Preview: UFC Vegas 108 Prelims

Strawweights

Ketlen Souza (15-5, 2-2 UFC) vs. Piera Rodriguez (10-2, 3-2 UFC)

Odds: Rodriguez (-190); Souza (+160)

Souza will look for some redemption here against Rodriguez. After joining the UFC as the former Invicta FC flyweight champion and losing her debut to Karine Silva, “Esquentadinha” quickly dropped to 115 pounds and won her next two bouts before meeting Angela Hill in February.

Setback against Hill aside, the strawweight move was the right one. Souza is a stocky powerhouse who is at her best when she can bully her way into close quarters and either mug her opponent in the clinch or take her down and pour on the punishment there. That approach came up short in her last outing—running straight at Hill with a reach disadvantage remains hard sledding, and probably will until Hill is 50—but Rodriguez represents an entirely different stylistic challenge.

Rodriguez should be, if not quite a mirror match for Souza, at least a familiar look. Slightly larger than Souza, and a little wilder on the feet, Rodriguez is similar in that she is powerful, aggressive and thrives when she is the one who determines where the fight takes place. Like Souza, she prefers to keep things standing, but her defensive grappling appears to be more of a liability.

When faced with foes who either did not want the fight on the ground either, such as Josefine Lindgren Knutsson, or lacked the ability to get it there under their own terms, like Kay Hansen, Rodriguez has looked very good. However, Gillian Robertson, a dangerous grappler who often struggles to get the fight into her world, handled Rodriguez with ease.

Grappling is one area where Souza would likely have the advantage, but it is uncertain whether she will be able to get the fight to the ground—or if she will even try. For as long as they remain on the feet, it will be an interesting contrast between Rodriguez’s edge in reach and perhaps speed against Souza’s harder, tighter shots. This fight feels much more like a pick ‘em than the nearly 2-to-1 odds would seem to indicate, but the slight lean is towards Rodriguez picking up two rounds out of three and the decision win.



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