Preview: UFC 265 Prelims

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 265 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Flyweights

NR | Manel Kape (15-6, 0-2 UFC) vs. NR | Ode Osbourne (9-3, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Kape (-185), Osbourne (+160)

In surprisingly quick fashion, it is already do-or-die time for Kape’s UFC career. He was a highly touted signing in 2020, as he was coming off a knockout win over Kai Asakura to become Rizin Fighting Federation’s bantamweight champion and figured to make an immediate impact as a flyweight contender. However, his UFC debut—eventually delayed until February—was a clear disappointment, as Kape was reluctant to pull the trigger and did not get much done against Alexandre Pantoja. Kape stepped in on late notice about a month later and looked a bit better against Matheus Nicolau, and while most felt he won the fight, the decision still wound up going against him. So just six months after his UFC debut, Kape might need a win against Osbourne to save his spot on the UFC roster.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 265 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Osbourne is an interesting prospect, mostly owing to his physical tools. “The Jamaican Sensation” was a large bantamweight, so his size will pop even more with this move down to flyweight. While Osbourne showed some flashes of skill in many different areas, he does not have much in the way of a consistent approach. A lot of his fights have quickly devolved into messy grappling exchanges in which he has managed to find a submission win. That has not been the case in the UFC yet, positively and negatively. Brian Kelleher submitted Osbourne in his UFC debut, while Osbourne’s most recent bout against Jerome Rivera resulted in a knockout win before anything truly got going. Osbourne’s willingness to lock in on offense could get him a win if he survives, but that lack of defense figures to be particularly troublesome against one of the division’s hardest hitters. The pick is Kape via first-round knockout.

Continue Reading » Johns vs. dos Santos