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The Prelims at UFC 297 are heating up and we're ready to bring you our prediction and pick for this next bout taking place in the Women's Strawweight (115) Division. Canada's own Gillian “The Savage” Robertson will take on Brazil's Polyana Viana in an extremely competitive bout. Check out our UFC odds series for our Robertson-Viana prediction and pick.
Gillian Robertson (12-8) has gone 9-6 during her UFC career since 2017. She's one of the most dangerous submission artists in Women's MMA and she'll be coming into this fight at 3-2 in her last five bouts. Her last fight was a close loss to Tabatha Ricci on the scorecards, so she'll be hoping to keep this fight out of the judges' hands and come out with a finishing-win. Robertson stands 5'5″ with a 63-inch reach.
Polyana Viana (13-6) has gone 4-5 during her UFC tenure since 2018. She's also 3-2 in her last five fights and she shares a common loss with Robertson in Tabatha Ricci. After knocking out Jinh Yu Frey in an impressive performance, she dropped her last bout to Iasmin Lucindo by submission and will be hoping to bounce back with a win on Saturday. Viana stands 5'5″ with a 67-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC 297 Odds: Gillian Robertson-Polyana Viana Odds
Gillian Robertson: -305
Polyana Viana: +245
Over 2.5 rounds: +124
Under 2.5 rounds: -160
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Why Gillian Robertson Will Win
Gillian Robertson comes into this fight after a tough unanimous decision loss to Tabatha Ricci. She was the betting underdog, but her size and jiu-jitsu skills were slated to give her an edge during the fight. However, during the course of the three-round bout, Robertson failed to get her wrestling going and couldn't do much in the stand-up against Ricci. She'll have to face another aggressive striker in Polyana Viana, so the hope is that her camp will have her working to improve her striking game. If she can learn to manage the striking distance without heavily relying on the takedown to bail her out, she should see success on her feet against Viana.
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One of Robertson's best skills is her endless cardio and ability to push the pace for all three rounds. She hasn't been finished in nine fights since 2021 and she's always pushing a harder tempo than her opponent. While Viana may be at her most dangerous in the opening stages of this fight, Robertson will fully have the advantage in the later rounds once the paces slows down and both fighters are breathing heavier. From there, Robertson can truly shine with her jiu-jitsu and find the submission against her tired opponent.
Why Polyana Viana Will Win
Polyana Viana was underwhelming in her last performance against Iasmine Lucindo and she was extremely disappointed in herself following the loss. While her striking looked good during the first round, she slowly started eating punches and her forward pressure wavered from there. On the ground, she's very skilled and has eight of her wins by submission. However, she's not nearly as sound in defending her opponent's jiu-jitsu and it's gotten her caught in the past. She'll have to be very diligent about grappling with Robertson as she's exactly the type of fighter Viana could struggle with on the ground. She should look to keep this fight standing by all means.
Polyana Viana can see success in this fight if she's able to stick her jab and throw combinations every time Robertson tries to close the distance. Her takedown defense is solid at 43%, but we've seen her struggle before when placed on her back. Viana should look to circle the cage and use her leg kicks to her advantage as Robertson often neglects to throw her own. Viana also has a solid chin and can stand in the pocket while trading shots, so expect her to empty the tank and throw haymakers if she's down in this fight.
Final Gillian Robertson-Polyana Viana Prediction & Pick
This fight will be very interesting from the striking perspective as neither fighter really excels in that area of their game. Both women are great grapplers and can find their own submissions through the wrestling transitions. However, Viana's last two losses have come by way of submission and it'll definitely be in the back of her mind during this fight.
The fighter to make less mistakes her is more likely to win and we like Gillian Robertson under that logic. Polyana Viana will look good to start this fight, but Robertson is too clean with her jiu-jitsu and will ultimately find a way if this fight hits the ground. Let's go with Robertson to get the submission victory here.
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Final Gillian Robertson-Polyana Viana Prediction & Pick: Gillian Robertson (-305); Wins by Submission (+120)
