Mariya Agapova vs Luana Santos Prediction: Outcome Will Be Decided in the Beginning

The UFC on ESPN 59 tournament will take place on the night of July 14th in the United States. One of the fights will see Mariya Agapova from Kazakhstan face Brazilian Luana Santos in the women's flyweight category.

Mariya Agapova is very bright and interesting, but her fighting abilities are still overrated. The league had high hopes for her, and they were right about the media plan, but the actual fights didn't go well. Mariya lost three out of five, and it was too soon each time.

And if we consider her ongoing issues outside the octagon and her lengthy periods out of the ring, it paints a rather sad picture. Only her most dedicated fans believe in Agapova's chances of victory.

Luana Santos is new to the UFC. She has only fought two times so far and won both. The young athlete, who could be the next big thing, is slowly starting to attract more and more attention. A bout with Mariya Agapova would be a significant next step for her career.

If we're talking about who will win, it's pretty clear that Maria doesn't have much of an argument against Santos. She's not as strong as she is in wrestling (her strongest area), without mentioning standing or physical conditioning. But those arguments are still there. Agapova looks weak at the end of the fight, so she'll come out strong at the beginning, especially since that's her style. The Brazilian is less experienced, so she might struggle to adapt to the confusion and pace that Agapova will bring to the fight. So, we can't rule out the possibility of Santos making a mistake or Agapova landing a lucky punch. If the Kazakhstani athlete doesn't finish her opponent quickly, the risk of being finished herself will only increase with every second.