MMAjunkie Radio cohost and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom provides an in-depth breakdown of all of UFC on FOX 28’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event.
UFC on FOX 28 takes place Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., and it airs on FOX following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
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Jessica Andrade (17-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC)
Jessica Andrade
Staple info:
- Height: 5’3″ Age: 26 Weight: 115 lbs. Reach: 62″
- Last fight: Decision win over Claudia Gadelha (Sept. 22, 2017)
- Camp: Parana Vale Tudo (Brazil)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ Braziian jiu-jitsu blue belt
+ Muay Thai blue belt
+ 5 KO victories
+ 7 submission win
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ Relentless pace and pressure
+ Improved striking ability
^ Combinations and body work
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Trips, throws, high-crotch hikes
+ Strikes well off the breaks
+ Solid top game
^ Pressures, postures, strikes, passes
Tecia Torres (10-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Tecia Torres
Staple info:
- Height: 5’1″ Age: 28 Weight: 115 lbs. Reach: 60″
- Last fight: Decision win over Michelle Waterson (Dec. 2, 2017)
- Camp: Triple Threat Gym (Denver, CO)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Excellent
Supplemental info:
+ “TUF 20” alum
+ Taekwondo black belt
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt
+ 7-0 as an amateur
+ 1 submission win
+ Good footwork
+ Consistent pace and pressure
^ High-volume striker
+ Solid kick variety
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Strong hips and balance
+ Improved positional grappler
^ Works well from topside
Summary:
The co-main event in Orlando features a matchup between top-ranked strawweights Jessica Andrade and Tecia Torres, who are respectively No. 3 and No. 5 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s strawweight rankings
Coming off of a thrilling victory over Claudia Gadelha in Japan, Andrade has quickly gotten herself back into talks of title contention. Standing in the Brazilian’s way is Torres, a perennial contender who is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.
With champ Rose Namajunas set to rematch Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the strawweight title in April, this matchup will likely determine who meets the winner.
Starting off on the feet, we have the classic pairing of a relentless pressure-fighter vs. a stick-and-move stylist.
Consistently coming out like a bull in a china shop, Andrade is your quintessential pressure-fighter.
An equivalent to the female version of John Lineker, Andrade is most effective when able to push her opposition toward the cage. Once able to get her opponent in between the fence and inner-black octagon lines, the 26-year-old will unleash in left-to-right continuums, variating well to the body with regularity.
However, in chasing her prey down the two-way street of pressure, Andrade will traditionally open herself up to counters. And though Andrade may not be paired up with a knockout puncher, per say, she will be facing one of the few fighters who can hold a candle to her activity.
Enter Torres.
A karate-influenced striker, Torres will use excellent lateral movement and angles to fire off high-volume blitzes.
Starting off her career as a southpaw, we saw Torres tighten up her fundamentals after moving to American Top Team, where she learned to adjust her fighting stance to orthodox and so forth. Since then, Torres has steadily sharpened her attacks.
Often finishing her combos with low-to-high right round kicks, the six-year pro will then parlay her hip position and momentum into sidekicks off the same leg. Not only does this subtly open up Torres’ southpaw options, but it also allows her to exit at angles and reset safely (a la Holly Holm).
Should the 28-year-old’s speed and discipline hold true, then she could (ideally) force Andrade into a similar predicament that she faced last May against Jedrzejczyk. But if Torres fails to stop Andrade from closing the distance, then this battle will likely hit the clinch.
Although I feel Torres does a better job of mixing up her strikes into grappling entries within this space, Andrade presents a strength that few can offer in this division.
Competent with many variations of the bodylock, the Brazilian does her best work from a head-outside single, a technique that allows her strength to shine through – hoisting her opposition almost at will. Once able to get things to the ground, Andrade employs a positional assault that involves posturing, passing and striking with impunity.
Still, Torres has traditionally been difficult to move or muscle in close.
Also armed with a stout frame, Torres typically does well at maintaining her balance inside of the clinch, all while offering offensive striking and wrestling threats of her own.
Should Torres flip the script and find herself topside, she shows strong submission defense and a niche for positional awareness that could keep her safe and earn her rounds. Coupled with what appears to be an increased emphasis and skills jump in her grappling, and Torres may find surprising success on the floor against Andrade, a fighter who is not beyond being burnt on the mat.
The oddsmakers and public seem increasingly confident in their opinion, listing Andrade -320 and Torres +260 as of this writing.
Anyone who has followed Torres’ career may be somewhat surprised to see a plus number next to her name. Torres has typically been favored to win the majority of her contests and has been one of my more consistent parlay pieces when looking to make a play.
Nevertheless, I can still understand why the odds are currently at a margin that is seemingly wide.
Torres is usually the fighter who carries the edge in the output department, and can use her underrated wrestling abilities to dictate the terms of action. That said, on paper, Torres will be out-gunned by Andrade in those areas.
Torres is also the more technical striker of the two, but I’m not sure she will have the same pop to her punches or craft in her footwork that allowed Jedrzejczyk to punctuate rounds so clearly against Andrade. And if she can’t mix things up by taking the Brazilian down by surprise, then it could be a long night for Torres. Ultimately, I’ll be siding with the pressure of Andrade to seal the deal on the judges’ scorecards.
Official pick: Andrade by decision
For more on UFC on FOX 28, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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