In the first ever women’s UFC flyweight fight, former strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau will met TUF 20 alum JoJo Calderwood this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 89. And even if you overlook the historic inaugural debut of 125-women, it’s a damn good fight featuring two scrappy ladies. Let’s break down the odds and the fight.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Valerie Letourneau -140
Joanne Calderwood +100
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -300, under +250
Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The odds listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
ODDS ANALYSIS
It’s a close one. Although Calderwood’s record is far more impressive, it’s Letourneau who’s had the far tougher fights. She handled herself well against champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a bout where everybody expected her to get dominated. For that reason alone, I’m not surprised that she comes into the bout as a favorite.
You’re seeing the over as the far more expensive play because both women aren’t known finishers. That just comes with the lighter weight women’s divisions -- they usually don’t possess the power to score knockouts. It makes for some really fun fights however.
FIGHT BREAKDOWN
Letourneau proved that she’s one of the best strikers in the division by going toe-to-toe with J-Check -- a picture perfect Muay Thai stylist. The Canadian has quick, snapping punches and a whipping round kick, which is arguably her most powerful weapon. But the meat of her game is her 1-2. Burgeoning boxers should study how intelligently Letourneau uses her jab to set up her missile of a straight right.
The rest of her game could use work. Her subpar footwork was evident in her title bout, especially defensively. Instead of moving laterally or slipping and ripping, Letourneau simply put on the earmuffs and backed straight up, leaving her open to strikes to the body and legs. She barely moves her head, and while she’s tough enough to survive exchanges in the pocket, her habit of keeping her noggin on the centerline often means she ends up on the losing end of them.
She has even more holes in her grappling. While she’s feisty enough to wrestle opponents to the ground, it’s by no means pretty or efficient. Even when she does get on top, Letourneau offers no threat of submissions, preferring to sit in half guard and throw pitter-patter punches.
Calderwood’s base is Muay Thai, but she’s still pretty raw when it comes to technique. Still, she’s got a diverse array of strikes, and loves to throw front and round kicks. On the feet, JoJo only has one effective range, and that’s long distance. In the pocket, she’s completely lost but all too eager to brawl. When that happens, the result is often an exciting -- but tremendously ineffective -- slobberknocker.
The clinch is Calderwood’s world. She is exceptionally talented at throwing short strikes in a phone booth -- she’ll batter foes with knees, elbows and short uppercuts. Her natural strength does provide the opportunity for takedowns, and JoJo is particularly fond of inside trips. On the ground, she’s still a relative newbie and it shows.
BETTING VALUES AND PREDICTION
While Calderwood has an intriguing value, it’s hard to have much faith in her against such a disciplined fighter like Letourneau. While the Canadian only has one more fight than the Scotswoman, her striking game is more polished. There will be instances when these two are winging punches at each other, and Letourneau’s technique will be all the difference.
The safest bet here is the over, but it’s also the most expensive. Letourneau to win is the smartest play in this bout.
UFC odds: Valerie Letourneau UD Joanne Calderwood
HOW TO BET
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. at UFC Fight Night 89 on June 18, 2016 at the TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Canada. FS1 will televise the card starting 9 p.m. ET.
