UFC 185 Free Pick & Prediction: Carla Esparza vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
By Drew Sharper
DALLAS, TX (The Spread) – The UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship will be defended for the first time tonight at UFC 185 when Carla Esparza faces Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Who will get the victory?
Esparza (10-2) is the champion that is defending her title for the first time since she won it back in December. She is currently on a five-fight win streak. Jedrzejczyk (8-0) is unbeaten and 2-0 in the UFC. She is a very long striker with world championship credentials. Esparza is a tremendous wrestler with good submission skills on the ground. Jedrzejczyk stands 5-6 while the champion is just 5-1.
The latest odds according to oddsmakers have Esparza as the slight favorite, as she is getting odds of -155 to win, while Jedrzejczyk has a money line of +125 to prevail. These two will meet in the co-main event of UFC 185 tonight. The event airs live on PPV at 10PM ET.
This fight is a classic battle of striker vs. grappler, both being world class in their strength. The big question about this fight is conditioning. Both have gone 15, but Jedrzejczyk hasn’t been pushed for 25 by a grappler. Jedrzejczyk will need to finish the fight in the early rounds to win, which she can do with her striking ability. Esparza will likely have a hard time getting inside the long reach of the challenger, which could derail her wrestling ability. Look for Jedrzejczyk to be composed and light on her feet and pick apart the champion to score a minor upset and win the title.
UFC 185 FREE PICK: Joanna Jedrzejczyk +125