Preview: UFC Fight Night 225 Prelims

Women’s Flyweights

J.J. Aldrich (11-6, 7-5 UFC) vs. Na Liang (19-6, 0-2 UFC)

ODDS: Aldrich (-520), Liang (+390)

The eternal grind continues for Aldrich, as her UFC career has been a bit frustrating. While she has a clear ceiling, she is a solid fighter who has never really built much momentum. Aldrich is well-rounded to a fault and never particularly spectacular—it is a bit impressive that she has not found a finish in any of her seven UFC wins—and the main concern for her as a prospect was her lack of high-level athleticism. A move up to 125 pounds in 2019 helped in that respect, as Aldrich has filled out to become a much stronger fighter, but it has proven to be a barrier towards her getting any sort of renown. Erin Blanchfield managed to suddenly find a finish in a bout that Aldrich was otherwise winning, and her March loss to Ariane Lipski was a clear instance of her being outpaced and outmaneuvered by a much quicker athlete. The good news? Aldrich gets a winnable step back against Liang, who moves up from strawweight for her first flyweight fight in the UFC. China’s “Dragon Girl” has a game built entirely around rushing her opponent and attempting to find an early submission, which has resulted in some fun fights going quickly south for Liang inside the Octagon. She gassed herself out and got finished against Ariane Carnelossi, while Silvana Gomez Juarez landed a brutal knockout punch almost immediately. Liang’s aggression does stand in stark contrast to Aldrich’s slower-paced consistency. However, Liang does not read as physical or technical enough to make much hay in overwhelming Aldrich early. The main suspense is whether Aldrich can find her first UFC finish once Liang exhausts herself. The pick is Aldrich via second-round stoppage.

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