UFC 170 Date: February 22, 2014 Arena: Mandalay Bay Events Center City: Las Vegas, NV Women’s Bantamweight bout: Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis (-150) vs Jessica “Evil” Eye (+130) Fight Breakdown: Headlining the UFC 170 preliminary card on FOX Sports 1 will be a women’s bantamweight contest between a Strikeforce veteran and a Bellator veteran, when Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis takes on Jessica “Evil” Eye. Davis is the favorite in this match-up at -150 ($150 to win $100), with Eye being the underdog at +130 ($100 to win $130) at Several Bookmakerss. ALEXIS DAVIS (15-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is coming off a very impressive and dominant unanimous decision performance against Liz Carmouche three months ago, which followed a very unimpressive unanimous decision victory over Rosi Sexton in her promotional debut, which can be used as a solid example of the infamous “Octagon jitters.” The Canadian is riding a four-fight winning streak which includes a third round rear naked choke submission victory over fellow UFC women’s bantamweight Shayna Baszler. During her stint in Strikeforce, Davis earned victories over another fellow UFC women’s bantamweight in Amanda Nunes and the recently retired Julie Kedzie. Davis is an aggressive fighter who likes to push the pace. The Strikeforce and Invicta FC veteran is very talented on the mat and is a submission ace, owning black belts in both Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In fact, nearly half of her professional mixed martial arts career wins have come by way of submission. Complimenting her submission game is her solid submission defense. Her takedown defense is decent, but when taken down, she is very active off her back, as she is constantly attacking with submissions and looking for reversals. To compliment her skills on the mat, Davis is also talented on the feet, and her striking continues to improve fight to fight. She has a nice jab, a decent uppercut, changes levels well, and is good inside the clinch. She puts together some solid combinations, and incorporates leg kicks really well. The Canadian is good at counter striking, and she is very durable with an excellent chin. She likes to engage in body locks and beat her opponents up against the cage, while looking for possible trip and hip-throw opportunities, and I think that is an area in which will find success against Eye. Davis is a well-conditioned veteran, and I believe her cardio will be in check for an action-heavy three round affair. JESSICA “EVIL” EYE (10-1-1 NC MMA, 0-0-1 NC UFC) recently had her split decision victory over Sarah Kaufman in her Octagon debut turned into a no contest by the Texas State Athletic Comission, as she tested positive for having marijuana metabolites in her system. That test would have been negative under most commissions, as the amount she had in her system would have failed to meet the mark. On the bright side, a no contest is better than a loss. It was a close and controversial fight, and many fans believe Kaufman should have won it, although you can Eye won the first two rounds. Now riding an eight fight undefeated streak as she enters the Octagon for the second time, the Bellator veteran will be looking to make a statement that she belongs in the top tier of the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division, and a win over Davis would likely put her one fight away from a title shot. Eye is a fast starter, she does not waste any time getting the action going, and putting the pressure on her opponents. Her striking is solid and she packs power behind her punches, though she doesn’t always find the knockout. Same goes for her submission game; it’s pretty good, but she rarely catches anyone unless she hurt them first with strikes. The Ohio native trains her jiu-jitsu under the tutelage of Pablo Castro, and has won a number of grappling tournaments. She is an excellent scrambler, and is great at working reversals. Eye is an aggressive fighter who fights with a lot of heart and is hard to finish. She works great inside the clinch, especially with her knees. The 27 year old is well-conditioned and capable of going three full rounds without tiring, especially now at 135 pounds, where she is no longer cutting the extra ten pounds to make the flyweight limit, since moving up a weight class for her UFC debut. Fight Prediction: I think a lot of this fight will take place against the cage, where I see Davis getting the better of the offense. If and when the fight hits the mat, Davis will get the better of Eye in the exchanges. In general, I think she is going to edge Eye everywhere, and as long as she is mentally focused, I don’t see her losing. Gabe’s Pick: Alexis Davis by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Alexis Davis (-150) 4.5u to win 3u
