Kicking off the UFC Fight Night 74 main card is a strawweight contest between #8 ranked Maryna “Iron lady” Moroz and Valerie “Trouble” Letourneau. Moroz made a big impression in her UFC debut, as she scored a big upset win over Joanne Calderwood. Her counterpart, Letourneau, dropped to the strawweight division this year after starting her UFC career as a bantamweight. Maryna Moroz (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC, -185 favorite) Moroz shocked many fans and observers this past April when she dispatched top strawweight contender Joanne Calderwood in the first round of their matchup in Poland. Maryna was a bit of a question mark heading into that contest, as the level of competition she had faced up to that point was very weak. The 23 year old proved her doubters wrong by submitting Calderwood just ninety seconds into the first round. The Ukrainian standout looks to keep her undefeated record intact and make her a case for a strawweight title shot by knocking off Letourneau this Sunday night. Moroz is a former member of the Ukrainian National boxing team, which showed in her fight against Calderwood. She has fast and powerful punches, including a nice overhand right and left hook. Additionally, Maryna also has a strong arsenal of kicks, which she fires to all levels. She is yet to see the third round in any of her fights, and has only made it to the second round once. That is a testament to Moroz’s finishing ability and the quality of her competition. Although she may have not faced the best fighters to date, Maryna has done her job and dispatcher her opponents quickly. Five of her six career wins have come via armbar, which is her go-to move. She will not hesitate to go for a flying armbar if she is able to tie up her opponent’s arm on the feet. Losing position and winding up on the bottom is not a big concern for her. We do not know all that much about Moroz yet, but that will change in the near future. Valerie Letourneau (7-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC, +160 underdog) Letourneau is a ten fight veteran that has faced some of the best fighters in both the strawweight and bantamweight divisions. Her three career losses are to top bantamweight contenders Alexis Davis and Sarah Kaufman and top strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha. Valerie is a member of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, which is home to UFC stars Robbie Lawler, Hector Lombard, Jorge Masvidal, and Dustin Poirer. Since entering the UFC in 2014, Letourneau has recorded decision wins over Elizabeth Phillips and Jessica Rakoczy. She dropped down to the strawweight division in her last fight, which is unique because it was a drop of not one, but two weight classes. You do not usually see that in mixed martial arts, but the UFC does not have a women’s flyweight division. Letourneau is a technical striker that throws crisp combinations and utilizes efficient movement. She has a nice and long jab, which she follows up with a crisp straight right. Valerie also has a nice arsenal of kicks at her disposal, which she fires to all levels. The Canadian is effective at creating angles with her footwork, firing a combination, and then retreating before her opponent can counter. Five of Letourneau’s seven wins have come by way of stoppage, including four by knockout. Wrestling is not one of Letourneau’s strengths, but she has a surprising submission game from her back. Further, she can defend herself when placed on her back and likes to throw elbows to the head of her opponent. While she only has one submission win in her career, she has come very close in other fights to getting her second tapout. One aspect that concerns me in this fight is Letourneau’s weight cut. She had a brutal weight cut for her last fight, which was her first fight at 115 pounds. It did not appear to hurt her in the fight, but any hard weight cut can have a negative effect on performance. Thoughts I do not feel like I have a good grasp of how good Moroz really is. She has shown good technique both on the feet and on the ground, but her level of competition has been very low. Her UFC debut is certainly a step in the right direction, but we only saw her in the cage for ninety seconds. I am interested in seeing how she does if she has to fight longer than one round. Letourneau has fought much better competition and has constantly improved over the years. She trains at a great camp and is known as a hard worker. Further, Letourneau is very resilient, she does not go away easily. Those qualities make Letourneau a good test for Moroz at this point in her career. Moroz may have to use her skills for more than one minute this time, but if she can keep pace she likely has the tools to win this fight. I do think Letourneau has a shot here, but she is quite hittable and her defense has gotten her into trouble in the past. The Prediction: Maryna Moroz defeats Valerie Letourneau by submission (armbar, round 2)
