UFC News & FeaturesWomen’s Strawweights
Diana Belbita (14-7, 1-3 UFC) vs. Maria Oliveira (13-6, 1-2 UFC)ODDS: Belbita (-115), Oliveira (-105)
Two strawweights look for a much-needed win in this pairing. Belbita does appear to be figuring some things out during her time on the UFC roster, and there was a lot to figure out. The Romanian’s path to the UFC was built around running over a particularly weak slate of competition, and her tendency towards unchecked aggression quickly hit a wall against better competition. With a move to Canada in recent years, Belbita has looked like a much more consistent fighter, though she can still give away a lot of her gains on offense with some suspect defense. She managed to outpace the typically low-output Hannah Goldy for her lone win in the UFC, but her last outing against Gloria de Paula was essentially an even fight that went against “The Warrior Princess.” Things could cut either way against Oliveira, who has shown flashes of potential during an inconsistent handful of fights in the UFC. Going back to her 2018 showing on Dana White’s Contender Series against Marina Rodriguez, Oliveira has clearly been a better hammer than a nail. Her win over de Paula roughly a year ago was a fun performance that saw the Brazilian pick apart a much slower striker, but things have otherwise quickly gone south against opponents who were able to string together any consistent success; Oliveira even waved off that fight against Rodriguez because she was absorbing too much damage. Add in that Oliveira has proven to be a subpar wrestler and grappler, and she has a relatively narrow path to victory. With that said, it may be available to her here, with Belbita being a slower fighter who is not particularly mindful of her defense. Still, the bet is that Belbita can find enough moments through sheer aggression to keep Oliveira on her heels and separate herself as the better fighter from there. The pick is Belbita via decision.
Jump To »
Imavov vs. Curtis
Maverick vs. Jasudavicius
Aori vs. Zahabi
Bilder vs. Nelson
Dvorak vs. Erceg
Belbita vs. Oliveira
More
