UFC 268: Rose vs. Zhang Bet Preview & Picks

UFC 268 makes an appealing opportunity to land some major bets, with huge upsets lurking in the dark just after Halloween. The question is, are these upsets legit?

The co-main event is one of those opportunities, which is a rematch between the women’s Strawweight division Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. Even though all eyes are on the main event, you cannot ignore the magnitude of this matchup. 

Date: Sat, Nov 6, 10:00 PM

Venue: Madison Square Garden

Watch on: PPV

Co-Main Event Showdown 

Rose “Thug” Namajunas (10-4-0)

Namajunas took hold of the women’s Strawweight division after her recent victory against Weili Zhang back in April earlier this year. She now boasts two straight victories as a result. 

This also added to her resume, which includes two wins by knockout, five by submission, and three by decision. On top of that, she has looked better in each fight in her ability to strike and move around the octagon. 

Coming in with a striking accuracy at 40 percent and a grappling accuracy at 53 percent, she makes a solid case to lead in either category. She puts up 4.13 significant strikes each minute but still absorbs 3.99. This is a bit volatile, but still manageable under the right circumstances. 

Namajunas is able to defend against takedowns only at 50 percent and has a significant strike defense at a modest 60 percent. She also puts up 1.89 takedowns and almost one full submission for every 15 minutes of action. 

Weili “Magnum” Zhang (21-2-0)

Zhang looked completely hysterical after her first-round defeat, which should be enough motivation to fight here again. That loss not only hurt, but it broke her 21 fight winning streak. 

Looking at what she has accomplished, her fighting resume reveals 10 wins by knockout, seven by submission, and four by decision. Whichever direction she decides to go in a fight, you can usually count on her to pull through. 

She strikes with accuracy at 45 percent and has a grappling accuracy at a rather poor 23 percent. She delivers 6.36 significant strikes each minute but only takes on 4.42. This ratio looks a little better, which should come in handy once again.  

Zhang has not hit the ground once, with a takedown defense at 100 percent and she showcases a significant strike defense at 53 percent. She also happens to average 1.24 takedowns and about half of the submission in every 15 minutes of action. 

Co-Main Breakdown 

Namajunas won the first fight for a variety of reasons. She kept striking from the outside and made Zhang open up, which led Thug to land a beautiful kick in the chin to win. This matchup will mostly play out the same, with a lot of striking often. 

Zhang needs to be more aggressive and pressure Namajunas. If she can confront her personal space, then she has a chance to win. However, Namajunas’ gameplay will remain the same, as she looked excellent in her ability to move around and strike often.