Tonight, in the co-main event, Rose Namajunas is taking on Miranda Maverick at UFC Atlanta. Will the former champion get back on track, or can Maverick add her most prominent opponent to her resume?
Here is my pick for the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Atlanta.
Rose Namajunas To Win By Decision (-160)
Namajunas is a -230 favorite in this bout against Maverick. But the better bet is for “Thug Rose” to win by decision, which you can get at -160 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Namajunas’ last three wins have been via decision, and five of her previous six victories have been by decision.
Since losing her Strawweight title to Carla Esparza at UFC 274, she has gone 2-2 after moving up to 125 pounds. Namajunas’ last loss was against Erin Blanchfield, who is ranked No. 5 in the Flyweight division. But besides the weight difference, there has been something missing. Another thing has been missing from the former two-time champion. She has lacked that killer instinct that we were accustomed to seeing from Namajunas from 2017 to 2021.
Namajunas is the better striker on the feet, landing 3.71 significant strikes per minute at a 42 percent rate. Putting the statistics aside, Namajunas’ most important advantage in this contest might be her experience. Namajunas has been in the UFC since 2015 and is making her 17th walk to the Octagon tonight. This is Mavericks’ 11th fight in the UFC.
If Namajunas can get out to a fast start and put out a high volume on the feet, she should be able to control this fight throughout five rounds. Although Maverick averages more takedowns per 15 minutes (2.39 vs. 1.46), Namajunas has a better takedown accuracy (50% vs. 41%).
