This weekend’s UFC Fight Night card will feature a heavyweight contest as the main event. Russian MMA fighter Alexander Volkov will take on Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a pivotal contest in the division. The card will also feature Dan Ige vs Movsar Evloev in the featherweight division as the co-main event.
But there are plenty of other exciting contests on the preliminary card as well. One such bout will take place between Felice Herrig and Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the women’s strawweight division. Both Herrig and Kowalkiewicz are veterans of the sport who are probably at the last stage of their careers.
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Both have seen better days in their respective careers. Karolina fought Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the 115lbs championship at UFC 205 in 2018. While Herrig never had the opportunity to fight for a UFC belt, throughout her career, Felice has victories over notable fighters like Alexa Grasso and Courtney Casey.
UFC Fight Night Prelims, Felice Herrig vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz: Stats
Stats | Felice Herrig | Karolina Kowalkiewicz |
---|---|---|
Wins | 14 | 12 |
Losses | 9 | 7 |
Height | 1.63 m | 1.6 m |
Division | Women’s Strawweight | Women’s Strawweight |
Reach | 165.1 cm | 162.6 cm |
Age | 37 | 36 |
Felice Herrig vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz: Fight Breakdown
Felice Herrig is currently on a 3 fight losing streak. Ironically, the first of those losses came against Karolina Kowalkiewicz in 2018. It was also the last win on Karolina’s record who herself is on a losing streak of 5 fights.
While Herrig is 37 years old now, Karolina is 36. Hence, there may not be a lot of time left for them to turn their career around. This may just be the last chance for both women to remain with the UFC.
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The rematch comes after a long gap of 4 years. It is fair to say that both Felice and Karolina have lost a step since then. Herrig is primarily a kickboxer who has decent grappling. She is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. On the other hand, Kowalkiewicz is a Muay Thai fighter with good striking skills. Neither fighter is a dominant finisher.
Herrig has 1 knockout win with 4 submission victories. Her opponent Karolina has 2 wins via submission and 1 via KO. During their first bout attempted 3 takedowns while Herrig attempted 5. However, neither was successful. Hence, the fans can expect to see more of the same this weekend as well.
Karolina was clearly the better striker the first time. She landed a total of 126 shots to Herrig’s 86. Has the passing of time closed off the gap between their striking skills? Herrig will have an advantage in terms of power. But aside from a KO loss to Jessica Andrade, Karolina has shown a very good chin.
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She also has more swift boxing skills which will allow her to land significantly more punches. Hence Herrig will have to do some heavy damage this time to sway the judges. Otherwise, a repeat of their previous result is definitely on the cards.