Preview: UFC 290 Prelims

Lightweights

Kamuela Kirk (12-5) vs. Estevan Ribovics (11-1)
Odds: Ribovics (-140), Kirk (+120)

Estevan Ribovics didn't have a successful UFC debut, but the Argentinian showed enough promise to make this follow-up an interesting affair. "El Gringo" fit into a familiar mold when it comes to Contender Series signings, stringing together a lot of knockout wins while proving little else, but his March bout against Loik Radzhabov was an impressive effort that showed Ribovics has some depth to his game; he was difficult for Radzhabov, a solid wrestler, to control and carried both his aggression and power through fifteen full minutes. But with such a deep lightweight roster, talent needs to turn into success sooner rather than later, which makes this sophomore effort against Kamuela Kirk particularly important. Injuries have limited Kirk to roughly one fight per year since signing with the UFC in 2021, but he's proven to be a solidly well-rounded fighter whenever he makes it to the cage. "The Jawaiian" has a bouncy striking game with some power and has shown some craft on the mat, which does make it a bit frustrating when Kirk doesn't choose to press the action and maximize his talent; he'll usually work his way into a fight as things go on, but Kirk usually relies on his skills to try and react to whatever his opponent brings to the table, then outfox them from there. The bet is that Ribovics's aggression, along with his athleticism advantage, lead him to land some big moments of offense early and then carry the lead from there, even if Kirk should hang tough enough to turn this into a solid scrap by the end; the pick is Ribovics via decision.

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Kirk vs. Ribovics