Only two women fighters in the UFC have the star power to headline a card. One is Ronda Rousey. The other? Paige VanZant. But their paths to stardom could not be any more different. Rousey destroyed every opponent to become the Mike Tyson of women’s MMA. VanZant’s cheerleader good looks and bubbly personality drove her rise - leading to plenty of haters. But now, VanZant has the opportunity to silence the critics for good in a high stakes matchup with Rose Namajunas.
UFC Fight Night 80 odds at BookMaker.eu
Paige VanZant -165
Rose Namajunas +125
Over/under 3.5 rounds, over -185, under +145
ODDS ANALYSIS
VanZant is slight favorite here, and her line will likely get more expensive as it’s been impossible to ignore her hype and budding stardom. The over goes deep into chalk territory as women’s strawweights typically don’t have the power to end fights with single punches.
A TALE OF TWO FIGHTERS
To say this matchup is compelling is an understatement. They are the two brightest young prospects in the strawweight division - VanZant is 21, Namajunas 23. Both are ultra-aggressive fighters who set a relentless pace. And while they are still extremely raw in terms of skill, they make up for it with grit and heart.
VanZant is 3-0 in the UFC, with wins over Kailin Curran, Felice Herrig and Alex Chambers. It’s hard to consider any of those opponents top caliber competition, which led to some grumbles about favorable matchmaking to build PVZ up. But now, Joe Silva is taking off the training wheels and throwing her into the fire.
Namajunas, despite her 3-2 record, is the No. 3 ranked strawweight. She only has two fights on the octagon, but in finishing as a semi-finalist on TUF-20, she beat a slew of solid fighters like Randa Markos, JoJo Calderwood and Alex Chambers. She’s more than qualified to derail VanZant’s hype train.
However, the most intriguing aspect of this bout might be the contrast of personalities. VanZant and Namajunas have magnetic personalities, for very different reasons. We mentioned that VanZant is the classic outgoing blonde beauty. It’s hard not to fall in love with her youthful zeal.
Namajunas’ nickname is “Thug” for a reason. She’s like the girl version of a Diaz brother, without the crazy. As a contestant on TUF 20, she briefly referenced a tough upbringing in Milwaukee. You can her some of that influence when she speaks, giving her a sort of street cred that is impossible to fabricate.
While it’s unlikely that they’ll engage in a heated war of words leading up to their bout, the pair will likely create a clear division of fans. There will be many who cheer for the All-American blonde bombshell, while there will be plenty who root for Namajunas’ blue collar persona. And sexist as it may sound, the fact that both women are attractive only draws more interest.
HOW TO BET
Access live betting lines at BookMaker Sportsbook and start wagering now. With our live betting options, you can also wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. UFC Fight Night 80 takes place Thursday, December 10, 2015 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will stream live on UFC Fight Pass starting 10 p.m. ET.
