Preview: UFC on Fox 17 ‘Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2’

Women’s Strawweights

Randa Markos (5-2) vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz (7-0)

THE MATCHUP: Markos is taking a hard road to strawweight contention. After losing to former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Jessica Penne in just her sixth professional fight, Markos bested tough veteran Aisling Daly. Now she welcomes undefeated prospect Kowalkiewicz to the UFC, and the resulting matchup is almost guaranteed action. Both Kowalkiewicz and Markos possess excellent stamina, so this fight really comes down to the skill and talent of the two competitors.

Markos is still very much a developing fighter, but that only makes what skill she has shown more impressive. She prefers to fight off of the back foot, stepping backward to maintain the distance and then quickly closing the gap when her opponent commits to chasing her. She is not quite Lyoto Machida, but she times her right hand well and follows up with combinations when she senses that her opponent is stunned. Though her wrestling and grappling are still somewhat unfocused, she has strong instincts on the ground and rarely accepts a bad position, looking instead to throw her opponent off-balance and get on top.

Kowalkiewicz is in many ways a similar fighter. Like Markos, she has excellent timing on her right hand and a willingness to throw in combinations, particularly when she is being pressured. Her footwork is awkward -- she will often lead with a 1-2, only to pull back into southpaw and follow up with several right jabs -- and she is a little too dependent on her right hand. Then again, she moves constantly, eating up canvas like few other fighters in this weight class. Kowalkiewicz throws more kicks than Markos, and she will launch a few quick knees in the clinch before looking to separate. Generally speaking, she avoids the ground game.

THE ODDS: Markos (-180), Kowalkiewicz (+140)

THE PICK: Markos is so game that it is impossible to count her out of any fight. However, Kowalkiewicz is game, too, and her greater variety of striking techniques, coupled with her frenetic movement, should give her the edge over Markos. Expect this one to be back-and-forth, as neither Markos nor Kowalkiewicz are great defensive fighters and neither is unwilling to brawl when necessary. With that said, Kowalkiewicz has a knack for outpointing tough opponents. She wins a split decision.

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