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Our coverage of UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2 continues as we bring you another betting prediction for a high-stakes, ranked matchup in the Women's Flyweight (125) Division. No. 4-ranked and former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara will be taking on No. 6-ranked surging contender Maycee Barber. Check out our UFC odds series for our Cerminara-Barber prediction and pick.
Katlyn Cerminara (18-5) has gone an impressive 11-5 during her time with the UFC since 2016. She's been atop the Flyweight Division in the past and she believes she's got another title run in her. Her last bout was a tough loss to Manon Fiorot, but she fought hard and showed she still belongs as one of the top fighters in the division. Cerminara stands 5'9″ with a 68-inch reach.
Maycee Barber (13-2) has gone 8-2 in the UFC since her arrival in 2018. She's faced just about all the top competition in a short amount of time and her last loss came to now-champion Alexa Grasso. Since then, Barber has won five straight fights including an impressive TKO win over Amanda Ribas in her last one. This would be a massive step in building her title resume. Barber stands 5'5″ with a 65-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC 299 Odds: Katlyn Cerminara-Maycee Barber Odds
Katlyn Cerminara: +170
Maycee Barber: -200
Over 2.5 rounds: -350
Under 2.5 rounds: +275
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Why Katlyn Cerminara Will Win
Katlyn Cerminara, formerly Chookagian, will be her sixteenth walk to the octagon at 35 years of age, making her one of the longer-tenured fighters on the Women's roster. She's fought all the best competition from Valentina Shevchenko to current contenders like Amanda Ribas and Manon Fiorot. Cerminara looked solid in her split decision win over Amanda Ribas as she took over with her striking late, but her output against Fiorot in her last fight wasn't enough to get the job done. This time around, she'll need to get back to her high-volume high-pressure boxing.
Katlyn Cerminara hasn't had to deal with a primary grappler in her last few fights, so she should expect to see a change of pace from Barber and be ready to defend some takedowns along the fence. Cerminara will have the larger frame in the cage and with 54% takedown defense rate, she won't be very easy for Barber to bring down. Look for Cerminara to wait until the later rounds of this fight before she really turns up the pressure and starts walking forward with her combinations.
Why Maycee Barber Will Win
Maycee Barber has had a sensational run to the top of the division and it's been exciting to see her take notes from previous fights and improve on those aspects each time she steps out again. She looks more and more like a complete fighter and if she can continue her current trajectory, she should be seeing a title opportunity very soon. She's 10 years younger than her opponent, which has historically boded well in the UFc for the younger fighter. Still, Barber needs to know her place and realize her opponent has seen it all in this weight class.
Maycee Barber simply overwhelmed Amanda Ribas with pressure and pace during her last fight and it was promising to see her go in for the finish and decisively end the fight. She also has a tendency to control on the ground and steal rounds with control time, so don't be surprised to see her scoring some points as she tries to gain an edge on the judges' scorecards.
Final Katlyn Cerminara-Maycee Barber Prediction & Pick
This will be a competitive fight during the Prelims and with where both of these women are ranked, we could see a possible call-out for a title following one of their wins. Katlyn Cerminara is determined to prove herself for an opportunity once again as Maycee Barber looks to continue her first rise through the top.
Cerminara will be the more experienced fighter here and should have a solid path to victory if she can fight with purpose and take this fight into the third round. Barber doesn't pose any threats she hasn't seen before, so expect her to have confidence in everything she does during this fight.
Maycee Barber, however, has really been on an uptick and it seems as though she's hitting a new level in her fight game. We've seen her mature each time she fights and she's only been getting better. I like those trends to continue as I think Maycee Barber will find a way to score the takedowns and win on control time as she lands ground-and-pound. Let's roll with Barber to get this win on the scorecards.
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Final Katlyn Cerminara-Maycee Barber Prediction & Pick: Maycee Barber (-200); Over 2.5 Rounds (-350)
