Lightweights
Daniel Zellhuber (15-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Esteban Ribovics (13-1, 2-1 UFC)UFC 306: O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
This should be an entertaining affair, as Zellhuber remains a prospect to watch in search of a true breakout performance. Tall and rangy for the division, Zellhuber looked excellent—particularly for being just 22 years old at the time—in his win on the 2021 edition on the Contender Series, staying patient and picking apart Lucas Almeida for three rounds. However, “Golden Boy” was unable to build on that performance. It would be nearly a year until Zellhuber made his proper UFC debut, and he never got going against Trey Ogden, a neutralizer that could match him in terms of size and reach. That was a necessary learning experience, as have Zellhuber’s subsequent fights, which have tended to follow the same pattern. Zellhuber has started slow and struggled to figure out his range, but he warms up by the second round and looks quite excellent down the stretch. After dispatching Francisco Prado in February, Zellhuber faces another aggressive Argentinian in Ribovics.
The Argentinian scene is quite top-heavy at the moment, and Ribovics has wound up in a similar spot as many of his countrymen. His level of competition leading up to his UFC debut was quite weak, but he’s a standout athlete who has learned the value of aggression and jumping on a finish when the opportunity presents itself. Most of Ribovics’ UFC career to date has seen him get outwrestled early, only to take over fights down the stretch. However, his May win over Terrance McKinney didn’t bother with any of that, ending in just 37 seconds with a brutal knockout. Ribovics should be able to cause some damage, but this looks like another fight—much like the one against Prado—where Zellhuber’s combination of size and speed should eventually see him through some early trouble. The pick is Zellhuber via decision.
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O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili
Grasso vs. Shevchenko
Lopes vs. Ortega
Zellhuber vs. Ribovics
Rodriguez vs. Osbourne
The Prelims