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The UFC heads back to the Apex in Las Vegas as we're set to bring you our predictions and picks for this upcoming UFC Vegas 83 fight card. Our opening bout of the night takes place in the Women's Strawweight (115) Division as we'll see Brazilian prospects Rayanne Amanda and Talita Alencar both make their UFC debut. Check out our UFC odds series for our Amanda-Alencar prediction and pick.
Rayanne Amanda (14-6) first auditioned for the UFC during Dana White's Contender Series last year, but she fell to now-surging prospect Denise Gomes. Following the loss, she notched three-straight wins in Invicta FC and has clawed her way back to the big show. She'll face an opponent with just a fraction of her experience as she looks for her first UFC win. Amanda stands 5'2″ with a 62-inch reach.
Talita Alencar (4-0-1) will be returning under the UFC lights following her ‘draw' on Dana White's Contender Series. It was the first blemish on her otherwise perfect record and she's had time to improve her game from what she thought wasn't an accurate representation of her skills. She'll hope to get her debut win and keep her record tidy. Alencar stands 5'1″ with a 58.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 83 Odds: Rayanne Amanda-Talita Alencar Odds
Rayanne Amanda: -166
Talita Alencar: +140
Over 2.5 rounds: -190
Under 2.5 rounds:+145
How to Watch Rayanne Amanda vs. Talita Alencar
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT (Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
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Why Rayanne Amanda Will Win
Rayanne Amanda's last time in the UFC marked a loss to Denise Gomes at DWCS, but she showed some promise during the loss and clearly Dana White saw something special in her skill set if he's willing to bring her on after her recent winning streak. She has a very loose fighting style and stays very light and bouncy on her feet. She closes the distance quickly and will blitz her opponents with quick hooks in the pocket. She's susceptible to getting hit at the same time, but her toughness has shined before and she's able to stay collected under pressure. If she can close the distance and slip some of the shots coming back her way, she could land some devastating counter shots.
Rayanne Amanda will be the more experienced fighter here and she's already had to face UFC-caliber competition. While she's very active with her movement, she struggles sometimes to gauge the distance and it may take her a while to settle into a comfortable range. She won't have much time to feel her opponent out in this one, but if she can keep Alencar in front of her and backing up, we should see Amanda push the pace and pressure in this fight. Her recent victories and improvements at Invicta will be the reason she comes into this fight more prepared than her opponent.
Why Talita Alencar Will Win
Talita Alencar is a very talented grappler and she's been competing in massive jiu jitsu tournaments since 2017. Her first MMA action came in 2021 where she notched three-straight victories, all by rear naked choke, under the Titan FC promotion. She was at a significant size disadvantage during her DWCS fight, but she managed to be the more aggressive fighter and landed the bigger shots. Still, the judges didn't see anything substantial on either side and unanimously called the fight a ‘draw'. Clearly her performance was enough to warrant a return, so Alencar will be determined for a more definitive result this time around.
Her movement around the octagon is very reactionary and she tends to sit back on her counter-punches. When being backed up, Alencar will pop a straight left jab and explode with her right hand behind it. She has a ton of power for her size and may have to employ some of her same tactics against the bigger fighter in Amanda. She has yet to truly lose a fight, so she's got a ton of confidence in her abilities heading into her debut. If Alencar can stay patient and wait for the perfect opening, she could very well land the perfect knockout blow and end this fight.
Final Rayanne Amanda-Talita Alencar Prediction & Pick
This fight will be very interesting with both women making their debuts. Rayanne Amanda is the more experienced of the two and she'll be the slightly bigger fighter here. She has eight wins by submission and would feel most comfortable taking this fight to the ground. However, she'll need to be more aggressive than her previous showing and the move to a bigger weight class should help her in that.
Talita Alencar is also an accomplished grappler and she could negate any offense that Amanda tries to mount with her submissions. I expect both women to cancel each other out on the ground as this fight should take place on the feet. In that case, we'll go with the more experienced fighter in Rayanne Amanda. Her fights in Invicta should serve her well against another debuting fighter, so we'll ride the slight favorite as we kick off this fight card.
Final Rayanne Amanda-Talita Alencar Prediction & Pick: Rayanne Amanda (-166)
