No. 2 women’s strawweight Jessica Andrade (17-6, 5 KOs, 7 SUBs) will meet No. 5 Tecia Torres (10-1, 1 SUB) at UFC on FOX 28 on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu, and get the latest betting previews, predictions and picks now.
In Jessica Andrade’s last fight, she gave former No. 1 Claudia Gadelha contender the worst beating of her career. It was particularly shocking to see “Bate Estaca” ragdoll a savage like Gadelha, who had physically overpowered every UFC strawweight she met save for Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
For her encore, Andrade meets No. 5 Tecia Torres this Saturday at UFC on FOX 28 in Orlando. Torres is one of the division’s most well-rounded fighters, and one of the few girls in the division with muscle tone that’s almost as intimidating as Andrade’s. This looks like it’ll boil down to a battle of attrition, and a major fight of the night contender.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu, break down the matchup and go through your best betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jessica Andrade -311
Tecia Torres +269
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -250, under +210
The Stakes
Andrade is in an interesting spot. If she torches Torres, there’s no one with a better argument for a title shot. Should Namajunas once again defeat Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the rematch, it makes sense that Andrade gets next. But the Brazilian’s scrap with J-Check wasn’t particularly competitive, so even with a win it’s not likely she’d face Joanna again so soon for the title.
Torres has got an opportunity to overtake Andrade as the No. 2 contender. She’s 1-1 in her career against Namajunas, and has the distinction of never having faced Joanna yet. A win here could give her the nod against either.
Matchup Preview
I don’t think there’s a single strawweight that can knock Andrade out. Gadelha lit her up with so many clean, nasty punches that it exhausted her, and Andrade just brushed it off and kept coming forward. The last thing an opponent wants to see is a woman nicknamed “Pile Driver” coming at them.
Andrade’s offense revolves around two things: power punches and brutal slams. She’s a stocky, muscular fighter who swings hooks like a vintage Wanderlei Silva and body slams chicks like a prime Matt Hughes. This is a girl who fought at bantamweight - a weight class 20 pounds heavier - and has found a home at strawweight. She hasn’t lost an ounce of power during that transition.
That’s not to say Torres is in a hopeless situation. She’s an excellent athlete, with black belts in karate and taekwondo, and the power to usually be a bullying fighter in the clinch. Her wrestling has improved to the point where she doesn’t have to use brute strength for takedowns, but forget trying to take down a rock like Andrade.
In this matchup, Torres has got to try and use her quickness and speed to try and outpoint Andrade. That’s going to be tough, as Torres averages 4.77 strikes per minute to Andrade’s 6.45. She will also have to deal with the relentless pressure, as Andrade has no fear when it comes to eating punches, absorbing nearly five per minute.
UFC Betting Tips
Andrade to win is an easy call, but the price puts it in parlay territory. The rounds over is also a safe play, as Torres is extraordinarily difficult to finish. Again, the price isn’t really playable as a straight play, but it’s a better parlay booster since it has a better payout.
UFC Odds Pick: Parlay over 2.5 rounds at -250
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UFC on FOX 28 takes place on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m. ET.
