Prediction: Alice Ardelean via Decision
Ruiz’s entire game has always revolved around one thing and that’s her wrestling strength. She’s short, stocky, and built to grind opponents against the cage or drag them to the mat with upper body takedowns, mainly head and arm throws or body locks. The issue is that her wrestling is predictable and she doesn’t have much of a plan B. Ruiz averages less than two significant strikes per minute and absorbs more than double that. Against fighters who can match or exceed her physical strength, she struggles to impose her will, and that’s exactly what Ardelean brings to the table.
Ardelean is physically strong for the division, and you can see it in her clinch control and balance. She’s shown in regional fights that she can defend takedowns from solid grapplers by using underhooks and good hip positioning, and when she’s able to keep the fight standing, her volume becomes overwhelming. She averages over 6 significant strikes per minute with constant forward pressure. She doesn’t need to rely on one big shot; she wins fights by drowning opponents in activity. Ruiz, on the other hand, tends to slow down quickly when her wrestling doesn’t work, and once she starts breathing heavy, her striking defense, which already under 40%, completely collapses.