MMA Junkie Radio co-host and MMA Junkie contributor Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC 237.
UFC 237 takes place Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Rose Namajunas (8-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 5’5″ Age: 26 Weight: 115 lbs. Reach: 65″
- Last fight: Decision win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk (April 7, 2018)
- Camp: 303 Training Center (Denver, Co.)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ UFC strawweight champion
+ Taekwondo and karate black belts
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt
+ 1 KO victory
+ 5 submission wins
+ 2 first-round finishes
+ Good feints and footwork
^ Manages distance well
+ Accurate and effective jab
+ Counters well with right hand
+ Improved wrestling ability
+ Solid top game/positional rides
^ Looks for/floats toward back
+ Active and attacking guard
^ Explosive hips/good leg dexterity
Jessica Andrade (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 5’2″ Age: 27 Weight: 115 lbs. Reach: 62″
- Last fight: Knockout win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz(Sept. 8, 2018)
- Camp: Parana Vale Tudo (Brazil)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ Muay Thai blue belt
+ 6 KO victories
+ 7 submission win
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Relentless pace and pressure
+ High-volume striker
^ Combinations and bodywork
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Trips, throws, high-crotch hikes
+ Strikes well off the breaks
+ Solid top game
^ Pressures, postures, strikes, passes
+ Good chin/physically durable
Point of interest: The oncoming storm
The main event for UFC 237 features a stylistic clash for the strawweight title that has all the makings for a fast start.
Coming out like the proverbial bull in a china shop, Jessica Andrade is your quintessential pressure-fighter. Akin to the female version of John Lineker, Andrade is most effective when able to get her opposition on the backfoot and fleeting toward the fence. Once able to corral her opponent in between the cage and inner-black octagon lines, the 27-year-old Brazilian will unleash in left-to-right continuums, variating well to the body with regularity.
Still, in chasing her prey down the two-way street of pressure, Andrade will traditionally open herself up to counters. And though Andrade has been able to take the offerings that have come her way thus far in this division, she may want to be careful about trying her luck too willingly with the rangy champion.
Enter Rose Namajunas.
Despite usually being longer than the bulk of her contemporaries, Namajunas has steadily shown that she can accentuate her length as she steps into her jabs concisely.
More impressive than the accuracy of her jab is the fact that Namajunas does well with judging risk versus reward in regards to her options of following up with a cross or backing up out of range. The 26-year-old champ has also massively improved her ability to set things up off of feints under the tutelage of Trevor Wittman – a coach who has helped Namajunas hone in on her skills by sharpening her overall fundamentals.
Nevertheless, Namajunas will need to be on point early and often with her strikes if she means to stop the surmounting momentum of her fearless opponent.
Next point of interest: Grappling entanglements
Point of interest: Grappling entanglements
Given both fighters have scored most of their finishes by submission, I believe that every grappling exchange in this battle will carry extra weight to it.
An aggressive takedown artist, Andrade is not shy when it comes to opportunities to toss opponents in the air.
Whether she is working from a bodylock variation or changing her level in the open, Andrade arguably does her best work from a head-outside single, a technique that allows her strength to shine through – hoisting her opposition almost at will. Once able to get things to the ground, Andrade employs a positional assault that involves posturing, passing and striking with impunity.
However, with Namajunas being no slouch off her back, I will be curious to see how willing Andrade is to execute emphatic takedowns.
Furthermore, the Brazilian challenger cannot afford to sleep on the offensive offerings of Namajunas in the wrestling department. Namajunas is not dependent on clinch opportunities to score and can hit well-timed takedowns in the open.
If Namajunas is able to ground Andrade, then we could see this fight’s temperature take a dramatic turn.
After a crushing loss to Carla Esparza, Namajunas hit an immediate upswing in her grappling abilities, displaying that she had more to offer than just opportunistic submissions off of her back.
Utilizing offensive wrestling and top pressure, Namajunas began taking down her counterparts, exposing them to submissions underneath her suggestive shoulder pressure and slick transitions.
A superb back-taker, Namajunas has a knack for floating to or finding the back of her opponent in transit. And given that Namajunas is undefeated in fights in which she has scored a back-take, this will undoubtedly be the scenario to look for during grappling exchanges.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction
Point of interest: Odds and opinions
The oddsmakers and public seem to be siding with the challenger, listing Andrade -125 and Namajunas +105 as of this writing.
Considering the usual translation of popular opinion to betting lines, I find myself both surprised and relieved to see a close betting line for what is ultimately a tight matchup on paper. Sure, favoring the challenger over the champ can come off as somewhat disrespectful, but I agree with the spread above.
Namajunas only appears to get better with age, as I would not be surprised to see her look even better on Saturday night. But with Andrade also improving her skills and seldom seen being hurt, I can’t help but suspect that her pressure, power and overall output will prove to be a big difference-maker down the stretch.
Unless Namajunas can fight the perfect fight on the feet or find an opportunistic submission on the floor, then I suspect that the shots of Andrade will change the trajectory on this contest. Regardless of whether or not a finish occurs, I believe that the results will read for a new strawweight champion come Sunday morning.
Prediction: Andrade by decision
For more on UFC 237, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
