Preview: UFC on ESPN 23 Prelims

Women’s Strawweights

NR | Konklak Suphisara (5-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. NR | Sam Hughes (5-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Suphisara (-370), Hughes (+310)

Suphisara is one of the more interesting prospects on the UFC roster, even if her long-term success is a bit of a question. “Loma Lookboonmee” is the UFC’s first fighter from Thailand, and as expected, she comes from a decorated muay Thai base. Her depth in that realm makes it an absolute pleasure when she is given a defensive blank slate with which to work, but there is already some cause for concern three fights into her UFC career. First and foremost, Suphisara is a natural atomweight and has struggled with the physicality of her opponents as a result. She has held up well enough against one-dimensional or low-output hulks like Aleksandra Albu and Jinh Yu Frey, but her one-sided loss to Angela Hill showed some worrying signs against athletic opponents with more depth of skill. In general, Suphisara is still far from a finished product when it comes to rounding out her overall MMA skillset, particularly when it comes to defense in most aspects of the sport. Hughes is an interesting next test, as “Sampage” is another obvious talent who may have gotten the UFC call just a bit too early. Hughes has the beginnings of a smart pressure game, but there just is not much depth to her arsenal yet. She made her late-notice UFC debut less than two years after her professional debut, and Tecia Torres basically ate her alive. Suphisara’s issues with physicality may provide enough of an opening for Hughes to get something done, but the Legacy Fighting Alliance veteran does not look to be the level of athlete that can completely overwhelm “Loma Lookboonmee.” That means she will probably just charge into some vicious Suphisara offense. While Hughes has considerable long-term upside—perhaps more than he counterpart—the pick is for Suphisara to take the decision.

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