Featherweights
Joshua Culibao (10-1-1, 2-1-1 UFC) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (7-1, 2-0 UFC)Not much was expected of Culibao upon hitting the UFC, mostly thanks to his subpar athleticism, but he has consistently impressed during his four-fight run in the promotion. Typically a range striker but also comfortable in a scrap, Culibao was overmatched in a late-notice debut up at lightweight against Jalin Turner, but he has found success since with some smart planning against better athletes, earning a draw off Charles Jourdain before racking up wins over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and Seung Woo Choi. “Kuya” does figure to hit a ceiling at some point against 145-pound opposition, but there is a decent shot that Culibao can string together enough wins to get some higher-profile fights and make a name for himself in a deep division. A win here against Baghdasaryan would be a huge proof of concept. Baghdasaryan comes from the other side of the spectrum as an electric athlete looking to round things out. “The Gun” got to Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020 with a string of knockouts over about the weakest competition available, and his eventual win was a mixed bag. Baghdasaryan absolutely exhausted himself once he was unable to find another quick finish but fought hard enough to take an ugly decision over another solid prospect in Dennis Buzukja. On the plus side, the Armenian seems to be learning from the experience. He looked better in a knockout win over Collin Anglin in his UFC debut and paced himself to put together three solid rounds for a decision victory against Bruno Souza. It has been over a year since the Souza fight, so it will be interesting to see what new wrinkles Baghdasaryan brings to the table in what should be a winnable matchup. Like Souza, Culibao should be crafty enough to frustrate Baghdasaryan at times, but he does not have a particularly obvious way to take over this fight. Culibao could outpace Baghdasaryan on sheer volume, but that looks to be a tough needle to thread. Baghdasaryan might just be able to win rounds with one or two brutal shots that could also knock out the Aussie, and Culibao does not bring enough wrestling to the table to bank control time and keep the Armenian on his toes. It is a good test for both men. The pick is Baghdasaryan via decision.
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