Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Luana Pinheiro at UFC 287
MICHELLE WATERSON-GOMEZ VS LUANA PINHEIRO FACTS
When is UFC 287? Saturday 9 April, 2023 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 287? Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, Florida (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 287?
What channel is UFC 287 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 287? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
MICHELLE WATERSON-GOMEZ VS LUANA PINHEIRO LOWDOWN
Michelle Waterson-Gomez (28-10) is 1-4 in her last five, but she has fought beast after beast. She lost decisions to the former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk (2019) and Carla Esparza (2020) before outpointing Angela Hill (2020). She then got paired with a couple of assassins losing a unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez (2021) and getting submitted by Amanda Lemos in July last year.
Luana Pinheiro (10-1) is a much lesser name but still incredibly dangerous. She knocked out Stephanie Frausto (2020) on the Contender series and has gone on to add Randa Markos (2021) and Sam Hughes (2021) to the win column to extend her streak to eight.
MICHELLE WATERSON-GOMEZ VS LUANA PINHEIRO PREDICTION
Although Pinheiro does not have the stock of Waterson’s previous opponents, she has a very bright future and is a very dangerous opponent for the veteran. She is the bigger and more powerful woman but that is not anything that Waterson has not seen before.
The Brazilian is a strong grappler with excellent jiu-jitsu and judo so it will be great to see them tangle as Waterson is also a top grappler. While they are on the feet, Waterson’s striking will cause her a lot of problems.
Her oblique and head kicks will be money if Pinheiro struggles to control that range. If she is aggressive and fights in the pocket, we can see her overwhelming Waterson and throwing her down.
A Waterson decision is the smart bet as the underdog and lack of knockout threat, but we are backing Pinheiro’s strength and judo to earn a decision of her own.
Prediction: -
Value bet: Waterson via Decision
