XFC 25 Bet: Strawweight Championship bout: Angela Magana (-120) vs Stephanie Eggink (-120)

XFC 25 Date: September 6, 2013 Arena: Albuquerque Convention Center City: Albuquerque, New Mexico Strawweight Championship bout: Angela Magana (-120) vs Stephanie Eggink (-120) Fight Breakdown: The Main Event for XFC 25 is a scrap for the promotion’s inaugral women’s strawweight title and it is expected to produce fireworks. The contest is between New Mexico’s Angela Magana and two-time XFC veteran Stephanie Eggink. This fight is at even odds, with the line on both ladies being -120 ($120 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. ANGELA MAGANA (11-5 MMA, 0-0 XFC) is making her promotional debut coming off a Unanimous Decision loss to current UFC bantamweight Jessica Eye. Magana has been facing challenges since day one, as she was born addicted to heroin. Growing up on the streets of Los Angeles with junkie parents and eating out of trashcans, Angela Magana knows there is absolutely nobody she will fear inside of a closed cage. Magana has good boxing skills, having had over forty amateur boxing fights in her career, and she is an ace on the ground. Her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills are excellent, she loves to submit opponents, and her resume reflects that sentiment, as six of her eleven career wins have come by way of submission. Magana works a good clinch, from where she likes to deliver hard knees to the body of her opponents. She has a good chin, decent takedowns, and works a very good top game; her ground and pound is phenomenal for a lighter weight female fighter, and her transitions are also note-worthy. She generally has good conditioning, especially since she trains at high-altitude, but she is coming off a year-long layoff so that isn’t a certainty. STEPHANIE EGGINK (3-1 MMA, 2-0 XFC) will be making her third trip to the XFC cage when she takes on Angela Magana. She is coming off two consecutive Unanimous Decision victories for the promotion, and has earned the opportunity to fight for their inaugral strawweight title. Eggink has good footwork but her striking is below average, I believe she will be at a boxing disadvantage going into this bout, especially considering that her striking defense is not very good. Her lone loss on her resume has come by flush knockout delivered by a punch only seven seconds into the very first round. That fact aside, she generally presents a good chin, but with only four pro fights under her belt, that’s tough to say. Stephanie Eggink has good hip strength, which works in her favor when the fight takes place against the cage. She isn’t easy to take down and is good at controlling position. Her last bout was four months ago, so unlike her opponent, she will not be suffering from ring rust. I will expect her to have the cardio advantage going into this bout, though that is not for certain. Fight Prediction: I expect this to be a close fight with Magana getting the better of it, both on the feet and on the mat. I think she will outstrike Eggink and when the fight hits the mat, eventually she will transition positions until she winds up in the mount, from which point she will rain down heavy punches and elbows. Eggink will likely survive the barrage, at which point Magana will decide to go for an arm, and she’ll take it home with her, along with the inaugral XFC Strawweight Championship title. Gabe’s Pick: Angela Magana by Submission (armbar, 2:55 round 2) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Angela Magana -120