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We're back with another prediction and pick for UFC Vegas 76 as the Prelims continue to roll on. This next fight takes place in the Women's Featherweight (145 lb) Division between two top-10 contenders. No. 6 ranked Yana Santos will take on No. 9 ranked Karol Rosa of Brazil. We'll be seeing some high-level Women's MMA in this one! Check out our UFC odds series for our Santos-Rosa prediction and pick.
Yana Santos is 14-7 as a professional fighter and has gone 4-4in the UFC since joining in 2018. She jumped around a number of different organizations before joining the UFC and hasn't been able to make a massive splash in her division. Her last notable win came against Ketlen Vieira, but she's dropped back-to-back fights since then. She's hoping to get back on track with a win and plan her next move out of the featherweight division. Santos stands 5'8″ with a 68.5-inch reach.
Karol Rosa is 16-5 as a professional fighter and has gone 5-2 in the UFC since 2019. She notched wins in her first four fights with the promotion and has looked every bit of a contender during her run. Her losses are to good competitors, but she's dropped two of her last three fights to wrestlers in Sara McMann and Norma Dumont. She'll be looking to implement her own game plan this time and play the role of aggressor. Rosa stands 5'5″ with a 67.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Vegas 76 Odds: Yana Santos-Karol Rosa Odds
Yana Santos: +144
Karol Rosa: -178
Over 2.5 rounds: -370
Under 2.5 rounds: +260
How to Watch Yana Santos vs. Karol Rosa
TV: ESPN
Article Continues Below
Stream: ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, fuboTV
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Yana Santos Will Win
Yana Santos is a seasoned striker and shows her vast experience each time she steps into the cage. She's a traditional Muay Thai kickboxer and has a very wide range of attacks. She's active in kicking the legs and leads with her straight 1-2 punches. While she's not the terrorizing striker she once was, Santos still has the highest significant strike accuracy in Bantamweight history at 57%. She also has the third-highest striking differential in Bantamweight history and should look to turn back the clock and find a vintage performance within her.
Santos couldn't get anything going in her last fight against a talented striker like Holly Holm. Santos will feel most comfortable on her feet, so she should look to use the clinch and keep separation between her and Rosa in the exchanges. She'll be giving up some power to her opponent, but Santos will look to shine by hitting her mark cleanly and feeding Rosa a steady diet of jabs. If she can contain this fight to her realm and turn it into a kickboxing match, she could have a chance to upset as the underdog here.
Why Karol Rosa Will Win
Karol Rosa is a very aggressive fighter, but most of her wins come by way of decision. Of her five UFC wins, all have seen the distance. Rosa doesn't have a ton of power behind her shots and she doesn't have too many submission wins to her name. Rosa does her greatest damage by inflicting significant shots at big points of the fight. She's always walking forward and will be very motivated to leapfrog Santos in the rankings. Look for Karol Rosa to start fast and ensure that Santos is uncomfortable at all points of the fight.
Karol Rosa should look to be patient and read the striking of Santos for the first round. She's a very good counter-puncher and should wait for Santos to give her clear openings in the striking. If Rosa can land big and deter Santos from marching forward, we'll see her controlling the dance from the center of the octagon. Rosa should look to tire Santos out with her foot movement. If she can be the fresher fighter by Round 3, she'll have a great chance to win this fight.
Final Yana Santos-Karol Rosa Prediction & Pick
Yana Santos is a very dangerous striker and could easily see a decision victory if she hangs back at distance and picks her shots carefully. Karol Rosa, however, will look to be very aggressive and throw Santos off her rhythm. At this point of their careers, Rosa looks to be the hungrier fighter with the brighter future. By taking out Santos, she could put herself in a great position in the rankings and possibly eye a matchup with a top-5 opponent. For the prediction, let's go with Karol Rosa to get the job done over three rounds.
Final Yana Santos-Karol Rosa Prediction & Pick: Karol Rosa (-178); Wins by Decision (+550)
