MMA Preview – Marina Rodriguez vs Virna Jandiroba at UFC 288
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
MARINA RODRIGUEZ VS VIRNA JANDIROBA FACTS
When is UFC 288? Sunday 7th May, 2023 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 288? Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 288? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 288
What channel is UFC 288 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 288? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
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!
MARINA RODRIGUEZ VS VIRNA JANDIROBA LOWDOWN
Marina Rodriguez (16-2-2) was motoring her way towards a title shot but got abruptly derailed by Amanda Lemos back in November last year. The third-round knockout snapped an impressive four-fight streak including wins over Amanda Ribas (2021), Michelle Waterson (2021), Mackenzie Dern (2021) and Xiaonan Yan (2022).
Virna Jandiroba (18-3) only fought once in 2022 and that was nearly a year ago. It was a good performance earning a unanimous decision over veteran Angela Hill which came after a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Ribas (2021) taking her UFC record to 4-3.
MARINA RODRIGUEZ VS VIRNA JANDIROBA PREDICTION
Rodriguez goes back to fighting grapplers where she has fared well and despite losing to Carla Esparza, she managed to convince one judge she did enough. This will give her a lot of confidence here as Jandiroba does not possess wrestling technique close to Esparza.
That said, if the fight does go to the deck, Jandiroba will not just lay on top but instead threaten submissions with her high-level jiu-jitsu. Her striking is nowhere near the level of Rodriguez, but it is unorthodox and will be masked behind the takedown attempts.
So, Rodriguez will have to respect the striking of Jandiroba and ultimately keep the fight on the feet at all costs. We expect this to look similar to Rodriguez’s fight with Dern where she fended off the majority of takedown attempts and convinced the judges with her Muay Thai.
Prediction: Rodriguez via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
