UFC 238 Title Fight Previews

UFC 238 has snuck up on us!

It seems we were just looking ahead to this event and suddenly it’s this weekend, June 8th at the United Center in Chicago.

The card is packed with two title fights, plus Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone. The UFC sports betting odds are out, so let’s look at the matchups between Cejudo and Moraes and Shevchenko and Eye along with the odds.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Eye Flyweight Title Fight

Valentina is a massive favorite in this fight. At BetOnline, she’s -1750, and at Bovada a little bit more palatable -1400. Meanwhile, you can get Jessica Eye at a whopping +1050 if you think she has a chance.

And a chance she does. Jessica Eye is back to her natural fighting weight and dominating. She’s undefeated since her move back down in weight from Bantom to Fly. And now she gets a shot at Shevchenko and the title. Jessica Eye shouldn’t be overlooked. She is one of those fighters, that just doesn’t didn’t step up in weight well and was getting overpowered. At Fly, she can cut easily to make weight with minimal stress, then cruise seamlessly back up to her walking weight before the fight.

Eye is known for her great conditioning and being extremely difficult to put away, even when she is losing. These are things that could make it more difficult than many expect for the Champ. She’s also a brawler who isn’t afraid to get down and dirty.

That said, this is Shevchenko. She has an insane resume, beating Joanna Jedrejczyk, Priscila Cachoeira, Julianna Pena, Holly Holm, and Sarah Kaufman. She has here two losses to Amanda Nunes, but the split-decision loss in the second meeting with Nunez was questionable at best. That decision easily could have gon the other way.

In her last five victories, she hasn’t finished anyone with her fists or feet. She has three unanimous decisions and two submissions, one by rear-naked choke and one armbar.

Look for Shevchenko to win this fight, but for Jessica Eye to take it the distance.

Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes Bantam Weight Title Fight

Henry Cejudo is the man that ended the era of Demetrious Johnson. He also KO’d a prime TJ Dillashaw in just over 30 seconds. So why is he a slight underdog to Marlon Moraes? The answer to that is their size.

Cejudo is much smaller, and on top of that, Marlon packs a much heavier punch. This fight is going to come down to whether or not Marlon Moraes can land a big shot or physically dominate Cejudo. It’s a classic showing of technique vs. brawn. Marlon has enough power to put Henry Cejudo away early. But if he doesn’t, he is likely to get worn down by Cejudo and lose by decision.

Cejudo needs to be wary of Moraes’ knees. His bread and butter is wrestling and shooting on his opponents to take them down. If he runs into a knee, it could be the catalyst for a fight-ending TKO.

Ultimately, Cejudo is a more complete fighter, but the size and power difference might be too much to overcome. I won’t be at all surprised if Cejudo wins. However, I have to lean towards Moraes because of his size advantage and superior striking.