UFC Vegas 81 Preview: Ashley Yoder vs. Emily Ducote Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Oct 14)

• Ashley Yoder vs. Emily Ducote is the first bout on the UFC Vegas 81 fight card.
• Yoder is coming back to the Octagon after a two-year hiatus.
• Ducote is a former Invicta champ who’s 1-2 in the UFC.

The women’s strawweight fight Ashley Yoder vs. Emily Ducote kicks off the UFC Vegas 81 action on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Not only is this the first fight of the evening, but this prelim is also very exciting from a bettor’s perspective.

The Yoder vs. Ducote odds suggest Ducote will win, but one mustn’t underestimate Yoder. The 35-year-old “Spider Monkey” hasn’t fought in a while, but no one can deny she’s a tough fighter. But then again, so is “Gordinha.”

How to Watch

• When: Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 10:00 p.m ET
• Where: UFC Apex, Vegas, Nevada
• How to Watch: ESPN+

Odds

Fight Preview

Even though the Yoder vs. Ducote odds are heavily in favor of Ducote, we think this is going to be a much closer contest than expected. Ashley Yoder is 8-8 overall, which isn’t great, but the thing is that all of her losses happened by decision.

She’s obviously a tough fighter and she’s hungry for success. Now a 35-year-old, Yoder hasn’t fought since July 31, 2021, when she lost to Jinh Yu Frey. It was a loss by unanimous decision, but “Spider Monkey” actually did okay, even landing more strikes than her opponent.

Speaking of striking, that’s her forte. Still, she’s nowhere near as good a striker as Emily Ducote. This girl is landing 6.64 significant strikes per fight, which is one of the best numbers in the UFC Women’s Strawweight division.

READ ALSO: UFC Vegas 81 Preview: Terrance McKinney vs. Brendan Marotte Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Oct 14)

“Gordinha” is all about the volume of strikes, but her punches and kicks aren’t usually too powerful. This explains why only three of her 12 wins happened by KO/TKO.

Yoder vs. Ducote Prediction

Both fighters will take the UFC Vegas 81 opener very seriously. We expect to see both of them fight smart on October 14, without making too many hasty moves. Instead of seeing a bloody battle, we’ll probably witness a technical striking duel on Saturday. But who will win this duel?

Well, it’s got to be Ducote. The former Invicta champion is simply the better fighter. Her UFC run isn’t too impressive (1-2), but we think she’ll fix that this weekend.

Free Pick: