UFC Fight Night 198: Joanne Calderwood vs. Taila Santos: Prediction and Analysis

The main card of UFC Fight Night 198 features a women’s flyweight bout. The #5 ranked Joanne Calderwood will take on the number 10 ranked Taila Santos.

Joanne Calderwood has been in the UFC for a long time now. She entered the promotion on the back of an eight-fight win streak. However, despite her skills and abilities, she hasn’t been able to string together enough consecutive wins.

‘JoJo’, 7-6 in her 13 fights in the UFC, is coming off a loss in her previous fight against Lauren Murphy. Calderwood would like to get a win against Santos and get back on the winning track.

Taila Santos is an exciting fighter and an excellent athlete. She is a Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil graduate and has some serious knockout power. After a disappointing loss in her debut fight in the UFC, she has been on the right track.

The Brazilian is on a three-fight win streak and would love to continue that. A win over a UFC veteran like Calderwood will definitely help her push for a title shot.

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Joanne Calderwood vs. Taila Santos

Joanne Calderwood needs a win in this fight. As Santos is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC, if the 13 fight UFC veteran can put a stop to her momentum, it will be huge for her.

Calderwood is definitely the more skilled fighter between the two. She lands 6.75 significant strikes per minute and strikes at an impressive 50 percent. The Scot can make the fight interesting and can pull off a win.

It is rare to see a flyweight with knockout power, and Taila Santos is one of them. She has 10 wins in her career via T/KO and can also take her opponents down. She lands 50 percent of her strikes and has an 89 percent takedown defense.

One thing that can also benefit her is the number of strikes her opponent takes. Calderwood absorbs 4.50 significant strikes per minute, and with the kind of power Santos has, she can look for a knockout.

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Calderwood definitely has the skill set to make this an exciting fight, and even get the win. However, she has the tendency to lose close fights and this one can play along on the same lines. Santos has impressed everyone and should be confident going into the fight.

Prediction: Taila Santos to win in the third round via TKO