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UFC Vegas 19: Ketlen Viera Props Up Favorite Status vs. Yana Kunitskaya, Crazy KO Price
Ketlen Viera (-270) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (+220) Odds
Ketlen Viera vs. Yana Kunitskaya Prediction: Viera via KO/TKO (+700) in Rd 3 (+1200)
A surprise pick for the co-main event as far as many fans will be concerned for UFC Vegas 19 is a women’s bantamweight bout between Ketlen Viera and Yana Kunitskaya.
Viera (11-1) made a return to the win column last September when she clinched a unanimous decision win over Sijara Eubanks following a crazy KO defeat to Irene Aldana, but Kunitskaya (13-5-1NC) is a dangerous threat who can’t be overlooked. “Foxy” gets her first fight of 2021 as a +220 moneyline underdog with William Hill USA, seeking back-to-back UFC wins for only the second time in her career.
There’s a lot to like about Kunitskaya as a rangey, well-rounded fighter, but following that devastating loss to Aldana, Viera—a black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu—will be motivated to start racking up the wins over again. The decision is seen as her most favored path to victory considering she has only one stoppage win in six UFC fights—a submission over Sara McMann in September 2017—but she has absolutely got finishing potential.
There’s nothing to separate this pair in terms of build, but it’s Kunitskaya who boasts the more intimidating strike record with seven victories via KO/TKO under her belt. That being said, the Russian native tends to thrive more on high output and volume, and Viera has shown a tendency to match her opponent’s intensity after suffering damage.
Admittedly, trying to go blow-for-blow in that manner did not produce the intended result against Aldana, but Foxy hasn’t shown a history packing the same power. “Fenomeno” scored two TKO finishes on the regional circuit but is still chasing her first in the UFC, something we could well see change come Saturday, paying back massive odds of +700.