Women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (16-3, 4 KOs, 7 SUBs) will defend her title against Jessica Eye (14-6, 3 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC 238 on Saturday June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The main card airs on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
If you’d have to pick the current champ who seems most likely to have a dominant title run, you’d probably say Jon Jones. But a close second would be Valentina Shevchenko. As soon as the women’s flyweight division was established, the consensus thinking was that “Bullet” would be the queen of the class - which happened when she bageled Joanna Jedrzejczyk to win the vacant strap in December 2018.
This Saturday, Shevchenko will make her first title defense against Jessica Eye - and this fight should go a long way in showing just how far ahead of the pack she is. In a paper-thin division, Eye is about as qualified as it gets as a challenger. The 32-year old vet has put a four-fight losing streak in the rearview, and comes into the matchup on the strength of three straight wins. Most recently, “Evil” eked out a split decision win over Katlyn Chookagian on the same card Shevchenko beat J-Check.
While the fight is being overlooked by some of the shinier main card fights (like Ferguson-Cerrone), it’s still a title match with some great opportunities to bet. Let’s break down UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down how you should bet the co-main. If you need to hedge your bets between rounds, live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is also available.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jessica Eye +785
Valentina Shevchenko -1550
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -105 / -135
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Shevchenko 3.36 / Eye 3.63
Accuracy: Shevchenko 51% / Eye 36%
Absorbed per minute: Shevchenko 2.53 / Eye 3.43
Defense: Shevchenko 61% / Eye 60%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Shevchenko 2.06 / Eye 0.53
Takedown accuracy: Shevchenko 47% / Eye 50%
Takedown defense: Shevchenko 73% / Eye 60%
Submission average: Shevchenko 0.36 / Eye 0.74
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Online oddsmakers have set Shevchenko as a massive favorite, installing the kind of prices only seen in truly lopsided affairs. Do the odds accurately reflect the fight though?
Eye seems to be thriving in her natural weight class - she wasn’t strong enough to compete at 135 pounds. Now, she’s far more comfortable using her strong wrestling game, which has helped her lack of aggression. While athletic and well-rounded, in the past Eye seemed unable to put it all together in a way to consistently find wins. But in her last fight against Chookagian, Eye fought with more urgency, something we had rarely seen from her in the past.
Unfortunately, even Eye at her best, with the perfect game plan, appears to be a lesser fighter than Shevchenko. Reminder: the Peruvian-by-way-of-Russia nearly twice beat double champ Amanda Nunes. A highly technical fighter, Shevchenko might not be exciting to watch, but she fights smart and never makes mistake. A Muay Thai stylist by trade, Shevchenko is excellent and maintaining her range and disrupting rhythm, and an underrated wrestler to boot. While her output is lacking, she’s never been outstruck either.
UFC Odds Pick: Shevchenko to win by decision +134
The straight up price on Valentina is far too expensive, so if you’re looking for a single bet we’d recommend taking her to win by decision. Both women are decision fighters, and Eye has only been finished once in her career - her defense, strength and cardio should allow her to get to the judges’ scorecards, though Shevchenko will have racked up far more offense.
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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 238 takes place on Saturday June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The main card airs on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
