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UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley continues on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division for The Ultimate Fighter finale between Austin Hubbard and Kurt Holobaugh. Hubbard has won two straight fights coming into the TUF finale meanwhile, Holobaugh has won two in a row. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Hubbard-Holobaugh prediction and pick.
Austin Hubbard (15-6) had a rough go in the UFC as he ended his career with a 3-4 record before he was ultimately released by the promotion but those four losses have come against great competition. Hubbard has since gone 2-0 after his release from the UFC before he made his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter where he won both of his fights en route to the TUF finale to face former UFC lightweight Kurt Holobaugh at UFC 292.
Kurt Holobaugh (19-7) did not have a good run in his first stint with the UFC losing all three of his fights with the promotion. Since his departure from the UFC, Holobaugh has won two straight fights but he was on the shelf for two years before he got the call to appear on The Ultimate Fighter. He is hoping the momentum that he has in one of the greatest fights in the history of The Ultimate Fighter against Jason Knight will help him get past the tough and durable Austin Hubbard at the TUF finale at UFC 292.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 292 Odds: Austin Hubbard-Kurt Holobaugh Odds
Austin Hubbard: -184
Kurt Holobaugh: +148
Over 2.5 Rounds: -180
Under 2.5 Rounds: +140
How to Watch Austin Hubbard vs. Kurt Holobaugh
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
Article Continues Below
Why Austin Hubbard Will Win
Austin Hubbard will be looking for his chance to get back into the UFC when he takes on former TUF teammate Kurt Holobaugh in the TUF finale at UFC 292. Since his release by the UFC after a 3-4 record, he has gone 2-0 and then got the call to appear on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter. He started off with a quarterfinal win against submission specialist Aaron McKenzie who Hubbard was able to dominate and batter with ground and pound. Then in his semifinal fight, he was able to squeak past former UFC lightweight Roosevelt Roberts in a closely contested battle.
Hubbard is a very well-rounded fighter that is able to defeat his opponents on the feet or on the mat which is something that he will need to do when he fights Holobaugh this weekend at UFC 292. He will need to mix it up on the feet and land takedowns to be victorious as his counterpart is a vicious striker and making him work will make him less dangerous on the feet. If Hubbard can do what he does best which is to utilize that calf kick, be defensively sound on the feet, and take this fight to the mat he can ground and pound his way to becoming the TUF season 31 winner.
Why Kurt Holobaugh Will Win
Kurt Holobaugh has always been a brawler by nature as we've seen during his stint in the UFC prior to his release. He brought that same energy into the TUF house as he amassed a big comeback submission victory over Conor McGregor's training partner Lee Hammond and then battered Jason Knight to a second-round TKO victory. This fight will seemingly be his toughest of the season as Hubbard has shown to fight the safest on the show and be very tactical in there which is something that has frustrated Holobaugh in the past.
He will have to make this dogfight much like he did in the Jason Knight fight. There aren't many people out there that can out dog Holobaugh and that will certainly help his chances mightily to get the biggest victory of his career en route to another chance in the UFC.
Final Austin Hubbard-Kurt Holobaugh Prediction & Pick
Austin Hubbard comes into this fight five years younger than his opposition Kurt Holobaugh who was on the shelf for two years prior to getting the call to fight on The Ultimate Fighter. Hubbard may not be the flashiest fighter on the season but he is definitely by far the most well-rounded fighter out of the lightweights on the show. With that said, Holobaugh is still very dangerous everywhere this fight goes and he is never out of the fight. Ultimately, Hubbard will look to stay on the outside against Holobaugh, hammer that lead leg, and then eventually land some takedowns to nullify the power and the forward aggression of Holobaugh en route to a unanimous decision victory and to become The Ultimate Fighter season 31 lightweight winner.
Final Austin Hubbard-Kurt Holobaugh & Pick: Austin Hubbard (-184), Over 2.5 Rounds (-180)
