UFC Fight Night: Buckley vs. Malott · Women's Bantamweight · 3 rounds
Opening locked Aug 19, 2026 · Melissa Croden 59% · Decision · Distance · waiting on the result
Melissa Croden
58.8%
Chelsea Chandler
41.2%
Model win probability · confidence 52%
No market posted yet.
Why the model leans this way
Melissa Croden is the model side at 58.8% because the largest live edges sit where this fight is likely to be fought. Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight. Open-stance look favors the southpaw / switch side slightly. Ground game is the clearest separator: Croden 45 (D) vs Chandler 39 (D). Croden brings 2.0 TD/15 and 1 sub wins into Chandler's 82% takedown defense.
Ground game
CrodenCroden 45 (D) vs Chandler 39 (D). Croden brings 2.0 TD/15 and 1 sub wins into Chandler's 82% takedown defense.
Punching agility
CrodenCroden 55 (C) vs Chandler 49 (D). Hand speed / output lean Croden (4.3 SLpM at 56%).
Timing & reaction
ChandlerChandler 62 (C+) vs Croden 60 (C+). The reaction proxy — defense plus absorb plus knockdown timing — sits with Chandler.
Striking defense
CrodenCroden 66 (C+) vs Chandler 64 (C+). Croden absorbs 3.11/min at 59% defense; Chandler is a softer target at 3.37 SApM.
Path · Croden
Croden wins by forcing the fight into durability and denying Chandler a long look at durability.
Path · Chandler
Chandler wins by forcing the fight into durability and denying Croden a long look at durability.
A one-score fight on the model. Any three-minute pocket explosion or a stuck takedown against the grain wipes a lot of this number.
Style and location. Almost exclusively standing. Power and volume decide it. Croden is built as: Pocket striker. Chandler is built as: Pocket striker — southpaw. Fight IQ delta is +1 toward Croden — that is composure, win-lane diversity, and whether they solve a second problem when the first look dies.
The edges that move the number. Ground game: Croden 45 (D) vs Chandler 39 (D). Croden brings 2.0 TD/15 and 1 sub wins into Chandler's 82% takedown defense. Punching agility: Croden 55 (C) vs Chandler 49 (D). Hand speed / output lean Croden (4.3 SLpM at 56%). Timing & reaction: Chandler 62 (C+) vs Croden 60 (C+). The reaction proxy — defense plus absorb plus knockdown timing — sits with Chandler.
The clock is live — decision is the modal ending (54%). Minutes and control matter more than a single shot. A one-score fight on the model. Any three-minute pocket explosion or a stuck takedown against the grain wipes a lot of this number. These trait marks are derived from FightMetric rates, career method shares, and loaded bout rows — reaction time and agility are proxies, not stopwatch numbers. The model folds the same scores into win probability, so a hole on this card is a hole in the percentage.
Fight IQ, ground game, defense, counter punching, reaction, agility, and takedown reaction — scored from tape and folded into the win number above.
Almost exclusively standing. Power and volume decide it.
R1
19%
R2
13%
R3
14%
Dist
54%
Most likely: Distance. Expected 11.2 minutes.
Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight. Open-stance look favors the southpaw / switch side slightly.
Striking differential
1.16 vs 0.15 SLpM−SApM (recency / opp. adjusted)
Damage ratio
1.37 vs 1.04 landed/absorbed
Ground game (tape)
45 vs 39
Output (SLpM)
4.27 vs 3.52
Grappling composite
TD avg × acc × def + control + submission threat (adj.)
Punching agility
Output × accuracy × age curve
Recency form
Opp.-adjusted last 0/0 UFC rows
Striking defense
59% vs 61%
Striking efficiency
56% vs 55%
Takedown reaction
77% vs 82% hips on the shot
Pocket defense (tape)
C+ vs C+
Timing & reaction
Defense + absorb + knockdown timing proxy
Fight IQ
C+ 62 vs C+ 62 — composure, win-lane diversity, adjustments
Counter punching
47 vs 49
Reach / length
68.5" vs 68.0"
Style interaction
Striker vs striker. The pocket and the counter become the whole fight. Open-stance look favors the southpaw / switch side slightly.
Takedown mismatch
TD def 77% vs 82%
Cardio proxy
Output sustainability + distance rate
Durability
0 vs 0 KO losses
Age-adjusted curve
35 vs 35
Strength of schedule
Opp. quality 50 vs 50
Layoff / rust
Time since last fight
Championship / 5-round
Three-round fight
No recent UFC tape in the book.
No recent UFC tape in the book.
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