On Saturday, July 30 the UFC schedule has yet another PPV event in the month of July. This one is headlined with a rematch of one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Julianna Pena (12-4) vs. Amanda Nunes (21-5).
UFC Fight Record
These two faced each other in their last fight, with Pena finishing Nunes via submission in the second round.
Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunez
Pena vs. Nunes Betting Analysis
Julianna Pena Analysis
Julianna Pena is the champion of the UFC women’s bantamweight division. I bet you would have never thought someone could take the throne away from “The Lioness,” but it happened in one of the craziest fights of the year.
If we are looking into a Pena vs. Nunes betting analysis, we need to really dive into how Pena won the last matchup and if she can do it again. The UFC odds are still that Pena is a pretty sizable underdog in this one.
Pena Fight Expectation
Pena won their last matchup by being the first woman in a long time that just didn’t back down to Nunes. She kept the pressure up and was throwing stiff jabs and straight right hands that were landing on Nunes’ chin. Pena was also never taking a step back, I think this really tired out Nunes early and you could see the look on her face was full of shock. Will Pena have even more confidence in herself since she’s the one with the belt?
Amanda Nunes Analysis
Without taking away anything from Julianna Pena, you have to say that Nunes did not look like herself in their last fight. This might have been mostly due to how Pena was fighting, but it makes us wonder if there was anything going on internally for Nunes.
Amanda Nunes is the most dominant world champion the UFC has ever had. Her losing the belt to Pena was a shock on the MMA world and it led to some sports bettors to cash out big with those massive underdog odds. With odds still in Nunes’ favor, will she be able to make the necessary adjustments to come out victorious on Saturday?
Nunes Fight Expectation
We know that Nunes is a true champion and will be very focused and ready to take her belt back on Saturday. But the interesting thing about the betting side to this matchup is that I don’t think we have ever seen someone with such a dominant performance in the first fight, come into the second fight at a +240 underdog like Pena is.
UFC Careers Expectations
These two coached in the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. You can watch the whole season and the leadup to this fight on ESPN+.
Pena vs. Nunes Betting Preview
According to MMA odds, Nunes is the favorite to win this matchup at around -275 at most sportsbooks. She was made to look human in their last fight, but the oddsmakers still see her having a big advantage over Pena on Saturday night.
This matchup is unique with making UFC picks for fights because we have such a dominant champion, facing a woman she got dominated by that no one thought was possible. A pick for Pena to defend her belt is very feasible because of the big value in it. But you have to wonder how tough that is going to be to steal one from Nunes twice in a row.
It will be very interesting to see how the two interact with each other on fight week. They spent a long time together coaching on TUF, and now they have the face offs and press conference to really show the kind of mindset they are in for this one. Pena deserves the respect of a true champion and it will be interesting to see how she carries herself with the belt.
Pena vs. Nunes Betting Prediction
I believe that we are going to see a very confident Julianna Pena this fight week and even in the octagon on Saturday. This will be her biggest weapon, the confidence in knowing she can finish Amanda Nunes. She will come out and move forward like she did in the last fight, but will Nunes have an answer for her this time around?
I can’t help but believe that Nunes will be a totally different fighter than she was in their last fight. I think she will be ready for the pressure and use front kicks and better movement to keep Pena at distance. This has the potential to be an absolute banger of a fight with two women that don’t want to give up anything in the octagon. Look for this to be fight of the night, and for Nunes to come out on top via late finish or decision.
Final pick: Over 3.5 rounds +135
How To Bet On Pena vs Nunes
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