Rising women’s flyweight prospect Andrea “KGB” Lee (10-2, 2 KOs, 4 SUBs) will meet submission specialist Montana De La Rosa (10-4, 8 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN+ 12 on Saturday, June 22, 2109 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
Andrea Lee is ready to move past the drama. Though the 30-year old is an exciting prospect, “KGB” has been in the new more because of her husband Donny Aaron rather than her fighting skills. First, it was his refusal to remove racist prison tattoos. Then a warrant was issued for his arrest after reports were released that he had choked her and tried to put out a cigarette on her during an argument. Most recently, he was finally arrested after nine months on the run.
That’s a lot for anyone to handle, let alone a fighter still trying to make a name for herself under the brightest lights in MMA. But let’s not forget that Lee earned her spot in the big show, with exciting victories in Invicta and LFC. This Saturday, she meets Montana De La Rosa in hopes of extending a six-fight win streak that includes two UFC appearances. Lee’s got the personality, look and skills to be a star. She just needs the wins.
That won’t come easy against De La Rosa. The 24-year old is a blue chip prospect in her own right and comes into the contest with four straight wins - all by way of submission. After losing her first two pro fights, she’s gone 10-2, with her only losses coming against Mackenzie Dern and Cynthia Calvillo.
With Lee ranked No. 10 and De La Rosa No. 12, the winner here could rise quickly in the brand new flyweight division. Though Shevchenko has an iron grip on the crown, the UFC is in need of challengers. We could see both De La Rosa or Lee getting there - they both have that sort of potential.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Andrea Lee -205
Montana De La Rosa +161
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -240 / +180
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Lee 5.57 / De La Rosa 3.46
Accuracy: Lee 55% / De La Rosa 41%
Absorbed per minute: Lee 3 / De La Rosa 2.29
Defense: Lee 69% / De La Rosa 54%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Lee 1.5 / De La Rosa 1.25
Takedown accuracy: Lee 42% / De La Rosa 22%
Takedown defense: Lee 72% / De La Rosa N/A
Submission average: Lee 1 / De La Rosa 3.13
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
Lee is at her best in the standup and comfortable at all ranges. At distance, she flicks out quick kicks and punches in fluid combinations. She can bite down and bang inside the pocket, and in the clinch the knees and elbows come fast and heavy. Just as impressive as 5.57 strikes landed per minute is the fact that she defends at a 69% clip - Lee lands a ton and doesn’t get hit very often.
Despite her striking skills, most of Lee’s finishes have been by way of submission. Though she’s not a dominant wrestler, she can get takedowns when she needs to. An opportunistic grappler, Lee can surprise with quick attempts due to her flexibility.
She probably doesn’t want to test her grappling in this matchup. De La Rosa is a submission specialist who latches onto her opponents and slowly snakes her way into chokes and locks. However, her striking lags far behind her submissions, and we have yet to see the young fighter put together an effective standup game. That’s going to really hurt her against a polished kickboxer like Lee.
UFC Odds Picks: Lee to win at -205
Considering the talent gap between the too, this looks like a decently affordable price on KGB - it should be noted that there’s been a surge of action on KGB, who was at -130 just a few weeks ago. Lee should easily control the striking exchanges, and possesses the strength and grappling knowledge to fight off her opponent’s attempts to grapple. De La Rosa’s one-dimensional nature will be fully exposed here as Lee takes the win. -205 at BookMaker.eu is the best price you get, while other online sportsbooks are hovering around -230.
Bet UFC odds at the online sportsbook
