Undefeated Ukrainian prospect Maryna Moroz – 6-0, 1 KOs, 5 SUBs – could soon be a player a thin women’s UFC strawweight division. But first, she’ll have to prove her debut wasn’t a fluke against Valerie Letourneau – 7-3, 4 KOs, 1 SUB. The ladies will open the FOX Sports 1 main card of UFC Fight Night 74, starting at 9 p.m. ET.
CURRENT ODDS
Check out our latest UFC Fight Night 74 odds, where you’ll find money lines for both Moroz and Letourneau. This is going to be a tough one for oddsmakers to sort, but Moroz should probably be the favorite, starting around -150. The total on this three-round fight will likely be set at 2.5 rounds, with the under being the more expensive play. Prop bets, such as how the fight will be finished, are usually released the morning of fight night, so remember to check back in.
CONTENDER SEARCH
Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz made a splash in her UFC debut, submitting Joanne Calderwood in the first round at UFC Fight Night 64. Calderwood, a noted TUF: 20 competitor, was a significant favorite going into the fight. Nobody had heard of Maroz up to the point, as she had been competing overseas in Europe and Asia against relatively unknown competition.
LeTourneau has been fighting in the women’s scene since 2007, first competing as a bantamweight – 20 pounds heavier than her current division. Her most notable fight as a strawweight came against Claudia Gadelha, who is considered one of the top two fighters in the division. Although she lost that fight, the fact that she took it to split decision speaks volumes. The French-Canadian now enters her bout with Moroz on a three-fight win streak.
As the UFC’s newest division, the strawweight is in desperate need of quality fighters. That means both Moroz and Letourneau have a huge opportunity to step right into the title picture with an impressive victory. Don’t be surprised to see the winner in a No. 1 contender bout in the near future.
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Moroz is a furious athlete with real talent, but she is extremely raw in all facets of the game. That might not matter against a striker like Letourneau, who needs space to operate her punch-kick combinations. I expect Moroz to come out charging with the goal of suffocating the Letourneau. From there, her physicality will quickly drain the Canadian’s reserves, allowing her to notch another submission in the second round.
HOW TO BET
Sign in to get the latest Moroz vs. Letourneau odds. BookMaker offers daily updates to money lines, total, prop bets and more, so make sure to lock in your bets should you find a favorable wager. Their bout takes place at UFC Fight Night 74 on August 23, 2015 at the Sasktel Centre in Sakatoon, Canada. FOX Sports 1 will televise the main card starting 9 p.m., with the prelims starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Don’t forget to check in during fight night to get live odds. During each fight, BookMaker updates their odds in real-time, so you can keep betting as each fight unfolds on live television. It’s a great way to hedge your bets should you fall behind. With our mobile platform, it’s never been easier to bet on UFC events.
