UFC 261: Valentina Shevchenko vs, Jessica Andrade Picks and Predictions

Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Andrade will face off in a main card showdown for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 261 at Jacksonville Arena. There will be fans in attendance for this event. 

Valentina Shevchenko comes into this fight with a 19-3 record overall and he has won six fights in a row. Each of the last five wins for Shevchenko have been for titles. Shevchenko’s last win came over Jennifer Maja and there was really no doubt when the final bell sounded that she had won the fight. Shevchenko is averaging 2.98 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.03 significant strikes. The Bullet is averaging 2.27 successful takedowns every 15 minutes and she is successful on 58 percent of her attempts. She also stops 75 percent of her opponents takedown attempts and she does a good job of controlling when she wants the fight to be on the ground. 

Jessica Andrade is on the other side of this fight and she comes into this fight with a 21-8 record overall. Even with all the success, Andrade has lost two of her last three fights. The one win during that stretch came in her last fight against Katlyn Chookagian, a fight she won late in the first round by knockout. Andrade is a pressure fighter and she is currently averaging 6.38 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 5.26 significant strikes per minute. Andrade likes to get the fight to the ground and she is currently averaging 3.11 successful takedowns every 15 minutes. She is successful on 57 percent of her takedown attempts and also stops 76 percent of her opponents’ takedown attempts. 

Shevchenko is the better fighter and I really don’t see any way that she is going to be beaten in this fight. There isn’t a whole lot of value with Shevchenko laying this number, but there is no other way to bet this game. Back Shevchenko on the money line.