Preview: UFC on ESPN 48 Prelims

Women’s Featherweights

#9 WBW | Karol Rosa (16-5, 5-2 UFC) vs. #6 WBW | Yana Santos (14-7, 4-4 UFC)

ODDS: Rosa (-175), Santos (+150)

This is a well-matched fight, as these two look to build some badly needed momentum just as Amanda Nunes’ retirement opens up some possibilities. Rosa was a pleasant surprise when the UFC picked her up as a bantamweight in 2019. Nothing about her regional footage stood out, but she and Lara Procopio impressed in their respective UFC debuts, putting on a fast-paced war that ranked among the most entertaining fights of the year. From there, Rosa worked up the ranks as a smartly aggressive fighter who was able to overcome a clear athletic deficit up until her March 2022 fight against Sara McMann, which saw her get handled rather easily by an elite athlete and wrestler. Unfortunately, that seems to have taken Rosa out of her groove in her two fights since. Her win over Lina Lansberg was clear but much more passive than usual, and a move up to featherweight saw her attempt little in a decision loss to Norma Dumont in April. The future of the women’s featherweight division is unclear with Nunes’ exit, so Rosa likely is not long for 145 pounds. However, the late-notice nature of the assignment required that it be contested at featherweight. As for Santos, she has been attempting to move her game in the opposite direction. Initially finding her best success as a grimy clinch artist, “Foxy” has quietly developed more comfort as a striker, at least giving most opponents enough to deal with to keep them honest. It has been a while since Santos has had a standout performance, due at least in part to positive reasons. She has spent most of the last two years on the shelf due to pregnancy, and her return was a particularly unwinnable fight against Holly Holm in March. This is a hard fight to parse beyond that it will be an absolute grind, due to Santos’ skill set and Rosa’s apparent discomfort on the feet. It really could go either way, particularly since Rosa has been filling out as part of this move up to featherweight while Santos has been in much leaner form. The surest bet is that this ends in split decision, but the Russian gets the nod here as the more comfortable fighter at the moment. The pick is Santos via decision.

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