The main event of the UFC 170 preliminary card is a women’s bantamweight tilt between Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis and Jessica “Evil” Eye. The current betting line for the fight at Several Bookmakers lists Davis as a -155 betting favorite (bet $155 to win $100) while Eye is a +135 underdog (bet $100 to win $135). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas originally opened up Davis at -185 and Eye at +145, meaning so far the betting public has come in slightly on the dog, Eye. I disagree with the initial betting action as I am picking Davis to get her hand raised. Here’s why. Davis (15-5) is one of the top female bantamweights in the world and is currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Liz Carmouche, Rosi Sexton, Shayna Baszler, and Hitomi Akano. The 29-year-old Davis is really starting to come into her own after a 2-1 tenure in the Strikeforce organization and looks like a future title challenger to women’s champion Ronda Rousey. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt, Davis is excellent both on the ground and in the stand-up, and has a vaunted muay Thai attack that is amongst the best in the female divisions. She is thick in the prime of her career right now, and after a disappointing UFC debut against Sexton, it seems like she’s has all the Octagon jitters out of her system. If there’s one flaw to her game it’s that she tends to put on a show for the fans and get hit too much, but these exciting fights are what is going to make her rich in the UFC, as I expect this fight with Eye to be in contention for Fight of the Night when it’s all said and done. Eye (10-1, 1 NC) is currently riding an eight-fight undefeated streak. She made her UFC debut last fall at UFC 166, where she defeated highly-ranked Sarah Kaufman via controversial split decision. It was the biggest win of the 27-year-old Ohio native’s career until it was overturned recently due to Eye testing positive for marijuana. It was disappointing for Eye and for the fans to hear about her positive drug test, but fortunately she wasn’t suspended and she is still able to fight Davis at UFC 170 in what should be a very good fight between two of the best female bantamweights in the world. Eye is a very well-rounded fighter with solid striking and an improving submission game, and she is still decently-sized for 135 lbs despite formerly competing as a 125-er. With the disappointment of her win over Kaufman being overturned fuelling her hunger, look for Eye to try to get back on the win column and put herself back in the fans’ minds as a legit contender with an exciting victory over Davis at UFC 170, a fight that Eye is dedicating to her father, who is currently battling brain cancer. I see this fight playing out primarily on the feet where I believe Davis’ muay Thai attack will be more punishing than Eye’s boxing over the course of three rounds, and I believe that Davis will win this fight via decision when the fight hits the judges’ scorecards. And if the fight does hit the ground, I think Davis has the edge there as well. At -155, I actually like Davis for a bet in this spot as I believe she should be closer to 2-to-1 for this matchup. I think she has the advantages on the feet, in the wrestling, and on the ground so I definitely have to go with the Canadian here. I think Davis can win this fight via decision, knockout, or submission so I can’t recommend any props on this fight at the moment, but I do think the Fight of the Night prop for this women’s bout could hold some value if it’s at +300 or higher.
