The Prelims of UFC 305 continue to roll from Perth, Australia as we’re set to bring you another betting prediction and pick for the next bout, taking place in the Featherweight (145) Division. Hometown representative Josh Culibao will take on Brazil’s Ricardo Ramos in an exciting can’t-miss scrap! Check out our UFC odds series for our Culibao-Ramos prediction and pick.
Josh Culibao (11-3-1) comes in with a 3-3-1 UFC record following his last two consecutive losses to Lerone Murphy and Danny Silva. He mounted a three-fight unbeaten streak prior to that and he has yet to be involved in a boring fight, so the fans will be delighted to see another one of their own putting on a show for the crowd. Culibao stands 5’10” with a 73-inch reach.
Ricardo Ramos (16-6) has gone 7-5 within the UFC since 2017. While he’s had his fair share of exciting bouts and promising finishes to go with it, he’s been unable to string together a winning streak and really break through into the rankings. Following his last two losses, Ramos will need to go back to the drawing board and reassess his approach. He stands 5’9″ with a 72-inch reach.
Here are the UFC 305 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC 305 Odds: Josh Culibao-Ricardo Ramos Odds
Josh Culibao: -142
Ricardo Ramos: +120
Over 2.5 rounds: -125
Under 2.5 rounds: -105
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Why Josh Culibao Will Win
Josh Culibao comes into this fight following an extremely close split decision loss against Danny Silva in his last bout. While the decision could have easily swayed in either direction, Culibao wore the damage worse on his face and was just slightly edged on the scorecards. It’s worth noting that he’s only been finished once in his career and he’s one of the tougher fighters in this division. He’s always welcoming a brawl and isn’t scared to trade shots in the pocket while trying to get his off. While Ramos has shown to be a dangerous finisher, don’t expect him to easily crack or wobble a fighter like Culibao much if at all.
Josh Culibao’s greatest strength is his composure under pressure and ability to stay calm through heated striking exchanges. He does a tremendous job of moving his head inside of the pocket and avoiding strikes from boxing range. We’ve seen him struggle to check leg kicks in the past, so that may need to be a focal point against an active kicker like Ramos. Still, with his striking prowess and willingness to mix it up on the ground, Josh Culibao should see a favorable matchup here if he’s able to extend this fight into the third round.
Why Ricardo Ramos Will Win
Ricardo Ramos has been working very hard to string together a signature run through his UFC career, but he can’t seem to find a favorable matchup and takes bad losses intermittently. His last two bouts both ended in Ramos getting caught in guillotine chokes, both lapses in judgement that could have been avoided. It’s clouded the fact that he’s an extremely talented striker and can knock out most of his opponents if he can limit his mistakes and enter his flow-state while kickboxing. We’ve seen him notch wild finishes like a spinning elbow, so don’t be surprised if he can find a highlight-reel knockout during this expected brawl.
Ricardo Ramos will have to focus on his defense in this one and staying out of range on the feet. He’s the much quicker athlete and he’ll have an advantage over Culibao with his speed. Culibao also moves in a very awkward cadence, so it’ll be important for Ramos to find his rhythm early and get his opponent’s timing down. He’s been susceptible to submission finishes as of late, so his ground defense will once again have to be perfect in fending his opponent off.
Final Josh Culibao-Ricardo Ramos Prediction & Pick
We’ll be treated to another fun fight on the UFC 305 Prelims and this one will include two exciting finishers battling to climb up the rankings. Both fighters are also looking to bounce back after consecutive losses, so there’s a lot at stake on both sides during this fight.
Josh Culibao has only been finished once in his career and it came during his UFC debut. Aside from that, he’s been tough as nails and it’ll be very difficult for Ramos to take him out cleanly in this one. Culibao is dangerous at all points of the fight and he’ll be wanting to drag Ramos into deep waters, making this an ugly scrap.
Ricardo Ramos is the more varied striker and he should look to work early with his low leg kicks. He’ll want to avoid hitting the ground as Culibao has the clear advantage, but keeping this fight on the feet could give him a solid chance.
For our final prediction, we’ll side with Josh Culibao to get the gritty win late in this fight. I expect him to find control on the ground and eventually lock-in a quick submission off the back of Ramos for the win.
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Final Josh Culibao-Ricardo Ramos Prediction & Pick: Josh Culibao (-142)
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