Preview: UFC Fight Night 223 Prelims

Women's Bantamweights

Hailey Cowan (7-2) vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (5-0)

ODDS: Horth (-140), Cowan (+120)

Let's try this again. Again. Cowan attempts to make her UFC debut for the third time in as many months, and she already cuts one of the more impressive figures in the bantamweight division, owing to her background as a former All-American gymnast. But Cowan's game still feels like less than the sum of its parts; she can crack a bit and has shown some grappling skill, but her best wins have seen her grind her way to a slow-paced decision victory, even in fights where she should be able to dominate on paper. If everything eventually clicks, Cowan still has the potential to make a quick rise up a division badly in need of fresh talent, so hopefully she shows something new against fellow UFC newcomer Horth. It'll be fascinating to see how Horth looks here, as the Canadian is a career flyweight who had a notable size advantage against most of her opposition at 125 pounds. Horth has never particularly popped as an athlete, but she's proven to be tough as nails, often digging herself out of an early hole to find a late finish. Horth isn't particularly experienced herself and hasn't fought for a year and a half, so there's a chance she shows some new wrinkles here - add in that she's a solid grappling threat, and there's a chance she gets something done here if there's any sort of physical parity. But the bet is that Cowan brings enough horsepower to the table to grind this one out and survive any late danger, even if it figures to be a struggle at times; the pick is Cowan in a close decision.

Jump To »
Buday vs. Collier
Durden vs. Johnson
Egger vs. Alekseeva
Kelleher vs. Newson
Cowan vs. Horth