Luana Pinheiro

Angelo picks Tecia Pennington, stating she should win all day long. He notes that Pennington is good everywhere, with good boxing, solid grappling, and insane cardio. He acknowledges that the line at -400 is a little sketchy but believes she wins more often than not. He suggests the over might be more affordable and advises keeping an eye on the over line.

Big Brady picks Tecia Pennington, noting that Luana Pinheiro fades after the 7.5-minute mark. He argues Pennington's losses are to elite fighters in close decisions, and a loss to Pinheiro would be her worst ever. He expects Pennington to win by decision.

The host is surprised Pennington is such a big favorite, believing Pinheiro matches her in physicality and may be the better striker in terms of landing significant damage. He sees Pinheiro as very live to pull off the upset and picks her to win by decision. However, the pick is not made with high confidence, as he acknowledges the line is surprising.

Angelo argues that since Luana Pinheiro was submitted by Angela Hill (the least dangerous grappler), she will certainly be submitted by Gillian Robertson, who has the most submission wins in flyweight history. He acknowledges Pinheiro has decent takedown defense and striking, but the MMA math leads him to Robertson. He calls it the only logical conclusion.

Big Brady believes this is a terrible matchup for Pinheiro, who fades after 7.5 minutes and has been submitted before. He praises Robertson's size, strength, cardio, and ground game, predicting she will take over late and submit Pinheiro in the second round.

Cody echoes Paul's concerns about Pinheiro's wrestling and notes her quit in the Ronda Marcos fight. He highlights Robertson's high ring IQ and ability to grind opponents down with ground and pound. Cody expects Robertson to dominate on the mat and finish or win a clear decision.

Connor agrees with Zane, noting that Pinheiro's striking is aimless and formless. He thinks Robertson can ride out Pinheiro's initial success and eventually get her to the mat. He expects a submission win for Robertson.

Daniel Vreeland confidently picks Gillian Robertson, highlighting her record for most submission wins in UFC women's history and her ability to get takedowns. He criticizes Luana Pinheiro's toughness and cites past performances where Pinheiro was taken down and submitted by lesser grapplers. Vreeland expects Robertson to dominate on the ground and secure a finish.

Lucrative James confidently picks Gillian Robertson to win by submission. He highlights that Robertson has more physicality at strawweight and is a dangerous BJJ artist, while Pinheiro has cardio issues and is not strong in grappling. He predicts Robertson will get top position and finish via rear-naked choke or armbar, and also suggests the fight won't go to decision.

This is a horrible stylistic matchup for Pinheiro. If she can't get success in the first round, Robertson will wear her down with pressure and pace, leading to a submission victory in round two.

Paul sees Pinheiro's takedown defense as a major red flag, citing her struggles against Angela Hill and Michelle Waterson. He believes Robertson's relentless top control and submission threats will be too much. Paul likes Robertson by submission and thinks the -400 line is accurate.

The Guru picks Gillian Robertson, citing her grappling advantage and recent submission wins. He notes Luana Pinheiro's two-fight losing streak and that Robertson is a big favorite. He expects Robertson to implement her grappling and get a submission or TKO finish.

Angela Hill is a veteran with high fight IQ, good speed, volume, and versatility, though she lacks power. Luana Pinheiro is a powerful striker with solid takedowns and BJJ, but Hill's experience and game planning should prevail. Hill recently showed she can wrestle, and Angelo expects her to stick to a game plan and win a decision.

Cody highlights Pinheiro's pattern of coming out fast and then gassing, as seen against Amanda Lemos and Randa Markos. He believes Hill's technical striking, footwork, and cardio will allow her to weather the early storm and take over in later rounds. Cody also notes Hill's improved wrestling, which she used to get five takedowns against Denise Gomes.

Pinheiro is effective early but slows down, and Hill has improved her takedown defense and getups. Hill's volume and cardio advantage will allow her to piece up Pinheiro in the later rounds. Hill has derailed prospects before and should keep the fight standing. Expects Hill to win a decision.

Paul expects Hill to use her veteran savvy and volume to outwork Pinheiro, who has a history of gassing after a fast start. He notes Hill's technical striking and footwork will allow her to capitalize as the fight goes on. Paul also mentions Hill's recent use of wrestling as a new wrinkle.

Angelo picks Amanda Ribas, expecting her to use her size and strength to grind out a win. He notes she is well-rounded with solid takedown defense and cardio. He warns she must stay controlled and not get sucked into a brawl. He also mentions a prop bet on Luana Pinheiro inside the distance.

Big Brady thinks Ribas is better everywhere—striking, wrestling, grappling, cardio—but her chin is very bad, having been dropped and knocked out multiple times. He finds it hard to pick Pinheiro, who he doesn't think is that great, to win by knockout. He predicts Ribas wins by decision but calls it a sketchy fight due to durability concerns.

Cody picks Amanda Ribas, citing her takedown offense and volume striking. He notes that Pinheiro is a front-runner who tires, and Ribas can mix in takedowns and striking to win. He acknowledges Ribas took damage in her last fight but believes she has the dog in her to win.

Pinheiro has good striking power and can hurt Ribas on the feet. Ribas's grappling is a threat, but Pinheiro is strong enough to keep it standing. Pinheiro's power punches can find the button and knock Ribas out, likely in the second round. The line is too wide; Pinheiro has value at plus money.

Paul picks Ribas, noting her takedown accuracy and ability to grind. He points out that Pinheiro gasses and has questionable durability. Paul believes Ribas can take her down, tire her, and open up striking. He mentions Ribas' loss to Barber but thinks Pinheiro lacks that finishing ability.

Angelo picks Luana Pinheiro but with low confidence, citing age and career trajectory. He notes that Luana is a powerful striker with solid takedowns, but Michelle Waterson has veteran savvy and is the better overall striker. He is concerned about Luana coming off major knee surgery, which could affect her athleticism. He thinks Michelle is very live as an underdog.

Big Brady picks Michelle Waterson-Gomez as an underdog, citing the massive step down in competition for Waterson. He notes that Pinheiro has a strong judo and early power but fades as the fight goes on. He believes Waterson's striking and experience will allow her to take over in later rounds. He is hesitant due to Waterson's age (37) but sees value.

Cody picks Waterson as a value play. He thinks the fight is closer to 50-50 than the line suggests, so he sides with the plus money. He notes Pinheiro hasn't proven much and her DQ win over Randa Marcos was unimpressive. However, he doesn't love the pick and says he probably won't bet it. He acknowledges Waterson is at the end of her career.

Connor agrees with Zane, picking Waterson. He notes that Pinheiro is raw and that Waterson is a competent, tough, high-level fighter who knows how to win. Connor also mentions that Pinheiro's potential hasn't been realized yet.

Jacob flips to Michelle Waterson after film study, noting that Luana's takedowns are almost all Judo headlock throws that work against lower-level opponents. He believes Michelle's experience and superior striking will allow her to stay out of the clinch and dominate. He also points out that Luana is coming off major knee surgery, which could be a factor.

Waterson-Gomez is a veteran with good movement, kicks, and underrated grappling. Pinheiro has power and a strong top game but questionable cardio and competition level. I think Waterson's experience and ability to stay at range will wear on Pinheiro's gas tank, leading to a decision win. However, I lack high confidence because Pinheiro could land effective damage early.

Paul picks Pinheiro but is hesitant. He notes Pinheiro is younger, stronger, and has better wrestling and power. He thinks Pinheiro can take Waterson down and win rounds. However, he acknowledges Waterson's experience and fan-friendly style could lead to a close split decision in Florida. Paul says this is a low-confidence pick and not a top play.

The MMA Guru picks Michelle Waterson to win by 29-28 decision. He describes it as a 'snooze fest' where Waterson will use fight IQ to secure a takedown at the end of each round, stealing the rounds on the scorecards. He expects a close fight with little action, but Waterson's experience and late-round takedowns will be the difference.

Angelo picks Luana Pinheiro, citing her power striking, solid takedowns, and BJJ. He notes Sam Hughes is tough but hittable with a negative striking differential, and that Luana's grappling will be the difference. He expects a decision win rather than a finish, as Luana doesn't have one-punch KO power. He mentions the odds are probably correct at -290.

Big Brady picks Luana Pinheiro to win by first-round finish. He notes Pinheiro's phenomenal judo and ability to get the fight to the mat, but also highlights her gas tank issues as she hasn't seen the second round in over seven fights. He believes Sam Hughes' 44% takedown defense is a major hole and that Pinheiro will exploit it early. However, he warns that if Hughes survives the first round, the fight could get sketchy for Pinheiro.

Cody picks Pinheiro but is concerned about her cardio. He notes that all her wins are first-round finishes and she lost a decision when the fight went past the first round. However, he believes her judo and grappling are superior to Hughes's. He thinks Pinheiro will likely finish Hughes early, but if it goes longer, she may fade. He recommends betting Pinheiro inside the distance at plus money to mitigate the cardio risk.

Daniel Levi picks Luana Pinheiro to win by armbar. He notes her judo throws and power, but worries about her panic when fights go past the first round. He criticizes Sam Hughes for being hesitant and timid, and believes Pinheiro will build a 10-8 round early and cruise to victory. He expects a submission finish.

Lock likes Sam Hughes as a plus money underdog. He believes Pinheiro has a terrible gas tank and will fade if she doesn't finish early. Hughes is gritty and durable, and Lock thinks she can push a pace that exposes Pinheiro's cardio. He also notes that Hughes won a round off Loma Lookboonmee, showing she can compete. Lock took a half unit on Hughes moneyline and also sprinkled round props.

Paul picks Pinheiro confidently. He dismisses the controversy around her last fight, stating she looked dominant before the illegal kick. He believes her judo is upper echelon and she will easily take Hughes down. He notes that Hughes has been dominated on the ground by Lookboonmee and finished by Tisha Torres. Paul thinks Pinheiro is a real prospect and Hughes is a card filler.

Big Brady picks Luana Pinheiro to win by decision, but expresses hesitation about betting on Contender Series fighters, especially in women's MMA. He likes Pinheiro's aggression, power, and ability to take the fight down, noting Markos's poor takedown defense. However, he acknowledges that Contender Series favorites often fail to cover the price tag. He ultimately picks Pinheiro but says he won't bet on it.

Cody thinks Pinheiro is a strong prospect with hands and a judo background, training at ATT with her boyfriend Matheus Nicolau. He notes that Randa Markos has lost three in a row and seems to be on a downswing, possibly thinking about retirement. He believes Pinheiro can exploit Markos in many areas and that -170 is a fair price. However, he has low confidence due to the unpredictability of women's MMA and the veteran vs. debutant dynamic.

Daniel Levi picks Luana Pinheiro to win, citing her finishing ability and jiu-jitsu credentials. He acknowledges the risk of a debut egg but believes Randa Markos is declining mentally and physically. Levi notes that Pinheiro's path to victory is takedowns and top control, as Markos has been dominated on the ground recently.

The host picks Randa Markos as an underdog, citing her experience and durability. He questions Pinheiro's cardio since all her wins are first-round finishes on the regional scene. He expects Markos to take the fight into deeper waters and grind out a decision.

Paul agrees with Cody, noting that Markos has seen better days and is on a losing streak. He points out that Markos has never won back-to-back fights in the UFC and is getting older. He thinks Pinheiro is a natural finisher with good grappling and striking, and that she looks strong for 115 pounds. He believes Pinheiro can exploit Markos' telegraphing and suspect wrestling. He agrees that -170 is fair but has low confidence due to the level of competition.