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Women’s Bantamweights

#15 | Julia Avila (8-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Julija Stoliarenko (9-4-2, 0-2 UFC)

ODDS: Avila (-370), Stoliarenko (+310)

Avila’s loss to Sijara Eubanks in September was a major disappointment, and this fight should help determine whether that was a roadblock or a complete derailment of her UFC career. Avila rightfully came into the UFC with some hype as a future contender, as her lone loss prior to enterting the Octagon came via a gnarly hand injury. Avila’s approach, which favors pressure and aggression over form, is not particularly unique for the women’s bantamweight division, but the “Raging Panda” is quite effective at it, both in terms of her raw horsepower and her ability to finish fights. Against Eubanks, Avila’s aggression clearly worked against her, as she constantly found herself in positions on the mat from which she was unable to escape. That is the reason this bout against Stoliarenko is interesting. A look at Stoliarenko’s record shows that her style is mostly built around catching her opponents in quick armbars. To her credit, Stoliarenko did gut out a bloody war against Lisa Verzosa to earn her way back into the UFC, but that is a clear outlier on a resume otherwise built around finishes. Avila could get caught, but it seems much more likely that she avoids early trouble and swamps Stoliarenko in an increasingly one-sided fashion. The pick is Avila via second-round stoppage.

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