Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Andrade UFC 261 betting tips

Valentina Shevchenko is recognized as the best women’s fighter on the planet that isn’t named Amanda Nunes, and she will be looking for her fifth straight title defense of the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship when she takes on Jessica Andrade at UFC 261 in Jacksonville this Saturday. Here is BettingPlanet’s in-depth preview of this championship fight, with top odds courtesy of Bovada.

UFC 261: Shevchenko vs Andrade betting preview

Valentina Shevchenko (20-3-0) is 13-2 over her last 15 professional fights with a current winning streak of 6-0 and a record of 13-0 against everyone that she has faced besides Amanda Nunes. Shevchenko got off to a slow start in her match against Jennifer Maia at UFC 255 before eventually settling in and cruising to a comfortable decision win. The UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion won her title at UFC 231 with a win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and has since defended it successfully against Maia, Katlyn Chookagian, Liz Carmouche, and Jessica Eye.

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Jessica Andrade (21-8-0) looked fantastic in her flyweight debut last October when she earned the Performance of the Night bonus for knocking Katlyn Chookagian out in the first round. Andrade is now 5-2 over her last seven fights with each of her last three wins coming by way of knockout. Her move up to flyweight makes her power even more of a factor as she adds strength with the extra 10 pounds.

Shevchenko vs Andrade UFC betting prediction

Shevchenko has closed as a favorite of -1200 or shorter with online sportsbooks in each of her last four fights, so Andrade is clearly getting a lot of respect here at +330. That’s fair given her outstanding striking ability and power. Very few women on the planet have any shot at beating the versatile and elite Shevchenko at her own game, so knocking her out with a well-timed flurry of blows is the best path to an upset.

Unfortunately for Andrade, Shevchenko is just too good and too crisp to let that happen. She is the superior striker and grappler, and after a slow start in her last fight, she is unlikely to come out flat in this one. Look for Shevchenko to survive an early onslaught from Andrade before eventually earning a win via technical knockout or submission in the middle rounds. We’ll take a shot on the knockout.