Cheyanne Vlismas

Angelo gives a slight lean to Cory McKenna, expecting her to set a relentless grappling pace and take a decision. He notes Cheyanne has improved takedown defense but thinks McKenna's takedown offense has also improved. He believes the fight comes down to volume and takedowns, and if Cheyanne is too afraid to commit to strikes, she'll give up rounds.

Big Brady picks Vlismas, citing her superior striking and takedown defense. He doesn't trust McKenna after her poor performance against Elise Reed where she refused to wrestle and looked bad on the feet. He thinks McKenna's takedowns will be harder to get against Vlismas, and even if she gets them, she won't hold her down. He predicts Vlismas by decision.

Cody picks Vlismas, believing she is talented and has good volume. He thinks she has improved and is a dark horse in the division. He notes McKenna's wrestling is not elite and Vlismas has solid takedown defense. He expects Vlismas to win by decision, outworking McKenna on the feet.

Connor likes Vlismas's distance command, power, and strike selection. He notes McKenna is young and scrappy but has a bad case of pad holder syndrome, not following through on strikes. He expects Vlismas to find her range repeatedly and bully McKenna, even if McKenna takes a round.

Vlismas is the far superior striker and should be able to solve McKenna's takedowns and get back to her feet if taken down. McKenna's top pressure could be an issue, but Vlismas is too athletic. She will light McKenna up on the feet. The host would have made her a lock if he had more recent data on her off-her-back game.

Paul picks McKenna but is hesitant, hoping she sticks to wrestling. He notes she has T-Rex arms and must get the fight to the mat. He is frustrated by her previous fight where she didn't wrestle enough. He thinks she can win by grappling-based decision or submission if she follows the game plan.

The MMA Guru picks Cory McKenna over Cheyanne Vlismas, believing McKenna's grappling will be the difference. He notes Vlismas has a stand-up advantage but a massive hole in her grappling, as shown in her loss to Montserrat Ruiz where she had no answer for head-and-arm throws. He expects McKenna to out-grapple her and potentially submit her in the first two rounds. He also thinks Vlismas will be too worried about takedowns to effectively strike.

Angelo picks Mallory Martin as an underdog, trusting her power and wrestling. He notes Cheyanne's takedown defense is poor outside the Ruiz fight, and she had COVID and personal distractions. Angelo thinks Martin can lean on wrestling and power, but has no money on it.

Big Brady picks Cheyanne Vlismas to win by decision, but he is not confident and says he would not recommend laying the chalk. He notes Vlismas has a striking advantage with good volume and aggression, and her takedown defense is solid outside of the Ruiz fight. He is concerned about Mallory Martin's grappling if she can get the fight down, but he questions Martin's striking after she was dropped by Hannah Cifers. He thinks the line might be off but still goes with Vlismas.

Cody also does not make a pick, agreeing with Paul. He notes Vlismas's COVID recovery and the uncertainty around her training. Cody thinks Martin could have a cardio advantage but doesn't want to bet either side.

Daniel Levi picks Cheyanne Vlismas to win, citing her aggression, willingness to stand and trade, and natural fighter instinct. He notes that Mallory Martin has looked nervous and has been beaten up in her UFC career. He acknowledges Martin's path to victory via takedowns and top control but doesn't trust Martin to execute. He thinks Vlismas can avoid takedowns and land harder shots.

Jacob picks Cheyanne Vlismas, citing her mean streak and aggression. He notes she was embarrassed by the Ruiz loss and has improved. Jacob thinks she will come in with even more aggression and win, but he also has a plus 3.5 round bet on Mallory Martin.

I lean Martin. Her wrestling is her strength and she should look to take Vlismas down. Vlismas has limited data off her back and struggled in the scarf hold against Montserrat Ruiz. If Martin can get top position, she can control the fight. However, Martin is not very reliable and has been submitted from top position before. I like Martin by decision at plus 250.

Paul does not make a pick, citing Vlismas's recent COVID issues and personal drama. He thinks the -190 price is too high for a fighter who was sick and might have cardio problems. Paul suggests fading her in live betting if she slows down.

Big Brady picks the underdog Gloria de Paula, believing the line should be closer. He thinks de Paula is the better striker with a reach advantage and that Vlismas' path to victory is via takedowns, which she doesn't do often. He calls it a coin flip but takes de Paula to win a close split decision.

Cody leans towards Cheyanne Buys based on her superior striking volume and cardio, as seen in her Contender Series performance. He notes that Buys has decent grappling and should be able to take down de Paula, whose takedown defense looked abysmal against Jinh Yu Frey. However, he is not fully confident because Buys' wrestling is unproven and de Paula has good Muay Thai. He suggests that if Buys can mix in takedowns, she should win, but the -170 price is risky.

Levi sees this as a dog or pass situation and leans toward de Paula. He notes that de Paula has diverse Muay Thai striking but struggles to get up from bottom. However, Vlismas is an aggressive brawler who doesn't typically attempt takedowns, so Levi expects the fight to stay on the feet where de Paula has the advantage. He questions whether Vlismas can implement a grappling game plan despite having coach Eric Nicks, given her previous inability to stop a headlock. Levi picks de Paula to bounce back and get her first UFC win.

Vlismas should use her grappling to nullify de Paula's striking advantage. De Paula has poor takedown defense and struggles off her back. The head-and-arm submission loss to Ruiz was an anomaly; Vlismas is a decent fighter. She should grind out a decision. The line is a buy-low opportunity.

Paul considers taking the underdog Gloria de Paula, noting that her Muay Thai looked solid in the second round against Frey. He argues that if de Paula can keep the fight standing, she has a chance to win a striking match. However, he is concerned about her poor takedown defense and one-dimensional game. He ultimately sees this as a 'dog or pass' spot and is not sold on either side.

Big Brady picks Cheyanne Vlismas, noting she is a big favorite for a reason: she is the much bigger fighter with better striking and aggression. He expects her to hold Ruiz against the cage, land cleaner shots, and win a clear decision. He would not lay -350 but believes she wins handily.

Daniel Levi picks Cheyanne Vlismas but expresses concern about her UFC debut and the potential for an 'egg' performance. He notes she is the better fighter with better volume and should keep the fight standing. He worries about the emotional toll of cornering her husband earlier in the night and the possibility of an adrenaline dump.

Vlismas should control the fight wherever it goes with her striking and clinch work. She has a height and reach advantage and looked good on the contender series. Ruiz has a solid jiu-jitsu game but is likely outmatched. However, at -350 for a debutant, it's a pass. No bet is recommended due to the unknowns.