Preview: UFC Fight Night 196 ‘Costa vs. Vettori’

Women’s Bantamweights

NR | Jessica-Rose Clark (10-6, 3-2 UFC) vs. NR | Joselyne Edwards (10-3, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Clark (-145), Edwards (+125)

This is a well-matched fight between two fighters still trying to figure things out. That process has been a long road for Clark, who came to the UFC in 2017 after a relatively high-profile regional career that had some middling success. There was not much to suggest that Clark would even hang in the UFC all that long upon making it to the promotion, but she has done well to improve her skill level in essentially all facets, particularly shoring up a once-questionable defensive wrestling game. However, “Jessy Jess” still has not quite made everything click to the level that it feels like it should. Clark often seems torn about when to press the action versus when to stay cautious. Add in that she is not a particularly high-level athlete, and it turns into a frustrating equation for Clark as her opponent’s harder output usually outweighs whatever she decides to bring to the table. Clark did absolutely dominate a much lesser athlete in Sarah Alpar her last time out, and given how she has improved over the last few years, things could finally click here. Edwards has followed the more typical prospect path. The Panamanian is a powerful athlete who can do a little bit of everything, but she is still learning how to adjust to opponents who can survive or fight back. It is telling that Edwards has a loss to Alpar on the regional scene, but she does at least seem to have worked out some of her issues in the ensuing two and a half years, doing enough to win a decision over Yanan Wu before getting handled by divisional dark horse Karol Rosa. This is a tricky one to call, as Clark is the more reliable fighter in the vacuum. The worry is that Edwards’ hot start and powerful striking could throw the Aussie completely out of her game and force her to fight back from a deficit. Expect Edwards’ dynamism to get things done, even if the third round does not figure to be particularly pretty. The pick is Edwards via decision.

Continue Reading » Choi vs. Caceres