Predictions for every fight on the UFC 211: Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2 main card

UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk faces what looks to be her toughest opponent to date when she battles former bantamweight contender Jessica Andrade.

Andrade is a rare mix of power and speed, and she’s been a huge problem for strawweights since dropping to the division in 2016. Jedrzejczyk has simply overwhelmed opponents with her volume on the feet, landing over 125 significant strikes in all four of her title defenses. But that fact shouldn’t worry Andrade, who has twice cracked the 100 significant strike threshold during her three fight winning streak at 115-pounds.

The key for Andrade in this bout will be her ability to close the distance against the taller and longer Jedrzejczyk. Joanna Champion isn’t known for her shifty footwork but she should be able to touch Andrade with her long jab enough to make the Brazilian think twice about rushing in with combinations.

It appears Jedrzejczyk has sown up the ground game issues that plagued her in her first fight against Claudia Gadelha, where she was planted seven times, but the threat of the takedown will still be there against the powerful Andrade, who has shown she can pull off a submission if the opportunity presents itself.

However, all signs point to this bout being fought predominantly in the stand-up, and a war of attrition bodes well for Jedrzejczyk, who has fought a full five rounds three times in her UFC career compared to none for Andrade. And I think that’s how the fight will be won — Jedrzejczyk dragging Andrade into the championship rounds and pulling away with her world-class stamina that allows her to be just as effective in the fifth round as she is at the opening bell.

Prediction: Joanna Jedrzejczyk by decision