For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
Angela Hill and Luana Pinheiro meet Saturday in the opening main card bout of UFC Fight Night 241 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Hill (16-3 MMA, 11-13 UFC) and Pinheiro (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) clash in this closely-matched strawweight bout. … Hill has nearly double fights in the UFC than Pinheiro does in her entire pro career. “Overkill” has traded wins and losses over her last four outings, with each bout going the distance. … Pinheiro was stopped for the first time in her UFC career in her last bout against Amanda Ribas. Prior to her first loss in the promotion, she won three straight after being signed from Dana White’s Contender Series.
Despite their continual quest to counter the surefire card formats of Joe Silva, I have to credit the current matchmakers for finally giving us a main card full of lighter weight fighters.
This week kicks off at women’s strawweight, where Hill will attempt to take Pinheiro’s top 10 spot.
I’m admittedly surprised at Pinheiro’s ranking considering that two of her three octagon wins come with serious controversy, but the Brazilian trains at a high-level MMA camp and comes with solid judo credentials in tow.
Although Hill has traditionally struggled with grapplers in the past, “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran has made marked improvements during the latest stretch of her career.
Not only has Hill’s grappling defense improved, but the 39-year-old American is showing an ability to phase shift and connect her skills.
I wouldn’t be surprised to be on the wrong end of another atrocious split decision at strawweight, but I’ll pick Hill to pull away with her superior volume to secure scorecards down the stretch.
The odds makers and the public are favoring the more proven product, listing Hill (-144) and Pinheiro (+118) via FanDuel. Hill has been an underdog in her last seven fights, producing a record of 3-4 over that stretch. Pinheiro’s only listing as an underdog in the UFC came in her last fight, which she lost.
As the main card opener, Hill and Pinheiro are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT). The fight streams live on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”