Preview: UFC 295 Prelims

Bantamweights

John Castaneda (20-6, 3-2 UFC) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (19-9, 8-3 UFC)

ODDS: Castaneda (-142), Kang (+120)

Castaneda did not look like a guaranteed success upon hitting the UFC in 2020, but “Sexi Mexi” has proven himself to be a solid addition to a deep bantamweight division. A jack of all trades and master of none, Castaneda’s record has hinged a lot on which opponents can keep up with his pace. Daniel Santos was able to survive a near-finish and eventually win a war with Castaneda, but Eddie Wineland, Miles Johns and Muin Gafurov each found themselves in various levels of trouble when confronted with his consistent aggression. Kang should be a willing dance partner, as “Mr. Perfect” continues one of the more underrated UFC careers in recent memory. Kang is now looking to put together the third three-fight winning streak of his UFC run, but between military service and injuries, inactivity has prevented him from ever gaining much notice or momentum. Even with his success, Kang has failed to maximize his talent at times, as he has flashed a lot of skills with little consistency. It is unclear if he will look to strike or wrestle heading into a fight, and he is more than willing to throw a game plan out the window to start embracing chaos. That should provide a lot of openings for Castaneda to get things done, but Kang does look like the more offensively potent fighter in a go-anywhere war. If nothing else, the Korean does not typically slow down. The pick is Kang via decision.

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