This Saturday’s co-main event between Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson is likely to draw in more viewers than the flyweight championship headliner. That’s because it projects to be a competitive fight between two exciting scrappers that are squarely in the title mix. Oh, yeah both women are pretty easy on the eyes as well.
As far as picking a winner, that’s going to be a little more difficult. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get to a betting pick that should help you come out a winner.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Rose Namajunas -135
Michelle Waterson +115
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -175, under +145
The Case for Namajunas
Though “Thug” has less than half the fight time of her opponent, she has rapidly becoming one of the division’s premier fighters. That’s an amazing accomplishment for somebody with just eight pro fights.
Against Waterson, Namajunas is the taller, longer fighter. A good athlete, Namajunas can be effective while staying out of Waterson’s range. And although it’s difficult to say whether she’s physically stronger than Waterson, having a size advantage projects well for her brutal clinch game.
Rose will need to test her strength against Waterson early. If she’s able to keep Waterson’s back against the cage, this fight tilts in her favor. If she wants to keep the fight standing, dictating the range against “The Karate Hottie” will be imperative.
The Case for Waterson
When you’re fighting up from your natural weight class, you need to have a ton of grit. Waterson has that in spades. She’s been in plenty of wars, including some of Invicta’s most memorable fights. You could run over this girl with a truck and she’d still be swinging at you.
Her best chance against Rose is to probably keep this on the feet. A good long-distance striker, The Karate Hottie puts a ton of force into her strikes. Good with all four limbs, Waterson has a creative kicking game that can also throw opponents off-balance.
While Waterson has been known for getting overpowered in the clinch and on the mat, she was surprising the bully in her last fight against the bigger Paige VanZant. Perhaps at 31, her strength has finally matured. If she can be the aggressor in the takedown department, her submission skills will get a chance to shine.
How You Should Bet
This is an evenly matched fight, although Namajunas does have a few advantages that tilt it in her favor. However, the safest best here is the over on 2.5 rounds, as the strawweight division is not one where knockouts are extremely common. And because both women are skilled in the grappling department, it’s doubtful they’ll be submitting each other early.
UFC odds pick: Over 2.5 rounds -175
Bet on UFC on FOX 24 odds now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
UFC on FOX 24 takes place on Saturday, April 15, 2017 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m. ET.
