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We're back and ready to continue our coverage of UFC 298 as we open up the Preliminary Card with this next bout in the Light Heavyweight (205) Division. China's Zhang Mingyang will square off against Brazil's Brendson Ribeiro as both fighters make their debut. Check out our UFC odds series for our Zhang-Ribeiro prediction and pick.
Zhang Mingyang (16-6) will make his UFC debut following his impressive run during Asia's Road to the UFC tournament. He's 9-1 on the regional fight circuit and won his Road to the UFC fight via first-round knockout, making him an exciting prospect and slight favorite in his first walk to the cage. Zhang stands 6'2″ with a 75-inch reach.
Brendson Ribeiro (15-5) will also make his official debut following a win on Dana White's Contender Series and a subsequent contract. He's a fearsome finisher with no decision wins to his name and 14 finishes under his belt. He won his DWCS audition with a loud KO in the first round, so he's looking for more of the same here. Ribeiro stands 6'3″ with an 81-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC 298 Odds: Zhang Mingyang-Brendson Ribeiro Odds
Zhang Mingyang: -120
Brendson Ribeiro: +100
Over 1.5 rounds: +240
Under 1.5 rounds: -300
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Why Zhang Mingyang Will Win
Zhang Mingwang comes in as the #1 ranked Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight fighter coming out of China. With the amount of funding and support MMA gets in China, it says a lot about his prospect and what he bring to the UFC roster. He's actually the first-ever UFC fighter from China to fight at more than 170 pounds and he's certainly got the frame to make an impact. At 6'3″, Zhang is a terrifying KO-artist with 10 of his wins by knockout and six coming by submission.
He'll come into this fight as the slight favorite due to him fighting the slightly better competition. Still, his opponent is equally dangerous with his hands and either guy can go down if these two enter a brawl. Look for Zhang to mix up his strikes to the head and body. He's also very strong in clinch situations and will land knees up the middle if he can control his opponent's head.
Why Brendson Ribeiro Will Win
Brendson Ribeiro's last eight fights have ended before the distance and it's clear what his intentions are when he steps into the cage. He starts fast by crowding his opponent and uses great head movement to slip out of punches in range. His hands have dynamite in them as it barely takes a clean touch to put his opponents out. During his DWCS fight, he was backing up against the cage when he landed the clean overhand right to put his rival down. If Zhang gets too close without keeping his hands up, Ribero could spell a similar fate.
While he'll be outsized, Ribeiro will be the better athlete and has better foot movement in the octagon. He'll have to continue circling away from Zhang as he avoids the takedown, but Ribeiro can hold his own on the ground and have six submission wins to show for it. While Zhang is very good in top position, Ribeiro will constantly threaten with attacks and submissions, not allowing his opponent to get comfortable in his guard.
Final Zhang Mingyang-Brendson Ribeiro Prediction & Pick
These two were slated to fight back in December 2023, but VISA issues have kept Zhang Mingyang out of his last two fights. We're hoping both fighters are able to make it to Anaheim without any issues and are fully rested ahead of this fight. Don't expect this one to go very far as the under is juiced to -300. Both fighters can knock each other out in an instant and this fight is likely to end in a KO/TKO.
Zhang Mingyang has a much more consistent fight plan and he's very defensively-minded, not taking too much damage when he's slipping jabs and finding the takedown. With his size and reach, he should look to grab Ribeiro into his Thai-clinch and pepper him with knees and elbows from in close. On the ground, he'll play extremely heavy on top and look to land his ground-and-pound above all else.
Brendson Ribeiro could win this fight with his explosiveness. He's the better athlete and can lunge into his shots, something he may have to do in order to find the chin of Zhang. If he finds himself in a tough spot, don't be surprised if he chases for the takedown.
All in all, we're going to slightly side with Zhang Mingyang to get the job done here. He's got a ton of support from his fight camp and his training has been dialed in ahead of this one. His experience and willingness to grapple should serve him well here. If he can slip some of Ribeiro's big punches, he should find an opening and land something big.
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Final Zhang Mingyang-Brendson Riberio Prediction & Pick: Zhang Mingyang (-120)
