Preview: UFC on ESPN 14 ‘Whittaker vs. Till’ Prelims

Tom FeelyJul 22, 2020


Women's Bantamweights

Bethe Correia (11-4-1) vs. Pannie Kianzad (12-5)
Odds: Kianzad (-145), Correia (+125)


Her delusional amount of faith in her own ability makes her an easy target, but Correia is an inspirational figure in her own way; despite a complete lack of athleticism and transitioning from a career in accounting, Correia's done well to be the best fighter she was ever going to be. Her last fight, a victory over Sijara Eubanks, is a perfect example; on paper, there was no real path to victory for Correia against such a superior athlete, but the Brazilian just kept at it until Eubanks tired and got a clear decision win in the process.

This time around, she'll take on Kianzad, who has probably disappointed relative to expectations from when she was a top prospect, but has turned into a solid fighter nonetheless. Kianzad's a strong wrestler who can do a bit of everything, but her main weakness is that she's become completely allergic to pressure fighters who can keep her uncomfortable. Correia has an aggressive mindset, but like most of Correia's fights, there's no reason to favor her against someone with enough natural ability to dictate the terms of the fight. The fun of Correia fights is watching her pull off the upset, but to that end, the pick is Kianzad via decision.

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