UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige · Jul 16, 2020 · Women's Flyweight · Completed
Prev Fight UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige Next Fight
Age 31
Height 5' 4"
Reach 62.0"
Weight 125 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Age 29
Height 5' 7"
Reach 68"
Weight 125 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages - Liana Jojua
2.42 SLpM
30.0% Str. Acc.
5.32 SApM
54.0% Str. Def.
1.71 TD Avg
66.0% TD Acc.
50.0% TD Def.
1.3 Sub. Avg
Career Averages - Diana Belbiţă
6.45 SLpM
41.0% Str. Acc.
6.55 SApM
51.0% Str. Def.
0.86 TD Avg
62.0% TD Acc.
64.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Liana Jojua - Fight History
LOSS vs Cortney Casey
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez · Nov 13, 2021
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Cortney Casey 0 89 of 218 40% 124 of 257 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 34 of 154 22% 57 of 184 2 of 3 66% 0 0 1:33
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Cortney Casey 0 29 of 67 43% 53 of 91 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 9 of 47 19% 13 of 54 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:31
2 Cortney Casey 0 23 of 61 37% 30 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 8 of 45 17% 26 of 67 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:44
3 Cortney Casey 0 37 of 90 41% 41 of 94 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 17 of 62 27% 18 of 63 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:18
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Cortney Casey 89 of 218 40% 61 of 173 12 of 25 16 of 20 86 of 213 2 of 2 1 of 3
Liana Jojua 34 of 154 22% 29 of 143 4 of 9 1 of 2 30 of 145 1 of 2 3 of 7
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Cortney Casey 29 of 67 43% 19 of 53 4 of 6 6 of 8 29 of 67 0 of 0 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 9 of 47 19% 8 of 45 1 of 2 0 of 0 7 of 43 0 of 0 2 of 4
2 Cortney Casey 23 of 61 37% 14 of 46 3 of 8 6 of 7 22 of 58 0 of 0 1 of 3
Liana Jojua 8 of 45 17% 7 of 41 0 of 2 1 of 2 7 of 42 0 of 0 1 of 3
3 Cortney Casey 37 of 90 41% 28 of 74 5 of 11 4 of 5 35 of 88 2 of 2 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 17 of 62 27% 14 of 57 3 of 5 0 of 0 16 of 60 1 of 2 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Cortney Casey

Angelo leans toward Cortney Casey due to her higher level of competition and more technical striking. He acknowledges that Jojua has a path to victory through grappling but notes her poor takedown ability. Angelo thinks the odds are a bit wide and considers this a close fight, but picks experience.

"i think this is much closer than these odds i'm going with the experience here i am going to pick casey"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Nov 9, 2021 (4 days before fight)
Cortney Casey

Big Brady is confident in Cortney Casey, criticizing Liana Jojua's poor striking defense, wrestling, and cardio. He notes Jojua was dominated by Sarah Morris and Miranda Maverick, and while Casey has a mediocre record, she has faced tougher competition. Brady expects Casey to have a striking advantage and predicts a TKO in the second round as Jojua fades.

Casey by TKO in round 2
"give me according to casey to win i'm going to take her to win by like a tko in the second round"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Cortney Casey

Cody is betting against Jojua, not for Casey. He notes Jojua's poor performances and long layoff. He thinks Casey's volume and experience should win, but he's not confident because Casey is 9-9 and hasn't won in two years. He advises caution and checking weigh-ins.

"the pick will be courtney casey it's just i got to figure out what the trust level is like"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Nov 11, 2021 (2 days before fight)
Cortney Casey

Daniel Levi picks Cortney Casey, noting that Jojua's takedowns are not strong and most of her wins come by armbar off her back, which Casey has not been submitted by. He acknowledges Casey's poor takedown defense but believes she is the tougher fighter and has beaten higher-level competition. Levi says he would never bet Casey at -240 but still picks her to win.

would not bet at -240
"i gotta go with courtney casey here"
JA
Jacob Lines Expert Confident picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Liana Jojua

Jacob picks Liana Jojua as his lock of the week, believing she will use offensive wrestling to take Casey down and control her. He notes that Casey has been taken down in recent fights and thinks Jojua's grappling is superior. Jacob is very confident in this pick.

"she's the lock of the week let's get that out of the way"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Nov 10, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Cortney Casey

Paul thinks Casey is far more skilled than Jojua, who has poor stand-up and is hittable. He expects Casey to win by volume and experience. He notes Casey's grappling is adequate and Jojua's only path is a submission, which is unlikely.

"casey gets the win i never want to back courtney casey at minus 235 but i think she's got her out gunned everywhere here"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 13, 2021 (fight day)
Cortney Casey

The Guru picks Cortney Casey by submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round. He expects Casey to out-strike Jojua on the feet, then reverse a takedown attempt and secure the choke. Jojua's nose and eye will be bloodied from Casey's pressure and clinch work.

submission in round 2
"casey reverses position takes to back put the puts the hooks in gets the re-naked choke and lyanna jojo taps to a remake of choke at the end of the second round"
TKO (doctor stoppage) R1 5:00 · UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje · Oct 24, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Miranda Maverick 0 30 of 80 37% 30 of 80 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 49 of 95 51% 49 of 95 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Miranda Maverick 0 30 of 80 37% 30 of 80 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 49 of 95 51% 49 of 95 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Miranda Maverick 30 of 80 37% 26 of 71 4 of 8 0 of 1 30 of 80 0 of 0 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 49 of 95 51% 25 of 65 15 of 21 9 of 9 49 of 95 0 of 0 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Miranda Maverick 30 of 80 37% 26 of 71 4 of 8 0 of 1 30 of 80 0 of 0 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 49 of 95 51% 25 of 65 15 of 21 9 of 9 49 of 95 0 of 0 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Oct 20, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Miranda Maverick

Big Brady is confident in Miranda Maverick, citing her superior grappling and wrestling compared to Jojua's previous opponent. He notes Maverick's active guard and ability to sweep, and expects her to dominate on the ground. He predicts a third-round submission, as Jojua has been finished before.

submission, third round, inside the distance
"give me maverick here i'm gonna pick her to win by uh give me uh a third round submission"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Oct 23, 2020 (1 day before fight)
Miranda Maverick

Daniel Levi picks Miranda Maverick, stating she is better across the board and a hyped prospect. He notes that Jojua is an armbar specialist, but as long as Maverick avoids the armbar, she will win. He mentions that the line opened at -140 and has moved significantly, indicating Vegas may be on to something.

Line opened -140 and has moved to -380; Jojua is an armbar specialist; Maverick should win if she avoids the armbar
"as long as she avoids this armbar she will win this fight"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Oct 19, 2020 (5 days before fight)
Miranda Maverick

The host picks Miranda Maverick, citing her youth, fight-to-fight improvements, and strong grappling. He notes that Jojua has poor takedown defense and was outmuscled at higher weight classes, but acknowledges that Jojua has value as a dog due to experience on Fight Island and underrated jiu-jitsu.

"i do believe that this fight should be lined closer but i am going to side with the maverick side here uh i do think she does end up getting the you know the better of the striking exchanges"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Oct 16, 2020 (8 days before fight)
Miranda Maverick

The MMA Guru picks Miranda Maverick to win by unanimous decision (30-27). He notes that Maverick is bigger, stronger, more athletic, and has KO power and grappling skills. He criticizes Jojua for losing to Sarah Moras (5-5) and believes Maverick's preparation (knowing her debut for a long time) gives her an edge.

unanimous decision
"i think miranda maverick will be too big too strong too athletic for her in the first and second round and get the job done by unanimous decision"
Submission (armbar) R1 2:43 · UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige · Jul 16, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Liana Jojua 0 5 of 9 55% 6 of 11 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:34
Diana Belbiţă 0 2 of 3 66% 3 of 4 0 of 0 --- 3 0 0:52
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Liana Jojua 0 5 of 9 55% 6 of 11 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:34
Diana Belbiţă 0 2 of 3 66% 3 of 4 0 of 0 --- 3 0 0:52
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Liana Jojua 5 of 9 55% 3 of 6 2 of 3 0 of 0 3 of 5 2 of 4 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 2 of 3 66% 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Liana Jojua 5 of 9 55% 3 of 6 2 of 3 0 of 0 3 of 5 2 of 4 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 2 of 3 66% 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2020 (3 days before fight)
Liana Jojua

Big Brady picks Liana Jojua as an underdog, noting Belbiţă is the better striker but has poor takedown defense. He thinks Jojua can take the fight to the ground where she is dangerous with submissions. He predicts an ugly decision or submission win for Jojua, calling it likely the worst fight on the card.

"give me Jojo gonna go with the underdog here to win this fight by decision"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 14, 2020 (2 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Daniel Levi picks Diana Belbiţă, calling her the tougher fighter and noting that Liana Jojua has not impressed, pulling stunts in her last fight. He acknowledges Belbiţă has been submitted multiple times but believes she showed toughness against Molly McCann and can keep the fight standing to outpoint Jojua.

"I definitely think Bell betta is the tougher chick... I'm gonna go about betta here"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Jul 12, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The Guru dismisses both fighters as terrible, but gives the edge to Diana Belbiţă due to her experience, size, and reach advantage. He criticizes Belbiţă's padded record but notes that Liana Jojua has not beaten anyone of note and lost to Sarah Moras. He ultimately picks Belbiţă because experience and physical attributes tend to matter in low-level matchups.

"the Annabelle Beach has more experience I'm just gonna go with that because neither of them at any good whatsoever and probably shouldn't be in the UFC but still they're in the UFC experience size reach tends to come in …"
LOSS vs Sarah Moras
TKO (punches and elbows) R3 2:26 · UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier · Sep 07, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Sarah Moras 0 19 of 45 42% 45 of 77 2 of 3 66% 0 0 2:20
Liana Jojua 0 44 of 88 50% 130 of 191 0 of 0 --- 1 1 6:37
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Sarah Moras 0 9 of 26 34% 20 of 37 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Liana Jojua 0 12 of 35 34% 51 of 79 0 of 0 --- 0 0 2:57
2 Sarah Moras 0 9 of 18 50% 21 of 35 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:02
Liana Jojua 0 9 of 22 40% 41 of 60 0 of 0 --- 1 1 3:01
3 Sarah Moras 0 1 of 1 100% 4 of 5 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:18
Liana Jojua 0 23 of 31 74% 38 of 52 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:39
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Sarah Moras 19 of 45 42% 12 of 38 6 of 6 1 of 1 16 of 41 1 of 1 2 of 3
Liana Jojua 44 of 88 50% 35 of 78 6 of 7 3 of 3 16 of 51 1 of 2 27 of 35
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Sarah Moras 9 of 26 34% 6 of 23 2 of 2 1 of 1 8 of 25 1 of 1 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 12 of 35 34% 8 of 31 2 of 2 2 of 2 11 of 34 1 of 1 0 of 0
2 Sarah Moras 9 of 18 50% 5 of 14 4 of 4 0 of 0 7 of 15 0 of 0 2 of 3
Liana Jojua 9 of 22 40% 6 of 18 2 of 3 1 of 1 3 of 13 0 of 1 6 of 8
3 Sarah Moras 1 of 1 100% 1 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0
Liana Jojua 23 of 31 74% 21 of 29 2 of 2 0 of 0 2 of 4 0 of 0 21 of 27
Diana Belbiţă - Fight History
LOSS vs Dione Barbosa
Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 4:13 · UFC on ESPN: Emmett vs. Murphy · Apr 05, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Diana Belbiţă 0 20 of 69 28% 23 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Dione Barbosa 0 27 of 50 54% 35 of 58 1 of 1 100% 1 0 0:58
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Diana Belbiţă 0 20 of 69 28% 23 of 72 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Dione Barbosa 0 27 of 50 54% 35 of 58 1 of 1 100% 1 0 0:58
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Diana Belbiţă 20 of 69 28% 6 of 43 6 of 17 8 of 9 20 of 69 0 of 0 0 of 0
Dione Barbosa 27 of 50 54% 23 of 46 2 of 2 2 of 2 25 of 48 2 of 2 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Diana Belbiţă 20 of 69 28% 6 of 43 6 of 17 8 of 9 20 of 69 0 of 0 0 of 0
Dione Barbosa 27 of 50 54% 23 of 46 2 of 2 2 of 2 25 of 48 2 of 2 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Dione Barbosa vs. Diana Belbita
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Barbosa (-500), Belbita (+340)

Round 1
Of all the fights tonight, this one will see the widest betting line between favorite and underdog. Having won just twice in seven UFC offerings, it makes some sense that Belbita (15-9, 2-5 UFC) should serve with plus money, but +625 is where she stands. About to close as one of the most heavily favored UFC fighters this year, Barbosa (7-3, 1-1 UFC) is expected to power through while accompanied by -1000 odds. Never tell “Warrior Princess” the odds. Referee Keith Peterson will be the overseer for this flyweight contest, one that opens up with a respectful clap of hands and no nonsense in sight. They both lob low kicks at one another and pull them back. Barbosa strikes first with a jab, and she skirts away from the counter. The Brazilian scores an overhand right, and Belbita is there to pay her back this time with a long left and a ripping left to the body. She goes for the body shot a few more times, ignoring what Barbosa puts on her to connect cleanly. The face of “Warrior Princess” ducks into punches and throws back in hopes of clipping Barbosa with a counter. Barbosa parries a head kick, and she races back to avoid several punches chained into a head kick. Barbosa flashes her jab, and she stays in the pocket too long and gets popped with an overhand right. Belbita attacks the body again, making sure to fighting in flurries, and she times another big right hand up top. Belbita ends a combo with a low kick, and she absorbs anything the Brazilian hurls at her without batting an eye. Belbita goes to the body, opening up an overhand right to the head. She jams the ball of her foot on Barbosa’s stomach, and dings her with a few right hands. Barbosa pressures her against the fencing and spins with an elbow that clips her. When Belbita leans over to try to shake it off, Barbosa hits the level change she suddenly wants and lands practically in full mount.
Barbosa leans her weight down, and she locks up an arm-triangle choke before long. Belbita pumps her hips back and forth, but she cannot buck the Brazilian off of her. As Barbosa presses down with all she has, Belbita has no choice but to surrender.
Just like that, Barbosa lifts her submission rate as a pro to 50%, while landing the first arm-triangle of her career.

The Official Result
Dione Barbosa def. Diana Belbita R1 4:13 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Dione Barbosa

Angelo is very confident that Dione Barbosa will dominate Diana Belbiţă. He highlights Dione's Judo background and grappling, while noting Diana has zero power, low fight IQ, and has been vocal about not caring about her career. He believes Diana is just showing up for a paycheck and will get bullied in all exchanges. Angelo calls it a 'mly whopping' and says Dione runs through her.

"I think deani Barbosa runs through di Bita I don't think it's competitive at all I think she beats the absolute [__] out of her."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 1, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Dione Barbosa

Big Brady is very confident in Dione Barbosa, citing her judo and BJJ black belts against Diana Belbiţă, who has been submitted five times. He believes Barbosa will take the fight to the ground and submit Belbiţă, likely via rear-naked choke or armbar in the first round.

first round submission
"give me Barbosa give me Barbosa by by first round submission"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Apr 3, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Dione Barbosa

Barbosa's BJJ prowess and Belbiţă's poor takedown defense will lead to Barbosa finding a submission. The pick is a lean based on grappling advantage.

submission
"I have to lean with the BJJ prowess of Barbosa and the poor takedown defense of Bita which will lead to Barbosa eventually finding that submission and getting the tap."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 3, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Dione Barbosa

The Guru picks Dione Barbosa based on physicality, strength, and power, contrasting her muscular build with Diana Belbiţă's lack of snap or pop. He believes Belbiţă cannot impose damage on anyone and that Barbosa will be too strong and powerful, likely getting takedowns and finishing inside the distance.

Dione Barbosa wins inside the distance
"Dion Barbosa is going to be too strong, too big, too powerful. She takes out Dannabel Bea inside the distance."
LOSS vs Molly McCann
Submission (armbar) R1 4:59 · UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov · Feb 03, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Molly McCann 0 42 of 91 46% 43 of 92 2 of 2 100% 1 0 1:08
Diana Belbiţă 0 29 of 77 37% 29 of 77 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Molly McCann 0 42 of 91 46% 43 of 92 2 of 2 100% 1 0 1:08
Diana Belbiţă 0 29 of 77 37% 29 of 77 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Molly McCann 42 of 91 46% 27 of 71 14 of 19 1 of 1 34 of 76 2 of 4 6 of 11
Diana Belbiţă 29 of 77 37% 9 of 46 13 of 23 7 of 8 24 of 72 5 of 5 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Molly McCann 42 of 91 46% 27 of 71 14 of 19 1 of 1 34 of 76 2 of 4 6 of 11
Diana Belbiţă 29 of 77 37% 9 of 46 13 of 23 7 of 8 24 of 72 5 of 5 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 28, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Molly McCann

Angelo picks Molly McCann, expecting her to dominate in a dirty slugfest. He notes that Diana Belbiţă is more well-rounded but McCann's pressure and brawling style should prevail. He warns that McCann has poor submission defense but Belbiţă is not a good grappler. He does not bet on this fight.

No bet
"Molly's going to be the pick I think she's going to win this fight but hopefully everybody learned their lesson betting on Molly mccan in these favorite spots"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jan 29, 2024 (5 days before fight)
Molly McCann

Big Brady picks Molly McCann to win by second-round submission. He notes that this is a rematch from 2019 where McCann dominated Belbiţă, nearly finishing her multiple times. He believes McCann will come in with a chip on her shoulder after two embarrassing losses. However, he cautions that Belbiţă has improved and McCann is moving down to strawweight for the first time at age 33, so the weight cut is a concern. If she makes weight, he expects a finish.

second round, submission
"give me Molly mccan to win this fight by second round sub"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jan 31, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Cody picks Belbiţă, arguing she has improved significantly since their first fight while McCann has stagnated. He notes Belbiţă's better kickboxing, improved takedown defense, and youth. He thinks McCann's chin and cardio are declining, and Belbiţă can outwork her.

"I'll take the dog"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Jan 29, 2024 (5 days before fight)
Molly McCann

McCann should use her takedowns and top control to grind out Belbiţă, who lacks takedown defense. However, the host is hesitant to trust McCann as a -305 favorite given her history of losing as a big favorite. The pick is McCann by decision.

"I know better than to try to trust her as a minus 300 favorite in any spot period."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jan 31, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Paul picks Belbiţă, calling the plus-220 price a mistake. He notes her improvements under coach Krzysztof Alin, especially in wrestling, and her youth advantage. He thinks she can outpoint McCann or even finish her.

"that number's dumb"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jan 30, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Molly McCann

The MMA Guru picks Molly McCann over Diana Belbiţă, despite acknowledging McCann's recent struggles. He argues Belbiţă is not capable of inflicting damage, having no TKO wins on her record (though he later finds one early in her career). He believes McCann's aggression and power advantage will be the difference in a scrappy fight, predicting a 30-27 decision.

30-27 decision
"I'm going Molly mccan funnily enough... I think that Molly maccan is Tough Enough aggressive enough I think that's going to be the difference... I'm going to go Molly mccan fun scrap 3027."
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green · Oct 07, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Karolina Kowalkiewicz 0 141 of 267 52% 155 of 283 1 of 6 16% 0 1 2:15
Diana Belbiţă 0 99 of 261 37% 108 of 270 2 of 2 100% 0 1 0:53
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 0 39 of 74 52% 41 of 78 1 of 1 100% 0 1 1:12
Diana Belbiţă 0 35 of 83 42% 41 of 89 1 of 1 100% 0 1 0:13
2 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 0 41 of 76 53% 52 of 87 0 of 4 0% 0 0 0:46
Diana Belbiţă 0 30 of 66 45% 33 of 69 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:40
3 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 0 61 of 117 52% 62 of 118 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:17
Diana Belbiţă 0 34 of 112 30% 34 of 112 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Karolina Kowalkiewicz 141 of 267 52% 94 of 203 42 of 58 5 of 6 123 of 244 17 of 21 1 of 2
Diana Belbiţă 99 of 261 37% 57 of 199 33 of 50 9 of 12 85 of 241 13 of 18 1 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 39 of 74 52% 29 of 60 10 of 14 0 of 0 29 of 62 10 of 12 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 35 of 83 42% 21 of 64 11 of 14 3 of 5 25 of 70 10 of 13 0 of 0
2 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 41 of 76 53% 31 of 62 7 of 11 3 of 3 34 of 66 6 of 8 1 of 2
Diana Belbiţă 30 of 66 45% 18 of 49 10 of 15 2 of 2 26 of 60 3 of 4 1 of 2
3 Karolina Kowalkiewicz 61 of 117 52% 34 of 81 25 of 33 2 of 3 60 of 116 1 of 1 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 34 of 112 30% 18 of 86 12 of 21 4 of 5 34 of 111 0 of 1 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Oct 3, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Big Brady picks Karolina Kowalkiewicz, noting her recent three-fight winning streak and that her previous losses came against elite competition. He believes Diana Belbiţă is a step down in competition and criticizes Belbiţă's losses to lower-tier fighters. He thinks Kowalkiewicz can have success with grappling, as Belbiţă has been taken down frequently. He predicts a decision win but is not in love with the price tag.

decision win for Karolina Kowalkiewicz
"give me Carolina kovak cavich to win this fight I'll take her to win this fight by decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Oct 4, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Cody picks Kowalkiewicz, citing her experience, resurgence, and superior grappling. He notes that Belbiţă has only fought low-level opponents and has poor takedown defense. Kowalkiewicz should be able to mix in takedowns and control the fight, likely winning a decision.

Kowalkiewicz by decision
"I gotta go with Carolyn colvikovich all day... that really does come down to the back class"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Oct 4, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Daniel Levi leans Karolina Kowalkiewicz, citing her historical level and recent confidence boost from a three-fight win streak. He notes her improved grappling and high output in her last fight. However, he acknowledges she is 37 and has had inconsistent performances, and that Diana Belbiţă has good striking volume. He is not fully confident but picks Kowalkiewicz based on her overall career.

"I'm gonna go Carolina because I think historically she's always been the better fighter"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Oct 7, 2023 (fight day)
Diana Belbiţă

Lucrative James is confident in Belbiţă, having bet her at +160. He argues that the market overvalues skill-for-skill while ignoring intangibles: Belbiţă hits harder, is younger (37 vs prime), and has a reach and height advantage. He believes Kowalkiewicz has a magnet for 4-ounce gloves and will get knocked down or finished. He thinks the line should be a pick'em or Belbiţă favored.

bet at +160, line should be -120 or so
"I bet Diana B at plus 160 about a week ago now she's plus 120 or something... I think this fight should be a pick him if not Bel beat a favorite"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Oct 6, 2023 (1 day before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Belbiţă is younger and has been improving, using volume striking and forward pressure. Kowalkiewicz is the more technical striker but has been inconsistent. If Belbiţă can keep the fight standing and avoid being controlled on the ground, her volume could sway the judges. She is worth a shot as an underdog, though Kowalkiewicz has more experience. Expect a decision win for Belbiţă.

"give me a shot on the underdog here in belza and I think she picks up her win... by decision"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Oct 4, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Paul picks Kowalkiewicz, noting her ability to win via volume or grappling. He mentions Belbiţă's reach advantage but believes Kowalkiewicz's experience and takedown ability will be decisive. He likes the moneyline and also considers the decision prop.

Kowalkiewicz by decision
"I like Carolina... Carolina by decision is probably that's Plus 105... I think the money lines just fine as it is minus 160"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Oct 1, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz

The MMA Guru picks Karolina Kowalkiewicz over Diana Belbiţă, though not very confident. He notes Kowalkiewicz looked good in her last fight against Vanessa Demopoulos and is on a three-fight win streak after a long losing streak, building confidence. He dismisses Belbiţă's wins over Maria Oliveira and Molly McCann as unimpressive, and points out that Belbiţă was finished by an Instagram model. He believes Kowalkiewicz's momentum and better competition give her the edge.

"I'm gonna go with Carolina kovalkovich over to Yahoo beta not the most confident but I think I'm all right with this one"
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana · Jun 10, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Diana Belbiţă 0 106 of 208 50% 154 of 258 1 of 2 50% 0 0 2:04
Maria Oliveira 0 64 of 168 38% 85 of 200 2 of 5 40% 0 0 4:06
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Diana Belbiţă 0 41 of 84 48% 60 of 104 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:22
Maria Oliveira 0 28 of 66 42% 36 of 79 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:20
2 Diana Belbiţă 0 22 of 37 59% 49 of 65 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:29
Maria Oliveira 0 7 of 17 41% 19 of 35 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:37
3 Diana Belbiţă 0 43 of 87 49% 45 of 89 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:13
Maria Oliveira 0 29 of 85 34% 30 of 86 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:09
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Diana Belbiţă 106 of 208 50% 71 of 165 20 of 25 15 of 18 76 of 176 22 of 24 8 of 8
Maria Oliveira 64 of 168 38% 45 of 142 11 of 18 8 of 8 62 of 166 1 of 1 1 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Diana Belbiţă 41 of 84 48% 30 of 68 4 of 7 7 of 9 33 of 76 4 of 4 4 of 4
Maria Oliveira 28 of 66 42% 19 of 55 6 of 8 3 of 3 28 of 66 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Diana Belbiţă 22 of 37 59% 9 of 24 11 of 11 2 of 2 6 of 20 12 of 13 4 of 4
Maria Oliveira 7 of 17 41% 5 of 15 1 of 1 1 of 1 6 of 16 0 of 0 1 of 1
3 Diana Belbiţă 43 of 87 49% 32 of 73 5 of 7 6 of 7 37 of 80 6 of 7 0 of 0
Maria Oliveira 29 of 85 34% 21 of 72 4 of 9 4 of 4 28 of 84 1 of 1 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 4, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Maria Oliveira

Angelo picks Maria Oliveira as an underdog. He notes that Diana Belbiţă has been out for over a year due to injuries, while Maria has fought three times in that span. He believes Maria's durability and forward pressure will be key, and that Diana may struggle with takedowns or slow down. He sees Maria winning a close fight.

"I like Maria Oliveira to get this done right off the rip"
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked Jun 3, 2023 (7 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Big Brady picks Diana Belbiţă because she can exploit Maria Oliveira's poor takedown defense with her judo and throws. Oliveira is the better technical striker, but Belbiţă throws high volume and can mix in takedowns to win close rounds. He also notes the Canadian factor may help in a close decision. He is not confident and has little interest in the fight.

"I think where she does win this fight is going to be just mixing of the takedowns getting the fight down to the mat... give me balbita for the win"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jun 7, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Cody picks Diana Belbiţă, noting that Oliveira is willing to stand and trade, which plays into Belbiţă's hands. He believes Belbiţă has improved her cardio and counter-wrestling under Kruelion. He thinks Oliveira's lack of wrestling will allow Belbiţă to keep the fight standing and win a striking battle. He expects a decision win for Belbiţă.

Over 2.5 rounds (parlayed with under in Nelson vs Bilder)
"I think belvita wins it so maybe a Strike King Tit for Tat type battle"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jun 9, 2023 (1 day before fight)
Maria Oliveira

Connor also picks Maria Oliveira, agreeing that Belbiţă lacks core strength and can be pushed around. He notes that Oliveira's losses are to very good athletes like Vanessa Demopoulos, Tabitha Ricci, and Kana Asakura, while Belbiţă is not at that level. Connor thinks the odds could be more skewed toward Oliveira, as Belbiţă has struggled against anyone who takes her out of her game.

Oliveira opened -122, now -100; Belbiţă opened -122, now -110
"Yeah, I I think the odds could stand to be a little more skewed towards all of air here."
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jun 8, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Daniel Levi picks Diana Belbiţă, citing her higher volume and better cardio compared to Maria Oliveira, who he considers one of the worst fighters in the UFC. He notes that Oliveira pushes her punches and has poor fundamentals, while Belbiţă puts out a ton of volume and has shown grit. He believes Belbiţă will outwork Oliveira and win a decision, especially with the Canadian crowd behind her.

"I got Deanna belvita to alvolume Marina Oliveira and win a decision"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Jun 10, 2023 (fight day)
Diana Belbiţă

James picks Diana Belbiţă to win by decision. He notes that Belbiţă has better striking fundamentals with her hands up and sharp punches, while Maria Oliveira is wild with her chin up. He believes Belbiţă can also take Oliveira down if she wants, as Oliveira has a terrible ground game. He predicts the fight goes to decision but suggests betting on the fight ending inside distance at plus money due to the volatility of low-level women's MMA.

Fight ends inside distance at +200; KO at +900 to +1000
"I am predicting Diana balbita to win via decision"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Jun 6, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Belbiţă has an aggressive striking style with good body work and forward pressure. She's been improving her defensive grappling and should land more effective strikes than Oliveira, who was dropped multiple times in her last fight. The home crowd advantage in Vancouver may help her in a close decision. However, this is a low-confidence lean given both women are similar strikers.

"I'm gonna have to lean with the Canadian or Romanian Canadian here in Diana balbita I feel like her aggressive striking style will be able to land more effective strikes on Oliveira"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Jun 7, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Maria Oliveira

Paul leans toward Maria Oliveira, citing her slight grappling advantage and reach. He notes that Belbiţă's big win over Hannah Goldie came with a significant reach advantage, and Oliveira is similarly sized. He thinks Oliveira's takedowns and submission threat could be the difference. He acknowledges it's a close fight and expects a decision.

Over 2.5 rounds (parlayed with under in Nelson vs Bilder)
"I'm gonna lean ever so slightly to the Brazilians so watch me have another Shoei next week because of a home cooking Canadian decision"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Jun 5, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Maria Oliveira

The MMA Guru leans towards Maria Oliveira because she is faster and more talented on the feet, with a range advantage despite being shorter. He notes that Diana Belbiţă has poor grappling, having been submitted when attempting a takedown and out-grappled by Molly McCann. He expects a stand-up fight and predicts a close decision win for Oliveira.

"I am leaning towards Maria Oliveira because both of these women aren't all that good whatsoever"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jun 9, 2023 (1 day before fight)
Maria Oliveira

Zane picks Maria Oliveira, citing Belbiţă's lack of core strength, which makes her easy to push around. He notes that Oliveira is a more comfortable, athletic striker who is faster and more confident. Belbiţă's striking has improved, but she lacks the athleticism to impose her will. Zane thinks Oliveira's losses have come against strong grapplers or athletes, and Belbiţă does not fit that mold, so Oliveira should win.

Oliveira opened -122, now -100; Belbiţă opened -122, now -110
"So i'm going to take all of her."
LOSS vs Gloria de Paula
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill · Feb 19, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Gloria de Paula 0 87 of 252 34% 124 of 295 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:44
Diana Belbiţă 0 88 of 175 50% 113 of 201 1 of 5 20% 0 0 5:24
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Gloria de Paula 0 28 of 96 29% 35 of 105 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:03
Diana Belbiţă 0 27 of 61 44% 32 of 66 0 of 2 0% 0 0 1:19
2 Gloria de Paula 0 33 of 88 37% 47 of 103 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:08
Diana Belbiţă 0 31 of 61 50% 39 of 69 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:59
3 Gloria de Paula 0 26 of 68 38% 42 of 87 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:33
Diana Belbiţă 0 30 of 53 56% 42 of 66 1 of 3 33% 0 0 2:06
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Gloria de Paula 87 of 252 34% 43 of 200 28 of 35 16 of 17 79 of 244 8 of 8 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 88 of 175 50% 70 of 156 17 of 18 1 of 1 71 of 156 17 of 19 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Gloria de Paula 28 of 96 29% 12 of 76 10 of 14 6 of 6 27 of 95 1 of 1 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 27 of 61 44% 21 of 54 5 of 6 1 of 1 21 of 53 6 of 8 0 of 0
2 Gloria de Paula 33 of 88 37% 16 of 69 12 of 14 5 of 5 29 of 84 4 of 4 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 31 of 61 50% 25 of 55 6 of 6 0 of 0 25 of 55 6 of 6 0 of 0
3 Gloria de Paula 26 of 68 38% 15 of 55 6 of 7 5 of 6 23 of 65 3 of 3 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 30 of 53 56% 24 of 47 6 of 6 0 of 0 25 of 48 5 of 5 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 13, 2022 (6 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Angelo picks Diana Belbiţă, citing her pressure, experience, and takedowns as the difference. He acknowledges Gloria de Paula is the better striker, but believes Belbiţă's well-roundedness and forward pressure will win out. He notes if de Paula keeps it standing, she could win.

"i like diane belveda to win diana balbita to win"
BI
Big Brady Expert picked Feb 16, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Big Brady hates this fight and refuses to bet on it. He reluctantly picks Diana Belbiţă because she throws more volume and might take de Paula down, but he has no confidence. He notes de Paula has poor fight IQ and doesn't try to get up from takedowns. He predicts Belbiţă wins by decision.

"I hate this fight I'm not going to bet it if I had to make a pick I'm going to go with balbita"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Feb 15, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Cody picks Belbiţă, noting her improvements under coach Kru Allen at Iron Tiger. He highlights her better volume and power, and believes she can out-strike de Paula. Cody acknowledges that both fighters have poor wrestling, but thinks Belbiţă's striking is superior and that she should win a stand-up fight.

"i think balbita should have a little bit better power should have a little bit better volume and if she does not take balbita down i think he's just gonna go volume in the way of balbida"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Feb 17, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Levi leans toward Belbiţă, citing her confidence from a recent win and de Paula's struggles in the UFC. He notes de Paula looked like a deer in headlights and has been knocked out. Levi believes Belbiţă will be more aggressive and break away in the later rounds, though he acknowledges both have liabilities on the ground.

"i'm leaning towards her way i just think she should be more confident herself"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Feb 17, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Gloria de Paula

De Paula is the cleaner striker with better discipline and leg kicks. She should counter Belbiţă's wild forward pressure. The concern is Belbiţă's volume could sway judges, but de Paula's crisp striking should earn a decision. A KO at +500 is also intriguing but less likely.

de Paula by decision (+200), de Paula by KO (+500)
"my official prediction was the apollo by decision at plus 200 because i could see this go in the full 15 minutes where she just has a cleaner striking performance"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 15, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Paul picks Belbiţă, citing de Paula's recent knockout loss and Belbiţă's longer combinations. He expects Belbiţă to be a slight favorite by fight time and likes the value at -110.

"i kind of think bell beat is a good bet here"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Feb 15, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The MMA Guru picks Diana Belbiţă to win by decision, citing her experience and reach advantage. He notes that Gloria de Paula has been KO'd early in her career and is inconsistent. While both fighters are low-level, Belbiţă's 14-6 record compared to de Paula's 5-4 gives him confidence in the more experienced fighter.

decision 30-27
"i'm going to go with diana bell beta gloria paula is actually better than her record may suggest she does look decent in certain moments with her technique but just very very inconsistent"
WIN vs Hannah Goldy
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw · Jul 24, 2021
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Diana Belbiţă 1 117 of 211 55% 126 of 222 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Hannah Goldy 0 92 of 182 50% 107 of 198 2 of 6 33% 0 0 5:19
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Diana Belbiţă 1 48 of 76 63% 55 of 83 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Hannah Goldy 0 26 of 44 59% 30 of 49 1 of 2 50% 0 0 2:14
2 Diana Belbiţă 0 29 of 57 50% 30 of 58 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Hannah Goldy 0 29 of 56 51% 31 of 58 0 of 2 0% 0 0 1:12
3 Diana Belbiţă 0 40 of 78 51% 41 of 81 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Hannah Goldy 0 37 of 82 45% 46 of 91 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:53
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Diana Belbiţă 117 of 211 55% 68 of 152 22 of 29 27 of 30 101 of 185 14 of 22 2 of 4
Hannah Goldy 92 of 182 50% 56 of 137 25 of 32 11 of 13 58 of 140 18 of 23 16 of 19
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Diana Belbiţă 48 of 76 63% 23 of 47 14 of 18 11 of 11 34 of 58 12 of 14 2 of 4
Hannah Goldy 26 of 44 59% 12 of 26 10 of 13 4 of 5 18 of 33 6 of 9 2 of 2
2 Diana Belbiţă 29 of 57 50% 16 of 40 4 of 6 9 of 11 27 of 53 2 of 4 0 of 0
Hannah Goldy 29 of 56 51% 14 of 40 11 of 12 4 of 4 21 of 46 8 of 10 0 of 0
3 Diana Belbiţă 40 of 78 51% 29 of 65 4 of 5 7 of 8 40 of 74 0 of 4 0 of 0
Hannah Goldy 37 of 82 45% 30 of 71 4 of 7 3 of 4 19 of 61 4 of 4 14 of 17
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Angelo picks Diana Belbiţă because she has solid takedown defense, is just as busy as Hannah Goldy, and is much taller. He notes that Hannah is strong but doesn't have knockout power or use her physicality to ragdoll opponents. He calls this a 'pick 'em fight' and advises not to bet on it, as the odds at +155 aren't enough to justify a bet. He also likes the over on the monkey knife fight line, expecting a high-volume decision.

over on monkey knife fight line (more/more)
"i also have diana balbita winning because her takedown defense is very solid she's just as busy and she's much much taller"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 20, 2021 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Big Brady picks Diana Belbiţă as the dog, citing her significant reach advantage (7.5 inches) and ability to keep the fight standing. He notes Hannah Goldie struggled against Miranda Granger's reach and expects Belbiţă to use her length to win a decision. He acknowledges Belbiţă's poor fight IQ in her last bout but believes she won't make the same mistake here.

Belbiţă by decision
"i'll take balbita as the dog here overhand at goldie... getting me down at balbita to win the fight by a decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Cody does not make a clear pick, calling it a stay away fight. He notes both fighters have question marks and the line has moved to a pick'em. He says if he had to force a dog, he would take the dog, but he doesn't have a firm stance.

"this is like the definition of stay away from me because i don't really trust either one of them"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)
Hannah Goldy

Daniel Levi picks Hannah Goldy, expecting her to tip and run from the outside and win a close decision. He notes that Belbiţă is aggressive but redlines and makes mistakes, while Goldy is the polar opposite, playing it safe. Levi acknowledges the layoff for Goldy but expects improvements, and sees value in Goldy at the pick'em price.

"i'm going to go against the public here i'm going to take hannah goldie be a close decision"
JA
Jacob Lines Expert Lean picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Jacob picks Diana Belbiţă based on her walkout with a fox draped over her shoulders, calling it 'enough for me.' He acknowledges that neither fighter is very good and that the fight is tough to pick. He notes that Hannah Goldy looked green on the ground in a grappling match he watched. He does not express strong confidence and sees the fight as a toss-up.

"i'm going with diana just because there was one fight where she came out with a fox draped over her shoulders"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2021 (1 day before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The host picks Diana Belbiţă, noting her striking advantage and reach (68 inches vs Goldy's 61). He acknowledges her poor fight IQ in the past but believes the year off and training with Adrian Wooley and Kyle Nelson will help. He expects Belbiţă to keep the fight at distance and win by decision, as Goldy is durable but has struggled against longer opponents. He also mentions a potential TKO finish but leans decision.

Belbiţă by decision +175; Belbiţă by TKO +650 (sprinkle)
"i got to go with the babita side of things as i do believe she's going to be able to land the more impactful shots"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert picked Jul 21, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Paul also does not make a clear pick, calling it a 50/50 fight. He notes Belbiţă has a reach advantage and Goldy has output but is coming off a long layoff. He says if you got plus money on Belbiţă earlier, that was the move, but now it's even money and he doesn't have a firm stance.

"yeah it's definitely stay away but i would say it's a 50 50."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 18, 2021 (6 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The Guru picks Belbiţă as an underdog, citing her experience, youth, and activity advantage over Goldy. He criticizes Goldy's inactivity and questions her commitment due to her OnlyFans account. He notes Belbiţă's reach advantage and believes she will win by decision.

"i'm actually going to go with deanna bell beta here as an underdog"
LOSS vs Liana Jojua
Submission (armbar) R1 2:43 · UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige · Jul 16, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Liana Jojua 0 5 of 9 55% 6 of 11 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:34
Diana Belbiţă 0 2 of 3 66% 3 of 4 0 of 0 --- 3 0 0:52
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Liana Jojua 0 5 of 9 55% 6 of 11 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:34
Diana Belbiţă 0 2 of 3 66% 3 of 4 0 of 0 --- 3 0 0:52
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Liana Jojua 5 of 9 55% 3 of 6 2 of 3 0 of 0 3 of 5 2 of 4 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 2 of 3 66% 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Liana Jojua 5 of 9 55% 3 of 6 2 of 3 0 of 0 3 of 5 2 of 4 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 2 of 3 66% 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 2 1 of 1 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2020 (3 days before fight)
Liana Jojua

Big Brady picks Liana Jojua as an underdog, noting Belbiţă is the better striker but has poor takedown defense. He thinks Jojua can take the fight to the ground where she is dangerous with submissions. He predicts an ugly decision or submission win for Jojua, calling it likely the worst fight on the card.

"give me Jojo gonna go with the underdog here to win this fight by decision"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 14, 2020 (2 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Daniel Levi picks Diana Belbiţă, calling her the tougher fighter and noting that Liana Jojua has not impressed, pulling stunts in her last fight. He acknowledges Belbiţă has been submitted multiple times but believes she showed toughness against Molly McCann and can keep the fight standing to outpoint Jojua.

"I definitely think Bell betta is the tougher chick... I'm gonna go about betta here"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Jul 12, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The Guru dismisses both fighters as terrible, but gives the edge to Diana Belbiţă due to her experience, size, and reach advantage. He criticizes Belbiţă's padded record but notes that Liana Jojua has not beaten anyone of note and lost to Sarah Moras. He ultimately picks Belbiţă because experience and physical attributes tend to matter in low-level matchups.

"the Annabelle Beach has more experience I'm just gonna go with that because neither of them at any good whatsoever and probably shouldn't be in the UFC but still they're in the UFC experience size reach tends to come in …"
LOSS vs Molly McCann
Decision (unanimous) (30–25, 30–25, 30–25) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman · Oct 18, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Molly McCann 0 113 of 238 47% 126 of 252 5 of 14 35% 1 0 3:39
Diana Belbiţă 0 98 of 252 38% 104 of 260 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:26
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Molly McCann 0 36 of 83 43% 36 of 83 2 of 4 50% 0 0 0:41
Diana Belbiţă 0 46 of 112 41% 47 of 114 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:31
2 Molly McCann 0 38 of 60 63% 50 of 73 3 of 9 33% 1 0 2:52
Diana Belbiţă 0 18 of 31 58% 23 of 37 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:55
3 Molly McCann 0 39 of 95 41% 40 of 96 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:06
Diana Belbiţă 0 34 of 109 31% 34 of 109 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Molly McCann 113 of 238 47% 86 of 199 17 of 24 10 of 15 73 of 177 8 of 14 32 of 47
Diana Belbiţă 98 of 252 38% 58 of 201 23 of 31 17 of 20 76 of 219 18 of 29 4 of 4
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Molly McCann 36 of 83 43% 22 of 64 9 of 11 5 of 8 27 of 72 4 of 4 5 of 7
Diana Belbiţă 46 of 112 41% 23 of 86 14 of 17 9 of 9 36 of 95 10 of 17 0 of 0
2 Molly McCann 38 of 60 63% 35 of 57 1 of 1 2 of 2 9 of 17 2 of 3 27 of 40
Diana Belbiţă 18 of 31 58% 10 of 22 4 of 5 4 of 4 8 of 19 6 of 8 4 of 4
3 Molly McCann 39 of 95 41% 29 of 78 7 of 12 3 of 5 37 of 88 2 of 7 0 of 0
Diana Belbiţă 34 of 109 31% 25 of 93 5 of 9 4 of 7 32 of 105 2 of 4 0 of 0
Expert Picks (3)
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2020 (3 days before fight)
Liana Jojua

Big Brady picks Liana Jojua as an underdog, noting Belbiţă is the better striker but has poor takedown defense. He thinks Jojua can take the fight to the ground where she is dangerous with submissions. He predicts an ugly decision or submission win for Jojua, calling it likely the worst fight on the card.

"give me Jojo gonna go with the underdog here to win this fight by decision"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 14, 2020 (2 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

Daniel Levi picks Diana Belbiţă, calling her the tougher fighter and noting that Liana Jojua has not impressed, pulling stunts in her last fight. He acknowledges Belbiţă has been submitted multiple times but believes she showed toughness against Molly McCann and can keep the fight standing to outpoint Jojua.

"I definitely think Bell betta is the tougher chick... I'm gonna go about betta here"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Lean picked Jul 12, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Diana Belbiţă

The Guru dismisses both fighters as terrible, but gives the edge to Diana Belbiţă due to her experience, size, and reach advantage. He criticizes Belbiţă's padded record but notes that Liana Jojua has not beaten anyone of note and lost to Sarah Moras. He ultimately picks Belbiţă because experience and physical attributes tend to matter in low-level matchups.

"the Annabelle Beach has more experience I'm just gonna go with that because neither of them at any good whatsoever and probably shouldn't be in the UFC but still they're in the UFC experience size reach tends to come in quite handy be Annabelle betta is gonna get the job …"