It’s hard to believe there would be as big of a favorite on the same card as women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (12-0). But that will be the case on Saturday when Rousey takes on seventh-ranked contender Holly Holm (9-0) as a massive -2000 favorite (bet $2000 to win $100) at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
While Rousey’s title fight against Holm is the main event at UFC 193, women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10-0) will also defend her belt as a -2000 favorite versus No. 9 Valerie Letourneau (8-3) in the co-main event.
This is the first time in UFC history that both women’s titles will be up for grabs on the same card.
Rousey has finished each of her MMA opponents so far, with 11 of the stoppages coming in the first round, including six in the UFC. Her last three bouts have lasted a combined 64 seconds, as she knocked out Alexis Davis and Bethe Correia by punches in a total of 50 and submitted Cat Zingano via armbar in 14.
Armbar has been her preferred method of finish, with nine of her foes submitted that way. Eight of her fights have also ended in less than one minute, with only one lasting more than one round.
Jedrzejczyk had hoped to face top contender Claudia Gadelha for the second time, but an injury prevented that from happening. Gadelha lost a split decision to Jedrzejczyk at UFC on Fox 13 last December 13, which earned the winner a title shot against Carla Esparza.
Jedrzejczyk scored a second-round TKO victory over Esparza at UFC 185 on March 14 to win the strawweight championship and then followed that up with a third-round TKO win over Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 69 on June 20.
In addition to the two women’s championship bouts, the UFC 193 main card includes two heavyweight fights and one middleweight matchup on the men’s side.
Stefan Struve (26-7) will open the main card by taking on Jared Rosholt (13-2) in the first heavyweight bout. Struve is a small -130 favorite against Rosholt, a +110 underdog.
Then middleweights Uriah Hall (12-5) and Robert Whittaker (14-4) will square off, with the former a -120 favorite over the latter, a +100 underdog.
In the second heavyweight fight, Mark Hunt (10-10-1) will face Antonio Silva (19-7-1) as a -250 favorite, with the dog worth +210.
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