Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | UFC 307

Final Preventing Championship (UFC) ladies’s Bantamweight skills Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira will sq. off this weekend (Sat., Oct. 5, 2024) at UFC 307 inside Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah.

Harrison may be very clearly the following — only? — huge factor at 135 kilos. The previous Judo Olympian and long-time PFL queen has lofty expectations on her formidable shoulders, however she lived as much as the hype in her debut, making weight and steamrolling Holly Holm (watch highlights). Many thought that victory would earn her a title shot, however UFC has opted to convey her up extra slowly, which at the very least creates an entertaining title eliminator right here.

It appears like we’ve been ready for a Vieira title run for a while. The Brazilian is clearly higher than many of the Bantamweight pack, however she’s come up just short in a handful of aggressive and necessary fights. All the identical, turning away Harrison can be enormous, and she or he has gained three of her final 4.

Let’s take a better have a look at the betting odds and strategic keys for every athlete:

Photograph by George Tewkesbury/PA Photos through Getty Photos

Harrison vs. Vieira Betting Odds

• Kayla Harrison victory: -1000
• Kayla Harrison through TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Kayla Harrison through submission: TBD
• Kayla Harrison through determination: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira victory: +650
• Ketlen Vieira through TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira through submission: TBD
• Ketlen Vieira through determination: TBD
• Odds through DraftKings Sportsbook

Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos

How Harrison Wins

Kayla Harrison is an absolute powerhouse. Her Judo is the very definition of world-class, however she additionally deserves credit score for creating the remainder of her recreation. American Prime Crew has taught her sufficient wrestling and placing fundamentals to actually combine it up in a sensible method, and that physicality is all the time an enormous edge.

I’m unsure I see any motive why Harrison has to divert from the standard technique right here. Vieira has strong Judo and power herself, however clearly Harrison has her outmatched in each regards. If Harrison needs a clinch takedown, she in all probability will get it inside a handful of seconds. Yana Kunitskaya managed Vieira within the clinch, in any case.

It’s additionally not like Vieira is a very cellular striker or enormous hitter. Harrison simply has to regulate high place and handle her gasoline tank, and she or he’s more likely to dominate on the very least.

Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos

How Vieira Wins

Vieira is a reasonably well-rounded contender. Her kickboxing is rugged and efficient, and she or he does have loads of expertise in each jiu-jitsu and Judo. As the huge underdog right here, nevertheless, her recreation plan goes to must be just a little extra complicated than the standard strategy.

Vieira’s jab reads like her most necessary weapon right here. I’m reminded of one among her finest wins, which concerned bloodying up Miesha Tate with the jab whereas denying takedown makes an attempt. Harrison is a unique animal solely, however the core thought stays the identical: it’s onerous to wrestle successfully when on the again foot getting one’s nostril smashed in.

As well as, we’ve got seen Harrison decelerate over the course of a grueling battle with a bodily sturdy opponent in Larissa Pacheco … and that was with out a draining weight reduce all the way in which to 135-pounds. There’s an actual likelihood that if Vieira makes the battle frequently troublesome for Harrison — that means lively jabs, physique pictures, hard-nosed clinch wrestling and getups on the ground — that Harrison will fatigue even in a three-round battle.

No one is that good after they’re useless drained.

Photograph by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos

Harrison vs. Vieira Prediction

There’s not sufficient right here for me to tug the set off on such a large underdog.

Vieira is an attention-grabbing activity for Harrison, and I’d give her a greater likelihood than 10-1 … however not by an enormous quantity. She’s been managed too typically by lesser fighters than Harrison to again with any type of confidence. It’s simply much more probably that the Judo Olympic gold medalist scores takedowns and rides out this victory from high place to attain her first UFC title shot.

Prediction: Harrison through determination

LIVE! Watch UFC 307 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

Championship Doubleheader! Final Preventing Championship (UFC) returns to Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, on Sat., Oct. 5, 2024, with a pair of thrilling championship bouts on the helm. In UFC 307’s pay-per-view (PPV) most important occasion, Gentle Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, goes for his third profitable title protection of 2024 when he collides with No. 8-ranked contender, Khalil Rountree Jr., in a battle of ferocious knockout artists. In the meantime, in UFC 307’s championship co-headliner, ladies’s Bantamweight roost-ruler, Raquel Pennington, defends in opposition to former titleholder and No. 1-seeded contender, Julianna Pena, in a grudge match relationship again to The Final Fighter (TUF) 18 multiple decade in the past. UFC 307 can even characteristic the return of former pound-for-pound nice, Jose Aldo, as effectively Kayla Harrison, Kevin Holland and a lot extra! It’s must-watch motion from “SLC!” UFC 307’s begin time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (Prelims card) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of your entire UFC 307 fight card proper here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), earlier than the pay-per-view (PPV) most important card begin time at 10 p.m. ET (additionally on ESPN+).

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