Sandi Martin’s Picks
Vanessa Porto (21-8)
Porto is the most obvious choice as the current Invicta Flyweight Champion, an honor she earned in February of this year after she suffered an inadvertent eye poke against Pearl Gonzalez that left her unable to continue the fight. The vacant title may have become hers in somewhat anti-climactic fashion, but in fairness, she was winning the fight against Gonzalez before the fight was stopped.
With superior BJJ skills and crisp, powerful striking she’s a natural choice for the UFC but one only has to check her record to see that she’s lost to some of the UFC’s biggest names, most notably Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes, already. Is she ready for Ariane Carnelossi on such a big stage? Yes. Will she win? That’s a different question.
Karina Rodriguez (8-3)
Karina Rodriguez, with a current record of eight wins and three losses professionally, only just made her Invicta debut against Barbara Acioly in 2017, a fight she won by TKO in the first round. Rodriguez is a dangerous striker out of Mexico City, Mexico. Most recently she won a rematch against DeAnna Bennett via unanimous decision, vindicating her loss via split decision during their first bout last year.
