UFC Fight Night 106: Belfort vs. Gastelum Date: March 11, 2016 Arena: Quicken Loans Arena City: Fortaleza, Brazil Women’s Bantamweight bout: Marion Reneau (-125) vs Bethe Correia (+105) Fight Breakdown: The UFC Fight Night 106 main card will be featuring a women’s bantamweight contest between Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau and Bethe “Pitbull” Correia, with Reneau the -125 favoreite ($125 to win $100) and Correia a +105 underdog ($100 to win $105) at Several Bookmakers. Marion “The Belizean Bruiser” Reneau (7-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) last saw action at UFC Fight Night 99 four months ago, where she snapped a two-fight winning skid with a third-round TKO of Milana Dudieva. She will be looking to make it two wins in a row for herself when she takes on Correira in a matchup she has been wanting and asking for. “The Belizean Bruiser” is a talented striker who is very fluid on her feet; she’s quick, has excellent footwork and noteworthy head movement. Her striking defense is solid. Reneau is very talented with her offensive striking, but she is also an excellent counter-striker and has a great counter-right. She also has a beautiful kicking game and delivers heavy leg kicks, as well as a nice switch kick. The Californian works a nice jab, throws vicious uppercuts and likes to implement her knees, especially when pressing opponents against the cage. She has great speed, tremendous cardio and excellent timing on the feet. Reneau has a great overhand right, and her straight-right is just as noteworthy. She puts together a number of very nice combinations on the feet, including some solid two-strike combinations. The Belizean does a very good job of mixing it up, attacking the body as well as scoring with head-shots. She is an aggressive fighter who throws hard and in high volume. To compliment her striking, Reneau has pretty good takedown defense and uses it to keep her fights standing, though she is not afraid to go to the mat, as she possesses a solid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. She is generally well-conditioned, so I expect her to have enough gas in the tank for a full three rounds of battle against the Brazilian, if necessary. Bethe “Pitbull” Correia (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is coming off a split-decision win over Jessica “Evil” Eye at UFC 203 six months ago, snapping a two-fight losing streak, and she aims to make it two straight in front of her fellow Brazilian crowd this Saturday night when she squares off against Reneau. At times a slow starter, Correia uses good footwork and head movement, and she puts together some solid combinations on the feet, including a variety of two-punch combos. “Pitbull” is a very aggressive fighter who likes to dictate cage control and back her opponents up. She likes to pressure her opponents against the cage and do damage from the position, including body shots and foot stomps. The 33-year-old works great body shots and has a dangerous left hook, not to mention a powerful overhand right. She has a nice high kick, and works heavy leg kicks that take a lot out of her opponents. The Jungle Fight veteran has solid takedown defense, but her grappling in general is questionable. She trains with the “Pitbull” brothers Patricio and Patricky, hence her nickname and fighting style. Also much like her fellow Brazilian teammates, Correia possesses a great chin and loves to brawl. Her striking defense is solid, and she has tremendous cardio. I believe she’ll be able to go the full 15 minutes against Reneau should the fight reach the judges’ scorecards for a decision. Gabe’s Thoughts: I believe Reneau is the superior mixed martial artist heading into this contest, and I think she should be a 2-to-1 betting favorite heading in. I would say a higher number if the bout was not taking place in Brazil, where Correia will figure to have an advantage with the crowd and ultimately the judges. Reneau has already lost a controversial split decision (to Ashlee Evans-Smith), so it would not be shocking to see a similar outcome. That said, I do think this is a fight she can win, and I believe she knows this is a fight she can win as well. I see her coming through with an impressive performance and picking up a victory, making it two in a row for herself as she continues to climb up the division’s ranks. Gabe’s Call: Reneau by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Reneau (-125) All of my content and plays are free. Your support is greatly appreciated. 
