Simon Head: Work rate, range and gas tank all give Chookagian an outside shot at victory
I don’t think it’s unfair to suggest that few will be expecting Chookagian to get her hand raised when she faces Shevchenko at UFC 247. But while Shevchenko’s excellence inside the octagon means she’s a justifiable favorite, I also think it’s a little too easy to rule out the qualities that could see Chookagian score an upset victory.
Shevchenko’s world-class abilities are well known, but Chookagian will step into the octagon on fight night with certain advantages of her own. The challenger will have the edge in both height and reach, and also produces a higher strike output in her fights. Her 4.28 significant strikes per minute stack up favorably compared to Shevchenko’s 3.02.
Despite that higher work rate in the striking department, Chookagian should also have little problem when it comes to her gas tank. She has regularly outpaced her opponents to claim wins on the scorecards, and also experienced the full five-round title fight duration when she captured the CFFC women’s bantamweight title.
Chookagian’s stick-and-move style may seem straightforward to some, but her output, constant movement and her ability to strike at range has seen her defuse dangerous strikers like Joanne Calderwood and Irene Aldana, and snuff out submission threats from the likes of Alexis Davis and Sijara Eubanks.
Shevchenko, of course, will present the most dangerous test of Chookagian’s career, and from my personal perspective it’s hard to go against the defending champion when it comes to making an outright pick. But if the New Jersey native sticks to her game plan, uses her range and her footwork, and doesn’t get flustered by the big occasion, I believe she has a better chance of outpointing Shevchenko over five rounds than her heavy +675 underdog odds (via BetMGM) might suggest.
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