We're set to bring you another prediction and pick for UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington as we'll see two ranked women in the Bantamweight (135) Division square off in a massive fight on the Prelims. Mexico's No. 5 Irene Aldana will face off agains Brazil's No. 9 Karol Rosa. Check out our UFC odds series for our Aldana-Rosa prediction and pick.

Irene Aldana (14-7) will come in with a 7-5 record in the UFC since 2016. She's 4-2 in her last six fights and had an impressive run to her title challenge against Amanda Nunes at UFC 289. Still, she was able to last all five rounds with the women's MMA GOAT and she'll be looking to start her own title journey now that Nunes is gone. Irene Aldana stands 5'9″ with a 69.5-inch reach.

Karol Rosa (17-5) has gone an impressive 6-2 during her UFC fights since 2019. She's alternated wins and losses over the last five fights, posting a 3-2 record with solid wins over Yana Santos, Lina Lansberg, and Bethe Correia. Her last win was a close split decision, so she'll be hoping for a more definitive result as she tries to make a substantial leap in the rankings. Rosa stands 5'5″ with a 67.5-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC 296 Odds: Irene Aldana-Karol Rosa Odds

Irene Aldana: -198

Karol Rosa: +164

Over 2.5 rounds: -330

Under 2.5 rounds: +240

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Why Irene Aldana Will Win

Irene Aldana's performance against Amanda Nunes was one of the more lopsided title challenges we've seen in recent memory, but she still managed to go all five rounds and a loss to the women's MMA GOAT is nothing to scoff at. Prior to that, she managed to go 4-1 during her climb to the top with three of those wins coming by way of knockout. Knockouts aren't as common in women's MMA but Aldana is one of the better knockout artists of the Bantamweight Division. She has great leverage behind her shots and she does a good job of making her opponents walk right into the jab. If she can use her length and find a home in that jab, she should be able to outlast a decision in this one.

Irene Aldana's biggest strength in this fight will be her height and leverage.Karol Rosa is a decent grappler, but Aldana will be much bigger and stuffs takedowns at a 75% rate. If she can stand tall and stuff the first few attempts, it'll discourage Rosa from continuing to try and land one. Aldana is also very sharp in the clinch and should use her leverage to land elbows over the top. She does a great job of hanging and wear down her opponents in those spots, so expect her to follow a similar game plan in this one.

Why Karol Rosa Will Win

Karol Rosa has be up and down until this point, but she's coming in off a win and will be facing her toughest test to date in Aldana. She's a talented grappler and has great top pressure when in a good position. She's won 11 of her fights by way of decision, so she's very focused on gaining control and keeping it when on the ground. Her striking is the better part of her game at the moment as she's throwing almost six significant strikes per minute. If she can march forward and pressure Aldana into backing up, Rosa could see a ton of success with her striking if she's able to turn up the pressure and string combinations together. Head movement will be crucial as she tries to avoid counter shots in the pocket.

Rosa had a difficult time dealing with superior grapplers like Sara McMann and Norma Dumont in her previous two losses. She won't have to worry about that against a striker in Aldana, but it could be beneficial to mix in some level changes to at least pose the threat of a takedown. In primarily kickboxing fights, Rosa does a great job of gauging distance and working her way inside against opponents. She'll have to work inside against her taller opponents and she'll look to land short uppercuts up the middle. Rosa loves to get her opponents in the clinch so expect her to try and tie Aldana up.

Final Irene Aldana-Karol Rosa Prediction & Pick

This should be a close fight stylistically and both women are fighting at a high level. Irene Aldana will be looking to work her way back into title contention while Karol Rosa stands to make a huge leap in the rankings with a win. I think with both women will be keen to keep this fight standing and work their striking. Karol Rosa could see success as the more aggressive fighter, but we've seen her put herself in bad spots before when chasing the finish.

For our prediction, we'll roll with Irene Aldana to get the win. Her size and reach will be the ultimate difference as she'll eventually be able to find her timing and land consistently on Rosa. For added value, look for her method prop by decision.

Final Irene Aldana-Karol Rosa Prediction & Pick: Irene Aldana (-195); Wins by Decision (+110)