Preview: UFC Macau Prelims – Kavanagh vs. Ochoa

ODDS: Kavanagh (-380), Ochoa (+300)

Debutant flyweights collide in this confrontation and the hype level is rightly high for Kavanagh’s arrival. An Englishman of Irish and Chinese heritage, Kavanagh is at the point where he has essentially checked every box outside of experience. An obviously elite athlete, Kavanagh can break when needed, but he is at his best as a speedy striker; and while his kicking game may contain his best weapon, his brutal knockout of fellow An Tuan Ho at the Contender Series showed he can get things done with his fists too. If there’s any criticism of Kavanagh so far, it’s that he’s at his most comfortable dictating territory in a slow fight, which, combined with his lack of experience, could leave him a little uncomfortable in the chaos of a division as soon as flyweight could give. To that end, Ochoa makes for a strong first test as he looks to make a statement in his own UFC debut. A Peruvian who fights out of the Chute Boxe team fronted by Diego Lima, Ochoa fits right in with his teammates as a fighter focused on aggression, although it’s not quite as pathological for him as it is for some of his peers. Ochoa has shown the willingness to get after it, especially when he gets his opponents in trouble, and he’s also shown enough flashes of fighting that he might be able to jump on a finish there when it presents itself. However, this also marks a big step up in competition for Ochoa, especially given Kavanagh’s physical prowess, making it likely that the endpoint of this aggression will just see him march himself into trouble. The choice is Kavanagh via knockout in the first round.

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