MMA Preview – Roxanne Modafferi vs Antonina Shevchenko at UFC Fight Night 149
AT A GLANCE
When is UFC Fight Night 149? Saturday 20th April, 2019 - 16:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 149? Yubileyny Sports Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia
What channel is UFC Fight Night 149 on? BT Sport ESPN
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 149? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 149? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Roxanne Modafferi is the embodiment of her nickname, ‘The Happy Warrior’, but she will have to leave her pleasant nature at home and tap into full warrior mode to get the better of Antonina Shevchenko. Modafferi made her debut all the way back in 2003 but has never quite matched the competition in the UFC. She won her first UFC fight in July 2018 against Barb Honchak but was outclassed by Sijara Eubanks in her last outing.
The elder sister of the current flyweight champion Valentina, Antonina Shevchenko also has martial arts in her blood. After a very successful Muay Thai and Kickboxing career, she has tried her hand at MMA and is yet to taste defeat after seven fights, coming off her UFC debut win against Ji Yeon Kim.
THE PREDICTION
Modafferi is the more experienced MMA fighter but Shevchenko is the more talented. Modafferi will look to call upon that experience to avoid the stand-up skills of the Muay Thai and Kickboxing veteran and use her wrestling to take the fight to the ground.
However, like her sister, Shevchenko is extremely well-rounded and is also a competent grappler. She is likely to use these skills to keep the fight on the feet and display her striking prowess and, considering Modafferi’s liability to absorbing shots, Shevchenko can cause enough damage to end the fight or at least a decision.
Winner: Shevchenko via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
