The UFC is back in Paris, France once again as we're set for another action-packed night of fights. The 14-fight card will open in the Women's Strawweight (115) Division as Ireland's Shauna Bannon takes on Sam Hughes of Washington state. Check the UFC odds for our Bannon-Hughes prediction and pick.
Shauna Bannon (7-1) has gone 2-1 inside the UFC since 2023. After dropping her debut fight and seeing a number of cancellations to scheduled bouts, Bannon has bounced back with consecutive victories, including a performance bonus finish during her last bout. She'll look to impress once again as the underdog. Bannon stands 5-foot-5 with a 65-inch reach.
Sam Hughes (10-6) has gone an even 5-5 since joining the UFC back in 2020. Following a rocky start to her tenure, she's picked things up with three wins over her last four fights. With back-to-back split decisions heading into this one, she'll look for her first finish since 2022. Hughes stands 5-foot-5 with a 64-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Paris Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Paris Odds: Shauna Bannon-Sam Hughes Odds
Shauna Bannon: +270
Sam Hughes: -340
Over 2.5 rounds: -445
Under 2.5 rounds: +310
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Why Shauna Bannon Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Puja Tomar – SUB (armbar, R2)
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 2 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Shauna Bannon notched her first professional win by submission during her “Performance of the Night” showing against Puja Tomar, a clear sentiment that she's grown immensely as a fighter. Her success was always apparent in promotions like Invicta, but she's done a solid job transitioning to the level of competition in the UFC.
What has been most impressive about Bannon is her ability to turn any fight into an exciting bout. She's always aggressive with her striking, especially in the moments where she feels she's down in the round. Her boxing is relentless and thanks to her chin, she's able to keep pressuring opponents with forward movement and pressing them along the fence.
Bannon has shown one of the best front kicking games in this division and she's able to snap her lead leg up as if it was a jab. It creates a ton of separation between her and the opponent, while still risking the threat of Bannon landing something up the middle. Against a steady fighter like Sam Hughes, Bannon could benefit from blitzing and creating chaotic exchanges.
Why Sam Hughes Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Stephanie Luciano – S DEC
- Last 5: 3-2
- Finishes: 2 KO/TKO, 3 SUB
Sam Hughes has looked solid over her last two wins, but both decisions were split and could have easily gone the other way. She's not typically chasing the finish or looking to submit opponents, but her in-fight IQ and ability to steal rounds on the ground has certainly helped her in three-round environments. Against Bannon's 42% takedown defense, Hughes could stand to see success in pinning Bannon on the ground throughout this fight.
Sam Hughes is also very pesky when it comes to her striking if she's able to find a home in her led jab. She has a very tough striking guard to break and if she's able to find her rhythm in closing the distance, she could give Bannon fits in not allowing her to open her offense up.
With Bannon's limited work on the ground, we can expect to see a ton of clinch work and takedown attempts along the fence from Hughes. She's very physically strong and should have a slight edge when handling her opponent, so expect Hughes to have a smothering presence throughout this fight.
Final Shauna Bannon-Sam Hughes Prediction & Pick
These two strawweights are entering this fight with completely different styles, so we should have a great chess match in determining who reigns supreme. Shauna Bannon is a very bouncy kickboxer with terrific karate techniques with her lead leg, while Hughes is a steady boxer who's looking to grab her opponents and control the fight with her strikes from in close.
While Hughes certainly has more UFC and the more tested UFC game plan, Bannon is seriously tough to keep on the ground and her movement will be a huge storyline throughout this fight. Hughes also has a history of doing enough during the fight, but not doing quite enough for a resounding victory.
I think Shauna Bannon's front leg kicks will be a serious issue for Hughes throughout this fight and could cause the betting favorite to drop her hands. Bannon will also have the speed advantage with her striking, so we'll take a chance on her as the betting underdog to win this fight.
Final Shauna Bannon-Sam Hughes Prediction & Pick: Shauna Bannon (+270)
