Preview: UFC 287 Prelims

Women’s Strawweights

Jaqueline Amorim (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sam Hughes (7-5, 2-4 UFC)

ODDS: Amorim (-245), Hughes (+205)

The UFC’s strawweight division is due for some young talent to rise through the ranks, and the hope is that Amorim can fill that void. The Brazilian has kept up a steady schedule of two fights a year since her pro debut in 2020, with all of those bouts being quick wins within a round. While she does have a 10-second knockout on her record, Amorim shines once she gets to lean on her high-level grappling background and hunt for a submission. None of her regional competition has provided much resistance thus far, so Amorim was due for the step up in competition that comes here. Hughes was a raw prospect thrown into the deep end in a late-notice UFC debut against Tecia Torres, and she looked to be in danger of sliding out of the promotion from there. “Sampage” showed some of the right ideas with a pressure-heavy game, but her lack of athleticism and technical depth mostly meant she marched headlong into a losing battle against a better opponent. Despite losing to Piera Rodriguez in her last bout, 2022 was a net positive for Hughes, as she otherwise racked up two wins and showed a vast amount of improvement. She represents a solid litmus test as Amorim’s best opponent to date by far, but this does feel like a soft entry for the UFC newcomer given Hughes’ tendency to wade into close range. That should give Amorim plenty of opportunities to get this to the mat early. The pick is Amorim via first-round submission.

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Amorim vs. Hughes