MMA Preview – Irene Aldana vs Karol Rosa at UFC 296
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
IRENE ALDANA VS KAROL ROSA FACTS
When is UFC 296? Saturday 16th December, 2023 - 23:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 296? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 296? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 296
What channel is UFC 296 on? TNT Sports Box Office (£19.99 – main card)
Where can I stream UFC 296? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
IRENE ALDANA VS KAROL ROSA LOWDOWN
Irene Aldana (14-7) heads to Vegas with a lot to prove. She was the only title challenger in the hollow bantamweight division that fans were excited to see take on the ‘Lioness’. She earnt her shot at Amanda Nunes (2023) at UFC 289 after knocking out Yana Santos (2021) and Macy Chiasson (2022). However, she wilted under the pressure and Nunes cruised five rounds to earn a unanimous decision.
Karol Rosa (17-5) is 2-2 in her last four. Sara McMann (2022) snapped a six-fight win streak with a vintage unanimous decision. She replied with a majority decision over Lina Lansberg (2022) but dropped another unanimous decision, this time to Norma Dumont (2023). She was then paired with Yana Santos (2023) up at featherweight and scraped a split decision.
IRENE ALDANA VS KAROL ROSA PREDICTION
Aldana should have a fire in her belly after her last performance and seeing Nunes go on to retire. Rosa is a huge step down, but she has the skillset to exploit Aldana’s weaknesses.
She is a strong grappler with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and she will try put Aldana on her back. The Mexican got taken down six times by Holly Holm, three times by Chiasson and six time by Nunes.
A Rosa decision is worth a punt for that reason, but we are backing Aldana to keep the fight on the feet long enough to land the fight-winning damage. She is a lethal striker, and her boxing is on a different level to Rosa.
This will be a back-and-forth battle and we expect Rosa to have success with her grappling. However, Aldana should land more damage to sway the judges.
Prediction: Aldana via Decision
Value bet: Rosa via Decision
