We're set for another UFC betting prediction and pick as we turn our attention towards the Featured Prelim bout of the night, taking place in the Women's Strawweight (115) Division. Fan Favorite and England's own Molly McCann will take on “The Warrior Princess” Diana Belbita. Check out our UFC odds series for our McCann-Belbita prediction and pick.
Molly McCann (13-6) has gone 6-5 in her time with the UFC since 2018. After stringing together three consecutive wins and climbing the ranks of the Flyweight Division, McCann suffered two bad losses to Erin Blanchfield and Julija Stoliarenko. Now she makes the drop in weight classes looking for her first win at strawweight. McCann stands 5'4″ with a 62-inch reach.
Diana Belbita (15-8) has gone 2-4 in her UFC stint since 2019. Her two wins have come against solid competitors in Hannah Goldy and Maria Oliveira, but she's suffered some bad losses in between and lost her most recent bout to Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision. Now, she'll be looking to make her name with a bounce-back win. Belbita stands 5'7″ with a 68-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 85 Odds: Molly McCann-Diana Belbita Odds
Molly McCann: -258
Diana Belbita: +210
Over 2.5 rounds: -270
Under 2.5 rounds: +200
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Molly McCann Will Win
Molly McCann was building a solid run through the Flyweight Division with dominant wins over Ji Yeon Kim, Luana Carolina, and Hannah Goldy. However, she ran into a brick wall with facing Erin Blanchfield and simply couldn't stop the superior jiu-jitsu she was up against on the ground. Her last fight against Julija Stoliarenko was a similar story as McCann was quickly taken down and submitted on the ground. With her shorter size, the move down to flyweight was something McCann always had in the back of her mind, but it's clear from her fight week interview that she dialed-in the weight cut and is ready to have her best performance yet.
With dropping weight, McCann will be able to match up better against opponents in terms of size and mass. However, Diana Belbita will still be the taller fighter with the significantly longer reach, so McCann will have to stay diligent about closing the distance and brawling with her opponent. Molly McCann should be the stronger fighter with her frame and she could see a ton of success taking Belbita down and working her ground-and-pound from the mount. Ultimately, she's feeling her best ever and will be excited to put her new frame on display at the Apex.
Why Diana Belbita Will Win
Diana Belbita is as tough as they come, but her last few contests haven't gone her way. Her last win was a dominant striking performance against Maria Oliveira in which Belbita landed her most strikes in any fight of her career. In her follow-up performance against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Belbita was met with greater opposition and couldn't get anything going in her own striking game. Instead, she was dominated in all areas of the fight and lost a tough unanimous decision. She heavily contemplated retirement following the loss, but decided to come back to training once she was offered McCann as an opponent. Clearly, she sees an opportunity for a win, so expect her to give it everything she's got on Saturday.
Diana Belbita should look to avoid tying up with McCann and keep this fight at a safe striking distance. She's more than willing to stand in the pocket and trade shots, but we've seen her chin take some damage recently and she shouldn't rely on that alone. Belbita should look to use her reach and faster hands to get out in front of McCann with her jab and keep her distant with the leg kicks. If Belbita can slowly chop away at McCann for three rounds, she should get this win.
Final Molly McCann-Diana Belbita Prediction & Pick
This should be an interesting matchup and it's great to hear Diana Belbita wanting to come out of an early retirement to try her luck against Molly McCann. McCann, on the other hand, just made the cut to strawweight for the first time, and from all of her indications, this is the best she's ever felt heading into a fight. Look for her to immediately use her size and strength against Belbita as she looks for the finish.
While this fight may seem competitive, it's not great to hear Belbita was on the brink of retirement before signing this fight. Fighting isn't a great proposition with one foot in and one foot out of the door, so we'll side with McCann to get the win as she fights the more aggressive bout.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Molly McCann-Diana Belbita Prediction & Pick: Molly McCann (-258)
Follow Us
Subscribe