The co-main event at UFC 201 should produce some fireworks.

The co-main event features two women who could challenge for the Strawweight with a big win at UFC 201. Rose Namajunas and Karolina Kowalkiewicz are two of the best Strawweights not named Joanna Jedrzejczyk or Claudia Gadelha. It’s a fun match up, one that will decide a clear number one contender in the division. With her last three performances in the Octagon, Rose Namajunas has proven that she is certainly ready for another title shot. Her striking, wrestling, and grappling have all improved leaps and bounds since battling Carla Esparza and a failed attempt at capturing the Strawweight title nearly two years ago. What we see from Namajunas today is a young woman who has matured into a complete fighter. Rose has patience and poise that she didn’t possess in the Esparza fight and she has a bevvy of different tools at her disposal. She is a strong kicker and knows when and how to utilize her kicks to either keep distance or cause real damage. Her boxing is also very crisp and fast with a ton of pop in her punches. Despite her striking acumen she has never won by knock out. Despite that, Namajunas has a fierce submission game that she will likely utilize to threaten Kowalkiewicz should things hit the ground. Karolina Kowalkiewicz has already tasted championship gold as a former Flyweight champion in the KSW. Kowalkiewicz for the most part is primarily a boxer who has a fairly balanced striking style. She tends to probe with her jab to judge distance before closing in and landing power shots. She does utilize kicks from time to time but not in heavy volume. She’d do well to mix in those kicks, preferably throwing punches upstairs and to capture Namajunas’ attention before launching strikes to the legs. Her clinch game is where she tends to shine as she’s capable of landing quality elbows and knees in tie ups. Her takedown defense is also fairly strong, which means that Namajunas won’t be able to just rag doll her to the ground. If Kowalkiewicz wants to win this fight she’ll have to take away Namajunas’ spacing and keep the fight in boxing range and the clinch. Both of these women are talented, but when it comes down to it being well rounded is what will rule the day. Look for Rose Namajunas to use her length and grappling to take a hard fought unanimous decision victory. Who do you think will win the co-main event at UFC 201? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.