UFC 213 Nunes vs Shevchenko 2 Betting Preview & MMA Odds

Amanda Nunes is part of the headline bout during UFC’s International Fight Week. She attempts the second defense of a bantamweight title that she took at UFC 200 when he faces Valentina Shevchenko on Saturday, July 8, at 10pm Eastern time on pay per view. Nunes is the favorite in the MMA odds to defeat Shevchenko at UFC 213. Nunes won the first meeting between these two fighters by unanimous decision. She (14-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has won five consecutive bouts, and she brings considerable striking power, as we saw when she took Miesha Tate down by stoppage at UFC 200 and then took Ronda Rousey to the woodshed at UFC 207. Even so, Shevchenko (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is the only opponent in Nunes’ last seven who has pushed her all the way to the cards instead of losing by stoppage, and some wonder if Nunes can go the full 25 minutes at the heady pace that Shevchenko brings. So, the odds show the close nature of this matchup, with Nunes sitting at -105 and Shevchenko at -125.

UFC 213 Nunes vs Shevchenko 2 Betting Preview & MMA Odds

When: July 8th, 2017 Where: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV. TV: PPV Live Stream: UFC.tv MMA Odds: Shevchenko at -115 / Nunes at -105 First of all, when these two fighters squared off the first time, Nunes roared out in the first ten minutes, bringing power and piling up the points thanks to all of the strikes that she landed. So that power should come to bear in the rematch, but it’s important to remember that fights have extended from three rounds to five. In other words that means that there is a lot more to think about in terms of cardio endurance. In fact, if Shevchenko can use the space in the octagon to avoid Nunes’ strikes early and make her chase her a bit, then she could wear Nunes down and then get a ton of points on her own this time. For example, consider Shevchenko’s win over Julianna Pena, in which she got a submission with an armbar. She waited for Pena’s early storm to die down, and then moved in with MMA tactics to get the decision. Plus, she knows how to use her kicking to keep opponents from getting close enough to land the big strikes. So she should be able to show some better defense than she did in the first bout.

But can she stay away from that long reach that Nunes enjoys?

That remains a good question. Even though Nunes has picked up 13 of her 14 wins through stoppage, she used to rely on athleticism alone. But now she has turned into an even more powerful fighter than she was when she beat Shevchenko the first time. If she gets Shevchenko to the ground, things could end relatively quickly, but she could also land a knockout blow early on that could make it 14 stoppages in 15 wins. So you have to consider whether that extended reach and savvy will be enough for Nunes to win early on. As the fight drags on, though, I like Shevchenko’s chances more and more. Her patience is something that has improved over the past couple of years. Much like Floyd Mayweather from the boxing world, she has become one of the more solid defensive fighters in her division, waiting for the chance to strike. Although, Mayweather became a master of winning on the cards, posting a lifetime 49-0 record, but Shevchenko has shown more willingness to strike once her opponent wears down. Speaking of this, once the fourth and fifth rounds come around, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Nunes blowing hard and showing some real signs of weariness. A fighter who is that power-based often has a harder time with the cardio part of the bout, and that could play right into Shevchenko’s hands.

Latest MMA Odds & Fight History

Valentina Shevchenko

• Win – UFC on Fox. January 28, 2017 vs Julianna Peña. Denver, Colorado. MMA Odds: Shevchenko at -180 / Peña at +158
• Win – UFC on Fox. July 23rd, 2016, 2016 vs Holly Holm. Chicago, Illinois. MMA Odds: Shevchenko at +164 / Holm at -174
• Loss – UFC 196. March 5th, 2016 vs Amanda Nunes. Las Vegas, Nevada. MMA Odds: Shevchenko at -110 / Nunes at +100
• Win – UFC on Fox. December 19th, 2016 vs Sarah Kaufman. Orlando, Florida. MMA Odds: Shevchenko at +120 / Nunes at -130

Amanda Nunes

• Win – UFC 207. December 30th, 2016 vs Ronda Rousey. Melbourne, Australia. MMA Odds: Nunes at +148 / Rousey at -158
• Win – UFC 200. July 9th, 2016 vs Miesha Tate. Las Vegas, Nevada. MMA Odds: Nunes at +240 / Tate at -260
• Win – UFC 196. March 5th, 2016 vs Valentina Shevchenko. Las Vegas, Nevada. MMA Odds: Nunes at +100 / Shevchenko at -110
• Win – UFC Fight Night. August 8th, 2015 vs Sara McMann. Nashville, Tennessee. MMA Odds: Nunes at +225 / McMann at -245
• Win – UFC Fight Night. March 21st, 2015 vs Shayna Baszler. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. MMA Odds: Nunes at -570/ Baszler at +480

Final UFC 213 Nunes vs. Shevchenko Thoughts

I go back and forth on this bout, but given the extended length of the fight (three rounds to five) and given what Shevchenko has shown in the bouts since her first lost to Nunes, I see Shevchenko winning by decision. Some experts have Nunes winning via TKO, but I think Shevchenko can stay away from her long enough to wear her down. It will definitely be a rematch to watch and maybe this saga will continue depending on the result of Saturday’s fight. Again, Shevechenko seems to be the better fighter to win. They already know each other very well and maybe some things in their style might change, but focus will be everything. Plus, the Bantamweight Championship is on the line. Remember to check out for more UFC 213 betting odds at our sportsbook for more lines on Saturday’s event.