. He expects Pennington to pressure Peña against the cage and win a decision.
Connor picks Pennington, but hesitantly. He thinks Pennington's crafty boxing and durability will allow her to survive Peña's initial onslaught and win rounds in the clinch. He notes that Pennington is comfortable in long clinches and can land knees and front headlock chokes. However, he acknowledges Peña's athleticism and aggression make it a tough fight.
Daniel Vreeland leans toward Raquel Pennington, citing her superior boxing and clinch work. He believes Pennington can keep the fight standing and piece up Peña, possibly even choking her out if Peña shoots a sloppy takedown. He is not confident in Peña's evolution since her loss to Amanda Nunes and thinks Pennington's takedown defense will be key.
Daniel Vreeland picks Raquel Pennington. He cites multiple factors: Pennington trains at elevation and has amazing cardio, while Peña has not fought since July 2022 and has a history of poor preparation for elevation. Vreeland notes that Pennington's style is exhausting to fight, as seen in her win over Mayra Bueno Silva. He also points out that Pennington's boxing looked good in her last fight, while Peña's boxing looked terrible with wild swings. He believes Pennington will grind out a win, likely by decision or late TKO.
Jeff Fox picks Raquel Pennington. He agrees with Vreeland on the elevation advantage and Peña's layoff. He notes that Pennington is a tough out, especially if Peña doesn't properly prepare. Fox thinks Pennington will grind out a win, though it may not be pretty.
The host thinks Peña is the overall better fighter and that her wrestling advantage will nullify Pennington's game. He believes people are overlooking Peña due to her loss to Amanda Nunes, but notes Pennington is nowhere near Nunes's level. He expects Peña to lean on her wrestling and grappling and open up a submission opportunity within 10 to 15 minutes.
Paul agrees with Cody, citing Peña's two-year layoff and Pennington's cardio advantage. He notes Pennington's recent procedure as a minor concern but believes her durability and wrestling will carry her to a decision win.
The MMA Guru picks Raquel Pennington over Julianna Peña, citing Peña's long layoff (over two years) and inactivity. He notes Pennington trains at altitude and has a cage control game. He acknowledges Peña's win over Nunes but questions her deserving a title shot. He is not confident, calling it a tough pick, but goes with Pennington due to Peña's ring rust.
Zane picks Peña, arguing that Pennington is slow-footed and will get stuck on the cage, allowing Peña to impose her physicality and wrestling. He believes Peña's aggression and strength will overwhelm Pennington, despite Pennington's improved boxing and durability. Zane thinks Peña will win the belt and set up a fight with Kayla Harrison.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 134 of 201 | 66% | 265 of 342 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 2 | 2 | 11:28 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 69 of 88 | 78% | 96 of 118 | 3 of 9 | 33% | 3 | 0 | 8:58 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 11 of 22 | 50% | 26 of 39 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:16 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 18 of 22 | 81% | 27 of 31 | 2 of 2 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:20 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 33 of 52 | 63% | 47 of 66 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 1 | 1:04 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 20 of 30 | 66% | 29 of 41 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2:46 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 27 of 43 | 62% | 52 of 68 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 2:32 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 17 of 20 | 85% | 20 of 23 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1:35 | |
| 4 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 29 of 38 | 76% | 75 of 86 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 1 | 3:17 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 7 of 8 | 87% | 8 of 10 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 1:11 | |
| 5 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 34 of 46 | 73% | 65 of 83 | 0 of 0 | --- | 2 | 0 | 4:19 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 0 | 7 of 8 | 87% | 12 of 13 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:06 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 134 of 201 | 66% | 91 of 156 | 32 of 34 | 11 of 11 | 54 of 110 | 38 of 43 | 42 of 48 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 69 of 88 | 78% | 32 of 44 | 26 of 30 | 11 of 14 | 28 of 45 | 38 of 40 | 3 of 3 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 11 of 22 | 50% | 7 of 18 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 9 of 19 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 18 of 22 | 81% | 11 of 13 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 4 | 7 of 11 | 10 of 10 | 1 of 1 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 33 of 52 | 63% | 29 of 47 | 4 of 5 | 0 of 0 | 23 of 40 | 10 of 12 | 0 of 0 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 20 of 30 | 66% | 7 of 14 | 10 of 11 | 3 of 5 | 7 of 16 | 12 of 13 | 1 of 1 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 27 of 43 | 62% | 13 of 28 | 12 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 9 of 23 | 14 of 16 | 4 of 4 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 17 of 20 | 85% | 6 of 8 | 9 of 10 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 6 | 13 of 14 | 0 of 0 | |
| 4 | Raquel Pennington | 29 of 38 | 76% | 22 of 31 | 7 of 7 | 0 of 0 | 5 of 11 | 5 of 5 | 19 of 22 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 7 of 8 | 87% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 5 | Raquel Pennington | 34 of 46 | 73% | 20 of 32 | 5 of 5 | 9 of 9 | 8 of 17 | 7 of 7 | 19 of 22 |
| Mayra Bueno Silva | 7 of 8 | 87% | 5 of 6 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 2 | 6 of 7 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bueno Silva (-170), Pennington (+142)
Round 1
The post-Amanda Nunes era at bantamweight truly begins, as eternal contender Pennington and the red-hot Bueno Silva meet to contest the belt vacated last year by the “Lioness,” who in a nice touch by the UFC is in attendance cageside with her family. Canada’s own Jerin Valel draws the referee assignment for this five-round title fight. Both fighters are in orthodox stance to open the fight. Bueno Silva throws a leg kick that glances, and Pennington rushes forward with a flurry of punches, backing the Brazilian up. Bueno Silva touches Pennington’s lead leg with a solid low kick. They engage again, and Pennington grabs hold of Bueno Silva and shoves her to the fence. Bueno Silva clasps her arms as Pennington throws a few short strikes. Bueno Silva breaks the clinch, and lands another hard calf kick. Pennington grabs a single-leg and tries to take Bueno Silva down, but Bueno Silva defends easily. Pennington goes for another quick single moments later, and they move to the fence. Bueno Silva takes Pennington’s back as she drags her to the canvas and quickly locks up a choke. Pennington fights the hands expertly, standing as she does so. Pennington breaks the grip to the point that she feels safe throwing elbow strikes to the thigh of Bueno Silva. Bueno Silva gives up on the choke and briefly loses back control as Pennington scrapes her against the chain-link, but hops back on her back and pulls her to a sitting position against the fence. She throws strikes from seated back control until the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Bueno Silva
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bueno Silva
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Bueno Silva
Round 2
Pennington comes forward with a triple jab, backing Bueno Silva up and dodging the first calf kick that comes her way. Bueno Silva throws another calf kick, backing Pennington to the fence as she does so, then uses underhooks to keep her there. Pennington throws knee up the middle, then another, and switches her hooks to reverse Bueno Silva against the fence. She lets Bueno Silva off the fence and tags her with three punches as she does so. Bueno Silva comes back with a single counter, but it’s a solid one. Bueno Silva clinches and puts Pennington back on the fence. They exchange knee strikes in close quarters. Bueno Silva tags Pennington with a pair of uppercuts to the body, and Pennington comes back across the top with a big punch to the head that rocks her. They get a little space and Pennington hits her with two more good shots to the head. Bueno Silva is hurt and goes staggering back to the fence. Pennington gives chase but ends up clinching, without enough space to follow up with more big shots. They disengage and fight a running battle all the way back across the cage, where Bueno Silva takes Pennington’s back once again and tries for the rear-naked choke. Pennington calmly defends, but again she is standing with Bueno Silva in back control. Bueno Silva loses the choke moments before the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Round 3
Pennington scores first with a long overhand right. Bueno Silva lands two good right low kicks in succession. Pennington clinches and runs Bueno Silva to the fence, where the Brazilian promptly reverses her. Bueno Silva pushes her into the chain-link, looking to move to her back, but Pennington defends well and throws a knee to the body. Pennington takes the outside position. Bueno Silva uses a whizzer kick to toss Pennington to the ground, but Pennington kicks her off and sweeps to stand. Halfway through the round it’s Pennington driving Bueno Silva into the cage. Bueno Silva throws a knee to the body then reverses Pennington into the fence. The two would-be champs spend several long moments exchanging sporadic knees on the inside. Bueno Silva grabs a front headlock and briefly threatens, but Pennington escapes and tosses her to the canvas, ending up on top in half guard with an arm around the neck. Pennington gets up and Bueno Silva stays on the ground, suddenly looking very tired. She seems to want Pennington to go back into her guard, but Pennington is having none of it and Valel waves her up. The round expires a few moments later.
Sherdog Scores
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Round 4
Pennington steps right in a smashes Bueno Silva with a right overhand. She throws another pair of punches as Bueno Silva comes forward, looking for the clinch. Pennington quickly reverses her against the cage, but elects to stay there, throwing short punches—rather than disengage as her corner is loudly imploring her to do. Bueno Silva moves to try and take Pennington’s back against the cage. Pennington defends for a moment, but Bueno Silva persists and gets the position, then slaps on another rear-naked choke. It isn’t completely under the chin, and Pennington is turning red as she fights it off. She shrugs Bueno Silva partway off her back, but Bueno Silva continues to threaten with the choke even from the side. Finally, Pennington spins all the way into Bueno Silva’s guard at the base of the fence. She throws strikes as Bueno Silva throws her legs up for a possible triangle or armbar, but none of them are enough to really threaten, and Pennington keeps pouring on the punches and hammerfists. At the 30-second mark, Pennington postures up and comes down with a big hammerfist that draws a reaction from the Brazilian. The round ends a moment later, and Bueno Silva is slow to get up.
Sherdog Scores
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Round 5
Pennington is first off the blocks with a left and right hook. Bueno Silva swings back, advancing as she does so. Pennington seems motivated to deny her the clinch, especially against the cage, but Bueno Silva manages to get her there anyway. Bueno Silva tries for some kind of body lock, but bails on it and goes for a kneebar on her way down. There’s nothing doing there, and Pennington lands on top, sliding to mount as she locks up an arm-triangle choke. Bueno Silva is surviving just fine, as Pennington is in complete control of the position but apparently can’t get enough torque to finish the choke. Pennington moves out to one side without completely surrendering the mount, and Bueno Silva is slowly turning away from her. A minute and a half to go, and Pennington gives up the choke, settling in Bueno Silva’s half guard. Pennington pours on the punches as Bueno Silva clings to her, eyes closed, just hanging on. Valel looks on and Pennington stands out of guard, throwing kicks to the legs of her supine foe. Pennington dives in with a couple of big, but glancing punches right before the final horn. Barring a historically horrible judging gaffe, “Rocky” should be your new UFC women's bantamweight champion in about two minutes here.
Sherdog Scores
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-8 Pennington (49-45 Pennington)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (49-46 Pennington)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pennington (49-46 Pennington)
The Official Result
Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Angelo picks Pennington, citing her experience, pressure, and control style. He acknowledges Bueno Silva's power and submissions but believes Pennington's grit and high-level experience will prevail. He has a quarter unit on Pennington at plus 135 and will monitor for better value. He notes the potential distraction of Pennington's eight-month-old baby.
Big Brady picks Silva, noting her submission skills are top-notch. He expects the fight to hit the mat at some point, where Silva will have the advantage. He thinks the striking will be close but Silva's forward pressure and durability will be key. He predicts a submission win for Silva.
Cody picks Bueno Silva but is not confident, citing her submission threat and the fact that Pennington fights in the clinch where Silva caught Holly Holm. However, he worries about Silva's cardio and the lack of her ADHD medication (ritalinic acid) in a five-round fight. He sees Pennington as a live underdog but ultimately goes with Silva.
Vreeland picks Bueno Silva, analyzing her striking success against Holly Holm. He notes that Silva found the range against Holm and landed impactful strikes. He contrasts Pennington's lack of range kicks and long fighting style, which should allow Silva to close distance. Vreeland also mentions Silva's submission threat if Pennington shoots takedowns. He sees Silva overwhelming Pennington on the feet.
Daniel Vreeland picks Mayra Bueno Silva to become the new bantamweight champion. He highlights her heavy power, devastating leg kicks, and finishing instinct, including the ninja choke. He expects her calf kicks to be effective against Pennington's stationary boxing style, and believes she will land the harder shots throughout the fight, possibly finishing or winning a decision.
Fox picks Bueno Silva as the better fighter, but acknowledges Pennington's tendency to win. He notes Pennington's year-long layoff as a concern. Fox doesn't provide detailed technical analysis but defers to Silva's overall skill advantage.
This fight is not discussed in the transcript. The host only covers the main event, co-main event (Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez), and other fights, but not Pennington vs Bueno Silva.
I'm leaning on Bueno Silva to win inside the distance, likely by submission. Pennington could be the busier fighter and win rounds with volume, but Bueno Silva has a finish-heavy style that can break and frustrate Pennington. I think Bueno Silva lands a shot that opens up a clinch and sub opportunity. I'm not taking the moneyline at -155; I prefer the inside distance prop. I'd be very surprised if Pennington finishes Bueno Silva.
Paul picks Pennington, emphasizing her experience in five-round fights, superior cardio, and wrestling. He notes Bueno Silva's submission threat but believes Pennington can avoid submissions and take over in later rounds. He also jokes about Silva missing her ADHD medication affecting her focus.
The MMA Guru picks Mayra Bueno Silva, citing her higher finishing potential and submission ability. He notes her win over Holly Holm (though overturned) and her competitive fight with Manon Fiorot. He believes she will submit Pennington with a knee bar in round two.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 64 of 152 | 42% | 138 of 230 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:45 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 81 of 159 | 50% | 104 of 184 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:18 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 23 of 71 | 32% | 29 of 78 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:13 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 27 of 58 | 46% | 27 of 58 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 21 of 51 | 41% | 42 of 72 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:28 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 29 of 61 | 47% | 32 of 64 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:37 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 20 of 30 | 66% | 67 of 80 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 3:04 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 25 of 40 | 62% | 45 of 62 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:41 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 64 of 152 | 42% | 41 of 122 | 5 of 10 | 18 of 20 | 56 of 143 | 8 of 9 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 81 of 159 | 50% | 37 of 111 | 32 of 35 | 12 of 13 | 59 of 134 | 22 of 25 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 23 of 71 | 32% | 15 of 58 | 3 of 7 | 5 of 6 | 21 of 69 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 27 of 58 | 46% | 14 of 44 | 9 of 9 | 4 of 5 | 24 of 54 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 21 of 51 | 41% | 10 of 39 | 2 of 3 | 9 of 9 | 19 of 48 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 29 of 61 | 47% | 14 of 43 | 11 of 14 | 4 of 4 | 21 of 51 | 8 of 10 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 20 of 30 | 66% | 16 of 25 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 5 | 16 of 26 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 25 of 40 | 62% | 9 of 24 | 12 of 12 | 4 of 4 | 14 of 29 | 11 of 11 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-115), Pennington (-105)
Round 1
In terms of pure rankings, no fight on the billing is more relevant than this fight that is not on the marquee. This women’s bantamweight pairing, one pitting the second-ranked Vieira (13-2, 7-2 UFC) against the no. 5 Pennington (14-8, 11-5 UFC), could have immediate title implications depending on how it plays out. One woman will take her first defeat in quite some time, and referee Chris Tognoni will be the first to know who that is. The ladies sportingly clap hands ahead of their important fight, and they are jittery and not ready to engage. At the 20-second mark, Pennington leaps forward with a superwoman punch, and Vieira backs her off with a solid right hand in response. Vieira walks through a low kick on the inside and a jab to the body so that she can swing a swatting left hook, but this misses the mark. The Brazilian whiffs on a big right as well, prompting Pennington to charge in with a stream of jabs. Vieira parries two looping strikes to catch “Rocky” with a short right hand on the way in. Pennington appears no worse for wear as she goes for another kick on the inside of the knee, and she ducks back when a big left hook whizzes past her face. Vieira grabs a charging Pennington to knee her right in the chest, and she sends her backpedaling with a clean right hand across the bow. Pennington slams her shin on the low calf of her opponent, and she fakes a second to draw an exaggerated reaction out of the Brazilian. Vieira snipes with a left hand to open a cut on the top of Pennington’s forehead, and she chains together a combination of punches and a low kick to keep Pennington guessing. Vieira absorbs a kick to the ribs as she closes the distance, and she reaches her foe with a left hook in a short salvo. Vieira paws out a trio of low kicks before lunging with a straight punch to the body, and Pennington answers with a similar punch before swinging a left hand at her. Vieira lands at the end of her left hook, and another superwoman punch from Pennington allows her to close the distance and tie the Brazilian up to the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 2
The bantamweight contenders touch hands before re-engaging, and engage they do almost immediately, when Pennington coming out firing. Vieira answers with a counter left hook, as she measures this strike to draw ever closer to the mark. Vieira takes one on the chin to throw back two, and she has a handful of punches ricochet off the guard. Pennington connects with a heavy one-two, and Vieira blinks it out but cannot keep an advancing Pennington off of her. “Rocky” grabs hold of Vieira from behind, where she considers elevating the Brazilian to drop her on the mat, or otherwise force Vieira to carry her body weight. Vieira gets warned for bragging the fence, and she turns back around in the clinch and belts Pennington in the face with a stern elbow. Vieira opens up with a one-two, and she starts slugging it out with her opponent and gets marked up as well. The right side of Pennington’s face is growingly covered in blood, while Vieira’s mouth is also turning a brilliant shade of scarlet. Vieira spins Pennington around, and a knee from the former title challenger slams square into Vieira’s groin. Tognoni recognizes the foul as Vieira appears in clear pain, and the action is paused for about 45 seconds until they get back to it. Pennington starts off the initial aggressor, slinging a high kick and a few lancing punches while Vieira throws back in volume. Vieira gets off with a right hand, and Pennington replies in kind to snap the head back. Pennington nails her with another right over the top before latching on to the clinch and clubbing the body with a pair of knees. Pennington checks the clock when pinned to the fence – it reads about 58 seconds – and she tries with all her might to break off. When she cannot get out of the clinch, she settles for knee after unanswered knee to the chest and midsection. Vieira is sticking to her tightly without striking back, and Pennington remains the busier of the two with body shots. Vieira slithers around to the back with seconds to spare, and there is nothing to be had before the bell rings.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Round 3
The ladies double touch hands, hug and then bump fists again to start the last round. They immediately go for broke, with Pennington not wasting any time engaging and throwing hands. Pennington cracks Vieira with a superwoman punch, and Vieira answers with several speedy punches in response. The two close the distance and end up tied up, with Vieira pushing the former title challenger against the wall. Pennington grinds her elbow on the chin as Vieira stays close enough to not take many knees as she did the end of the last round. When Pennington sets up a Thai plum, Vieira disengages. Vieira resets and dings Pennington with a right hand, stringing together a few strikes before Pennington closes in to grab hold of her. They trade short single punches up close, and both try to attempt a throw or toss to change position. When neither succeed, Vieira spins her around in the tie-up, and Pennington looks for a Thai clinch again. This time, Pennington is able to score a knee before they separate, and Vieira leaps forward suddenly with a crushing elbow. Pennington takes it cleanly and tries to escape, so Vieira follows her and nails her with another before snagging here again up close. Vieira targets elbows, and Pennington rips the body with a knee. When in the clinch, Vieira slips around to nearly take the back, and she knees the thigh while Pennington punches her from over her own shoulder. Vieira looks to elevate Pennington, but she cannot throw her as Pennington’s base is too solid. Vieira stays clung to her adversary right to the bitter end, and the judges have their hands full with this one.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
The Official Result
Raquel Pennington def. Ketlen Vieira via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Angelo picks Vieira, citing her size, power, and Judo. He thinks she will be busier in the clinch and work off the cage, making Pennington look boring. He acknowledges Pennington's toughness but believes Vieira's recent win over Holly Holm and physical advantages will secure a decision. He is willing to bet on her.
Big Brady picks Ketlen Vieira but is not confident, calling it his least favorite fight on the card. He sees Vieira having a grappling advantage if she gets on top, but notes she often does nothing with control time, as seen in fights against Yana Kunitskaya and Holly Holm. He also acknowledges Pennington's clinch work and ability to push Vieira against the cage. He predicts a close, ugly decision that judges might get wrong, and he will not bet on the fight.
Cody leans slightly towards Pennington, noting her striking output against Aspen Ladd and potential bulldog choke. He sees it as a close fight and prefers to bet it live after seeing who is stronger in the clinch.
Connor picks Vieira because she is physically stronger and more powerful, and has a wrestling advantage that can neutralize Pennington's boxing. He notes that Pennington often gets taken down at least once per fight, and Vieira's clinch work and top control can sway judges. Connor also mentions that Vieira showed renewed confidence against Holly Holm, throwing off her back foot and in clinches.
Connor also picks Vieira, agreeing that she has improved and has more options. He notes that Pennington has power and patience, which could create opportunities, but Vieira's grappling and overall game should prevail. Connor mentions that Pennington has made herself interesting but Vieira is the better fighter.
Jacob picks Pennington, calling Vieira overrated and Pennington underrated. He argues Pennington's recent wins are more impressive and she is the better overall fighter. He notes Vieira's split decision losses and that Pennington's clinch control and striking looked sharp. He is confident enough to bet $100 against Angelo.
Paul leans towards Vieira, citing her size and recent five-round experience. He expects a clinch-heavy fight and thinks Vieira may get the better of it, but admits he has low confidence and sees it as a pass or live-bet situation.
Zane picks Pennington because she has steadily improved her boxing and showed excellent counter-punching against Aspen Ladd. He notes that Pennington is a solid defensive wrestler who doesn't give up much even when taken down, and that she makes good decisions as the fight goes on. Zane also points out that Vieira's striking has become overly cautious since her knockout loss, relying on clinch work rather than developing her forward striking.
Zane picks Vieira, noting that she has shown improvements in tactical depth and technique over her last few fights. He believes she has too many options and has gotten better at connecting phases of her game, defense, and counterpunching. However, he worries about her last fight against Melissa Gatto where she couldn't finish and got reversed. He still thinks she should be a lock to win.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 65 of 160 | 40% | 102 of 199 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2:56 |
| Aspen Ladd | 0 | 114 of 195 | 58% | 136 of 218 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:42 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 20 of 60 | 33% | 25 of 65 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Aspen Ladd | 0 | 40 of 74 | 54% | 40 of 74 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:14 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 26 of 68 | 38% | 28 of 70 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Aspen Ladd | 0 | 49 of 82 | 59% | 52 of 85 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:51 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 19 of 32 | 59% | 49 of 64 | 2 of 3 | 66% | 0 | 0 | 2:56 |
| Aspen Ladd | 0 | 25 of 39 | 64% | 44 of 59 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:37 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 65 of 160 | 40% | 37 of 118 | 21 of 34 | 7 of 8 | 52 of 145 | 13 of 15 | 0 of 0 |
| Aspen Ladd | 114 of 195 | 58% | 57 of 133 | 47 of 52 | 10 of 10 | 89 of 166 | 25 of 29 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 20 of 60 | 33% | 13 of 48 | 6 of 11 | 1 of 1 | 20 of 60 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Aspen Ladd | 40 of 74 | 54% | 24 of 56 | 12 of 14 | 4 of 4 | 36 of 70 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 26 of 68 | 38% | 19 of 53 | 2 of 10 | 5 of 5 | 23 of 63 | 3 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Aspen Ladd | 49 of 82 | 59% | 29 of 60 | 20 of 22 | 0 of 0 | 42 of 74 | 7 of 8 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 19 of 32 | 59% | 5 of 17 | 13 of 13 | 1 of 2 | 9 of 22 | 10 of 10 | 0 of 0 |
| Aspen Ladd | 25 of 39 | 64% | 4 of 17 | 15 of 16 | 6 of 6 | 11 of 22 | 14 of 17 | 0 of 0 |
Angelo picks Aspen Ladd, citing her toughness and 'dog' mentality. He thinks Pennington's style of cage pressure and control won't work against Ladd's refusal to be bullied. He notes Ladd's power and wrestling, and says this is a no-bet situation.
Big Brady picks Raquel Pennington to win by decision. He notes Pennington has solid takedown defense and should keep the fight on the feet, where she can outstrike Ladd. Ladd looked terrible in her last fight against Norma Dumont, landing only 3 strikes in the first round. Brady thinks Ladd's path to victory is takedowns, but Pennington is strong and physical enough to stuff them.
Cody also leans Ladd, but emphasizes the weight cut risk. He notes Pennington's recent wins are over low-level opponents and that she has been taken down by her last three foes. Cody thinks Ladd's top game will be decisive if she makes weight. He plans to watch weigh-ins before betting, and is interested in the under if Ladd looks drained.
Levi sees Raquel Pennington as the more well-rounded fighter with takedowns and a grinding style. He worries about Aspen Ladd's top pressure and ground-and-pound, but thinks Pennington's takedown defense and experience against top competition (including Amanda Nunes) will allow her to mix strikes and takedowns. He expects a decision win for Pennington, though he is not rushing to bet at -190.
I think we'll see a better version of Aspen Ladd than last time. She should be able to push Pennington against the cage, drag her to the floor, and have success with ground and pound. Pennington struggles when fights hit the mat. Ladd will grind out a decision victory.
Paul leans towards Ladd as an underdog but conditions it on her making weight. He notes Pennington's takedown defense is weak and that Ladd has ferocious ground and pound. Paul thinks if Ladd gets top position, she'll smash Pennington. He also considers the under 2.5 rounds if Ladd looks bad at weigh-ins. He calls Ladd his first underdog pick of the card.
The MMA Guru picks Raquel Pennington, criticizing Aspen Ladd's lack of grit and poor performance in her last fight. He expects Pennington to push the pace and win a 30-27 decision, noting that Ladd has changed her style since being KO'd and no longer leads the dance.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 45 of 79 | 56% | 61 of 95 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 1:09 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 26 of 86 | 30% | 64 of 126 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1:18 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 24 of 38 | 63% | 37 of 51 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:31 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 15 of 48 | 31% | 48 of 83 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 1:07 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 21 of 41 | 51% | 24 of 44 | 0 of 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 0:38 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 11 of 38 | 28% | 16 of 43 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:11 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 45 of 79 | 56% | 22 of 48 | 20 of 28 | 3 of 3 | 38 of 71 | 7 of 8 | 0 of 0 |
| Macy Chiasson | 26 of 86 | 30% | 16 of 65 | 9 of 18 | 1 of 3 | 22 of 79 | 3 of 6 | 1 of 1 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 24 of 38 | 63% | 10 of 21 | 11 of 14 | 3 of 3 | 21 of 35 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Macy Chiasson | 15 of 48 | 31% | 11 of 39 | 4 of 9 | 0 of 0 | 13 of 45 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 21 of 41 | 51% | 12 of 27 | 9 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 17 of 36 | 4 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Macy Chiasson | 11 of 38 | 28% | 5 of 26 | 5 of 9 | 1 of 3 | 9 of 34 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
Angelo picks Raquel Pennington but thinks the odds are too wide. He notes that Pennington is a grinder who uses cage control and pressure, but that Macy Chiasson uses her reach well and has good Muay Thai. He believes the small cage at the Apex may limit Chiasson's ability to circle, but still sees Chiasson as a live underdog. Angelo expects a boring win for Pennington but not a cakewalk.
Big Brady initially liked Pennington but changed his pick after learning the fight is at 145 lbs, which he believes massively favors Chiasson. He notes Chiasson's size, youth, and experience at featherweight, and expects her to use her height and reach to win a close decision. He mentions Pennington's takedown ability but thinks the weight class change is decisive.
Cody likes Chiasson as a dog, noting the fight is at 145 lbs which favors her. He points out that Pennington has looked disinterested since her title fight and has poor striking. Chiasson is bigger, stronger, and has better striking at range and in the clinch. Cody thinks Chiasson can win by outworking Pennington.
Daniel Levi slightly leans toward Raquel Pennington. He praises Pennington's grit, durability, and experience, noting she only loses to former champions. However, he points out that many of Pennington's wins are split decisions, making it a close fight. Levi is concerned about Chiasson's size and reach advantage at 145, and wonders if Pennington's clinch game will be less effective against a taller opponent. He thinks Chiasson could win if she has improved, but ultimately picks Pennington to edge out a decision.
Jacob picks Macy Chiasson, believing the UFC is setting her up to be a contender. He thinks the fight comes down to clinch work, and that Chiasson is bigger, more physical, and nastier than Pennington at this point. He expects Chiasson to win a dirty decision, possibly with a finish. Jacob notes that Chiasson has never been finished and has finishing ability herself.
The host picks Pennington by decision, citing her well-rounded game and experience. He notes that Chiasson relies on being physical and bullying, but if she can't do that, she succumbs. He expects Pennington to pull away in the later rounds and win a 15-minute fight. He likes the decision prop at +115.
Paul agrees with Chiasson, citing the reach advantage and the weight class change. He notes Pennington isn't big for 135, let alone 145, and Chiasson doesn't have to cut much weight. Paul thinks it's a 'dogger pass' and leans Chiasson.
The MMA Guru picks Raquel Pennington over Macy Chiasson, citing Pennington's physical strength and ability to bully Chiasson against the cage. He notes Pennington has good wins over Pannie Kianzad, Marion Reneau, and Irene Aldana. He was not impressed by Chiasson's performance against Reneau. He thinks Pennington is too strong and will control the fight.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 50 of 98 | 51% | 85 of 144 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 5:34 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 48 of 79 | 60% | 98 of 144 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 6:16 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 12 of 19 | 63% | 21 of 30 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 3:24 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 8 of 12 | 66% | 25 of 36 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:20 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 10 of 17 | 58% | 21 of 32 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:55 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 12 of 18 | 66% | 34 of 46 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:37 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 28 of 62 | 45% | 43 of 82 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:15 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 28 of 49 | 57% | 39 of 62 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:19 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 50 of 98 | 51% | 26 of 68 | 20 of 25 | 4 of 5 | 13 of 50 | 37 of 48 | 0 of 0 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 48 of 79 | 60% | 26 of 56 | 17 of 18 | 5 of 5 | 23 of 49 | 23 of 28 | 2 of 2 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 12 of 19 | 63% | 3 of 7 | 8 of 11 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 3 | 12 of 16 | 0 of 0 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 8 of 12 | 66% | 3 of 7 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 5 | 7 of 7 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 10 of 17 | 58% | 7 of 14 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 10 | 6 of 7 | 0 of 0 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 12 of 18 | 66% | 7 of 13 | 4 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 7 of 11 | 3 of 5 | 2 of 2 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 28 of 62 | 45% | 16 of 47 | 9 of 11 | 3 of 4 | 9 of 37 | 19 of 25 | 0 of 0 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 28 of 49 | 57% | 16 of 36 | 8 of 9 | 4 of 4 | 15 of 33 | 13 of 16 | 0 of 0 |
Angelo picks Raquel Pennington because she will march forward, hold Pannie against the cage, and neutralize her boxing. He notes that Pennington's losses are to current/former champions and that she is a boring but effective grappler. He likes the -132 odds and thinks they will move. He is confident Pennington stifles Pannie's combinations.
Big Brady picks Raquel Pennington, citing her superior level of competition and ability to grind against the cage. He notes Kianzad was outstruck by Alexis Davis and has shown vulnerability to wrestling. He predicts a decision win for Pennington, though he wishes the price were better and likely won't bet it.
Cody picks Kianzad as a slight underdog, citing her better striking and improved takedown defense. He notes that Pennington is a grinder but has looked mentally off in recent fights. Cody believes Kianzad can keep the fight at range and outwork Pennington.
Daniel Levi leans with Raquel Pennington. He calls Kianzad an overachiever and thinks Pennington's record is misleading because she has fought the best. He sees similar boxing-centric styles but gives the edge to Pennington, expecting a close decision. He notes he usually likes to dog close decisions but here he leans with Pennington.
Preet picks Pennington because she is good at everything and has better cardio and forward pressure. He thinks Kianzad is a better technical striker but Pennington will nullify her with clinch work and takedowns. He expects a decision and likes the fight goes to decision at +125.
Paul agrees with taking Kianzad at plus money, noting that Pennington's style could lead to a close decision. He thinks Kianzad's volume and range striking give her an edge, but acknowledges the smaller cage may favor Pennington's grinding.
The MMA Guru picks Pannie Kianzad over Raquel Pennington, praising Kianzad's fundamentals, dirty boxing, and recent form. He questions Pennington's motivation and activity, predicting a 30-27 unanimous decision for Kianzad.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 107 of 154 | 69% | 118 of 165 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 1 | 5:29 |
| Marion Reneau | 0 | 46 of 117 | 39% | 81 of 154 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 3:48 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 23 of 36 | 63% | 25 of 38 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:24 |
| Marion Reneau | 0 | 17 of 52 | 32% | 24 of 59 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:19 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 37 of 50 | 74% | 41 of 54 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 1 | 2:15 |
| Marion Reneau | 0 | 13 of 29 | 44% | 35 of 52 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 1:38 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 47 of 68 | 69% | 52 of 73 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1:50 |
| Marion Reneau | 0 | 16 of 36 | 44% | 22 of 43 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 0:51 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 107 of 154 | 69% | 54 of 97 | 46 of 50 | 7 of 7 | 51 of 93 | 52 of 56 | 4 of 5 |
| Marion Reneau | 46 of 117 | 39% | 20 of 85 | 20 of 25 | 6 of 7 | 22 of 84 | 24 of 33 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 23 of 36 | 63% | 9 of 22 | 12 of 12 | 2 of 2 | 11 of 23 | 12 of 13 | 0 of 0 |
| Marion Reneau | 17 of 52 | 32% | 8 of 39 | 6 of 9 | 3 of 4 | 7 of 37 | 10 of 15 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 37 of 50 | 74% | 15 of 27 | 20 of 21 | 2 of 2 | 14 of 24 | 19 of 21 | 4 of 5 |
| Marion Reneau | 13 of 29 | 44% | 5 of 21 | 6 of 6 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 15 | 10 of 14 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 47 of 68 | 69% | 30 of 48 | 14 of 17 | 3 of 3 | 26 of 46 | 21 of 22 | 0 of 0 |
| Marion Reneau | 16 of 36 | 44% | 7 of 25 | 8 of 10 | 1 of 1 | 12 of 32 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
Big Brady picks Raquel Pennington by decision, believing she is the better striker and that the fight will stay on the feet. He notes Pennington's superior competition and Reneau's age (42). He thinks Reneau's only path to victory is a submission, which he doesn't see happening. He is pretty confident and thinks the line could be wider.
Daniel Levi picks Marion Reneau as an underdog, arguing that the line should be closer to a pick 'em. He notes that Raquel Pennington is average and doesn't land many takedowns, while Reneau has decent hands and can win a close decision. Levi believes Reneau has a chance to win a split decision, especially on her 43rd birthday.
Pennington is boring but has experience against better opponents. Reneau is 42 years old and coming off a loss to Jessica Eye, which indicates she is past her prime. Pennington will get the job done, though it may be a dull fight.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Holm | 0 | 30 of 62 | 48% | 81 of 129 | 0 of 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 7:16 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 38 of 78 | 48% | 55 of 95 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1:02 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holly Holm | 0 | 6 of 12 | 50% | 26 of 39 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 2:48 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 5 of 14 | 35% | 7 of 16 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 0:17 | |
| 2 | Holly Holm | 0 | 9 of 17 | 52% | 32 of 44 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3:07 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 19 of 27 | 70% | 28 of 36 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:19 | |
| 3 | Holly Holm | 0 | 15 of 33 | 45% | 23 of 46 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:21 |
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 14 of 37 | 37% | 20 of 43 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:26 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Holm | 30 of 62 | 48% | 12 of 33 | 9 of 18 | 9 of 11 | 20 of 50 | 10 of 12 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 38 of 78 | 48% | 9 of 43 | 27 of 30 | 2 of 5 | 10 of 46 | 28 of 32 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holly Holm | 6 of 12 | 50% | 2 of 5 | 2 of 3 | 2 of 4 | 3 of 9 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 5 of 14 | 35% | 1 of 8 | 3 of 3 | 1 of 3 | 2 of 11 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Holly Holm | 9 of 17 | 52% | 2 of 8 | 5 of 7 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 9 | 6 of 8 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 19 of 27 | 70% | 3 of 10 | 15 of 16 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 9 | 17 of 18 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Holly Holm | 15 of 33 | 45% | 8 of 20 | 2 of 8 | 5 of 5 | 14 of 32 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Raquel Pennington | 14 of 37 | 37% | 5 of 25 | 9 of 11 | 0 of 1 | 6 of 26 | 8 of 11 | 0 of 0 |
Daniel picks Raquel Pennington to edge out a close decision. He notes that Pennington is the more active fighter moving forward and that Holm has gone 4-5 since their first fight while Pennington is 5-2. He also mentions that Pennington is younger at 31 vs Holm pushing 40.
The host is confident in Holly Holm, having already placed 2.5 units at -122. He believes Holm won the first fight easily and that her counter-striking, fight IQ, and power left head kick will be too much for Pennington. He argues that Holm is better at getting off the cage and landing damaging shots, while Pennington's forward movement plays into Holm's game. He dismisses concerns about Holm's recent record, noting she lost to elite fighters, and sees Pennington as a step below.
The host picks Raquel Pennington, citing her thickness and ability to take damage, as seen in her performance against Amanda Nunes. He criticizes Holly Holm's damage-taking ability and age (38), suggesting her prime is over. He predicts Pennington wins by decision.
Ketlen Vieira - Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 30 of 92 | 32% | 66 of 158 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 4:42 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 0 | 53 of 110 | 48% | 72 of 130 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 11 of 47 | 23% | 11 of 47 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 0 | 24 of 46 | 52% | 24 of 46 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 2 of 6 | 33% | 38 of 72 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 4:42 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 0 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 20 of 23 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 17 of 39 | 43% | 17 of 39 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 0 | 28 of 61 | 45% | 28 of 61 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 30 of 92 | 32% | 27 of 86 | 2 of 5 | 1 of 1 | 29 of 90 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 53 of 110 | 48% | 15 of 62 | 16 of 25 | 22 of 23 | 53 of 110 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 11 of 47 | 23% | 9 of 44 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 11 of 47 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 24 of 46 | 52% | 6 of 23 | 4 of 8 | 14 of 15 | 24 of 46 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 2 of 6 | 33% | 1 of 4 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 2 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 1 of 3 | 33% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 17 of 39 | 43% | 17 of 38 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 17 of 39 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 28 of 61 | 45% | 9 of 38 | 12 of 16 | 7 of 7 | 28 of 61 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Angelo picks Jacqueline Cavalcanti, trusting her speed and footwork. He expects Cavalcanti to win the striking exchanges and that Vieira's takedowns won't matter to the judges. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds as a lock. He notes Vieira may have won her last fight but expects a similar decision loss here.
Big Brady leans toward Jacqueline Cavalcanti, believing she is the better striker with superior volume. He thinks she can stuff takedowns and keep the fight standing, winning by decision. He acknowledges Ketlen Vieira's path to victory via takedowns but doubts she will execute.
Cody picks Jacqueline Cavalcanti, citing her high striking volume (6.5 significant strikes per minute) and youth. He notes that Ketlen Vieira often gets out-struck but wins via cage control, but believes Cavalcanti's takedown defense has improved and she is physically strong enough to avoid being smothered. He expects Cavalcanti to out-land Vieira and win a 29-28 decision, though he acknowledges the risk of judges favoring control time.
Connor picks Cavalcanti, agreeing with Zane. He notes Vieira has no progression in her game and only changes aggression level per opponent. Cavalcanti is defensively minded, moves her feet well, and has a jab, making it hard for Vieira to charge in. He hopes Vieira doesn't drag Cavalcanti into the mud.
Cavalcanti is better everywhere: more technical striker, higher pace, better fight IQ, difficult to take down, great cardio. Vieira has low volume and bad fight IQ. Cavalcanti will outpoint Vieira and win a comfortable decision.
Lucrative James leans toward Jacqueline Cavalcanti, citing her superior striking and consistent volume. He believes Vieira's takedowns may not be enough to win two rounds, and Cavalcanti's composed striking will earn a decision. He notes the fight could be close and split.
The host picks Jacqueline Cavalcanti over Ketlen Vieira, believing this fight will launch Cavalcanti into title contention. He cites Cavalcanti's improved grappling defense and striking edge to pick apart Vieira and win on the scorecards.
The host thinks Cavalcanti is a slicker striker with a better gas tank, but he is hesitant to bet her at -155 due to Vieira's grappling threat and live dog status. He predicts Cavalcanti wins by decision, but would only bet if the line drops closer to -120.
Paul picks Jacqueline Cavalcanti by split decision, noting that both fighters are likely to go to decision and that Vieira has been involved in many split decisions. He believes Cavalcanti's volume and more impactful strikes will earn her the nod, but expects it to be contentious. He bet the fight ends in a split decision at plus 400.
Zane picks Cavalcanti because she is a sharp technical striker with good footwork and a jab, while Vieira is stuck in the mud with no progression in her game. He expects Cavalcanti to pick Vieira apart at range, as Vieira's only path is to overpower her in the clinch, but she often spends time at range not knowing what to do.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 25 of 83 | 30% | 58 of 121 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 5:19 |
| Norma Dumont | 0 | 62 of 101 | 61% | 87 of 127 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:11 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 7 of 23 | 30% | 7 of 23 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 1 | 0 | 1:36 |
| Norma Dumont | 0 | 17 of 23 | 73% | 25 of 31 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 8 of 29 | 27% | 32 of 57 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1:53 |
| Norma Dumont | 0 | 17 of 37 | 45% | 20 of 40 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 10 of 31 | 32% | 19 of 41 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:50 |
| Norma Dumont | 0 | 28 of 41 | 68% | 42 of 56 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:11 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 25 of 83 | 30% | 10 of 60 | 5 of 10 | 10 of 13 | 25 of 79 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 2 |
| Norma Dumont | 62 of 101 | 61% | 24 of 60 | 18 of 21 | 20 of 20 | 57 of 96 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 7 of 23 | 30% | 1 of 13 | 1 of 4 | 5 of 6 | 7 of 23 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Norma Dumont | 17 of 23 | 73% | 5 of 10 | 2 of 3 | 10 of 10 | 17 of 23 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 8 of 29 | 27% | 1 of 19 | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 8 of 26 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 2 |
| Norma Dumont | 17 of 37 | 45% | 5 of 25 | 5 of 5 | 7 of 7 | 14 of 34 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 10 of 31 | 32% | 8 of 28 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 2 | 10 of 30 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 |
| Norma Dumont | 28 of 41 | 68% | 14 of 25 | 11 of 13 | 3 of 3 | 26 of 39 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dumont (-150); Vieira (+120)
Round 1
In the previous match, two athletes vied to save their place on the ever-churning roster. In this fourth fight of the evening, the promotion decided to plug in the most relevant matchup of the whole card, as the winner of this bantamweight pairing will most likely be closest to the next title shot come Monday. While Brazil’s Vieira (15-4, 9-4 UFC) already came up short against champ Kayla Harrison, perhaps it would change should they lock horns for five rounds. Standing in her way of all that is “The Immortal” Dumont (12-2, 8-2 UFC), who has heard the final bell in nine straight outings. Whether they make it 10 straight for the streaking Dumont or get out of their early, referee Mark Smith will handle the necessities from here. There is a sporting clap of hands that precedes the action.
Dumont moves to the center of the cage standing as tall as she can, and she hand-fights a pawing Vieira who is just looking for her range. At 40 seconds in, Vieira finally commits to a strike, albeit a leg kick. Dumont responds immediately with one of her own. Vieira sits down on another calf kick to disrupt her opponent, and Dumont says “two can play that game” and gives it back any time Vieira lands on her. They trade hands from up close, drawing a smile out of Dumont as if she felt Vieira’s power and was not concerned. Vieira darts in behind her jab, and the two are just picking and poking at one another with single strikes. Vieira scores first, and Dumont comes back at her.
“Fenomeno” looks for her right hand several times, but Dumont is able to see them coming in time and avoid them. Leg kicks are traded, and Dumont doubles up on a heavy one. Vieira rushes forward, banging into Dumont and forcing her to awkwardly rebound during a takedown effort. Vieira uses the momentum to drag Dumont down, where she takes her back and looks for a rear-naked choke. Dumont flips over to her back to break up the sub, so Vieira transitions to an arm-triangle choke. Dumont once more twists to get out of the worst of it, so Vieira readjusts and presses her shoulder down to complete the sub. Vieira laces her leg between Dumont’s to give her more leverage to crush her shoulder down, and Dumont stays calm and punches Vieira in the side until the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 2
The round begins with kicks, with Vieira throwing first and last. Dumont hurls a one-two her way, and Vieira is not standing there any longer to get hit. When Dumont does reach her with a right hand, Vieira strafes to the side to reset. Dumont is one-and-done with a kick, and Vieira leans in to score and then leans back. Dumont starts to put more than one strike together in her attacks, sometimes doubling or tripling up on offense or stringing a few back-to-back. Vieira nails the inside leg a few times, prompting Dumont to pitch one back on the outside. Vieira checks the second, and they go tit-for-tat with these strikes for a time.
Vieira leaps forward and gets caught with a right hand from Dumont, and she shoots in from a double from too far out. Dumont shuts it down, so Vieira backs off and tries again from another angle. This time, she puts Dumont on her back with about 1:45 left in the round. Like a snake slowly coiling around to consume its prey, Vieira calmly slithers through to advance to half guard and pursue an arm-triangle choke. This takes a great deal of time to get there, so before she can cinch anything up, the second round is over.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 3
The top contenders reach the final frame, and they approach one another in it like the previous two. Dumont moves forward but is generally cautious, and Vieira stays defensively composed from most of what comes her direction. Dumont pushes the action with a storming right hand, colliding with Vieira and putting them on the fence. Vieira quickly turns her foe around, where she imposes her body weight on the streaking Dumont. She leans on Dumont for a time, until Smith calls for them to do more.
Dumont separates first, and she lets loose with her hands. Reaching out with a left and a right, and she looses this two-punch flurry again and again. Vieira stays on the outside edge with her guard high, and Dumont goes to the body when the hands of her foe are up. Dumont swarms forward behind a low kick to open up punches, and she lands cleanly in the midst of her combinations. Vieira is fine to stay on her back heel offering counters and the occasional kick as time ticks off, as Vieira likely expects she is up on the scorecards. Dumont is fighting like she needs the finish, in terms of her own style. She does not bite down on her mouthpiece to bang it out, and she does not point to the ground to force a brawl, but instead remains at kickboxing range leaning in and out to attack. The slow, arduous bantamweight match comes to an end, and both women raise their arms in the air. Could it go either way?
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Dumont (29-28 Vieira)
The Official Result
Norma Dumont def. Ketlen Vieira via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Angelo picks Norma Dumont confidently, citing her technical striking, patience, and takedown defense. He notes Ketlen Vieira is bigger but slower and less technical, relying on cage control. He thinks Norma's speed and accuracy will be too much, and expects a decision win. He is very confident in Norma but doesn't see many points in DFS due to a lack of finishes.
Big Brady picks Norma Dumont, noting she looked great in her last fight against Aldana with faster hands. He acknowledges Ketlen Vieira has elite takedown defense but believes the fight will stay standing, where Dumont is the better striker. He predicts a decision win for Dumont.
Connor agrees with Zane, noting that Dumont is a sharpshooter who can even things up with one hit. He thinks Vieira is not capable of putting pressure on Dumont, and if the fight is a coin flip, Dumont has the edge because she can push a pace Vieira never has.
Lucrative James picks Norma Dumont, but acknowledges it's a close fight. He believes Dumont is the better striker with better range control and takedown defense, and that she can stop Vieira's takedowns. However, he notes that Vieira's path to victory is through grappling, and if she can get top position, she could win. James sees value in the fight going to decision.
Dumont will get her sixth straight victory by putting it on Vieira with her striking and physicality, possibly landing a few takedowns. Dumont is in much better shape and a better state of her career, leading to a decision win.
The MMA Guru picks Norma Dumont, highlighting her recent sharp stand-up performance against Irene Aldana. He criticizes Ketlen Vieira's inconsistency and poor recent performances. He believes Dumont has momentum and will win by decision, possibly 29-28.
Zane picks Dumont because she is a sharp striker who can push a pace that Vieira cannot match. He notes that Vieira is stiff and wide open, and Dumont has the ability to land fight-changing shots. Even if Dumont has a bad fight, he expects a narrow contest, and if she has a good one, she wins clearly.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 28 of 64 | 43% | 106 of 174 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 10:06 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 22 of 43 | 51% | 52 of 77 | 0 of 4 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:33 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 18 of 48 | 37% | 29 of 64 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:06 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 17 of 31 | 54% | 18 of 32 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:08 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 2 of 4 | 50% | 39 of 56 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 4:47 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 9 of 10 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:07 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 8 of 12 | 66% | 38 of 54 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:13 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 | 5 of 11 | 45% | 25 of 35 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:18 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 28 of 64 | 43% | 25 of 60 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 15 of 47 | 5 of 6 | 8 of 11 |
| Macy Chiasson | 22 of 43 | 51% | 8 of 25 | 6 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 20 of 39 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 18 of 48 | 37% | 15 of 44 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 13 of 43 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Macy Chiasson | 17 of 31 | 54% | 5 of 16 | 5 of 7 | 7 of 8 | 17 of 29 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 2 of 4 | 50% | 2 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 |
| Macy Chiasson | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 8 of 12 | 66% | 8 of 12 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 4 | 0 of 1 | 6 of 7 |
| Macy Chiasson | 5 of 11 | 45% | 3 of 8 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 9 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Chiasson (-118), Vieira (-102)
Round 1
What was once a likely bantamweight title eliminator has become a featherweight fight of little import, thanks to Vieira (14-4, 8-4 UFC) being unable to get down to the 136-pound limit. Chiasson (10-3, 8-3 UFC), with eyes to the future, gladly accepts 25% of Vieira’s purse before getting to punch her in the face for her transgression. Referee Mark Smith stands by to keep things on the up-and-up, although the match still opens with the ladies clapping hands first. Vieira takes to the center of the Octagon, with Chiasson circling around her probing her with low kicks and jabs. The Louisiana native manages her distance well, staying active and not letting Vieira strike her. Chiasson fires up a head kick, and uses it as a way to open a left hand up. Vieira looks to counter, but Chiasson is out of range from everything besides a pair of body shots. Vieira sits down on a right hand, shaking Chiasson up a little and forcing her to reset. Chiasson goes for a spinning wheel kick that misses the mark significantly, and Vieira tracks her down and smashes her in the face with a ferocious right hand. Chiasson wears it well but is not a fan, scooting out of the way before Vieira can pin her down again. Chiasson prods the body with jabs and kicks, and Vieira counters with a right hand over the top. Vieira connects with a few fast hands, and when Chiasson clinches, she lays into her with another flurry of blows. Both women try to land elbows from up close, but they sway just enough to let them soar past one another. Vieira bullies Chiasson against the fencing, and Chiasson slowly but methodically fights her way out while using a knee to get some space. Vieira pushes her close again and back to the wall, and she punches her way out rather than glom on to the taller woman. Chiasson chips at the front leg a few times, and she catches Vieira on the temple with a long right hand. Vieira scores a combo of punches to end the round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 2
The moment gloves are touched, Chiasson shoots in for a takedown. Vieira’s defense spikes them both on their faces, and she recovers just the faster to turn to the side to establish top position. The Brazilian hops a few times to get herself in the conventional guard, but she is intent on passing to somewhere better and clinging to an arm-triangle choke setup. Chiasson is wise to it and she fights back with elbows and even flirts with an armbar setup, but she is stifled when Vieira stays flatly pressed to her. Chiasson pushes off the hips, and she turns to a knee but inadvertently gives up her back. As she rolls, Chiasson finds herself still in Vieira’s clutches. Vieira gets herself back on top in the guard, smothering the American while not otherwise utilizing much offense. Vieira lands punches every so often, preferring to rack up control time while shutting down anything Chiasson can do. Chiasson slashes off her back with her elbow, and she scores two more when Vieira postures up. Vieira rides out the remainder of the round on top.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 3
Before the third round begins, Smith calls in a cutman to slice the tape off of Vieira’s glove. The two touch gloves, and Chiasson comes out shot out of a cannon. Punching her way into a single, Chiasson finds that the Brazilian is not about to go down and falls to her back. Vieira establishes herself on top again, and she embraces the grind immediately. It does not take Smith long to ask for more activity, with Vieira content to work the body with short strikes and remain busy enough to keep her position. Vieira sits up and drills Chiasson with a pair of punches that lead her corner to hoot and holler, and Chiasson fails to employ butterfly hooks to get some space. Vieira’s smothering ground control is sucking the energy out of the building, and when Chiasson attempts to escape, the Brazilian is there to shut her down completely. Smith again asks for Vieira to do more, and it is Chiasson who does some damage with a vicious elbow that rips open a cut on Vieira’s forehead. Chiasson uses the moment to explode to her feet, where she starts laying into Vieira with punches and elbows. Vieira tries to clinch, and Chiasson bails on it and leaps at her with lunging punches and kicks. Chiasson drills the Brazilian with exhausted one-twos, and her late onslaught may sway a judge or two because of the damage inflicted. The not-so-thrilling fight comes to an end.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
The Official Result
Ketlen Vieira def. Macy Chiasson via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Angelo picks Ketlen Vieira, believing she can bully Macy Chiasson by closing the distance and negating Chiasson's length. He notes that Vieira lost to Kayla Harrison (potential champion) while Chiasson's win was due to a cut. He is cautious about betting on someone coming off a loss but would bet on Vieira as a dog if odds flip.
Big Brady picks Ketlen Vieira with low confidence, citing her elite takedown defense (88%) as the key factor. He notes that even Kayla Harrison struggled to take Vieira down. He believes Vieira is the better striker if the fight stays standing and may even take Chiasson down, as Chiasson has been taken down by lesser fighters. He expects a close decision.
Connor picks Chiasson for being crazy and aggressive, and because Vieira looks consistently uncomfortable on the feet. He notes that if Vieira cannot get takedowns, Chiasson could be the more aggressive clinch striker. However, he acknowledges the fight is low-level and hard to call.
Matt picks Macy Chiasson to win by decision. He values Chiasson's physicality and improving striking, which he believes will overcome Vieira's technical striking. He notes that Chiasson blends her striking with grappling effectively and sees value at -125, estimating her true odds around -150 to -185. He expects a decision win.
The MMA Guru picks Macy Chiasson over Ketlen Vieira, citing Chiasson's volume, pressure, and physicality advantage. He criticizes Vieira's recent performance against Miesha Tate and believes Chiasson's grit will force a high-output fight. He worries about a potential submission from Vieira but overall favors Chiasson.
Zane picks Vieira because he believes she can out-wrestle and out-grapple Chiasson, and that her strength and top control will be decisive. He notes that Chiasson has improved but still struggles in the clinch and is easy to hit. However, he acknowledges that if Vieira cannot get takedowns, she will struggle due to her poor striking confidence.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayla Harrison | 0 | 24 of 61 | 39% | 67 of 108 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 55 of 94 | 58% | 98 of 149 | 2 of 8 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 7:54 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kayla Harrison | 0 | 5 of 16 | 31% | 27 of 38 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 17 of 27 | 62% | 37 of 53 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 2:46 | |
| 2 | Kayla Harrison | 0 | 14 of 32 | 43% | 29 of 49 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 15 of 35 | 42% | 27 of 50 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2:02 | |
| 3 | Kayla Harrison | 0 | 5 of 13 | 38% | 11 of 21 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 23 of 32 | 71% | 34 of 46 | 1 of 4 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 3:06 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayla Harrison | 24 of 61 | 39% | 12 of 38 | 4 of 15 | 8 of 8 | 21 of 58 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 55 of 94 | 58% | 34 of 69 | 14 of 16 | 7 of 9 | 19 of 50 | 15 of 17 | 21 of 27 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kayla Harrison | 5 of 16 | 31% | 1 of 8 | 0 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 5 of 16 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 17 of 27 | 62% | 7 of 17 | 9 of 9 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 12 | 9 of 11 | 4 of 4 | |
| 2 | Kayla Harrison | 14 of 32 | 43% | 8 of 22 | 3 of 7 | 3 of 3 | 11 of 29 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 15 of 35 | 42% | 8 of 25 | 4 of 6 | 3 of 4 | 9 of 29 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Kayla Harrison | 5 of 13 | 38% | 3 of 8 | 1 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 5 of 13 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 23 of 32 | 71% | 19 of 27 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | 6 of 9 | 0 of 0 | 17 of 23 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Harrison (-800), Vieira (+550)
Round 1
Even though she is currently ranked higher than her opponent, Vieira (14-3, 8-3 UFC) finds herself as a massive betting underdog at around +700 against enormous favorite Harrison (17-1, 1-0 UFC). Anything can happen in this glorious sport, and it often does. This grappling-centric affair will draw oversight from referee Marc Goddard, and the main card commences as the bantamweights touch ‘em up. Vieira flicks out a jab towards the jittery Harrison, and she gets knocked back by a left hand. Vieira reaches out with her right hand, and chants in support of her opponent rain down in the form of “USA!” Harrison does not channel this energy immediately, taking to the center of the cage and checking a low kick. Harrison kicks her to the chest, and Vieira skirts out the outer edge of the cage. Harrison tries to hit a trip, and Vieira slips away. Harrison fires off a high kick, and Vieira blocks it as the judoka stumbles. Harrison springs back to her feet and grasps Vieira around the waist, delivering knees to the body as Vieira tries to catch them fruitlessly. Harrison goes for a knee up top, and she hunts for a few trips to no avail. Harrison slams a knee in the ribs, and she uses her other to smack the Brazilian in the face with it. Goddard asks for more activity, and the audience turns on the ladies as they spend a lot of time in the clinch. Vieira tries to escape, and she blocks a knee and wings as right hand that bounces off the guard. Harrison checks another kick and parries a body kick, and she returns fire with her own kick to the stomach. Harrison sticks and moves with a low kick and one high, and Vieira swings and misses. This allows Harrison to close in on her, and she bowls Vieira over and ultimately lands in half guard. “USA” chants for Harrison rain down again, and she moves to mount and blasts Vieira in the face with an elbow. Vieira turns around to give up her back, and Harrison follows her every step of the way, battering her with elbows and punches. Vieira rides out the position under fire until the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Round 2
The ladies meet in the middle, and they lob inaccurate strikes at one another. The first one landed is a low kick from the American, and she dances out of the way of a few long right hands from Vieira. Vieira sits down on a right hand to catch Harrison on the chin, and she gets tripped out with an inside low kick. Vieira stands back up without issue, and she parries a high kick. Vieira gets off her own leg kick, and she again tags Harrison with a right on the side of the head. Vieira digs a right to the body, and Harrison punches her way into a takedown attempt where she grabs the leg and puts her hand behind the neck to throw her foe down. Vieira fights it off and resets, blocking another head kick so she can jab Harrison in the ribs. Harrison shoots for a takedown and complains of an eye poke when Vieira posted off, and Harrison signals she is fine and does not need to pause. Vieira stops two more attempts and lands a few strikes, and Harrison plants her feet to connect with a heavy leg kick. Harrison pushes in tight to the clinch, and she is warned for holding the fence. Vieira breaks away, and Harrison plows forward with a knee to the body before clinching up again. While Vieira answers with an elbow, she cannot gain any space. Vieira rings her bell with another elbow, and Harrison pushes through it to get back up close and personal with knees to the body. Vieira blasts her with another elbow, and swelling has developed above Harrison’s right eye. Harrison digs several more knees to the body, and blood trickles out of the lump on her head. Goddard asks for more action, and he splits them up with 20 seconds left in the round. Vieira kicks low, gets checked, and pushes past a head kick to throw one back. The round ends with both ladies whiffing on kicks.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Harrison
Round 3
The ladies bump fists and then bow to one another to start the round. Harrison comes out aggressively, blocking a kick and shooting in for a double. Vieira breaks out of it and lobs back a one-two that busts open Harrison’s nose, with blood flowing immediately. Harrison tries for another takedown, and that fails again. Harrison gets off an inside leg kick that disrupts Vieira’s balance, and she pursues a takedown and comes up short. Harrison checks a calf kick and goes for a takedown that is nowhere close to landing. Vieira swipes a right to the body, and her guard is high to block a head kick. Harrison crashes forward for a takedown, lifts Vieira’s leg up and cannot get her down. On Harrison’s second attempt, she succeeds in wrenching the Brazilian to the mat. Vieira tries to tug on the fencing to stop it, but she is placed on her back with Harrison raining down elbows. Vieira pushes her back, and Harrison comes back to drill her with a left hand. Harrison stays busy with ground-and-pound, and Vieira pulls her toes on the wire to get to a more advantageous position. Harrison postures up to drop down three left hands, and Vieira throws her legs up for a high guard or a triangle choke. Harrison is wise to it and continues slamming down punches, and she brings down the hammer with a few high-amplitude elbows. Harrison passes to half guard, and she slices over to mount with 45 seconds to spare. Harrison slashes down with a few elbows, and Vieira clings to her tightly. Vieira turns over, and Harrison spins with her and wrenches on her neck with a brute force crank more than a choke. Harrison swirls over to half guard when Vieira turns, and she gets pushed to her feet as the match concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Harrison (29-28 Harrison)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Harrison (29-28 Harrison)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Harrison (30-27 Harrison)
The Official Result
Kayla Harrison def. Ketlen Vieira via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Angelo picks Kayla Harrison to dominate, citing her Olympic gold medal judo and physical strength. He notes Ketlen Vieira relies on being big and strong to bully opponents, but that won't work against Harrison. He expects Harrison to toss Vieira and control the fight. He also suggests looking at the under 2.5 rounds line for potential value.
Big Brady picks Kayla Harrison confidently, acknowledging Vieira is solid but believes Harrison is on a different level. He expects Harrison's judo to overcome Vieira's takedown defense, and once on top, Harrison will control and win a decision, possibly with a finish. He notes the weight cut is something to monitor.
Cody picks Harrison, believing her Judo and ground-and-pound will be effective. He acknowledges Vieira's takedown defense and altitude concerns but thinks Harrison's UFC debut win over Holly Holm showed her potential. He warns against betting the heavy favorite.
Connor also picks Harrison, echoing Zane's reasoning. He notes that Vieira has never believed in her hands since being knocked out by Raquel Pennington and relies on clinch work, which plays into Harrison's strengths. Connor expects Harrison to win impressively and set up a title fight.
Daniel Vreeland picks Kayla Harrison. He admits he hasn't been the biggest Harrison fan and has faded her before, but notes that her one-dimensional grappling is so elite that it doesn't matter. He points out that Harrison's takedown game is elite and she is physically very strong for the weight class, even though she is cutting a lot of weight. He believes she will pile things on and get a win, possibly by submission.
Daniel Vreeland confidently picks Kayla Harrison, calling her a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. He notes that Harrison's drop to 135 has made her more explosive and athletic. While Vieira has 92% takedown defense, Vreeland believes Harrison's Judo and wrestling will overcome that. He expects Harrison to win and secure a title shot, though he is unsure of the method.
Jeff Fox picks Kayla Harrison. He notes that Harrison is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo and has elite grappling. He believes her takedown game and physical strength will be too much for Ketlen Vieira, even though Vieira has a grappling base. Fox thinks Harrison will dominate on the ground and likely get a finish.
The host thinks the odds are a bit wide for his liking but still believes Harrison will go out and grind the fight out. He notes Harrison is the superior grappler and may be at a disadvantage in striking, but not enough to prevent her from closing distance and using judo. He expects Harrison to win on the scorecards, as Vieira will show enough resistance to avoid a finish.
Paul picks Harrison, noting her world-class grappling and the fact that she can now use elbows in the UFC. He mentions Vieira's cardio issues and Harrison's ability to grind out a win, but cautions about the weight cut and altitude.
The MMA Guru picks Kayla Harrison over Ketlen Vieira, citing Harrison's dominant grappling and physicality. He notes Harrison's ability to toss around training partners like Alex Pereira and her past performance against Holly Holm. He believes Harrison will be the champion and that Vieira is not on her level. He also mentions the fight is three rounds, so altitude is less of a concern.
Zane picks Harrison confidently, noting that Vieira is a swing-and-clinch artist who lacks the nuance to deal with Harrison's superior judo and grappling. He highlights Harrison's adjustment in the Holly Holm fight where she let go of a hip toss to land in top position. Zane expects Harrison to dominate in the clinch and win decisively.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 15 of 33 | 45% | 65 of 103 | 3 of 3 | 100% | 3 | 0 | 10:49 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 22 of 51 | 43% | 92 of 144 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 1 | 2:11 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 5 of 15 | 33% | 23 of 40 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:53 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 4 of 16 | 25% | 7 of 19 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 7 of 13 | 53% | 25 of 34 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 2 | 0 | 4:18 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 4 of 9 | 44% | 15 of 21 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 3 of 5 | 60% | 17 of 29 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 2:38 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 0 | 14 of 26 | 53% | 70 of 104 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 1 | 2:11 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 15 of 33 | 45% | 13 of 31 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 | 8 of 25 | 1 of 2 | 6 of 6 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 22 of 51 | 43% | 17 of 45 | 3 of 4 | 2 of 2 | 10 of 30 | 0 of 0 | 12 of 21 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 5 of 15 | 33% | 4 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 4 of 16 | 25% | 2 of 13 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 16 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 7 of 13 | 53% | 7 of 13 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 10 | 0 of 0 | 3 of 3 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 4 of 9 | 44% | 3 of 8 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 9 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 3 of 5 | 60% | 2 of 4 | 1 of 1 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Pannie Kianzad | 14 of 26 | 53% | 12 of 24 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 | 2 of 5 | 0 of 0 | 12 of 21 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-150), Kianzad (+130)
Round 1
The fight with arguably the greatest title implications tonight is buried in the middle of the prelims, as the women’s bantamweight division is still championless and the perceived “uncrowned queen” of Holly Holm was knocked down a peg last week. Both women on the outside of the UFC’s top five looking in, Vieira (13-3, 7-3 UFC) and Kianzad (16-6, 5-3 UFC) will engage in a crucial contest at 135 pounds. With neither woman sporting a stoppage rate over 50%, referee Jason Herzog could be in it for the long haul here. Vieira offers a glove touch, but Kianzad wants nothing to do with it. Instead, Kianzad races forward pushing out straight punches down the middle. Vieira dodges back and reaches out with a heavy right hand, and Kianzad is out of the way in time. Vieira sticks out a jab, and Kianzad catches her with a left hand and a right over the top. Kianzad pokes out a jab, and she follows with a left hook that bounces off the guard. Vieira shoots in for a low single-leg takedown, and she lifts Kianzad’s leg up and throws her down to land right in side control. Kianzad recovers to half guard when Vieira sets up an arm-triangle choke, and the Brazilian still has her left arm hooked around the head of her opponent. Vieira looks to isolate Kianzad’s left arm for a potential armlock, and Kianzad turns to her side to stop it from coming together. Vieira powers her back over with shoulder pressure, smothering “Banzai” and returning her flat to her back. Kianzad gets back to a guard and she sets up butterfly hooks to push off, and this allows Vieira to punch her square in the face. Kianzad responds with a few strikes off her back, but the ones she absorbs from “Fenomeno” are far heavier. Kianzad looks to push off the midsection, but Vieira stays heavy as a ton of bricks and steps into the half guard. Vieira controls her adversary and presses her shoulder into Kianzad’s face and neck, and frustrating the Swede. Vieira grabs hold of the left arm and isolates it to grip for a kimura, and Kianzad protects herself by putting it under her back. As Vieira shifts to north-south position, the bell rings.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 2
The ladies meet in the middle of the cage, and Kianzad leads off with a looping left hook. Vieira blocks it and replies in kind, and the strike from the Brazilian glances off the raised guard. When Kianzad kicks low, Vieira gives her three punches over the top. Kianzad steps in to punch, and Vieira snatches up the lead leg and easily throws Kianzad to the canvas. Vieira goes right to half guard, and a desperate Kianzad is able to pull her into her guard and closes it up. Kianzad times a moment in transition to push her foot off Vieira’s body, but Vieira is able to casually shift back over the half guard. Vieira starts hunting for a kimura, and Kianzad defends it but starts taking heavy body shots. Vieira gloms onto her, and she hops into full mount and quickly locks down an arm-triangle choke. Vieira squeezes with her full body weight, and Kianzad defends it with her left arm between the grip of her opponent and her own neck. Kianzad turns the proper way to protect her neck, and Vieira abandons the submission. Kianzad explodes to her side, and she attempts to turn over and get to her knees so she can get back up. Vieira bowls her over and puts her on her back again. With 30 seconds remaining, Vieira tries to lock down an arm-triangle choke on the other side, but Kianzad is wise to it and is not in submission danger. The round ends with Vieira on top.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 3
A fire seemingly lit under her backside, Kianzad springs right into action, rushing at Vieira with punches in bunches. When Kianzad overextends on a left hook, Vieira smartly changes levels, coming up with a clean double-leg takedown to put Kianzad on her back 15 seconds into the final frame. Kianzad does everything she can to scoot her way to the wall, and this gives up her back in the process. Vieira leans with her back against the fencing, holding onto Kianzad from behind and sliding her hooks in. The leverage for any submission is not there, until she turns to lower herself to the floor. Vieira sets up a rear-naked choke, and Kianzad hand-fights to save herself from getting tapped. When Kianzad thwarts the choke, Vieira locks up a body triangle to further make Kianzad’s life miserable. Kianzad is able to defend from the choke setups, and she grits her teeth and spins around to secure top position with about two minutes left in the fight. Kianzad opens up with punches when she winds up on top, and Vieira clings to her to shut down the offense. Kianzad frees herself and stands up, and she jumps down to nail Vieira with a diving right hand. As Kianzad does damage from the guard, the commentary team starts discussing people walking their cats in strollers. All the while, Kianzad is doing anything she can to hunt for a finish, flailing with punches and hammerfists. Vieira pushes off with the ball of her foot, and she smacks Kianzad in the face with one illegally. Herzog checks on Kianzad, who says she is fine and wants to keep going. Kianzad rains down punches to any target, marking up Vieira’s right eye, and swinging frantically. Vieira throws her legs up high for a triangle choke, and she simultaneously grips an armbar, and the horn blares.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
The Official Result
Ketlen Vieira def. Pannie Kianzad via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Angelo favors Pannie Kianzad's footwork, speed, athleticism, and jab over Ketlen Vieira's size and strength. He notes Vieira's recent performances have been spotty and that her lack of speed could be exploited. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds and a plus 3.5 betting line on Kianzad.
Big Brady picks Pannie Kianzad by decision, but says he doesn't care about the fight and won't bet it. He likes Kianzad's volume striking and believes she can keep the fight standing with 80% takedown defense. He notes Vieira lands harder shots but Kianzad will outwork her. He is concerned if Vieira gets takedowns.
Cody picks Vieira, noting her superior competition and grappling advantage. He thinks she will use clinch and takedowns to control Kianzad. He acknowledges it could be a close decision but sees value at -140.
Daniel slightly leans toward Ketlen Vieira, noting she has historically been on a higher level and is stronger in the clinch with better top control. However, he thinks she hasn't looked the same since her injury and surgery after the Zingano fight. He acknowledges Pannie Kianzad has better hands and durability, and expects a closely contested fight that could go either way. He is not surprised if Kianzad wins a split decision.
The host picks Ketlen Vieira, believing her damaging strikes will outweigh Kianzad's volume. He notes Vieira's power and ability to hurt opponents, while Kianzad struggles against higher competition and takes damage poorly. He expects Vieira to storm back and win by decision.
Paul picks Vieira, citing her size, strength, and grappling. He notes Kianzad struggles in the clinch and has been knocked down. He thinks Vieira's boxing improvements will help, but expects a close decision.
The MMA Guru leans towards Ketlen Vieira, calling it a coin flip but favoring her based on level of competition. He notes that Amanda Nunes' retirement may motivate contenders. He dismisses Pannie Kianzad's win over Lina Länsberg and criticizes her performance against Alexis Davis. The Guru believes Vieira's size, strength, and reach advantage will lead to a 29-28 split decision win.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 0 | 64 of 152 | 42% | 138 of 230 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 4:45 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 81 of 159 | 50% | 104 of 184 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:18 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 23 of 71 | 32% | 29 of 78 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:13 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 27 of 58 | 46% | 27 of 58 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 21 of 51 | 41% | 42 of 72 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 1:28 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 29 of 61 | 47% | 32 of 64 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:37 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 0 | 20 of 30 | 66% | 67 of 80 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 3:04 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 25 of 40 | 62% | 45 of 62 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:41 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Pennington | 64 of 152 | 42% | 41 of 122 | 5 of 10 | 18 of 20 | 56 of 143 | 8 of 9 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 81 of 159 | 50% | 37 of 111 | 32 of 35 | 12 of 13 | 59 of 134 | 22 of 25 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raquel Pennington | 23 of 71 | 32% | 15 of 58 | 3 of 7 | 5 of 6 | 21 of 69 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 27 of 58 | 46% | 14 of 44 | 9 of 9 | 4 of 5 | 24 of 54 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Raquel Pennington | 21 of 51 | 41% | 10 of 39 | 2 of 3 | 9 of 9 | 19 of 48 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 29 of 61 | 47% | 14 of 43 | 11 of 14 | 4 of 4 | 21 of 51 | 8 of 10 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Raquel Pennington | 20 of 30 | 66% | 16 of 25 | 0 of 0 | 4 of 5 | 16 of 26 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
| Ketlen Vieira | 25 of 40 | 62% | 9 of 24 | 12 of 12 | 4 of 4 | 14 of 29 | 11 of 11 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-115), Pennington (-105)
Round 1
In terms of pure rankings, no fight on the billing is more relevant than this fight that is not on the marquee. This women’s bantamweight pairing, one pitting the second-ranked Vieira (13-2, 7-2 UFC) against the no. 5 Pennington (14-8, 11-5 UFC), could have immediate title implications depending on how it plays out. One woman will take her first defeat in quite some time, and referee Chris Tognoni will be the first to know who that is. The ladies sportingly clap hands ahead of their important fight, and they are jittery and not ready to engage. At the 20-second mark, Pennington leaps forward with a superwoman punch, and Vieira backs her off with a solid right hand in response. Vieira walks through a low kick on the inside and a jab to the body so that she can swing a swatting left hook, but this misses the mark. The Brazilian whiffs on a big right as well, prompting Pennington to charge in with a stream of jabs. Vieira parries two looping strikes to catch “Rocky” with a short right hand on the way in. Pennington appears no worse for wear as she goes for another kick on the inside of the knee, and she ducks back when a big left hook whizzes past her face. Vieira grabs a charging Pennington to knee her right in the chest, and she sends her backpedaling with a clean right hand across the bow. Pennington slams her shin on the low calf of her opponent, and she fakes a second to draw an exaggerated reaction out of the Brazilian. Vieira snipes with a left hand to open a cut on the top of Pennington’s forehead, and she chains together a combination of punches and a low kick to keep Pennington guessing. Vieira absorbs a kick to the ribs as she closes the distance, and she reaches her foe with a left hook in a short salvo. Vieira paws out a trio of low kicks before lunging with a straight punch to the body, and Pennington answers with a similar punch before swinging a left hand at her. Vieira lands at the end of her left hook, and another superwoman punch from Pennington allows her to close the distance and tie the Brazilian up to the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 2
The bantamweight contenders touch hands before re-engaging, and engage they do almost immediately, when Pennington coming out firing. Vieira answers with a counter left hook, as she measures this strike to draw ever closer to the mark. Vieira takes one on the chin to throw back two, and she has a handful of punches ricochet off the guard. Pennington connects with a heavy one-two, and Vieira blinks it out but cannot keep an advancing Pennington off of her. “Rocky” grabs hold of Vieira from behind, where she considers elevating the Brazilian to drop her on the mat, or otherwise force Vieira to carry her body weight. Vieira gets warned for bragging the fence, and she turns back around in the clinch and belts Pennington in the face with a stern elbow. Vieira opens up with a one-two, and she starts slugging it out with her opponent and gets marked up as well. The right side of Pennington’s face is growingly covered in blood, while Vieira’s mouth is also turning a brilliant shade of scarlet. Vieira spins Pennington around, and a knee from the former title challenger slams square into Vieira’s groin. Tognoni recognizes the foul as Vieira appears in clear pain, and the action is paused for about 45 seconds until they get back to it. Pennington starts off the initial aggressor, slinging a high kick and a few lancing punches while Vieira throws back in volume. Vieira gets off with a right hand, and Pennington replies in kind to snap the head back. Pennington nails her with another right over the top before latching on to the clinch and clubbing the body with a pair of knees. Pennington checks the clock when pinned to the fence – it reads about 58 seconds – and she tries with all her might to break off. When she cannot get out of the clinch, she settles for knee after unanswered knee to the chest and midsection. Vieira is sticking to her tightly without striking back, and Pennington remains the busier of the two with body shots. Vieira slithers around to the back with seconds to spare, and there is nothing to be had before the bell rings.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Pennington
Round 3
The ladies double touch hands, hug and then bump fists again to start the last round. They immediately go for broke, with Pennington not wasting any time engaging and throwing hands. Pennington cracks Vieira with a superwoman punch, and Vieira answers with several speedy punches in response. The two close the distance and end up tied up, with Vieira pushing the former title challenger against the wall. Pennington grinds her elbow on the chin as Vieira stays close enough to not take many knees as she did the end of the last round. When Pennington sets up a Thai plum, Vieira disengages. Vieira resets and dings Pennington with a right hand, stringing together a few strikes before Pennington closes in to grab hold of her. They trade short single punches up close, and both try to attempt a throw or toss to change position. When neither succeed, Vieira spins her around in the tie-up, and Pennington looks for a Thai clinch again. This time, Pennington is able to score a knee before they separate, and Vieira leaps forward suddenly with a crushing elbow. Pennington takes it cleanly and tries to escape, so Vieira follows her and nails her with another before snagging here again up close. Vieira targets elbows, and Pennington rips the body with a knee. When in the clinch, Vieira slips around to nearly take the back, and she knees the thigh while Pennington punches her from over her own shoulder. Vieira looks to elevate Pennington, but she cannot throw her as Pennington’s base is too solid. Vieira stays clung to her adversary right to the bitter end, and the judges have their hands full with this one.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
Jack Dankoff scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (29-28 Vieira)
The Official Result
Raquel Pennington def. Ketlen Vieira via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Angelo picks Vieira, citing her size, power, and Judo. He thinks she will be busier in the clinch and work off the cage, making Pennington look boring. He acknowledges Pennington's toughness but believes Vieira's recent win over Holly Holm and physical advantages will secure a decision. He is willing to bet on her.
Big Brady picks Ketlen Vieira but is not confident, calling it his least favorite fight on the card. He sees Vieira having a grappling advantage if she gets on top, but notes she often does nothing with control time, as seen in fights against Yana Kunitskaya and Holly Holm. He also acknowledges Pennington's clinch work and ability to push Vieira against the cage. He predicts a close, ugly decision that judges might get wrong, and he will not bet on the fight.
Cody leans slightly towards Pennington, noting her striking output against Aspen Ladd and potential bulldog choke. He sees it as a close fight and prefers to bet it live after seeing who is stronger in the clinch.
Connor picks Vieira because she is physically stronger and more powerful, and has a wrestling advantage that can neutralize Pennington's boxing. He notes that Pennington often gets taken down at least once per fight, and Vieira's clinch work and top control can sway judges. Connor also mentions that Vieira showed renewed confidence against Holly Holm, throwing off her back foot and in clinches.
Connor also picks Vieira, agreeing that she has improved and has more options. He notes that Pennington has power and patience, which could create opportunities, but Vieira's grappling and overall game should prevail. Connor mentions that Pennington has made herself interesting but Vieira is the better fighter.
Jacob picks Pennington, calling Vieira overrated and Pennington underrated. He argues Pennington's recent wins are more impressive and she is the better overall fighter. He notes Vieira's split decision losses and that Pennington's clinch control and striking looked sharp. He is confident enough to bet $100 against Angelo.
Paul leans towards Vieira, citing her size and recent five-round experience. He expects a clinch-heavy fight and thinks Vieira may get the better of it, but admits he has low confidence and sees it as a pass or live-bet situation.
Zane picks Pennington because she has steadily improved her boxing and showed excellent counter-punching against Aspen Ladd. He notes that Pennington is a solid defensive wrestler who doesn't give up much even when taken down, and that she makes good decisions as the fight goes on. Zane also points out that Vieira's striking has become overly cautious since her knockout loss, relying on clinch work rather than developing her forward striking.
Zane picks Vieira, noting that she has shown improvements in tactical depth and technique over her last few fights. He believes she has too many options and has gotten better at connecting phases of her game, defense, and counterpunching. However, he worries about her last fight against Melissa Gatto where she couldn't finish and got reversed. He still thinks she should be a lock to win.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 96 of 157 | 61% | 188 of 263 | 0 of 6 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 10:03 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 85 of 151 | 56% | 122 of 190 | 1 of 7 | 14% | 1 | 0 | 1:24 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 6 of 9 | 66% | 33 of 41 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 3:36 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 19 of 22 | 86% | 40 of 45 | 0 of 5 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:19 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 14 of 21 | 66% | 33 of 44 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:46 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 10 of 22 | 45% | 17 of 29 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 1 | 0 | 0:56 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 18 of 30 | 60% | 42 of 56 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2:50 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 23 of 37 | 62% | 27 of 41 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:06 | |
| 4 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 37 of 68 | 54% | 37 of 68 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:09 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 23 of 51 | 45% | 23 of 51 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 5 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 21 of 29 | 72% | 43 of 54 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1:42 |
| Holly Holm | 0 | 10 of 19 | 52% | 15 of 24 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:03 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 96 of 157 | 61% | 26 of 79 | 34 of 40 | 36 of 38 | 76 of 133 | 20 of 24 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 85 of 151 | 56% | 49 of 109 | 29 of 34 | 7 of 8 | 49 of 110 | 32 of 37 | 4 of 4 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 6 of 9 | 66% | 2 of 4 | 0 of 1 | 4 of 4 | 3 of 5 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 19 of 22 | 86% | 3 of 5 | 14 of 15 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 6 | 14 of 14 | 2 of 2 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 14 of 21 | 66% | 6 of 13 | 2 of 2 | 6 of 6 | 8 of 15 | 6 of 6 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 10 of 22 | 45% | 7 of 15 | 2 of 5 | 1 of 2 | 6 of 15 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 2 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 18 of 30 | 60% | 4 of 13 | 9 of 11 | 5 of 6 | 13 of 25 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 23 of 37 | 62% | 11 of 25 | 11 of 11 | 1 of 1 | 13 of 26 | 10 of 11 | 0 of 0 | |
| 4 | Ketlen Vieira | 37 of 68 | 54% | 5 of 33 | 16 of 18 | 16 of 17 | 36 of 66 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 23 of 51 | 45% | 19 of 46 | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 20 of 47 | 3 of 4 | 0 of 0 | |
| 5 | Ketlen Vieira | 21 of 29 | 72% | 9 of 16 | 7 of 8 | 5 of 5 | 16 of 22 | 5 of 7 | 0 of 0 |
| Holly Holm | 10 of 19 | 52% | 9 of 18 | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 | 7 of 16 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Holm (-240), Vieira (+195)
Round 1
Jason Herzog will oversee the evening’s bantamweight headliner. After having multiple fights fall through, Holm makes her first appearance since a dominant win over Irene Aldana in October 2020. Vieira, meanwhile, will attempt to add another notable name to her ledger after besting ex-champ Miesha Tate this past November. Holm opens up with an outside leg kick and Vieira answers with a heavy inside leg kick. Holm with a side kick to the knee of her opponent. Vieira closes distance and shoves Holm into the fence. The Jackson-Wink product quickly reverses position. Vieira attempts to execute a throw and then lands a few punches as Holm scrambles up. They remain in the clinch, with Holm in control, pushing Vieira into the fence. Holm with a few short punches to the head. Holm defends a trip and lands a few punches. Holm is controlling the clinch and appears to be the stronger fighter, but there’s not a ton of action in this position. They trade knees and Holm drops for a single leg. Holm gives up on it and continues to grind away against the fence. Holm lands a few knees to the thigh of Vieira, who responds with knees of her own to the midsection. Holm defends another throw and the round ends in the clinch.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Round 2
Holm begins with an outside leg kick. Vieira just misses the mark on a head kick. The Brazilian moves forward and fires off a straight right. Vieira closes the distance behind a combination, but Holm circles out. Another leg kick for Holm. Holm with a leg kick yet again, and she moves away from Vieira’s counter. Holm punches her way into the clinch and Vieira executes a nice hip toss. Holm immediately slides to the fence and posts an arm before standing. Vieira shoves Holm into the cage, but “The Preacher’s Daughter” turns off the cage and separates. Holm with a standing side kick to the head. Holm gets in on a single leg. Vieira hops on one leg while attacking a guillotine. Holm clings to the leg and atttempts to drag Viera to the mat. She leaves her neck exposed and Vieira briefly has a really tight standing rear-naked choke. Somehow Holm, with her face red and eyes bulging, turns out of it and shoves Vieira into the cage. Holm fires off a hard elbow from the clinch. Another elbow for Holm with time winding down. The round ends with Holm controlling position against the fence.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tudor Leonte scores the round:10-9 Vieira
Round 3
Holm goes back to the outside leg kick and Vieira answers with an inside low kick. Holm with a punching flurry, but Vieira counters her. Moments later, a front kick to the face from Vieira appears to catch Holm, who keeps her bearings and turns her foe into the cage. Holm is content to grind away from the clinch, but Vieira breaks free. Holm with an outside leg kick followed by a side kick to the midsection. Holm goes with a high kick, but Vieira blocks it. A right hand from Vieira lands flush, so Holm punches her way into the clinch. Vieira does a good job landing a few knees up the middle with her back to the cage. Holm continues to control head positioning with an underhook while occasionally flurrying with left hands. Holm with more short left hands to the head, and Vieira breaks free and lands a solid right hand. Holm lands a standing side kick but Vieira marches forward and sticks a stiff right nad to the chin. Holm ends the frame with a few knees in close quarters.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 4
Holm moves forward behind a combination, but Vieira answers with a clean right hand. Holm attempts to close the distance, but she’s stung by a right nand from Vieira. A front kick to the face lands for Holm but Vieira eats it without issue. Holm rushes forward but Vieira counters with the more significant punches. Vieira tags Holm with a combination. They briefly clinch and Vieira sticks another right. Holm’s blitzes aren’t effectively, but a standing side kick puts Vieira on her seat and Holm follows with a body kick when she stands. Another Vieira right hand catches Holm coming in. Holm forces the clinch but eats an uppercut in the process. Vieira is able to separate and circle away. A straight right snaps Holm’s head back. It’s another close round, but Vieira counters effectively with a punching combination yet again as Holm wades forward. Holm continues to throw a variety of kicks, but the punching exchanges are going Vieira’s way. Holm with another furious flurry before the bantamweights clinch at the end of the round.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm
Tudor Leonte scores the round:10-9 Holm
Round 5
The combatants hug to start the round. Vieira gets Holm’s attention with a head kick. They clinch, and Vieira breaks with a spinning elbow. Holm with a big left hand into the clinch. Vieira breaks free and Holm attacks with a front kick to the body. Holm forces the clinch again and the fighters stall before they reach the fence. Holm lands a short elbow on the break. Vieira counters a kick with a solid right hand. Holm forces the clinch and shoves Vieira into the cage, where she lands a knee. Vieira separates, but Holm lands a pair of nice front kicks to the face. A glancing head kick also finds the mark for Holm. Vieira counters an onrushing Holm with an uppercut. Holm changes levels and grabs a single leg. She shoves Vieira into the fence with less than 2:00 to go. Holm lets go of the leg but maintains the underhook. A short right hook lands for Holm on the break. Holm with a kick to the body and they clinch again. Holm shoves Vieira back into the fence. On the break, Holm with a flurry of punches. Holm stuffs an ensuing takedown from Vieira, turns her foe into the fence and lands several short punches. Holm drops for a takedown, can't get it and then lands some punches to the thigh before the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Holm (48-47 Holm)
Keith Shillan scores the round: 10-9 Holm (48-47 Holm)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Holm (48-47 Holm)
The Official Result
Ketlen Vieira def. Holly Holm via Split Decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) R3 5:00
Angelo picks Holly Holm because she can turn the fight into a kickboxing match and has excellent takedown defense. He notes that Vieira's charging forward plays into Holm's counter-striking. He doesn't factor in the layoff because Holm has never been an active fighter. He expects a decision win for Holm and suggests a prop bet on Holm by decision.
Big Brady picks Holly Holm to win by decision, citing her superior striking, cardio, and competition level. He notes Vieira has a grappling advantage but doubts she can out-grapple Holm for five rounds. His only concern is Holm's age (40) and 19-month layoff, but he believes if she looks like she did against Irene Aldana, she should cruise. He sees no path to victory for Vieira unless Holm is old.
Cody believes Holly Holm's striking volume, improved wrestling, and five-round experience will be too much for Ketlen Vieira. He notes Holm's lateral mobility and speed, and that Vieira has been outstruck in most of her UFC fights. He is confident Holm wins but finds the -240 moneyline a bit steep, preferring to bet Holm by decision or late-round finishes.
The host discusses the main event but does not make a clear pick. He mentions Holly Holm's age and questions whether she can still compete at 40, but does not state a preference. He also notes that the fight could go to decision and includes it in a totals parlay (over 4.5 rounds), but does not pick a winner.
Paul likes Holly Holm to win but is hesitant due to the -240 price and Holm's age (40). He notes Holm's striking and improved wrestling, but says he doesn't love the moneyline. He is interested in sprinkling on Holm round 4 (+2500) and round 5 (+3000) if Vieira shows up like she did against Yana Kunitskaya, as Holm could finish her late.
The MMA Guru picks Holly Holm, citing her superior striking, conditioning, and athleticism. He thinks Ketlen Vieira lacks KO power and will struggle to get the fight to the ground. He predicts Holm will lose the first round but win the next four via decision.
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 113 of 263 | 42% | 156 of 313 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:02 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 122 of 276 | 44% | 145 of 302 | 1 of 6 | 16% | 0 | 0 | 2:52 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 14 of 38 | 36% | 18 of 44 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 13 of 38 | 34% | 16 of 41 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:52 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 29 of 54 | 53% | 29 of 54 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 21 of 54 | 38% | 21 of 54 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 20 of 55 | 36% | 28 of 63 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 24 of 57 | 42% | 26 of 59 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:26 | |
| 4 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 20 of 43 | 46% | 50 of 78 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:02 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 31 of 54 | 57% | 44 of 70 | 1 of 2 | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1:34 | |
| 5 | Ketlen Vieira | 0 | 30 of 73 | 41% | 31 of 74 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
| Miesha Tate | 0 | 33 of 73 | 45% | 38 of 78 | 0 of 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | 113 of 263 | 42% | 95 of 243 | 14 of 16 | 4 of 4 | 105 of 254 | 8 of 9 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 122 of 276 | 44% | 52 of 175 | 60 of 88 | 10 of 13 | 110 of 260 | 12 of 16 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ketlen Vieira | 14 of 38 | 36% | 12 of 36 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 | 13 of 36 | 1 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 13 of 38 | 34% | 8 of 24 | 4 of 11 | 1 of 3 | 13 of 37 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Ketlen Vieira | 29 of 54 | 53% | 24 of 48 | 2 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 29 of 54 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 21 of 54 | 38% | 14 of 42 | 6 of 10 | 1 of 2 | 21 of 54 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 | |
| 3 | Ketlen Vieira | 20 of 55 | 36% | 18 of 52 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 20 of 55 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 24 of 57 | 42% | 4 of 28 | 15 of 24 | 5 of 5 | 21 of 54 | 3 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 4 | Ketlen Vieira | 20 of 43 | 46% | 16 of 39 | 4 of 4 | 0 of 0 | 15 of 38 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 31 of 54 | 57% | 8 of 27 | 21 of 25 | 2 of 2 | 24 of 45 | 7 of 9 | 0 of 0 | |
| 5 | Ketlen Vieira | 30 of 73 | 41% | 25 of 68 | 5 of 5 | 0 of 0 | 28 of 71 | 2 of 2 | 0 of 0 |
| Miesha Tate | 33 of 73 | 45% | 18 of 54 | 14 of 18 | 1 of 1 | 31 of 70 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogRound 1
At long last, we have reached the main event. It’s been a journey tonight. Vieira (11-2, 5-2 UFC) will try to get back in the win column against former champ Tate (19-7, 6-4 UFC). The cage commander for this final fight of the night is referee Jason Herzog, and both with an eye on a crack at the bantamweight belt in the future touch hands to start things out. Vieira captures the center of the cage in the early going, but they keep a very safe range from the other to not land punches or kicks. They take turns following the other, until Vieira sits down with a right hand to smack Tate in the face. Tate tries to jab the body a few times, and Vieira is there to pop her with a left hand over the top. Tate swings, misses, and gets countered by the Brazilian. Vieira sticks out a crisp jab, and her range is giving Tate pause at how to get in on her. When Tate jumps forward into a one-two, Vieira swats it out of the way and dances back when Tate aims a kick at her leg. Tate appears jittery as she hops back and forth to try to get in on Vieira, throwing a single front kick to the body. Vieira tags Tate with a right hand when Tate closes in on her, and the former champ lands a pair of successful punches. Caught celebrating her work a little too long, Vieira counters her with heavier blows before Tate can escape. The distance between the two is vast, and Tate resorts to staggering and stutter-stepping her way in. Tate chases Vieira down and slugs her in the face with a combination, and when Vieira tries to answer her with strikes of her own, Tate ties her up and presses her into the wall. Although Vieira separates, Tate knees her once to the body. Tate ducks a punch combination to push Vieira back into the wire, and like before, Vieira is able to separate without issue. From a distance, Vieira shoots in for a takedown, and Tate is able to stop it from succeeding. They end the round in an awkward position with Tate’s hand on her foe’s backside.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Round 2
A tense exchange begins the second round, and Vieira lands cleanly on Tate’s left eye, forcing some reddening and immediate swelling. Tate pays it no mind as she kicks Vieira in the head, but it is only a glancing blow as the Brazilian rolls with it. Tate keeps reaching out to try to get in on her opponent, and she eats a Vieira punch so that she can score a solid right hand. The former champ plants the fall of her foot on Vieira’s torso, interrupting Vieira from landing a strike. Tate winds up with a stiff right hand, nailing Vieira and forcing her to reel. In response, Vieira scores a left hand down the pipe. Vieira chops at the leg, and they both start trading heavy leather in front of one another. Tate lands, and Vieira is stuck countering instead of leading the exchanges. This allows Tate to land on her first before replying. Tate connects with a big kick to Vieira’s face, and she sees that it has done some damage as she follows it with a chain of punches. Tate strings together a few one-twos, and Vieira shakes it off and lands her own thudding left hook on the side of Tate’s head. The woman formerly known as “Takedown” attempts one in the open cage, and Vieira stuffs it without issue. She tries again, and Vieira stops that one as well and separates. Tate walks Vieira down with kicks and punches, while not appearing too worried about the single counters that come back at her. Tate scores with a pair of clean right hands, and the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Round 3
Tate comes out firing to start off the second round, surprising the Brazilian early with a short blitz of blows. Backing away before the counters follow suit, Tate changes things up with an inside leg kick and then one on the outside. Vieira leans into a left hand, and after a lull in the action, Tate reaches out with a left hand to stop a punch and she pokes Vieira square in the eyeball. Herzog acknowledges this and brings in the doctor, and after a minute to clear things out, Vieira is ready to go again. Tate wants to capitalize on this accident by chasing Vieira down with jabs and follow-up right hands. Tate keeps a low stance, and she punches the body while Vieira is sitting firmly on counters. Tate punches, slips the response and jabs out again. Tate gives chase, and a big right hand gets caught under Vieira’s armpit. Tate lands a right, tries to clinch up and eats a short right hand for her effort. Tate goes up high with a kick, and when it collides off of Vieira’s guard, Vieira aims a right hand down the middle. Tate advances, and Vieira swings a pair of looping hooks to keep Tate honest. The former champ lands a single strike, while Vieira’s prepared counter of an uppercut and a right hand knocks Tate back. The Brazilian lands cleanly in another exchange, forcing Tate to change levels and pursue a takedown. Vieira defends it well and separates without going down to her knees. When Vieira gets up, Tate meets her outstretched leg with a kick, and Vieira lances her with a right hand in a sharp retort. Tate rushes forward to clinch her up to end the round, and she holds on to the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Round 4
They meet and touch gloves in the center of the cage to initiate the championship rounds. Tate starts off aggressively, chasing her opponent down and landing punches. Tate clubs her opponent with a crisp right hand, and she escapes when Vieira sets up a counter. The Brazilian lands a few punches from a distance, and they trade heavily suddenly. Tate mixes things up with a takedown attempt, and she finally hits it and gets Vieira down. As “Fenomeno” stands up, Tate takes her back and looks to hit a mat return by tripping Vieira down. Clinched up, Tate gives up on the takedown entry so that she can land short strikes to the body and head. Staying tight keeps Tate away from eating any counters, and she presses her full body weight on her opponent that had never before fought beyond the third round. Vieira grits her teeth and pushes Tate away, and she starts lunging out with jabs. Tate marks her up with a big punch, and Vieira blasts her right back. Both women wear it well, and Tate kicks Vieira in the body from afar. Tate lands a few punches before coming in to clinch, and she knees Vieira in the body once. Vieira gives several punches back to the midsection, until Tate has had enough of that and pushes away. A Tate leg kick is met with a straight left hand, and Vieira catches Tate coming in with a string of punches. Vieira loads up on a right hand, and she elbows Tate when Tate tries to clinch. Vieira welcomes the clinch again in the open cage, as she repeatedly punches Tate in the side as she did before. Tate holds on tight with a clinch, and she releases a knee to the head. Another knee scores for the former champ, who ends the round in the Thai clinch.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tate
Round 5
The bantamweights touch hands and then come in to hug to commence the last round. Vieira lets her hands go when they start fighting, and she connects cleanly with power punches as Tate looks to be safe. They come together in a clinch, and Tate works the body before Vieira separates. Vieira tags her opponent with an uppercut and a left hand, and Tate is forced to back off and gather her thoughts. When she does, the ex-champ kicks the body and then tries to get a knee off to the chest. Tate kicks the body, but Vieira is there to bang with her as she starts throwing hard. As Tate backs off, Vieira leans on a long jab, and she busts Tate’s nose open with a powerful knee and a few punches up top. Tate misses on one-twos as Vieira appears to be the fresher, more composed woman right now. Tate springs back and forth, jabbing out but not throwing nearly as much as she did before the nose got cracked. Tate sneaks a right hand over the top, but Vieira throws three back at her that are much heavier. They trade single jabs, and Tate steps forward into a one-two that knocks Vieira back. Vieira returns fire with jabs that continue to pound into Tate’s bloodied nose, and the former champion’s face has transformed into a crimson mask. Hardly recognizable, Tate does not care, as she continues to swing punches while Vieira is tight and crisp with her boxing. The jabs have shut Tate’s left eye as well as making her nose bleed furiously, and Tate marches on and kicks her in the side. Tate continues to pour it on as Vieira stays on her bicycle, successfully scoring with laser-accurate strikes that barely register for Tate. The fight comes to an end after 25 minutes of action, and it could be anyone’s guess who wins this fight based on how close most of the rounds were. UFC Fight Night 198, and a consecutive weekend stretch of 10 UFC cards, comes to an end with an event that brought 10 decisions in 11 bouts. We all could use a week off, and we will have it. When the UFC returns in December, it will be on ESPN for U.S. audiences with a barnburner of a main event between Rob Font and Jose Aldo. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (48-47 Vieira)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (48-47 Vieira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (48-47 Tate)
The Official Result
Ketlen Vieira def. Miesha Tate via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Angelo picks Ketlen Vieira, citing her power, size, and solid takedown defense (92%). He notes Miesha Tate's striking is poor and she relies on takedowns, but Vieira has stuffed takedowns from Olympic wrestler Sarah McMahon. He expects Vieira to win by decision or late stoppage, and placed a moneyline bet at even money (+100). He also mentions live betting opportunities.
Big Brady picks Miesha Tate to win by late finish (4th or 5th round). He notes that Ketlen Vieira has never fought five rounds and tends to slow down in the third round, as seen in fights against Eubanks and Kanutsukai. He believes Tate's improved striking and wrestling will allow her to survive early and take over as Vieira fades. He sees a late stoppage as very live.
Cody believes Miesha Tate is undervalued as a slight underdog. He points to Tate's championship pedigree, improved striking, and excellent conditioning for a five-round fight. He highlights Ketlen Vieira's history of gassing in the third round of her fights, including against Yana Kunitskaya where she was out-struck 44-7. Cody argues that Tate's wrestling is good enough to stuff takedowns and that if the fight stays standing, Tate has the advantage. He expects Tate to take over in rounds four and five as Vieira fades.
Daniel Levi picks Ketlen Vieira despite her history of mental lapses and cardio issues. He notes that Vieira has superior skills across the board, including judo and power, but worries about her hitting a wall in later rounds. He believes Miesha Tate is stiff and slow, and that Vieira has no pressure on her in this fight. However, he acknowledges Tate's toughness and comeback ability, making this a hesitant pick.
Lock sees this as a classic early Vera vs late Tate fight. He thinks Vera gasses badly after round two, and Tate will take over with takedowns and top control. He notes Tate is hunting a finish and might get it late. Lock likes the under 4.5 rounds at +140 and Tate inside the distance at +375. He also sprinkled Tate round 4 and round 5 props.
Paul agrees with Cody's assessment, noting that Vieira's gas tank is a major concern, especially in a five-round fight. He references the Yana Kunitskaya fight where Vieira missed weight and gassed hard at the end of round three. Paul believes that if Vieira cannot put Tate away early, Tate will take over late. He also mentions that this could be a good live bet opportunity if Vieira slows down in round three and Tate is still available at plus money.
The MMA Guru picks Miesha Tate over Ketlen Vieira. He notes that Vieira slows down in later rounds, as seen against Yana Kunitskaya and Sijara Eubanks. He highlights Tate's championship experience, composure, and conditioning. He expects a stalemate on the feet early, but Tate to win scrambles and land ground and pound in the later rounds, finishing with a fourth-round TKO.
Expert Picks (9)
Angelo picks Vieira, citing her size, power, and Judo. He thinks she will be busier in the clinch and work off the cage, making Pennington look boring. He acknowledges Pennington's toughness but believes Vieira's recent win over Holly Holm and physical advantages will secure a decision. He is willing to bet on her.
Big Brady picks Ketlen Vieira but is not confident, calling it his least favorite fight on the card. He sees Vieira having a grappling advantage if she gets on top, but notes she often does nothing with control time, as seen in fights against Yana Kunitskaya and Holly Holm. He also acknowledges Pennington's clinch work and ability to push Vieira against the cage. He predicts a close, ugly decision that judges might get wrong, and he will not bet on the fight.
Cody leans slightly towards Pennington, noting her striking output against Aspen Ladd and potential bulldog choke. He sees it as a close fight and prefers to bet it live after seeing who is stronger in the clinch.
Connor also picks Vieira, agreeing that she has improved and has more options. He notes that Pennington has power and patience, which could create opportunities, but Vieira's grappling and overall game should prevail. Connor mentions that Pennington has made herself interesting but Vieira is the better fighter.
Connor picks Vieira because she is physically stronger and more powerful, and has a wrestling advantage that can neutralize Pennington's boxing. He notes that Pennington often gets taken down at least once per fight, and Vieira's clinch work and top control can sway judges. Connor also mentions that Vieira showed renewed confidence against Holly Holm, throwing off her back foot and in clinches.
Jacob picks Pennington, calling Vieira overrated and Pennington underrated. He argues Pennington's recent wins are more impressive and she is the better overall fighter. He notes Vieira's split decision losses and that Pennington's clinch control and striking looked sharp. He is confident enough to bet $100 against Angelo.
Paul leans towards Vieira, citing her size and recent five-round experience. He expects a clinch-heavy fight and thinks Vieira may get the better of it, but admits he has low confidence and sees it as a pass or live-bet situation.
Zane picks Vieira, noting that she has shown improvements in tactical depth and technique over her last few fights. He believes she has too many options and has gotten better at connecting phases of her game, defense, and counterpunching. However, he worries about her last fight against Melissa Gatto where she couldn't finish and got reversed. He still thinks she should be a lock to win.
Zane picks Pennington because she has steadily improved her boxing and showed excellent counter-punching against Aspen Ladd. He notes that Pennington is a solid defensive wrestler who doesn't give up much even when taken down, and that she makes good decisions as the fight goes on. Zane also points out that Vieira's striking has become overly cautious since her knockout loss, relying on clinch work rather than developing her forward striking.
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