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Featherweights

Seung Woo Choi (10-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Joshua Culibao (9-1-1, 1-1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Choi (-225), Culibao (+185)

This should be an entertaining scrap and a solid benchmark fight for these two featherweights. Not much was expected for Culibao upon making his late-notice UFC debut just before the coronavirus pandemic stoppage, but “Kuya” has impressed thus far in his three Octagon bouts to date. Culibao showed a smart approach and some decent range striking on the Australian regional scene, but he figured to be outdone by his low level of athleticism and a huge step up in competition, particularly with Jalin Turner as his first UFC assignment. Culibao did well to survive against Turner until an injury sent things south, and he has maximized his chances of winning in his two fights since. He had an entertaining back-and-forth draw in a well-fought affair against Charles Jourdain, then clearly outworked Shayilan Nuerdanbieke about a year ago for his first UFC victory. Culibao is not likely to ever turn the corner to contender status, but his ability to come in with a smart gameplan should serve him well to make up his athletic disadvantages, especially in a fight like this. A lanky knockout artist, the hope was that Korea’s Choi could quickly carve out a niche in the UFC, but “Sting” had a rough start early on against the wrestling and grappling of Movsar Evloev and Gavin Tucker. After a step down in competition, Choi started to shine with a three-fight winning streak, capped off by a 97-second win over Julian Erosa that served as a clear breakout. Choi’s most recent fight, an October loss to Alex Caceres, was a mixed bag. Choi looked as sharp as ever in outboxing Caceres for about a round and a half, only to suddenly give up a back take and rear-naked choke for the sudden comeback win. With Choi’s wrestling being a clear Achilles heel, Culibao is likely to pursue that opening with some takedown attempts early on, which could certainly work. However, that is not Culibao’s typical Plan A, and he does not appear to be a strong enough wrestler to make that a consistent path to victory over 15 minutes, particularly without much finishing ability. As a result, this likely becomes a striking match in which Culibao is outgunned, even though the Aussie figures to give it his best efforts. The pick is Choi via first-round knockout.

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