UFC 212’s strawweight division bout in Rio is likely to be one of the most closely contested bouts so far this year with Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-1) looking to reinstate herself as a strong contender. She takes on Claudia Gadelha (14-2) who has shown some great grappling and clinching skills that have brought her victory in the past. Kowalkiewicz is likely to be a great match especially with her striking skills and strong footwork.
Kowalkiewicz and Gadelha have been taken down by Joanna Jedrzejczyk who has been their fiercest opponent. The latter lost to Jedrzejczyk twice while Kowalkiewicz was defeated on one occasion. However, are now hardened and are no mean contenders in this co-main event. Gadelha may have an edge given the fact that this will be a three round bout despite her limited cardio down the stretch as compared to Kowalkiewicz. The Polish fighter does have the skill and 10 victories to her credit.
It is important to note that Kowalkiewicz has won five of her last six fights and averages 4.56 strikes per minute and zero takedowns with a zero percent accuracy percentage. She’s coming back from a November loss to Jedrzejczyk and it will be interesting to see how much momentum she is able to gather. As long as she is aggressive with her strikes she may stand a chance. However, it must be noted that she hasn’t executed a takedown in the UFC although she has been taken down three times in the last two bouts. Gadhela is likely to get her opponent to fight from the canvas, which she is probably aware that Kowalkiewicz has been struggling with. Gadelha is one of the most smothering opponents in the MMA and may be able to pocket this one by a unanimous decision.