Women’s bantamweight prospect Aspen Ladd (8-1, 5 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet Russia’s Yana Kunitskaya (12-4, 7 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on ESPN 7 on Saturday, December 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The card airs live on ESPN starting 9pm ET.
24-year old Aspen Ladd entered the UFC undefeated with a ton of hype, which only increased as she scored wins in her first three octagon appearances - two of which came by knockout. However, in a matchup with Germaine de Randamie that could’ve led to a title shot, Ladd was knocked out in just 16 seconds. Hype, derailed.
Still, Ladd is young enough to bounce back and become a legitimate force at bantamweight. It helps that the division is paper thin and in need of fresh young talent. Also, the loss to GDR is somewhat offset by the fact that The Iron Lady is the clear No. 1 contender to champion Amanda Nunes. Ladd should be fine, assuming that she continues to develop her skillset.
This Saturday, the young prospect will look to bounce back from her first career loss in a meeting with Yana Kunitskaya at this Satruday’s UFC on ESPN 7. Kunitskaya had a tough UFC debut, ending up on the wrong side of a knokcout at the hands of Cris Cyborg, but she has since dropped to bantamweight and reeled off two consecutive decisions.
The stakes here are high, as Ladd is the No. 5 bantamweight and Kunitskaya is No. 7. Each woman could come within striking distance of a title shot with a win here. The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Ladd as a favorite, but let’s break down all your online betting options here. Just a reminder: live UFC betting at the online sportsbook is available to hedge any of your bets during the fight.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Aspen Ladd -155
Yana Kunitskaya +124
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -185 / +145
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Ladd 5.52 / Kunitskaya 5.24
Striking accuracy: Ladd 55% / Kunitskaya 50%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Ladd 4.99 / Kunitskaya 4.01
Striking defense: Ladd 47% / Kunitskaya 50%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Ladd 2.29 / Kunitskaya 3.14
Takedown accuracy: Ladd 80% / Kunitskaya 53%
Takedown defense: Ladd 66% / Kunitskaya -
Submission average: Ladd 1.71 / Kunitskaya 0.45
Bet this UFC fight at the online sportsbook
There isn’t anything in particular that jumps out at you about Kunitskaya: she’s pretty good in a few areas and needs work in others. A lack of athleticism holds her back, but the Russian’s strength and aggression has led to a decent pro MMA record. Her stats back up the high pace that she sets, as Kunitskaya is a marcher who cracks her way into the clinch and works for takedowns. Foxy is the type of fighter that simply overwhelms her opponents and saps the fighting spirit out of them.
Ladd is a similarly styled fighter - she loves to charge forward and takes it from there. Her game is built around dominating her opponent through brute strength, but her matchup with Sijara Eubanks showed that she can use a high octane offense to outpoint fighters who are equally as strong. The problem with Ladd - and many other young prospects - is that she hasn’t developed a true fighting identity besides being a swarmer. Having flexibility is nice, but there is no one standout skill that Ladd can rely on, something that was exposed when she faced a high-level kickboxer in GDR.
Expect this contest to be a strength vs. strength affair: both women do their best work as the bully. Ladd is the younger, more athletic fighter, but Kunitskaya has a bit more experience. No matter which way the bout goes, the pace and action should be frenetic.
UFC Odds Pick: Ladd to win at -155
While vets usually make for solid bets against developing prospects, Kunitskaya is a winnable matchup for Ladd. We simply don’t see any areas where the Russian has a clear advantage over her: the striking is similar, and even if their strength is equal it is Ladd that is younger and more athletic. While the price isn’t ideal, the changes that Ladd takes the win are great.
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