Sam is sitting as a 2-1 underdog and you might instantly assume these odds are wide. But honestly, skill wise, those odds are pretty spot on. Luciano is the better fighter here. She has better wrestling, better striking and solid cardio. So the pick is going to be Luciano because I think she is literally the better fighter. With that being said, this is literally the perfect fight for a +3.5 bet. Sam has the best cardio and pressure in the division and can absolutely win a single round, most likely the 3rd. Typically a +3.5 on a lady fight is juiced, but with Sam being such a massive dog, I am hoping we get something reasonable.
Sam Hughes
Sam Hughes is a pressure fighter and a bully. She is very aggressive with non-stop forward pressure. She unfortunately is also very hittable with a negative striking differential. She has wrestling with 7 takedowns and plenty of pressure. She is insanely tough but not particularly dangerous. She will exploit her opponents cardio holes but take a beating along the way. She is coming off the decision win over Victoria Dudakova where she was not the better fighter, but the insane cardio, pressure and willingness to move forward got her the win.
Stephanie Luciano
Stephanie Luciano is a busy come forward striker who wants to close the distance, get you to the cage and work you to the ground. If she gets you to the ground she will camp out and rack up control time while staying safe and occasionally working in some elbows. She is not dangerous but she is always moving forward and has plenty of cardio. She is coming off the rematch win over Talita Alencar where the striking was sharp, the takedown defense was solid and her get up game looked great.
