UFC Fight Night – Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick: Preview & Betting Tips

Namajunas thrives when she can dictate range and pick her straight shots, varying her attacks to head, body and legs. And she stays off the fence by using her good footwork to move laterally. But she’s struggled with consistent output and urgency up at flyweight, and these are traits that Maverick certainly brings.

Maverick excels at grinding opponents down with chain wrestling, control time, and volume on the ground. She will look to get on the inside of “Thug” Rose in order to limit the straight punches and high kicks coming her way, and then she will look to swing in her own hooks while disguising in takedown attempts.

This is arguably the biggest test of Maverick’s career, but it comes at a time when she’s entering her athletic prime, while there are questions about whether or not Namajunas may be leaving hers.

Let’s not forget, Namajunas likely wouldn’t even be in this weight class had she had a choice to choose her desired weight to fight. Like many female UFC fighters, they outgrow their natural weight class and are forced to move up to a division that they’re naturally too small for. I would say Rose is in that same category after outgrowing 115-pounds; she would likely choose to fight at 120-pounds if there was such a division, rather than 125-pounds. 

Namajunas vs Maverick: Prediction & Betting Tips

Rose Namajunas has the résumé and supreme striking technique, but Maverick has the physicality and pressure, and the more natural fit at flyweight – these things are attributes that Namajunas has struggled with: losing to both Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield. 

If Maverick can weather the early striking combinations from Namajunas and implement her grappling, she has the tools to grind out a decision or even pull off a late victory by ground-and-pound. 

“Thug” Rose is a future UFC Hall of Famer, but at flyweight, against rising talents like Miranda Maverick, the margins are thin. This could be the passing-of-the-torch moment for the 27-year-old Maverick, and the odds are very tempting on the underdog. 

My pick is Miranda Maverick moneyline at odds of 3.10 (Ladbrokes). And if you do use Ladbrokes, you can also use your daily odds boost for this and get it up to 3.20.