Ciao Machado and Brendson Ribeiro meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Machado (8-3-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) makes a move to light heavyweight after losing his first two fights in the UFC at heavyweight. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran dropped unanimous decisions to Mick Parkin and Don’Tale Mayes, and will now hunt for his first UFC win in a new weight class. … Ribeiro (15-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is also in search of his first win in the promotion. Another DWCS veteran, Ribeiro was finished by Mingyang Zhang in his debut, followed by a majority decision loss against Magomed Gadzhiyasulov.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card in Edmonton is a battle between two light heavyweights on losing skids, Machado and Ribeiro.
Despite having a trio of exciting bantamweight fights featuring local talent on the prelims to pick from, the UFC matchmakers are back to drowning us with lower-level big guys on the main cards.
Although Machado received a harsh grade from me in his Contender Series contest, the Brazil-born Canadian showed some quiet improvements in what were two competitive losses on the scorecards.
Whereas Ribeiro, who received a solid grade due to the nature of having a fast finish, has since shown a lack of depth and suspect staying power in his game.
This fight could go several ways, but I sadly see it as a slower, drawn-out affair that favors the southpaw Machado.
The official pick is Machado by decision.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and public are favoring the older fighter, listing Machado -148 and Ribeiro +126 via FanDuel.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
Machado and Ribeiro are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:35 p.m. ET (6:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.
