UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje kicks off the prelims with a fight in the women’s flyweight division between Miranda Maverick and Priscila Cachoeira. Maverick is coming off a loss in her last bout and is taking this fight on about two week’s notice meanwhile, Cachoeira has won two straight and this will be her first fight of 2023 after a slew of fight cancelations. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Maverick-Cachoeira prediction and pick.

Miranda Maverick (11-5) was riding high coming into 2023 riding a two-fight win streak but unfortunately, her streak was ended when the surging Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius was deemed too much for her. Maverick is looking to make a quick turnaround and get that salty taste of defeat out of her mouth when she steps in on short notice to take on Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Priscila Cachoeira (12-4) is looking like she’s in her best form coming into her first fight of 2023. She has won two in a row and four out of her last five fights coming into this fight. She was originally scheduled to fight Joanne Wood but she withdrew from the fight and now will be facing Miranda Maverick on about two week’s notice. Cachoeira will be looking to keep the ball rolling this weekend at UFC 291.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC 291 Odds: Miranda Maverick-Priscila Cachoeira Odds

Miranda Maverick: -290

Priscila Cachoeira: +225

Over 2.5 Rounds: -110

Under 2.5 Rounds: -116

How to Watch Miranda Maverick vs. Priscila Cachoeira

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT (Early Prelims)

Why Miranda Maverick Will Win

Miranda Maverick stepped in as a short-notice replacement for Joanne Wood, showcasing her willingness to take on tough opponents. This demonstrates her readiness and adaptability, which could work in her favor against Cachoeira.

Wrestling and takedown emphasis: Maverick is known for her wrestling skills and has a big emphasis on takedowns. That has been Priscila Cachoeira’s biggest glaring weakness during her UFC career. While Maverick isn’t a bad striker, her least path to resistance would be to take Cachoeira into her wheelhouse and that would be on the mat utilizing her jiu-jitsu and ground-and-pound to secure a victory.

Maverick stayed ready for the right opportunity to present itself for her to get back into the win column and she got that here when Wood withdrew from this contest. She is now fighting for the second time in just a little over a month’s time and is more than eager to get that salty taste of defeat out of her mouth at UFC 289.

Why Priscila Cachoeira Will Win

Priscila Cachoeira has more experience in the UFC, with a total of 8 fights compared to Maverick’s 7 fights. Cachoeira also enters UFC 291 on a two-fight winning streak. This recent success demonstrates her ability to perform well and secure victories. The momentum from her winning streak could give her an extra boost of confidence heading into the fight.

Cachoeira is known for her striking power and aggressiveness. She has the ability to land significant strikes and potentially finish the fight with her striking abilities. If she can connect with clean shots on Maverick, she could turn the tide in her favor. Seeing the success that Jasmine Jasudavicius had on the feet against Maverick, Cachoeira has a legitimate chance in this fight if she can keep it standing.

If Cachoeira can effectively implement her game plan and capitalize on her strengths, she has a good chance of securing a victory over Maverick at UFC 291.

Final Miranda Maverick-Priscila Cachoeira Prediction & Pick

Miranda Maverick was a massive favorite in a spot similar to this against Jasmine Jasudavicius and she was completely outmatched in every department. If she comes flat into this fight against Cachoeira she might get finished before the fell bell rings. With that said, Cachoeira has such a huge glaring weakness in her defensive grappling that even her punching power will not going to be able to make up for it. Seeing as Cachoeira only has a 65% takedown defense while Maverick is successful on 54% of her takedown attempts it’s going to be a rough night at the office for Cachoeira.

In short, in the beginning, there will be a feeling-out process until Maverick does what she does best and that is taking the fight to the mat, raining down heavy ground and pound, and eventually finishing Cachoeira by submission before the end of the fight. The under should cash.

Final Miranda Maverick-Priscila Cachoeira Prediction & Pick: Miranda Maverick (-290), Under 2.5 Rounds (-116)