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MIESHA TATE VS JULIA AVILA FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 52? Saturday 2nd December, 2023 - 22:00 (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 52? Moody Center, Austin, Texas (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 52? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 52 on? TNT Sports 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 52? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
MIESHA TATE VS JULIA AVILA LOWDOWN
The former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (19-9) returns for her fourth fight since coming out of retirement. It has not been plain sailing and getting handed Marion Reneau (2021) first up inflated her ability. Reneau made her look like the Tate of old securing a third-round TKO. That performance then led her into the path of the new breed Ketlen Vieira (2021) who earnt a unanimous decision. She then dropped down to flyweight to take on Lauren Murphy (2022) and lost another unanimous decision leaving her in limbo.
Julia Avila (9-2) is four fights deep into her UFC but only two years younger than Tate. We also have not seen her since June 2021 when she submitted Julija Stoliarenko in the third round. That came in response to losing a unanimous decision to Sijara Eubanks (2020) who snapped a four-fight win streak including a unanimous decision over Pannie Kianzad (2019) and TKO over Gina Mazany (2020).
MIESHA TATE VS JULIA AVILA PREDICTION
Tate moves back up to 135 lbs to meet the more powerful Avila. Although she is unlikely to get out muscled as she is a beast at bantamweight and has the wrestling technique to get the fight on the floor.
Avila has better jiu-jitsu so she will be confident should they end up tangling on the mat. She also hits a lot harder so will be confident wherever the fight goes. She is very aggressive and we can see her overwhelming Tate on the feet.
It will be only a matter of time before Tate shoots in and we can see her snatching two rounds with control time. It is hard to predict how Avila will perform considering the time off and the fact that she has had a child since her last fight.
A Tate decision is the value bet as the underdog, but we feel the power and aggression of Avila will sway the judges.
Prediction: Avila via Decision
Value bet: Tate via Decision