Nunes vs. Shevchenko Pick
After a postponement a few months ago, Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko will finally meet for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship tonight at UFC 215.
According to the latest oddsmakers, Shevchenko is favored to take the title, as she is listed with -125 odds. Nunes, the champion, is coming in with a -105 money line. These two will meet in the main event of UFC 215 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card will air live on PPV at 10PM ET.
Nunes (14-4) is the champion looking to make her second title defense. These two were set to meet back at UFC 213 in July, but Nunes had to pull out the night of the fight due to a sinus infection. She has won her last five UFC bouts, including a decision win over Shevchenko back in March of 2016. She followed that up by beating Miesha Tate for the UFC title at UFC 200 in July of last year. Nunes also defended her title in a 48-second KO win over Ronda Rousey back on Dec. 30. Nunes is a very powerful striker that also has some good submission skills. She has been able to overwhelm most of her opponents with her striking.
Shevchenko (14-2) has managed to win a pair of fights since the close loss to Nunes. She earned a five-round decision win over Holly Holm last July and then followed that up with a second-round submission win over Julianna Pena in late-January. Shevchenko is also a powerful striker, but relies a little more on her grappling game. She has not really looked overwhelmed in any of her bouts.
The key to this fight may be the five-round aspect. Nunes is someone that relies on strong starts, so she tends to tire as the fight prolongs. That could really become a problem if this bout goes into the championship rounds. Shevchenko isn’t someone likely to start fast. She fights composed and tends to just break her opponent’s spirit. Still, Nunes has looked amazing in her last two fights. Her striking has been on point. There isn’t a fighter that can take many of those strikes. Nunes was also highly criticized after pulling out of the UFC 213 bout, so she is likely to come in with a chip on her shoulder. Look for her to find an opening in the early rounds and finish the fight.
UFC 215 PREDICTIONS: AMANDA NUNES -105