TUF 20 alum and Australian native Bec Rawlings will defend her hometown in a matchup against South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham this Saturday. The pair will lock horns on the main card, with Rawlings expected to get a hero’s welcome having grown up in Brisbane.
Bet on UFC Fight Night 85 odds at BookMaker.eu
Bec Rawlings +105
Seo Hee Ham -125
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -250, under +210
Please note, the odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
THE STAKES
The women’s strawweight division is one of the thinnest in the UFC, so any big performance by a fighter can make a big impact. In the case of Rawlings, she can build on a win over Lisa Ellis, which snapped a two-fight losing streak. Bec hasn’t been the most active fighter lately, so a win could snag her more fights in the future.
Ham was one of Asia’s best strawweights before signing with the UFC, but she lost her debut to JoJo Calderwood. Most recently, she gutted out a win over Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 79. Like Rawlings, Ham’s main goal should be to keep building momentum. It only takes a few wins to earn a high profile fight at 115.
FIGHT BREAKDOWN
Rawlings is a well-rounded fighter, with adequate skills on the feet and on the mat. Her best work comes in the clinch, where she loves to pepper opponents with knees and elbows. While not a knockout artist, she is good at softening up opponents and opening them up to snatch a submission.
Ham’s game is built on aggression, and she never stops attacking. What she lacks for in technique she makes up for in sheer volume. While she has little power to her punches, she keeps opponents honest by mixing up her strikes well. The Korean is really all about outlasting her opponents, and she’s built a solid career on it.
Physically, the height difference between the two might be a huge factor. Ham is just 5’2” and four inches shorter than Rawlings. For the Korean to impose her game plan, she will have to eat some punches en route to a clinch. And unfortunately for Ham, the clinch is where Rawlings prefers to operate.
THE BETTING PERSPECTIVE
This all boils down to whether you believe that Ham’s activity will score more points and wear out Rawlings. I’m not sure it will. Rawlings has never really had a problem with cardio, and she’s too big to let Ham muscle her around. A lot of this fight will take place in the clinch, and that puts Rawlings at an advantage. The pick is Rawlings to win by unanimous decision.
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. UFC Fight Night 85 takes place Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. The card will stream on Fox Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET following the prelims starting at 7 p.m.
