We're back with another prediction and pick for the main card of UFC Las Vegas: Dern vs. Hill. Halfway through the Main Card, we'll see the featured fight in a Women's catchweight bout (120 lb) between two fighters looking to break into the top-15. Repping Oklahoma City, Emily Ducote will face off against Mexico's own Loopy Godinez who steps in on short notice. We should expect to see some high-level women's MMA in this one! Check out our UFC odds series for our Ducote-Godinez prediction and pick.

Emily Ducote is 12-7 as a mixed martial artist and is currently 1-1 inside of the UFC. She's a former 4-1 champion at Invicta FC and was able to notch a victory against Jessica Penne in her debut fight. Her last time out saw a loss against Angela Hill, which doesn't seem so bad considering she's now in the main event spot. Ducote will look to derail the hype behind Godinez and make a huge leap forward in her progression. She stands 5'2″ and has a 63-inch reach.

Loopy Godinez has an overall record of 9-3 and has gone 4-3 since joining the UFC in 2021. She's been very active and has seen a lot of improvement since her debut, going 3-1 in her last four fights. She's been able to put her wrestling and striking together seamlessly and will be fighting to make her case for the top-15 rankings. Stepping in on short notice, Godinez will earn a ton of fans if she can get an exciting win. She stands 5'2″ and has a 61-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Las Vegas Odds: Emily Ducote-Loopy Godinez Odds

Emily Ducote: +128

Loopy Godinez: -164

Over (2.5) rounds: -330

Under (2.5) rounds: +235

How to Watch Emily Ducote vs. Loopy Godinez

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

Why Emily Ducote Will Win

Emily Ducote was originally slated to fight Polyana Viana for her last two fights, but Viana has now pulled out of both contests. This time, Ducote will have a new challenge in having to face a more refined fighter in Loopy Godinez. Ducote's been preparing for Viana for two camps now, but you'd have to imagine that her team could have expected another pull-out. Ducote will have to come into this fight and execute her specific game plan, regardless of who the opponent is. She has enough power in her hands to starch a lazy striker and she does a ton of damage to the legs  with her kicks.

For Ducote to win as the underdog, she'll have to be patient and not leave herself exposed in the striking. She's averaging a high 6.23 significant strikes landed, but she's also absorbed 8.17 per minute in the same breath. If it's up to Ducote, she'll look to constantly pressure Godinez and try to overwhelm her with volume. There's no telling how ready Godinez will be, so Ducote should look to pressure with attacks to the body and wear on Loopy's gas tank. If she can outs-trike Godinez and be the fresher fight by round three, she should get the win.

Why Loopy Godinez Will Win

Loopy Godinez will be coming into this fight on less than three week's notice, but she's claimed in interviews leading up to the fight that she's always ready and in the gym training. She jumped at the opportunity to accept a fight and get back in the ring after her win over Cynthia Calvillo. Godinez earned a ton of stock in that win and will be confident in her abilities ahead of this one. She's gotten better each time out and is doing a great job of mixing her martial arts skills. She's very tough against the cage and has aggressive wrestling scrambles. Seven of her nine wins are by decision, with no KO's up to this point.

Loopy Godinez will win this fight by going out and fighting like she always has – consistent striking, leg kicks, and occasional takedowns. It'll be interesting to see how much she's improved on her striking since her last fight just two months ago. Godinez will win this fight by covering up against the volume of Ducote and finding the right counter shots. She can cancel-out the volume of Ducote with her grappling, so look for Godinez to try and land a takedown early in the fight. If it's not there, she's more than comfortable with a dirty boxing match.

Final Emily Ducote-Loopy Godinez Prediction & Pick

Emily Ducote will have the advantage in the time spent preparing for this fight. Godinez certainly has more UFC experience and it's a young veteran's move to like a fight and jump on it short notice – it shows she's confident in getting this win and a possible ranking. Expect this fight to be much closer than people think. Ducote can seriously overwhelm with her striking, but the calmness and poise of Godinez gets it done here.

Final Emily Ducote-Loopy Godinez Prediction & Pick: Loopy Godinez (-164)