Preview: UFC Fight Night 227 Prelims

Women’s Strawweights

Josefine Lindgren Knutsson (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Marnic Mann (6-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Knutsson (-485), Mann (+370)

One of a few fights on this card that morphed from one matchup to an entirely different one thanks to late replacements, this one sees two newcomers try to make a strong first impression. A former muay thai standout, Sweden’s Knutsson was surprisingly passed over for a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series a few weeks ago. “Thunder” kept up her streak of solid but unexciting performances but seemed every bit ready for the UFC by 2023 standards despite the lack of sizzle in her fights. It amusingly took all of one week for the UFC to reverse course and get Knutsson into the fold once it was in need of a late replacement. Thanks to another late change, Knutsson now faces a 2022 DWCS alum in Mann. “The Sawed-Off Savage” looks to overcome a size deficit as she slots in as one of the smallest fighters on the UFC roster. She does not concern herself much with keeping range and instead looks to get inside and outwork her opponents. Mann has done well to get her wins on the regional scene, but a hard physical ceiling figures to be an issue for as long as she remains in the UFC. Her DWCS fight saw her kept at bay and brutally knocked out by Bruna Brasil, and while this may not be anywhere near as spectacular, Knutsson looks more than capable of overpowering Mann and winning her preferred grind. The pick is Knutsson via decision.

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Godinez vs. Reed
Kopylov vs. Fremd
Chairez vs. da Silva
Cortez vs. Jasudavicius
Campbell vs. Reyes
Knutsson vs. Mann