[!*LIVESTREAM*!]PPV]: Kamuela Kirk vs Esteban Ribovics Live Fight Broadcast On 08 July 2023
UFC 290 Odds: Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics prediction, pick, how to watch – 7/8/2023
UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez kicks off the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Kamuela Kirk and Esteban Ribovics. Kirk is coming off a lengthy layoff due to injury and this will be his first fight in 16 months meanwhile, Ribovics is coming off his debut loss at UFC 285. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Kirk-Ribovics prediction and pick.
Kamuela Kirk (11-5) didn't get a contract after losing his shot on Dana White's Contender Series but got a short-notice opportunity four fights later when he defeated Makwan Amirkhani. His next fight inside the octagon didn't go as well when Damon Jackson put on a grappling clinic and eventually submitted Kirk in the second round. This will be his first fight in 16 months due to injury and this is the second booking between him and Ribovics.
Esteban Ribovics (11-1) had a tough short-notice opponent when Kirk had to pull out at UFC 285 when he took on Loik Radzhabov. He had his moments hurting Radzhabov on multiple occasions but the relentless takedowns were too much for him to overcome. Ribovics will be looking for his first win inside the octagon when he finally gets to meet Kamuela Kirk at UFC 290 this Saturday night.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. UFC 290 Odds: Kamuela Kirk-Esteban Ribovics Odds Kamuela Kirk: +124 Eseteban Ribovics: -152 Over 2.5 Rounds: +150 Under 2.5 Rounds: -192
How to Watch Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics TV: ESPN Stream: ESPN+ Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT (Early Prelims) Why Kamuela Kirk Will Win Kamuela Kirk has shown some promise before his loss to Damon Jackon 16 months ago. He is a first-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has some good wrestling to go along with it. We also can't look past his striking which has shown to give some of his opposition problems prior to the UFC.
Kirk gets to take on a relative newcomer that he was getting ready for four months ago in Esteban Ribovics this Saturday night. We have seen Ribovics get taken down the most times in a single fight against a debuting fighter. Going out there and imposing his grappling on Ribovics will be his best path to victory to get back on track to keep climbing the rankings.
Even in a loss at UFC 285 in his debut fight, Esteban Ribovics showed a lot of good qualities. His striking looked crisp and he has the power to put out any opponent that stands in front of him. He had Radzhabov hurt more than once in that fight and can really put a hurting on Kirk in this matchup if he is able to keep this fight standing and at his preferred range.
Also, Ribovics showed great cardio for all three rounds even while having to defend countless takedown attempts from Razdhabov. His ability to get up and reverse positions from Radzhabov in that fight certainly bodes well for him to get the job done in this matchup against Kirk.
Final Kamuela Kirk-Esteban Ribovics Prediction & Pick Kamuela Kirk will be moving up in weight and fighting at lightweight for the first time since 2015 and this will be his first fight post-injury as well. Kirk has the grappling to make this a tough fight for Ribovics but the more he uses his energy early the harder it is for him to keep that pace up as the fight progresses. Ultimately, Kirk will have some success early grappling until he fades and then Ribovics takes over and finishes him late or gets the unanimous decision victory.<>...