Preview: UFC Fight Night 220 Prelims

Women’s Bantamweights

Hailey Cowan (7-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ailin Perez (7-2, 0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Cowan (-130), Perez (+110)

The UFC women’s bantamweight division is wide open for any prospect able to break through, and Cowan is here to step up to the plate. A former All-American gymnast, “All Hail” cuts an impressive figure as a physical specimen, but she is still at the point where her overall game is a bit less than the sum of its parts. Cowan has some grappling skill and can crack, but she mostly gets by on sheer horsepower, making things a bit more of an adventure than they should be on paper. There are a few fights where Cowan is clearly set up to dominate but instead winds up getting stalled out at points before winning an absolute grind. However, with a rare level of physical ability and still clearly being in the developmental phase of her career, there is still plenty of hope for Cowan to rise through the ranks. She gets a compelling matchup against Perez for her UFC debut. An apparent graduate of the Bethe Correia school of overconfidence, Argentina’s Perez is an entertaining figure who is maximizing her ability if nothing else. “Fiona” is always more than ready to put her nose to the grindstone and try and outwrestle her opponent for a win. That approach appears to have a low ceiling for the moment, however. Perez is not much of an athlete and will probably wind up being best-suited to a cut down to flyweight. With Cowan’s fights often winding up closer than they should be, there is the opportunity for Perez to make this somewhat interesting. However, her chances at an upset are dulled without her presenting much of a submission threat. The pick is Cowan via decision.

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Cowan vs. Perez
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