All posts by Chris Blain

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Boxing Odds and Fight Prediction

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A potential Fight of the Year candidate awaits boxing fans on November 19th as unified Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev defends his titles against former super middleweight king, Andre Ward .

Boxer vs Puncher

Known as the Krusher for his knack of knocking out his opponents, Sergey Kovalev has 26 knockouts in 30 total wins. Ward, on the other hand, is one of the sport’s best boxers. He’s accumulated a professional record of 30-0 with 15 knockouts. In his last 10 bouts, Ward has recorded just two knockouts. On the other hand, Kovalev has failed to stop just two fighters in his last 10 bouts.

Their game plans are as obvious as their records. Kovalev would love to engage Ward in a slugfest for the ages. Ward, meanwhile, will be looking to hit and not get hit by the power punching Russian Krusher. With two fighters who excel in their respective fighting styles, this one’s pretty much a toss-up in the truest sense of the word. The oddsmakers agree.

Hard To Pick

Ward opened as a -150 favorite against Kovalev’s +120. Again, these are two Top 5 pound for pound fighters fighting each other in their primes. But in a close call like this, experts tend to think that the safer money is with the better boxer which in this case is Andre Ward. Two months later, the lines have narrowed further at -137 to +110 but still favor Andre Ward.

As for the method of victory, the oddsmakers have set Ward winning by decision at +110 and Kovalev by KO or disqualification at +200. Many boxing experts feel that if the fight is going the distance, it will favor the boxer Ward while if it’s ending abruptly, it’s gonna be the hard hitting Kovalev who comes out victorious.

Weight Difference

Weight will not be an issue for Andre Ward but without doubt he will be facing a naturally bigger man on November 19. This will only be Ward’s third bout at light heavyweight while Kovalev has resided here since 2009. And Kovalev won’t be just another light heavyweight in the roster, he is the best in the division and is the hardest hitter in the weight class. Sure Ward is an expert in not getting hit, but once he gets hit will be the question. How Ward takes Kovalev’s punches will be the key in this bout. If he can take Kovalev’s punches though, the Krusher may be in for a long night.

Can Box Too

By Saying that Kovalev will primarily win by KO doesn’t mean he can’t box. Kovalev famously outboxed Bernard Hopkins in a career defining fight in 2014. That victory though is a two way school of thought against Andre Ward. Kovalev  dropped Hopkins but couldn’t finish him off. So Ward, being a sound technical boxer like Hopkins, could go the distance with Kovalev too and have the better shot at beating Kovalev.

Having said that, the longer this fight goes, the more it favors Andre Ward. If this fight is going the distance, Andre Ward is going to pick up that decision win.

UFC Fight Night 99: Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall Betting Odds And Prediction

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Gegard Mousasi looks to improve on his current winning run as he faces Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 99 in Belfast.

Moving Up The Ladder

Mousasi’s coming off a stoppage of former champion Vitor Belfort and has gone 5-1 in his last 6 bouts. The only blemish on his record during this stretch has been his 2015 knockout loss to Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 75. Now Mousasi not only has an opportunity to avenge that loss, he also has the chance to improve his current standing as one of the middleweight division’s top contenders. The Dream Catcher is currently ranked 5th in his weight class and a win over the 10th ranked Hall will surely boost his stock.

Surprisingly A Big Underdog

Surprisingly, Hall opened as a big underdog to Mousasi despite beating him in their first encounter. Mousasi opened as a -500 favorite while Hall a +325 underdog for the rematch. This is the same scenario during their first bout where Mousasi was a -350 who went as high as -725 during fight night. Back then, Hall was a live underdog who won five of his last six bouts. This time around, Primetime is coming off back to back defeats to Robert Whitaker and Derek Brunson. With the fight two weeks away, Mousasi has remained at -500 while Hall has fallen back at +476.

More Complete Fighter

Between the two, Mousasi is the better all-around fighter. Nothing exceptional about Mousasi’s game except the fact that he’s skilled in almost every aspect of MMA. He’s a very good kickboxer, an underrated wrestler and has smooth submission skills. Hall meanwhile is the flashier athlete who’s always got that puncher’s ( or kicker’s) chance. But despite being one of the top prospects when he first came out, Hall has never put up a serious run and has been beaten by mediocre opposition in the past.

Better Striking Defense

In the striking department, both average almost the same number of strikes per minute with Mousasi at 3.67 and Hall at 3.13. Similarly both have near identical accuracy at 52% vs 50% in favor of Hall. The difference though is defense as Mousasi stops 69% of his opponent’s strikes while Hall defends just 55% of them. Translated to significant strikes, Hall takes more punishment per minute at 2.88 strikes against Mousasi’s 1.17. The difference there could spell a unanimous decision win for Mousasi.

Not A Threat

While Hall is a threat with his flashy kicks and punches, he isn’t so much on the ground. In fact, he only averages 0.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Mousasi meanwhile is more active at 1.2 submissions attempted per three rounds. Hall doesn’t also have an impressive takedown average, landing just 41% of his attempts. On the other hand, Mousasi is better at 61%. The differences aren’t much but if you take a look at them, they could spell the difference in this bout. Mousasi has well-timed takedowns and even if he doesn’t convert them to submission, these can win him rounds.

The Pick

Uriah Hall will always be a dangerous opponent because of his athleticism. But knowing what happened in their first bout, Gegard Mousasi will adjust. Unless he gets nailed by another spinning back kick, he’s going to wear Uriah Hall down round after round. He can do it by jabbing away at him or taking him down on the ground. Look for Mousasi to win on points and don’t be surprised if he wins every round of this bout.

UFC 205 Betting Odds: Can Raquel Pennington Take Down Miesha Tate?

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Former UFC womens bantamweight champion Miesha Tate returns for the first time since losing her belt to Amanda Nunes at July’s UFC 200. Tate’s UFC 205 opponent will be The Ultimate Fighter alumnus Raquel Pennington who is currently on a three fight winning streak. Coincidentally, Pennington was a member of Miesha’s team in the TUF 18 show.

Odds on Cupcake

Miesha Tate opened as a -275 favorite against Raquel Pennington’s +215. That’s the highest opening odds for Tate since fighting Rin Nakai in 2014. Currently, Tate’s worst-best numbers are -190 to -170 while Pennington’s are +145 and +164, respectively.

Oddsmakers have given this fight a -165 to go the full route and a +165 not to go the distance. That’s despite the fact that Pennington’s last two wins were by decision and four of Tate’s last five victories reached the final horn.

Big Step Up

Having said Tate was Rocky’s coach in the TUF says a lot about the difference in experience between these two female bantamweights. Cupcake Tate is a veteran of 24 fights while Pennington has fought 13 times. But that’s not really the big difference between the two.

It’s the quality of opposition that they’ve faced. Sure, Pennington has faced (and lost to) the likes of Holly Holm and Cat Zingano in the past. But Miesha Tate has almost exclusively fought the upper echelon ladies in the past five years. She’s even captured both the Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight titles along the way.

Having said that, Rocky is a downgrade in opposition for Tate and Tate a big step up for Pennington. This is just an intangible though but one that’s hard to ignore.

Striking Edge

The difference in experience doesn’t mean Pennington cannot win this bout. By all means, Rocky has the edge in the striking department, averaging twice as many strikes per minute as Miesha Tate does at 3.96 versus 1.98.

That difference is huge considering Tate’s 51% striking defense isn’t the best in the business. However, Tate makes up for that with the better grappling game. Cupcake averages 2.15 takedowns per 15 minutes against Pennington’s 1.5. That’s not much but once the fight gets down and ugly, we know that’s where Miesha Tate thrives. At 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, Tate is the more active and aggressive fighter on the ground.  

That said, Pennington has to keep the fight on her feet to maintain her advantage. Not only will she be content with striking from a distance, she’d love to brawl with Tate whom she can easily overpower. That will backfire, though, as Tate is going to put her down as many times as she can and win round after round on top position.

UFC 205: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez Betting Odds and Prediction

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Conor McGregor continues to chase history as he challenges Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight title at the main event of UFC 205.

Currently the UFC’s 145-pound kingpin, McGregor hopes to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two world titles at the same time. To do that, he has to take out the tough and durable Philly native in Alvarez on Saturday, November 12th.

Six in A Row

For the sixth fight in a row, McGregor opened as the betting favorite. He’s lost just once during that period and that was to Nate Diaz at UFC 196.

Against Alvarez, the Irishman opened at -125 against the Underground King who was initially pegged at -105. Now that the fight is barely a week away, McGregor’s numbers have improved although not by much. The Irishman is walking the lines at the  -145 to -160 range. Alvarez, meanwhile, has fallen back +120 to +133 although those odds still say this one’s nearly a pick’em fight.

Not Going The Distance

As for the fight, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision. Eighteen of McGregor’s 20 wins have been by stoppage and 17 of those by knockout. On the other hand, Alvarez has 15 knockouts and 7 submissions in 28 total wins. Because of this, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision.

Length Matters

Conor McGregor’s left hand is legendary. Even Alvarez admits that it’s his main weapon. But McGregor isn’t just a one-armed bandit. He’s sensational on his feet. Notorious has power, timing and accuracy. Eddie Alvarez himself is an excellent boxer and that makes this an exciting striking affair. But McGregor’s five inch reach advantage should be the difference here.

In his seven UFC fights prior to Nate Diaz, he had the reach advantage. He won all of those bouts.

No Wrestling Disadvantage

McGregor’s perceived weakness is his ground game. But if you take a look at his second bout with the bigger Nate Diaz, the Irishman stuffed 6 of 7 takedown attempts. Many people also forget that during his 2013 bout with Max Holloway, Mystic Mac nailed down 4 of 5 takedown attempts. Fans betting on Alvarez point to his wrestling as his advantage. After all, Alvarez beat Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis by dragging the fight to the ground. But if you take a look at the stats, Alvarez has landed only 29% of his total takedowns in 4 UFC bouts. That’s not gonna be good enough.

Take away McGregor’s advantages, Eddie Alvarez is a solid fighter coming off a first round KO over Rafael Dos Anjos. That’s impressive. However, McGregor not only is the better technical striker, he’s also much longer. Once he feels Conor’s power, he will try to bring the fight to the ground. McGregor’s 70% takedown defense will hold and eventually, Alvarez will either get knocked out in the first 8 minutes or have his face re-arranged after 5 rounds as McGregor promised.

One way or another, the bet is Conor McGregor this weekend, and history awaits.

UFC 206: Anthony Pettis vs. Max Holloway Odds and Preview

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After calling out each other last month via Twitter, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway are headed for a high level featherweight showdown at UFC 206.

The UFC announced the fight on October 26th:

Moving Down To Featherweight

Pettis is coming off an impressive featherweight debut at UFC on Fox 21 last August, where he submitted submission master Charles Oliveira in three rounds. Prior to that, Showtime lost three fights in a row at lightweight. That losing skid forced the former UFC Lightweight champion to move down in weight and fight at 145 pounds.

The win over Oliveira moved Pettis from #5 in Lightweight to #6 in Featherweight. It also installed him as one of the favorite contenders in the weight class whose title belt has been held hostage by reigning champion, Conor McGregor.

On A Hot Streak

On a nine-fight winning streak, Max Holloway certainly deserves a crack at the featherweight title. Holloway is coming off a decision win over Top 5 featherweight Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199 and has beaten the likes of Jeremy Stephens, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson during his winning run. The last time Holloway lost was in 2013 and that was to Conor McGregor.

Holloway would have loved to avenge that loss but McGregor is busy fighting for the Lightweight belt at UFC 205. With interim champion Jose Aldo busy with his squabble with the UFC, ‘Blessed’ said that he was willing to settle for Anthony Pettis instead. Pettis responded to that challenge by alluding to a UFC 205 bout but while that was denied, the two are headed to the co-main event of UFC 206 in Toronto.

Who The Odds Are Picking

Holloway has opened as a slight -160 favorite over Pettis, who comes in at +125.

Blessed’s impressive winning run has certainly left a good impression on him. Also, Holloway is the more experienced guy in this weight class, having fought here throughout his UFC career. Though Pettis proved he can make weight and beat a contender like Oliveira, he remains untested against the regulars of his new weight class.

Betting odds at sites like Bovada are also giving this fight a -245 for going over 2.5 rounds and a +175 for ending in less than 2.5 rounds which means that Pettis and Holloway are likely to go the full route.

Showtime Boxing Announces Seven Major Fights

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It’s going to be ‘Showtime’ indeed for the sport of boxing starting in December as Showtime Sports recently announced a massive seven-bout schedule that is certainly going to get boxing fans pumped up.

Showtime took to Twitter to announce the big news:

High Quality Fights, Fighters

Showtime’s impressive schedule involves fourteen Top 10 fighters, seven of which are undefeated. Twelve of the boxers are current or past world champions, as well. The schedule also has an impressive six title fights, including two title unification bouts. The fighters on the six world title bouts have combined record of 313-6. If that’s not impressive enough for you, you just aren’t a boxing fan.

Title Unifications

Showtime’s top tier schedule is headlined by a welterweight title unification between IBF champion Keith “One-Time” Thurman and WBC title holder Danny “Swift” Garcia on March 4th, 2017. Before he fights Thurman, Garcia has a tune-up fight on November 13th against fringe challenger Samuel Vargas.

Another title unification bout opens up the year in 2017 when Las Vegas resident and WBC Super Middleweight champion Badou Jack meets England’s IBF Super Middleweight title holder James DeGale.

More Title Bouts

The series of fights begin with a double title bout affair on December 10th at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

WBA ‘regular’ featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar faces former world champion Abner Mares while IBF Jr. middleweight champion Jermall Charlo risks his belt against mandatory challenger Julian Williams.

Another double title bout event sets the month of January ablaze when Carl Frampton faces Leo Santa Cruz in a rematch of their July 2016 Fight of The Year candidate. The co-main event for Frampton-Santa Cruz will be the WBC lightweight title bout between champion Dejan Zlaticanin and challenger Mikey Garcia.

The seventh bout in the series features the return of the enigmatic four division world champion Adrien “ AB” Broner on February 11th. Broner will face fellow 140-pound contender Adrian Granados in a featured bout. Showtime is considered to be taking a risk in Broner whose recent off the ring troubles included suicide threats that led to a Police investigation and being cited for misdemeanor in a Las Vegas night club.

Odds For The Bouts

Some lines have already opened for these match ups and they are very competitive. These are Carl Frampton ( -110) vs Leo Santa Cruz ( +127), James DeGale (-220) vs Badou Jack (+220). Likewise, Mares vs Cuellar is expected to be close as both fighters were pegged at -110  against each other during their aborted June 2016 bout.

UFC 207 Rumors: Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt to Fight For Title?

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Cody Garbrandt may have leapfrogged ahead of the Top 5 bantamweights all the way to a title fight with Dominick Cruz.

That’s because according to the latest MMA news, Garbrandt is the front runner to get the next crack at the Dominator. The bout was first reported by Ariel Helwani:

What Rankings?

Ranked 6th in the UFC’s bantamweight title following his win over Thomas Almeida last May, Garbrandt may have talked his way to a title shot. There is no doubt that Garbrandt’s had an impressive 2016 with three wins and three first round knockouts. But more than his fight resume, it was his back and forth trash talk with Cruz that’s made this bout a story.

Aside from Garbrandt, top ranked bantamweights like T.J. Dillashaw, Jon Lineker and Bryan Caraway all deserve a shot at the bantamweight gold. But in the tradition of Bisping-Hendo 2 at UFC 204 and McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, the fight that made the most financial sense got the nod.

Dominator Once More

After a long struggle with injuries, Dominick Cruz returned earlier this year to capture the title he never lost inside the Octagon. Cruz bested erstwhile champion T.J. Dillashaw in a surgical five rounder. The Dominator then followed that up with a win over rival Urijah Faber at UFC 199.

Before those two victories, Cruz fought just once from 2012 to 2014 because of different and recurring injuries. But Cruz set his sights on regaining his old title and did so in what experts call the Greatest Comeback story in MMA history.

Garbrandt is an immaculate 5-0 with 5 KOs in the UFC. Without doubt, his biggest win came against  the highly touted Thomas Almeida in the main event of UFC Fight Night 88. Garbrandt is one of the division’s hardest hitters but the question is if he can find his target.  Dominick Cruz’s hit and run style may not be a good fit for Garbrandt, who loves to brawl.

Year End Extravaganza

The bout is reportedly being worked out for UFC 207 on December 3th0, 2015 UFC 207 will be headlined by the women’s bantamweight title bout between champion Amanda Nunes and the comebacking Ronda Rousey. It will mark Rousey’s first octagon appearance since losing by knockout to Holly Holm at UFC 193.

The UFC typically ends the year big with an explosive final event. Rousey’s return will be big enough to do that. Adding Cruz vs. Garbrandt would be icing on the cake for they UFC’s year ender.

Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz Rematch Set For January 28th, 2017

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Leo Santa Cruz demanded a rematch. Carl Frampton was more than willing to oblige. Now their second bout is a done deal. And it was the champ himself who made the announcement via Twitter:

The Rematch

Immediately after suffering the first defeat of his professional boxing career, Mexican Leo Santa Cruz asked for a rematch with Carl Frampton. The Jackal was gracious to accept the challenge. But because November and December had filled out the major stadiums in the United States, the PBC decided to book the rematch during the opening month of 2017. Either that or as the rumor said the PBC is running out of cash, Leo Santa Cruz will have an opportunity to reclaim the world title that was once his.

It can be recalled that Frampton and Santa Cruz battled in a close and rugged bout that saw the Northern Ireland native win by majority decision. Though it was well-fought, it was clear that the Jackal landed the more telling blows while Santa Cruz produced his usual high output punch stats. The judges gave preference to substance over content and hence Frampton snatched Santa Cruz’s world title and became the first man from Northern Ireland to win boxing world titles in two different weight classes.

Keeping His Word

By agreeing to fight Santa Cruz in an immediate rematch, Frampton thus sets aside the plans to take on Lee Selby in an All-British Featherweight title unification bout which would be a big sell in England. But Frampton gave his word to Leo Santa Cruz after their bout, saying he would love to give Leo a rematch because he ( Santa Cruz ) gave him the opportunity to fight for the Featherweight world title. A rematch with Santa Cruz tells us that Frampton isn’t just a man of his word. He’s a boxer who fears no one inside the ring.

Santa Cruz unleashed his vaunted volume punching against Frampton, throwing an impressive 1002 total punches against the Jackal’s 668. He also landed 255 total punches as against Frampton’s 242. But the Jackal landed more power shots 206-191 and those more telling blows proved to be the difference in the close fight.

Back To Vegas

Although Frampton wished the rematch would be in Belfast, sources are saying that the venue is the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. To spice up the night, a title bout between Mikey Garcia and Dejan Zlaticanin has been added as the co-main event. The two will fight for Zlaticanin’s WBC Lightweight title:

The co-main event was confirmed by Lou DiBella who is the promoter of Zlaticanin. The event will be televised via Showtime.

Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia Slated For March 2017

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Danny Garcia is “gift”, no more.

After years of being mocked as ‘gift’ because of winning controversial decisions and fighting lesser known foes, Philly’s Danny “Swift” Garcia stepped up to the plate when he agreed to fight WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time”” Thurman next year:

https://twitter.com/keithfthurmanjr/status/787000095283695618

Stepping Up to The Plate

WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia has been labeled a cherry picker for fighting lesser known opponents. On Wednesday, that label may have been erased after PBC spokesman Tim Smith told media that Garcia has signed on a deal that would pit him against fellow unbeaten champion Keith Thurman in a title unification bout which could very well be the biggest match-up Al Haymon’s PBC will have ever put up.

Thurman is one of the division most feared punchers with his 27-0, 22 KOs record. One time is coming off a unanimous decision win over former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter last June. Prior to his win over Porter, Thurman had five successful title defenses under his belt.

Gifted Not Gift

Danny Garcia burst into the boxing spotlight with back to back wins over Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales. Then the unified 140-pound champion, Garcia sent Morales to permanent retirement in their second bout, knocking out El Terrible in 4 rounds.

He followed up that victory with impressive wins over Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse. However, controversial wins over Mauricio Herrera and Lamont Peterson plus a fight over the overmatched Rod Salka led to him being called ‘Gift”.

But Garcia is more than that. He’s one of the most gifted fighters in the business with his combination of speed, skill and power. Perhaps he was just looking for the right fight at the right time. A title unification bout with Thurman would be big. In fact, it would be the biggest welterweight match-up since Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Tune-Up Bout

Before these bg names collide though, Danny Garcia will be having a tune-up bout against Samuel Vargas on November 12th. According to PBC spokesman Smith, Garcia is taking the fight in order to keep himself in the best physical and mental state while waiting for the Thurman bout. On the other hand, Thurman isn’t expected to have a tune-up bout.

While IBF Kell Brook and up and rising star Errol Spence entering the picture, boxings welterweight division remains one of its best despite the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr. The winner of the Thurman-Garcia bout is likely going to be the Alpha Male of the division until he fights either Spence or Brook.

UFC 207 Odds: Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes Odds and Preview

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She’s back.

After spending one year away from MMA, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey returns to the octagon on December 30th to face current champion Amanda “Lioness” Nunes in the main event of UFC 207 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC President Dana White made the ‘major announcment’ at The Herd on Wednesday:

Major Announcement

White’s ‘major announcement’ really didn’t come as a surprise. The signs were leading to it.

Last month, White told Brazilian sports outlet O Globo that a Rousey-Nunes bout was possible before the end of the year. White also said earlier this month that Rousey’s comeback fight would be the biggest PPV the UFC has done. If that wasn’t at UFC 205, where else would that be but at the company’s year end show.

In September, Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan told reporters that a Rousey vs. Nunes bout was being discussed and that the main issue was Ronda working her way back into form after a minor knee injury in the summer. Apparently, Rousey is better now.

A Better Rousey

After a dominant run as the UFC’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey suffered a shocking knockout defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193 last November. Prior to that defeat, Rousey won her first twelve bouts, all by stoppage including 9 by armbar stoppage.

She became a star, both inside and outside the octagon but things came falling down when she was knocked out cold by Holm. The seemingly invincible woman broke down and shunned the limelight. The longer she stayed outside the Octagon, the more people thought she would never fight again. But after a year off, Rousey is back and presumably better not just as a fighter, but also as a person.

The Lioness

Ronda’s opponent couldn’t have been tougher. With Rousey wanting to get her old belt back, she will have to fight the current champion, Amanda Nunes.

The Lioness won the title with a dominant first round KO of Rousey nemesis Miesha Tate at UFC 200. Nunes has a 13-4 MMA record but is an impressive 6-1 in the UFC. Five of those win were by stoppage and Nunes has beaten Shayna Baszler, Sara McMann, Valentina Schevhenko and Tate in succession. She is considered one of the best strikers in the sport and one with genuine KO power.

It can be recalled that Rousey lost to Holm, a former boxing world champion, because the latter had the better striking game. It will be extremely interesting to see how Rousey will deal with an equally versatile striker like Nunes.

Opening as Favorite

Despite her long absence, Ronda Rousey opened as a -200 favorite against Nunes’ +160. Oddsmakers point to Rousey’s popularity as the main reason for these numbers. Nunes has the better striking but the real question is whether she can keep the fight standing up.

Rousey’s power throws and judo are superb and once Rowdy takes the fight to the ground, we know what’s going to happen next. No opponent has ever matched Ronda’s skill on the ground, as she submitted one challenger after another before a much improved striking game saw her self-destruct against Holly Holm.

If Ronda keeps the striking exchanges at a minimal and focuses on grappling and wrestling, she is seen as having the advantage over Nunes. Nunes, meanwhile, must avoid getting her arm exposed on the ground because that’s almost a bait for Rousey.