Preview: UFC 277 Prelims

Tom FeelyJul 27, 2022


Women's Bantamweights

Joselyne Edwards (11-4, 2-2 UFC) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (9-5-2, 3-5 UFC)

ODDS: Edwards (-125), Kim (+105)

It's good to see Kim back, as she's a reliably fun fighter that's struggled to find some recent success. Typically plying her trade at flyweight, "Fire Fist" usually sticks to an approach built around her counters, waiting for her opponent to strike and then firing back as hard as possible. Matched with a brawler, that can result in some knock-down drag-out affairs - but it's also a one-dimensional approach that's resulted in a lot of narrow margins in her wins and now a current three-fight losing streak. Kim moves up to 135 pounds here to take on a late-notice replacement in Edwards, who's both an interesting and frustrating prospect. The Panamanian is a standout athlete, but doesn't have much of a focused approach - given the opportunity to ride things out on the feet she typically finds enough dynamism to get something done, but she's also found a ton of trouble against anyone looking to wrestle with her consistently. That shouldn't be an issue here, so this should turn into a three-round striking match that, like most Kim fights, winds up as a close decision. Edwards figures to be the harder hitter so she gets the nod here given that Kim doesn't set her own pace, but this is a coin flip; the pick is Edwards via decision.



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