One of the main fights of the UFC 274 tournament
The fight will take place on May 8 in Phoenix (Arizona, USA) at the Footprint Center and will be the co-main at UFC 274. The estimated start of the fight is 06:30 Kyiv time. The fight will be broadcast live on Setanta Sports.
UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-4) will defend her title in a rematch against first-ever UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza (18-6). Their first fight took place back in December 2014, and then Esparza defeated Namajunas by submission in the third round, which brought her the said championship.
Namajunas became the UFC women’s 115-pound champion for the second time last August by knocking out Zhang Weili in 78 seconds with a high kick. In November, at UFC 268, an immediate rematch was held, which Rose also won, but in a difficult duel for herself by a split decision.
Esparza is on a five win streak that includes wins against Alexa Grasso and Michelle Waterson. The “Cookie Monster” fought her last fight a year ago, knocking out Yan Xiaonan in the second round.
Prediction for the fight
Although Namajunas feels confident on the ground, she is unlikely to want to be on the ground with Esparza, who is very strong in grappling. The big advantage of the champion is the stance.
Versatile striker Namajunas looks like a huge favorite in this pair of feet, plus Rose is noticeably taller than her opponent, which will help keep Esparza at bay.
Namajunas has made fewer mistakes over the years and is now a true champion-caliber fighter. We believe that she will competently fight and will not give her opponent a single chance.
Namajunas win on points
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