Preview: UFC 254 Prelims

Women’s Flyweights

Miranda Maverick (7-2) vs. Liana Jojua (8-3)

ODDS: Maverick (-420), Jojua (+335)

Maverick is an interesting new entrant into the UFC’s flyweight division. While she still has some development to do, she has also won consistently enough in Invicta Fighting Championships that it was probably time for her to get a shot inside the Octagon. Maverick’s bread and butter is clearly her offensive wrestling and grappling game, which she has used to control and finish fights; and while her striking is still clearly a work in progress, there has been clear improvement from fight to fight. At 23 years old, Maverick has a bright future, and she should be able to kick off her UFC career with a win here. Georgia’s Jojua showed some decent tools against a particularly weak slate of competition prior to the UFC, but she experienced a rude awakening in her promotional debut against Sarah Moras, as she was seemingly thrown off by an opponent who provided her own aggression and physicality. That made her cut to flyweight the right move, but while she won her last fight against Diana Belbita, there is still reason for concern. Jojua was still on the defensive thanks to Belbita’s aggression, but she took advantage when her counterpart offered her an armbar. Maverick is not bulletproof in this matchup—she has had some issues when opponents can take the initiative and score takedowns of their own—but the American figures to take over early and stay out of trouble while imposing her will. The pick is Maverick via second-round submission.

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