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UFC Vegas 96: Cannonier vs. Borralho will continue to roll as we'll bring you a betting prediction and pick for the Co-Main Event, taking place in the Women's Strawweight (115) Division. Ranked contenders will meet as No. 9 Angela “Overkill” Hill will take on No. 11-ranked Tabatha Ricci of Brazil. Check out our UFC odds series for our Hill-Ricci prediction and pick.
Angela Hill (17-13) comes into this fight with an overall 12-13 UFC record over the last 10 years. After a short losing skid, she's caught fire as of recently, winning four of her last five fights and notching the first submission win of her career. Now, she stands to take an even bigger leap if she's able to take care of the rising prospect of Tabatha Ricci. Hill stands 5'3″ with a 64.5-inch reach.
Tabatha Ricci (10-2) comes into this bout with a 5-2 UFC record since 2021. She's won five of her last six fights and after a tough loss to Loopy Godinez, she bounced back in a big way with a close decision victory over Tecia Pennington. Another win here would solidify her as a contender to watch in the title conversation. Ricci stands 5'1″ with a 61-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 96 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 96 Odds: Angela Hill-Tabatha Ricci Odds
Angela Hill: -105
Tabatha Ricci: -115
Over 2.5 rounds: -600
Under 2.5 rounds: +390
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Why Angela Hill Will Win
After a number of tough decision losses and close fights that didn't go her way, Angela Hill has been on the comeback trail and has once again placed herself firmly inside the Strawweight rankings. Taking on a very game Luana Pinheiro during her last fight, Hill showed off new wrinkles to her jiu jitsu game and notched the first submission win of her career with a mounted guillotine choke. She's been working actively to improve her ground game after having trouble in previous fights and it seems as though this new version of her is more than willing to welcome the exchanges on the ground.
She may have to work some of her new wrestling tactics during this fight as her opponent is likely to chase the early takedowns. Still, Tabatha Ricci is a strong striker in her own right and we should see her play into Hill's game throughout this fight. Angela Hill is very rangy with her striking, loves to throw her leg kicks, and will pepper opponents with a straight jab until they finally decide to shoot the takedown. Her takedown defense has also improved with each passing fight so if she's able to dictate the pace in this one, we could see her continue down this winning road she's been on.
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Why Tabatha Ricci Will Win
Tabatha Ricci just recently scratched across a split decision win over Tecia Pennington during her last fight, but it didn't come easily and the momentum shifted in both directions during several points of the bout. Still, Tabatha Ricci's cardio, toughness, and activity ultimately got her the win. She's very diligent about moving forward and remaining active on the feet. She lands three takedowns on average per fight and with her rare mix of strength and speed, she's usually able to control the exchanges on the ground. During this fight, she'll have the noticeable grappling advantage and should look to take Hill down early and often.
Tabatha Ricci has face adversity during her last two fights, but we can only expect her to get better, evolve her game, and learn from previous mistakes. Her chin is also very solid, but given the volume-based striking from her opponent, Ricci will have to focus on her defense and avoid taking the kind of shots she has in the past. It's not likely she'll be finished by Hill, so Ricci will look to pressure forward and work as much of her wrestling as possible to secure the decision win.
Final Angela Hill-Tabatha Ricci Prediction & Pick
Both women are at the top of their game right now and their styles match up very well against each other. Tabatha Ricci will look to use her power striking and consistent wrestling during this one, while Angela Hill will look to stay at-range and expose her opponent on the feet with her kickboxing.
Tabatha Ricci should have the upper-hand here if she's able to find her takedowns. She's the much better wrestler and she's very dangerous with her submission attempts. If she can grab hold of Hill during each round, she should be able to find the decision win.
However, we have to roll with Angela Hill to find the win here. Her confidence is through the roof right now and she may have unlocked a new level to her game with the way she's been training her grappling. Ultimately, I think a late push from Hill in the striking could be enough for her to find the win in this one. Either way, we like this fight going the distance.
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Final Angela Hill-Tabatha Ricci Prediction & Pick: Angela Hill (-105)
