Flyweight, Shanelle Dyer (6-0) Vs. Carol Foro (9-1)
- In the last year, Foro has fought at 115, 125, and 135
- Foro has finished seven of her eight wins (six straight)
- Dyer went 3-0 in PFL
- Foro is the current Jungle Fight flyweight champ
- Foro has six first-round finishes
- Dyer has three first-round finishes
- This will be the UFC debut for both ladies
Shanelle Dyer
-Excellent kickboxing
-Stays busy/Good output
-Diverse kicking attack
-Explosive
-Solid movement
-Good distance management
-Attacks from both sides
-Uses feints nicely
-Excellent bodywork
-Super athletic
-Slick counter kickboxing
-Well conditioned
-Good Muay Thai
-Good TDD
-Damaging leg kicks
-Excelling teep
-Good jab
-Can lack head movement
Dyer might’ve lost some hype after her last fight, but not in my eyes. You’re not going to look flawless every time out, and honestly, it was good to see her deal with some adversity and push through. She’s an excellent kickboxer with a strong Muay Thai base, and her athleticism is off the charts. There just aren’t many female athletes in MMA with her kind of explosiveness and diversity of weapons.
Her last fight reminded people that she’s human—she took more damage than usual, but it took someone who was willing to eat shots and walk her down relentlessly to make that happen. Still, what stood out was her takedown defense and how well she wore those shots. That chin held up, and that’s valuable info moving forward.
Dyer’s going to be a real problem for people. Her movement paired with her striking is lethal. She controls distance with the jab, leg kicks, and teeps, constantly probing with feints and finding openings. Her counters are sharp, and while her kickboxing is the foundation, she’s dangerous with her hands in close and knows how to work in the clinch.
Carol Foro
-Excellent bodywork
-Good leg kicks
-Explosive
-Knockout power
-Good knees
-Cuts the cage off well
-Combination puncher
-Constant forward pressure
-Excellent shot selection
-Uses feints well
-Nice check left hook
-Struggles off her back
What female prospect is on a tear like Foro right now? I’ll answer that—nobody. Six straight wins, all by KO or TKO. She’s been incredibly active, bouncing between weight classes, and no matter where she fights, the results are the same: violence.
Her only loss came against Beatriz Consuli, who’s a top-tier prospect in her own right. That fight exposed some holes in Foro’s ground game, but I don’t think it’s a major red flag. Her takedown defense is solid enough to keep it standing where she thrives.
On the feet, she’s a straight-up terminator. It’s relentless forward pressure—not in straight lines, but with smart cage-cutting. Foro wants to be in the pocket, ripping short combos and brutalizing the body. Even in tight spaces, she manages to fire off powerful kicks to the legs and body. She sets a ridiculous pace and attacks from all angles with real stopping power behind everything she throws.
Prediction: On paper, this might be the best women’s fight in Contender Series history. If both fighters show up at their best, it has all the makings of an instant classic. This matchup absolutely belongs on the Contender Series stage—but honestly, I think both of these women are UFC-bound regardless of the outcome.
Looking at the matchup, I keep going back to Dyer’s fight with Valentina Scatizzi. Scatizzi was able to crash the pocket and land clean shots a little bit too much. If Dyer allows Foro to do the same, she’s in real danger. While Dyer’s Muay Thai is high-level and arguably just as sharp, she does tend to get hit when pressured.
This is a tough one to call because both are incredibly hard to discourage. But I’m leaning toward Foro. I think her forward pressure, power, and vicious body work are going to break through and make life miserable for Dyer over time.
