The action continues from Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill as we make a prediction and pick for the featured Preliminary fight of the night in the Women's Strawweight (115 lb) Division. Former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz will take on former LFA star Vanessa Demopoulos. Don't miss this fight as the Main Card follows immediately after! Check out our UFC odds series for our Kowalkiewicz-Demopoulos prediction and pick.

Karolina Kowalkiewicz is 14-7 as a professional fighter and has gone an even 7-7 in her time with the UFC. A challenger to the title in 2016, Kowalkiewicz has had a rocky run including five consecutive losses from 2018 to 2021. While many thought the UFC would cut her, Kowalkiewicz has managed to win her last two fights and keep her career alive. She comes in as the small favorite in this one. Kowalkiewicz stands 5'3″ with a 64-inch reach.

Vanessa Demopoulos is 9-4 in her career and has gone 3-1 since joining the UFC. She was a former champ at LFA and while she lost her Dana White's Contender Series fight, she was awarded a contract later on and has made the most of her opportunity. She's coming into this one off back-to-back wins and would love a win over a veteran of the division. Demopoulos stands 5'2″ with a 59.5-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Las Vegas Odds: Karolina Kowalkiewicz-Vanessa Demopoulos Odds

Karolina Kowalkiewicz: -140

Vanessa Demopoulos: +110

Over (2.5) rounds: -290

Under (2.5) rounds: +215

How to Watch Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Vanessa Demopoulos

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

Why Karolina Kowalkiewicz Will Win

Karolina Kowalkiewicz has always been known for her damaging elbows and technical striking. She has a storied background in Muay Thai fighting and has put up some memorable performances in the UFC. Her latest losing streak was exceptionally bad. She failed to make any adjustments in her fights and seemed as though she was trying to fight the same way she has her whole career. Well, at 37 years old, she's had trouble keeping up against some of the younger competition of the division. Her last two fights indicate that she may have switched her approach and will hope to find success against an up-and-comer.

For Kowalkiewicz to win this fight, she'll have to be sturdy on her feet and defend the impending takedowns from Demopoulos. Kowalkiewicz has struggled with talented grapplers in the past, so keeping this fight on the feet will be vital for her. From there, Kowalkiewicz will have the advantage with her striking skills and should look to control the distance in the standup. If she can stay on the outside and pop Demopoulos with constant jabs, she should do enough to win this fight with more experience to her name.

Why Vanessa Demopoulos Will Win

Vanessa Demopoulos has some seriously good jiu jitsu and will look to use it against Kowalkiewicz. She knows her opponent struggles on the mats, so Demopoulos should look for a takedown as soon as possible and begin to work her submission attempts from the ground. If she can be aggressive in finding a takedown and land in a favorable position on the ground, we could see Demopoulos steal a round off control-time alone. Look for her to show some improvements to her kickboxing as well.

For Demopoulos to win this fight, she'll have to avoid the range of Kowalkiewicz as the shorter fighter and work her way inside for a clinch or takedown. Demopoulos would benefit greatly from a messy fight as she can mix in her takedowns through the clinch. If the fight remains on the feet, Demopoulos will have to be diligent in closing the distance and make Kowalkiewicz back up to where she isn't comfortable. If Demopolous can get Kowalkiewicz guessing on the fence, she should do enough to get this decision victory.

Final Karolina Kowalkiewicz-Vanessa Demopoulos Prediction & Pick

This fight will go one of two ways: either Karolina Kowalkiewicz point-strikes her way to a decision, or Demopoulos lands her takedowns and wins with top control. Either way, this matchup will be determined by which fighter can better impose their game plan. If Demopoulos has an easy time taking down Kowalkiewicz, we could see a lackluster fight dominated by wrestling. Notably, Kowalkiewicz has a 75% takedown defense in the UFC – this will be the difference in the matchup as Demopoulos won't get the takedowns she needs. Let's go with the slight favorite to get the win here.

Final Karolina Kowalkiewicz-Vanessa Demopoulos Prediction & Pick: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (-140); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-290)