Strawweight
Bo Hyun Park (9-3) vs. Farida Abdueva (8-1)
Bo Hyun Park
Park is a joy to watch because she’s someone you can always expect to bring the fight to her opponent. That said, she could definitely mix things up better. She tends to headhunt, which is fine, but adding more body work would make her much more dangerous.
She’s constantly throwing, usually finding success with a stabbing left jab and a heavy right hand that she really sits down on. She builds combinations well, often starting in twos before pushing into four-punch-plus sequences. She’s also good at mixing her attacks from both sides and down the middle, keeping her output varied even if it’s largely head-focused. She’s willing to take some shots to land her own, but she’s never been finished by KO/TKO, which speaks to her toughness and durability.
The biggest concern with Park is her ground game. She’s a pure striker and doesn’t actively pursue wrestling. Against strong wrestlers, that’s where she can get exposed, and it has happened before. That said, she has improved in that area and has become harder to take down as fights go on.
Farida Abdueva
Abdueva comes across as a well-rounded, offensively diverse striker with a grappling game that can function as a secondary option. She’s still developing the physicality and defense needed to fight at a higher level.
On the feet, her biggest strength is the layering of her striking. She doesn’t rely on single attacks. She builds off with feints, angles, and mixed targets. The clinch is a real weapon for her as she’s dangerous with knees and does a good job chaining trips. Her front kick and one-two give her structure at range. Body work is also a key factor, driven by brutal knees in the clinch, kicks, and one-twos.
Her kicking game is another key piece, likely the main one. She’s comfortable attacking multiple levels and doesn’t become predictable. She’ll feint with one leg and throw with the other. There’s barely any tell in her delivery, but a lack of power makes her a little less dangerous. More than anything, it’s her ability to keep range and win off scoring points.
The issues show up when she’s forced into less favorable physical exchanges. She can struggle against the cage, particularly when opponents pressure her into prolonged wrestling exchanges. Her takedown defense isn’t fully reliable yet, and she can be controlled if someone commits to chaining attempts. She doesn’t always apply enough physical strength in clinch or defensive grappling situations, which can hurt her overall skill set.
Overall, she projects as a skillful, multi-layered fighter who wins rounds through variety and activity. Her ceiling depends heavily on improving cage defense, physical strength, and consistency in stopping grapplers, so she doesn’t turn her fights into extended grind-outs. You also have to remember that Abdueva is only 22, so she’s gonna develop quite well. Also, she didn’t get a chance to show anything from her last fight.
This is one of the tougher matchups to call in the semifinals. On the feet, I slightly favor Abdueva technically. Her kicking variety, feints, body work, angles, and ability to mix attacks make her harder to read. She could definitely win minutes at range. However, Park’s jab, combination volume, and constant forward pressure could eventually disrupt Abdueva’s rhythm.
Abdueva has her clearest path to victory in the grappling. If Abdueva can consistently force Park against the cage and chain takedowns, I could easily see her winning rounds. The problem is Abdueva’s cage defense is also a weakness. Park is more physical and will make Abdueva work for takedowns.
I think Abdueva has the better technical skill set, but Park has the more reliable fight-winning style for this particular matchup. Park’s pressure, jab, combinations, and durability should allow her to make Abdueva work constantly. I’d expect Abdueva to have success early with kicks and clinch attacks, but Park should gradually take over with pressure and volume
Bo Hyun Park via Split Decision
Machi Fukuda (11-2) vs. Bo Meng (23-8)
Machi Fukuda
Fukuda is undersized even for strawweight, but she’s turned that into an advantage through her wrestling. Her biggest issues come on the feet, where she throws with good volume but can absorb a lot when advancing, especially when moving in straight lines. She’ll occasionally angle off before shooting, but can still be tagged clean. Once she gets inside, however, her low center of gravity becomes a major asset. She relentlessly attacks the legs, works body locks, and uses trips to get the fight down, making her a constant threat once she locks up and turns grappling exchanges into a chaotic scramble.
She transitions smoothly, passes guard quickly, and is comfortable advancing position. At times, she can get a bit too aggressive and give up position, but her pace and pressure generally overwhelm opponents. She’s a fast-paced, cardio-driven grappler who thrives in chaos and builds her game around nonstop movement and pressure.
Bo Meng
Meng is undoubtedly a dangerous striker. Her grappling remains the main concern. Her takedown defense has improved, but she still makes mistakes that put her in bad positions. While she can wrestle and has some submission ability, she tends to lose too many minutes off her back.
On the feet, Meng is an excellent striker who can challenge anyone. She’s known for her power, particularly in her right hand. She can control range well from the outside with her jab and kicks, and she closes distance effectively with fast, explosive blitzes. She’s also a sharp counter-striker, often landing check hooks and slipping out of danger just after impact. At times, she can be willing to brawl, but not many opponents can match her power or durability in those exchanges
Prediction:
I would really like to get Bo Meng in the UFC one day. I say “one day” because it won’t be on this day. As a fighter with issues in takedown defense, working off your back against a fighter like Fukuda is a ticket to an L.
I think it’s as simple as this: Meng won’t be able to stay at range, and Fukuda will be too physical. Meng won her last fight because she was the better fighter, but her opponent let her set the pace. Fukuda isn’t the kind of fighter who will give her the space to operate.
Machi Fukuda via submission (RNC), round 2
