No. 2 women’s bantamweight Sijara Eubanks (4-2, 2 KOs) will meet undefeated No. 4 Aspen Ladd (7-0, 5 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on ESPN+ 10 on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 8pm ET.
This Saturday’s matchup between Sijara Eubanks and Aspen Ladd could determine the next challenger to Amanda Nunes’ title reign. At the very least, the winner will be just one win away from a title challenge. Though neither of them are likely ready for the kind of violence that Nunes dishes out, such is the reality in a thin 135-pound class.
Ladd is a perfect 7-0, which includes both octagon appearances. Just as impressively, she’s finished five of her opponents, with all but one of those stoppages coming by way of TKO. In the UFC, she needed less than six minutes of cage time to finish Lina Lansberg and Tonya Evinger. Coincidentally, her final fight in Invicta FC before getting called up to the big show came against Eubanks - the only decision win of her career.
Eubanks went 3-0 as a flyweight on The Ultimate Fighter 26, but was unable to compete in an inaugural title fight against Nico Montano due to health reasons. After a decision win over Lauren Murphy, she failed to make the 125-pound weight limit for her fight against Roxanne Modafferi, prompting a return to bantamweight.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. Live UFC betting is also available to hedge any of your bets between rounds as well.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Aspen Ladd -300
Sijara Eubanks +230
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -160 / +120
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Ladd 6.92 / Eubanks 4.4
Accuracy: Ladd 57% / Eubanks 34%
Absorbed per minute: Ladd 4.55 / Eubanks 2.57
Defense: Ladd 37% / Eubanks 68%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Ladd 1.38 / Eubanks 2.5
Takedown accuracy: Ladd 100% / Eubanks 62%
Takedown defense: Ladd 100% / Eubanks 83%
Submission average: Ladd 0 / Eubanks 9
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
At 24 years old, Ladd is already a problem. A pressure fighter by nature, she likes to press opponents into the cage, dirty box, land a trip and unleash her hellish ground-and-pound. Against Evinger, an excellent clinch fighter, Ladd was able to reverse position against the cage and take it to the mat. From there, she was able to punch her way into back mount and pound away. Though Evinger didn’t appear to be taking too much damage, her inability to get out of the position resulted in a first-round stoppage.
That will likely be the same game plan for Ladd against Eubanks. In their first encounter, she was able to get the better of the exchanges on the feet, fending off the takedowns while using greater volume to take the scorecards. Eubanks was able to actually sweep from the bottom in the third round, but was unable to do much with top position. Though it was a brief moment, the fact that Eubanks had the strength to do so should give her some hope in the rematch.
If Eubanks is smarter with her takedowns, she should give Ladd a much harder time. A seasoned grappler, the 34-year old is at her best when she can physically bully her opponents. While she is active on the feet, averaging 4.4 strikes per minute, she has yet to prove effective with her kickboxing. This is a fight she’ll have to win in the clinch.
UFC Odds Pick: Ladd to win at -300
We don’t see how much has changed since their first fight. At 34, Eubanks has only gotten older while Ladd is entering her physical prime. If Eubanks was unable to physically impose her will the first time around, she won’t be able to do so here. Expect Ladd to keep the fight standing and land a greater number of strikes en route to another decision.
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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 on ESPN+ 10 takes place on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. The card streams live on ESPN+ starting 8pm ET.
