Jinh Yu Frey vs Kay Hansen (Poirier vs Hooker) June 27th
A new bout for June 27th was announced just yesterday. Invicta vets Jinh Yu Frey and Kay Hansen are set to collide at 115 lbs on Saturday.
Kay Hansen is just 20 years old and is pretty much the new wave of women's MMA. I know that gets thrown around a lot but the skills that Hansen possess at only 21 years old is very very impressive. She is a grappling heavy fighter who looks to ground you asap. Her wrestling is really strong and has a ton of different ways she can get opponents down. Single leg, double leg, you name it. Another strong suit I noticed was Hansen's ability to recognize kicks from opponents. She will catch and look to use to drag opponent down. Could be a big factor here in this matchup against a pretty kick heavy Frey. Hansen's BJJ from top position is really what got me excited taping her fights. She floats on the mat and sticks to opponents like glue. She has slick back takes and quite frankly has a big set of tools she can use on the mat. Not used to seeing guillotine's and modified guillotine's in WMMA but she hit a very slick choke vs Caliari at Invicta FC 37. Which shows me what kind of level she is on the mat. Quite frankly I think it's next level! As far as here striking is concerned I think there is a lot to be desired. I don't worry too much about that aspect because Hansen isn't the type to mess around on the feet for too long. She knows what her bread and butter is and she doesn't wait around.
Jinh Yu Frey is a two time Invicta FC champion. She is 35 years old and holds a 9-4 record as a pro. I would definitely classify Frey as primarily a striker. She has competed largely at atom-weight and looks to keep fights up right and out strike opponents. I have seen Frey attempt a few TD's here and there, she can mix it up but in comparison to Hansen and considering matchup I don't think Frey would be wise to grapple offensively here. Frey has very good technique on the feet and will definitely have a striking advantage agaisnt Hansen. If Frey can manage to keep fight on the feet I'd definitely say Hansen is in some trouble. Hard to deny that this is a classic striker vs grappler matchup. Frey is the vet with the experience and Hansen is the young up and comer looking to make a statement.
The matchup- I know Hansen is only 20 years old and Frey is the "vet" in this matchup but I kind of think that is a bit off. Hansen has had 10 pro bouts since 2018 and is growing at a rapid rate. Frey has had 10 fights in 6 years. Hansen is no stranger to competing and isn't too young/green for such a big moment. Like I said earlier this is a classic striker vs grappler matchup. Hansen is outmatched on the feet but I don't imagine Frey will be standing on two legs for very long. Frey has not fought against the kind of style Hansen brings to the table. The times I have seen Frey on her back I didn't like what I saw. While I didn't see many mistakes as far as giving up positions or giving back from Frey, I didn't see much ability/urgency to get back up either. I think Hansen's wrestling and top game will be too much for Frey. Frey is pretty strong in the clinch and don't necessarily think it'll be easy TD's for Hansen. But when she does land on top I think Hansen will control Frey and it'll be hard to see Frey getting back up or reversing position for me. I think for Frey to win it'll have to be a sort of opportunistic finish. It's tough to imagine Frey can defend TD's and keep the fight upright to use that striking advantage based on what I've seen on tape. I expect a lot of wrestling and top time from Hansen in this fight. Another thing to note is that Hansen has fought at 115 and 125 throughout her career. Frey has not fought at any other weight-class besides Atom-weight (105 lbs)
Official pick- Kay Hansen via UD (Would not be surprised if Hansen gets the submission)
Notes- The betting line has not dropped for this fight as it was just announced yesterday. If I had to line fight I would say -186 or so for Kay Hansen
