Women’s flyweight star Paige VanZant (7-4, 2KOs, 2 SUBs) will meet Rachael Ostovich (4-4, 2 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 143 on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The main card streams live on ESPN+ starting 10pm ET.
There’s no doubt that Paige VanZant is an MMA star - casual fans tune in to see what the former cheerleader turned MMA fighter turned TV personality. How much she matters is another question. When she was a young, undefeated prospect, PVZ was a fighter to watch, a possible contender at strawweight.
These days, she doesn’t fight so much. And when she does, she’s usually on the losing end. The 24-year old is currently in a 1-3 slump, with losses to Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson and Jessica-Rose Clark. We can definitely overlook the loss to Namajunas, the current strawweight champ, and Waterson is one of the better fights at 115 pounds also. But the defeat to Clark was perhaps a sign that “12-Gauge” might never be an upper-tier fighter.
This Saturday, she meets Rachael Ostovich, a 4-4 fighter who recently made headlines as a victim of domestic assault. Ostovich’s husband messed her up to the point where she was briefly taken off the card, but the 27-year insisted making it to New York for her originally scheduled matchup.
One gets the sense that Ostovich was seen as a “winnable” fight for PVZ, who the UFC is relying on to bring in views for their very first ESPN+ card. Whether VanZant can actually come through is another question. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down you online betting options. Live UFC betting is also available to hedge your plays on fight night.
UFC Fight Night 143 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Paige VanZant: -162
Rachael Ostovich: +132
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -180 / +150
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: VanZant 3.47 / Ostovich 2.68
Accuracy: VanZant 51% / Ostovich 39%
Absorbed per minute: VanZant 2.72 / Ostovich 3.62
Defense: VanZant 43% / Ostovich 63%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: VanZant 1.41 / Ostovich 0.94
Takedown accuracy: VanZant 34% / Ostovich 100%
Takedown defense: VanZant 40% / Ostovich 100%
Submission average: VanZant 0.71 / Ostovich 1.87
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu now
Though VanZant opened as a clear favorite, don’t be surprised if her line moves significantly in the other direction. Against Clark, PVZ was a slight favorite before the action flipped the odds. MMA fans just don’t have that much in somebody they see as a part-time fighter that got more hype than she deserved.
While she’s incrementally improved since making her pro debut as a teenager, the Gracie Barra product is still a swarmer who relies far too much on overwhelming opponents with cardio and physicality. The second part is much harder to do now that she’s a flyweight, and she was never a really powerful strawweight to begin with. Her cardio is probably her best weapon, as she can go hard from start to finish.
Ostovich is the polar opposite of VanZant: a bruiser who requires space to land her thundering right hands. Her cardio isn’t the greatest, but she makes up for it in strength. Though she doesn’t average many takedowns, her 100% accuracy and 100% defense is a testament to how difficult she is to corral.
UFC Odds Pick: Ostovich to win at +132
Count us among the many who will usually bet against VanZant at every opportunity. The danger here is that Ostovich gets crowded and never lands anything of note, but we’ll lean on her size and strength advantage here.
Bet on UFC Fight Night 143 odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight Night 143 takes place on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The main card streams live on ESPN+ starting 10pm ET.
