The UFC 275 prelim card features six bouts, all of which will be previewed in this post. It will be capped by a featherweight showdown between Seung Woo Choi and Joshua Culibao. It will also feature Brendan Allen (pictured above), who is ranked highly in the Cage Calculus middleweight rankings. All win probabilities are based on a fighter’s CC Rating and their place in the CC Rankings.

Joselyne Edwards vs. Ramona Pascual (Women’s Featherweight)

Joselyne Edwards

• Record: 10-4-0
• Division Ranking: 21/28 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: -165 (Favorite)

Ramona Pascual

• Record: 6-3-0
• Division Ranking: 24/28 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: +140 (Underdog)

After becoming champion in multiple promotions prior, Edwards has struggled since joining the UFC, posting a 1-2 record in three bouts. The UFC top brass clearly think highly enough of the 26 year-old’s talents, given she’s been matched up with the likes of Jessica-Rose Clark and Karol Rosa (#10 CC, #13 UFC) lately. Edwards does boast an 80 percent finishing rate through her career, though her lone UFC win was not among them. She’d like to get back in the win column and add to her finish totals in this bout.

Pascual has fought as high as 150 pounds in her career. After making her UFC debut on short notice, she finally gets a full fight camp for this bout. Pascual fought well to a decision against a tough Josiane Nunes (#9 CC, NR UFC). All but one of Pascual’s career wins have come via finish.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Pascual is a talented prospect. She ought to have a size advantage coming in as well, as Edwards has never fought at featherweight. We may not see either fighter back up their impressive finishing numbers, but expect Pascual to make this a battle, and pull off the upset.

Editor’s Pick: Pascual

Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Liang Na (Women’s Strawweight)

Silvana Gomez Juarez

• Record: 10-4-0
• Division Ranking: 40/44 strawweights
• Vegas Odds: -125 (Favorite)

Liang Na

• Record: 19-5-0
• Division Ranking: 34/44 strawweights
• Vegas Odds: +105 (Underdog)

Juarez has had a tough go so far in the UFC. In her debut, she filled in for Sam Hughes on short notice to face Lupita Godinez (#15 CC, NR UFC). She was submitted by armbar with under a minute to go in the first round. She’d then get a chance to redeem herself against Vanessa Demopoulos. Juarez was again submitted in the first round with an armbar. Juarez is very boom or bust as she has a finish rate of 80 percent, but on the flip side has been finished in 75 percent of her defeats.

Na lit up the crowd at UFC 261, the first time fans were back in attendance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost instantly, she floored the dangerous Ariane Carnelossi with a clean strike. However, Na would tire herself out chasing the finish and would herself get finished by Carnelossi. Over a year later, she’ll get another crack at the UFC win column. Time off is not a usual part of Na’s career, as she’s logged 24 fights in the 6 years since becoming a pro at the age of 19.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Na has the experience advantage and already has 11 submission wins to her name. Juarez has proven to be very vulnerable to submissions during her time in the UFC. This feels like Na’s strengths align well with Juarez’s weaknesses.

Editor’s Pick: Na

Kyung Ho Kang vs. Danaa Batgerel (Men’s Bantamweight)

Kyung Ho Kang

• Record: 17-9-0
• Division Ranking: 40/78 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: +100 (Underdog)

Danaa Batgerel

• Record: 12-3-0
• Division Ranking: 42/79 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: -120 (Favorite)

Kang has done decently well for himself since he joined the UFC in March of 2013. He’s 6-3 with one no contest. However, a four year layoff prevented him from gaining any momentum. In his last bout, he fell in defeat to Rani Yahya (#11 CC, NR UFC) via unanimous decision. Kang is most known as a submission artist, with 11 of his 17 wins coming that way.

Few people have lit up the UFC octagon quite like Batgerel since he debuted in 2019. He put on a Fight of the Night performance in defeat in his debut against Alateng Heili. He would then bounce back by stringing together three straight first round KO victories. Unfortunately, he was the victim of a spectacular knockout himself his last time out, having left his chin exposed to a spinning backfist. One thing is for sure, Batgerel always brings the fireworks with him.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Bategerel is not likely to string together two losses in a row. He’ll come out and likely set a pace Kang can’t keep up with.

Editor’s Pick: Batgerel

[14] Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun (Men’s Middleweight)

Brendan Allen

• Record: 18-5-0
• Division Ranking: 15/70 middleweights
• Vegas Odds: -280 (Favorite)

Jacob Malkoun

• Record: 6-1-0
• Division Ranking: 54/70 middleweights
• Vegas Odds: +230 (Underdog)

Allen (#14 CC, NR UFC) is an impressive 6-2 since joining the UFC. And, it’s taken the likes of Chris Curtis (#10 CC, NR UFC) and Sean Strickland (#2 CC, #4 UFC) to take hime down. Allen has fifteen career finishes to his name (five KOs, ten submissions). He took a short notice bout up at light heavyweight his last time out and came away with a submission win. He has a lot of momentum behind him lookin to earn the respect of the UFC ranking makers.

After being starched in his UFC debut in just 18 seconds by Phil Hawes, Malkoun has toughed out two decision wins. He’s displayed excellent cardio, showing his ability to wear an opponent out and outpoint them en route to victory. The only question marks now in his game are his finishing ability and his experience. He’s only ever recorded two finishes and has only fought seven times as a pro. Malkoun will need to extend the fight the distance to have a chance against a talent like Allen.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Allen has shown he’s an above-par prospect in this middleweight division. He also showed he can handle heavier competition. This will inhibit Malkoun’s ability to wear him down. Look for him to make easy work of this bout.

Editor’s Pick: Allen

Hayisaer Maheshate vs. Steve Garcia (Men’s Lightweight)

Hayisaer Maheshate

• Record: 6-1-0
• Division Ranking: 82/88 lightweights
• Vegas Odds: +155 (Underdog)

Steve Garcia

• Record: 12-4-0
• Division Ranking: 72/88 lightweights
• Vegas Odds: -180 (Favorite)

Maheshate comes in as a highly-touted prospect with notable KO power. However, one point of contention is that he never fought anyone with a winning record before fighting on Dana White’s Contender Series. He got the win over a his undefeated opponent as a heavy underdog. Despite this, he’ll certainly be looking to prove something to a UFC audience in his debut.

Garcia will enter his third UFC bout in this one. He lost his debut in February of 2020. After over a year-and-a-half off, he rallied to defeat Charlie Ontiveros. To play devil’s advocate here as well, Ontiveros is the lowest rated lightweight in the CC rankings. Garcia will have an opportunity to defeat someone rated a little more highly this time, although not by much.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: It’s tough to gauge this one with two relatively unknown quantities. Garcia could utilize wrestling to get the win, but Maheshate could have the power to end it before it gets there. Let’s say the tie goes to the man who’ll have the crowd overwhelmingly behind him in Singapore.

Editor’s Pick: Maheshate

Seung Woo Choi vs. Joshua Culibao (Men’s Featherweight)

Seung Woo Choi

• Record: 10-4-0
• Division Ranking: 42/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: -230 (Favorite)

Joshua Culibao

• Record: 9-1-1
• Division Ranking: 39/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: +190 (Underdog)

Choi came into the UFC as a very decorated prospect. He was a world Muay Thai bronze medalist and the Top FC featherweight champion. However, he is 3-3 in six bouts in the big promotion. Being a prolific Muay Thai specialist, Choi is exceptionally skilled on the feet, but has proven to be vulnerable to a submission when it gets to the ground. Still at just age 29, he no doubt has time to realize that potential that many still see in him.

Culibao, likewise, came into the UFC with a lot of hype. He was a perfect 8-0 and was winning titles in just about every promotion he could find. However, he’s also been mediocre, with a 1-1-1 record in three UFC bouts. Culibao is also a standup artist, and has five KOs to his name. It’s been just over a year since Culibao last fought, which is when he got his first UFC win.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Choi is vulnerable on the ground, but Culibao is a Tae-Kwon-Do specialist, and has never submitted anyone. Choi has more experience and should be able to fight on his terms.

Editor’s Pick: Choi

Photo Credit: MMA Fighting