Preview: UFC on ESPN 27 Prelims

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Women’s Flyweights

NR | Sijara Eubanks (6-6, 4-4 UFC) vs. NR | Elise Reed (4-0, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Eubanks (-330), Reed (+270)

For better or for worse, Eubanks is going to attempt to ply her trade back at flyweight. It was a surprise when Eubanks was announced as part of “The Ultimate Fighter” season to crown the UFC’s first women’s flyweight champion. Beyond being a raw prospect, Eubanks was also a career bantamweight who did not appear to be particularly small for the division. Her rough weight cut was a storyline throughout the season, as Eubanks still managed to march her way to the final, only for the thread to eventually pay off in unexpected fashion. Eubanks’ weight cut ahead of the final went so poorly that she was hospitalized and replaced the day before. Fighting as a flyweight helped Eubanks overpower opponents with her wrestling- and grappling-heavy style, but she also continually proved to not actually be a flyweight, as issues on the scale eventually forced a full-time return to bantamweight. Eubanks had her moments at 135 pounds but eventually hit a rough plateau in her last few bouts. She was not able to particularly overwhelm her opponents, and despite some solid ideas on the feet, her cardio almost always betrayed her by the end of the bout. So comes this move down to 125 pounds, and the scale might be her toughest challenge here, as she should have the clear physical advantage against Reed.

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There is a lot to like about Reed, who has put together a solid resume in her four pro fights to date. She is a well-rounded fighter with some strength and power that does not seem to pop on film. In a vacuum, her ability to hold up physically to her opponents and keep fighting through trouble seems like the perfect stylistic matchup to wear out Eubanks and provide a tough test. However, Reed is also a strawweight who even fought at atomweight as recently as her 2019 debut. There is a huge physical gap present in this fight that should allow Eubanks to keep control and prevent her from getting overwhelmed too much. A loss would be extremely damaging. Reed is an interesting prospect to watch, just not at 125 pounds—unless something has drastically changed since May. The pick is Eubanks via decision.

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