The UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka fight card is rolling along as we turn our attention towards this next bout with a betting prediction and pick. Ranked strawweights will meet for a high-level tilt as No. 14 Michelle Waterson-Gomez takes on No. 15 Gillian Robertson. Check out our UFC odds series for our Waterson-Gomez-Robertson prediction and pick.

Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-12) heads into this fight with a 6-8 UFC record since 2015. After a hot start to her UFC tenure, she’s had a bit of a down turn, winning just one fight over her last seven. Following a close split decision against Luana Pinheiro and a tough loss to Marina Rodriguez, she hopes to get her mojo back in this one. Waterson-Gomez stands 5’3″ with a 62-inch reach.

Gillian Robertson (13-8) comes into this fight with a 10-6 record since 2017. She’s currently riding a hot streak, having won three of her last four fights and finishing all of them. With nine submission wins under her belt and focused on the top rankings, Robertson will look to improve her standing with a win here. She stands 5’5″ with a 63-inch reach.

Here are the UFC 303 Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 303 Odds: Michelle Waterson-Gomez-Gillian Robertson Odds

Michelle Waterson-Gomez: +165

Gillian Robertson: -190

Over 2.5 rounds: -175

Under 2.5 rounds: +145

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Why Michelle Waterson-Gomez Will Win

Michelle Waterson-Gomez has looked good over her last few fights and her physical shape at 38 years old could be as best as it has ever been. While she doesn’t quite fight with the same snap on the ends of her punches and kicks anymore, she’s still an extremely technical fighter and throws her strikes with great technique. Over her last few losses, we’ve really seen her toughness and chin emerge as one of her greatest strengths and it’ll be tough to count her out at any point of this bout.

Waterson-Gomez is a karate striker by nature and she’ll have the advantage in stringing together the cleaner combinations. Her opponent is primarily a boxer, so Waterson-Gomez could see great success utilizing her kicks to the head and body. She’s also the more active fighter in terms of her movement, so we should see her dancing around the cage as she bobs and weaves around her opponent. Michelle Waterson-Gomez will have to be sharp with her striking and perfect in defending the takedown attempts. She’s very adept at defending herself on the ground, but she may want to avoid testing the lethal BJJ of her opponent.

Why Gillian Roberston Will Win

Gillian Robertson is a master of jiu jitsu and her nine submission wins are certainly something that wavers consideration. She’s constantly working on her striking game and does a great job of getting in-close along the fence and landing her dirty boxing. She lands 43% of her takedown attempts when she’s in deep, but Robertson is more than fine with pressing her opponent against the cage and grinding some tough offense from bad positions. Eventually, if she’s able to score the takedown, Robertson is extremely crafty in chasing submission attempts and defending her ground position while doing so.

The biggest focal point in this fight for Gillian Robertson will be closing the distance and limiting the striking offense of Waterson-Gomez. If she can control the distance and keep her opponent pinned along the fence, it should lead to an eventually takedown where she can work her submission grappling. Waterson-Gomez can’t be underestimated for her wrestling scrambles on the ground, so Robertson should waste no time in gaining control and finding mount or the back.

Final Michelle Waterson-Gomez-Gillian Robertson Prediction & Pick

This should be a fun fight between two established veterans in the division and with both of their rankings on the line, we should be in for a competitive contest. This is a classic matchup of striker vs. grappler and both women are at the top of their game when executing their specialized discipline.

Waterson-Gomez is looking for a much-needed win after coming up short during her last three bouts. Her skills are certainly there, but it’s becoming apparent her striking speed is not what it used to be. It’ll take a vintage performance where she does most of her damage with the kicks to come out victorious in this win.

Gillian Robertson is the rightful favorite here and she’ll be confident in winning this fight following her recent streak of finishes. Her jiu jitsu is simply on another level and with how determined she is in chasing the takedowns, I expect her to find success with it eventually. Let’s roll with Gillian Robertson to take this win at UFC 303.

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Final Michelle Waterson-Gomez-Gillian Robertson Prediction & Pick: Gillian Robertson (-190)