Preview: UFC on ESPN 59 Prelims

Women’s Flyweights

Luana Santos (7-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Mariya Agapova (10-4, 2-3 UFC)

ODDS: Santos (-395), Agapova (+280)

It will be interesting to see what Agapova brings to the cage here, to say the least. Agapova was somewhat overhyped ahead of her signing with the UFC in 2020, but it was easy to see why people were high on the Kazakh fighter. When things clicked for Agapova, she was a whirlwind of violence capable of finding some impressive knockouts and submissions. Five fights into her UFC career, Agapova has provided some moments of danger in each of those bouts, but there has been a clear tendency for things to go south if she finds some consistent resistance. Agapova’s last two fights were each second-round implosions that saw her get submitted. It has been nearly two years since the last of those losses, and Agapova has experienced a public implosion of her personal life since then, so it’s a bit surprising to see her back in action at the moment. Santos didn’t stick out as a particularly UFC-ready prospect when the promotion signed her about a year ago, but she has looked solid through two trips to the Octagon. The Brazilian doesn’t have much of a particular calling card, but she has shown off her durability and physical strength, impressively hanging with natural bantamweight Stephanie Egger in a late-notice win at 135 pounds in December. Unspectacular steadiness should be enough to outlast Agapova, particularly at this current time. The pick is Santos via second-round stoppage.

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