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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Angelo picks Gloria de Paula, noting her stick-and-move striking style and improved wrestling (5 takedowns in her last fight). He acknowledges Maria Oliveira's power but believes de Paula's volume and new grappling dimension will secure the win.

Big Brady picks Gloria de Paula to win by decision, but is not overly confident. He likes de Paula's striking and believes she has more ways to win, including takedowns against Oliveira's poor takedown defense. He notes Oliveira has a massive hole in her ground game and quit in a previous fight, but de Paula's competition has been better.

Cody picks de Paula, citing her better technique and grappling advantage. He thinks she can outpoint Oliveira in a striking battle and mix in takedowns. He expects a decision but is cautious due to women's MMA volatility.

Daniel Levi leans Gloria de Paula, thinking she is better than her record indicates and has nice striking variety. He is not comfortable laying -275, but believes she should win a unanimous decision. He notes Maria Oliveira has shown questionable heart in the past, tapping to strikes, but also has some durability. Levi sees de Paula as the more skilled fighter but the price is too high for a confident bet.

Paul picks Oliveira as a dog, noting the wide line and women's MMA unpredictability. He thinks if one of the two underdogs hits, it could be Oliveira. He acknowledges de Paula is likely better but sees value in the dog.

Angelo sees this as a striker vs grappler matchup and always sides with the grappler. He notes Ricci is a very good grappler who is heavy on top and looks for submissions without sacrificing position. Oliveira is a tall striker who doesn't use her range and has nothing on her back. He thinks Ricci can get the fight to the ground easily and may even get a stoppage. He will spend 8900 on her in DraftKings.

Big Brady is confident in Ricci, calling her a good grappler with a black belt in BJJ, while Oliveira has poor takedown defense and ground game. He believes the UFC is giving Ricci a favorable matchup after a short-notice loss. He predicts a second-round submission despite Oliveira's size advantage.

Cody picks Tabatha Ricci, but hesitantly. He notes that Ricci has a judo black belt and should be able to take Oliveira down, as Oliveira has poor takedown defense. Cody points out that Oliveira has quit in a previous fight and has not fought good competition recently. However, he worries that if Ricci cannot get the takedown, she will struggle on the feet due to her short reach. Cody believes this is a good matchup for Ricci but the price is high.

Lock picks Ricci based on massive grappling advantage. He notes Oliveira is not UFC level and has poor ground game. Ricci should take her down and submit her. He likes Ricci inside the distance and by submission.

Paul is out on this fight, citing concerns about Ricci's wrestling and the steep price. He notes that Oliveira has a significant reach advantage and that Ricci's training partners have not looked great. Paul believes that if the fight stays standing, Oliveira could win. He does not make a pick.