Molly McCann vs. Julija Stoliarenko Betting Analysis and Prediction
Fan-favorite Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann makes her awaited return to the octagon Saturday night against the tough Lithuanian fighter Julija Stoliarenko. McCann is set to be the first UK women’s fighter to be this high up on a card in UFC history.
Read more for the betting analysis of this bout, along with the official McCann vs Stoliarenko prediction, before making your UFC picks this weekend.
Molly McCann vs Julija Stoliarenko
Location of the game: O2 Arena, London, England.
Date and Time: Saturday, July 22. 3:00 PM ET main card start.
How to Watch: ESPN+
McCann is looking to bounce back from a very tough loss to Erin Blanchfield last November at Madison Square Garden.
Stoliarenko is looking to also bounce back from a tough loss–she was TKO’d by Chelsea Chandler last October.
Before entering the world of mixed martial arts, McCann had a background in boxing. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA in her early 20s, and her passion for combat sports, along with her personality, eventually led her to become one of women’s MMA’s biggest stars.
She fights at a high pace, averaging 5.72 significant strikes landed per minute and absorbing an average of 4.90 in that minute as well. Molly has also added wrestling to her game, with an average of 1.67 takedowns per 15 minutes as well.
Julija Stoliarenko is a professional mixed martial artist from Lithuania. She was born on December 12, 1992, in Alytus, Lithuania. Throughout her career, Stoliarenko has demonstrated a grappling-heavy style, often seeking opportunities to take the fight to the ground and utilize her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expertise. Her ground game and submission skills have been key factors in her success earlier in her career.
She has a 10-7-1 MMA record and is probably one fight away from being cut from the promotion. She needs to go all out and fight her best performance yet to keep herself in the UFC.
No injuries have been reported to the UFC.
According to UFC odds, McCann is the -194 betting favorite over the +169 underdog in Stoliarenko. This is a very favorable matchup for McCann, coming back from a disappointing performance in her last appearance.
The under 2.5 round total is favored this weekend with odds at -150, meaning that oddsmakers expect this fight to not get to the scorecards. McCann is +120 to win inside the distance, and Stoliarenko is +300 to do the same.
From a technical standpoint of this matchup, McCann is going to be the more explosive striker and have a ton of energy from the atmosphere on Saturday night. Stoliarenko really struggles in the standup game, but her grappling can be dangerous if McCann gets herself in bad positions early on.
One thing to note is that Stoliarenko is a natural featherweight dropping all the way down to flyweight for this bout and its implications for the McCann vs Stoliarenko prediction. Honestly, she might not even make the flyweight limit because this is kind of unheard of for a fighter to do.
With one of the most anticipated upcoming UFC fights this weekend on her shoulders, McCann looks calm and ready to go after battling some demons from that last performance against Erin Blanchfield. You should expect her to get another incredible finish in the O2 Arena.
- The official McCann vs Stoliarenko prediction is McCann winning by KO.
But her moneyline is plenty valuable, and she might also get held down on the ground for the majority of the fight. The under 2.5 rounds is too risky, but McCann by TKO/KO is justifiable enough to make that pick.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information@InsidersBetDigfree betting picks.
