UFC 298 presents thrilling betting prospects with exciting matchups, including a light heavyweight showdown between Zhang Mingyang and Brendson Ribeiro as the opening bout of the preliminaries at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The preliminary action begins at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, February 17, with Mingyang having a slight -125 moneyline edge.

Mingyang has won his last nine fights and is aiming to impress since joining the UFC. His most recent success was a first round knockout over George Tokkos back at Road to UFC in June of 2022.

He showcases 16 victories, which include 10 knockouts and six submissions. In all 16 of his wins, they have been first round finishes. On top of that, half of his six losses have come by knockout.

Identified as the "Mountain Tiger," he boasts a 56 percent accuracy in striking, but has yet to secure any takedowns. His significant strike rate stands at 8.86 per minute, with an absorption rate of 5.57, showcasing an assertive ratio in his favor.

Mingyang has not yet averaged any takedowns or submissions in a 15-minute span. His defense is robust, boasting a 59 percent success rate against significant strikes. He has yet to face takedown challenges in the UFC.

Ribeiro will be making his UFC debut after successfully winning in his Dana White Contender Series fight. This was a first round knockout over Bruno Lopes in September of last year.

He has amassed 15 victories, which include nine knockouts and six submissions. Out of his 15 wins, 11 have been first-round triumphs. Examining his five losses, two resulted from knockouts and submissions.

Known as "The Gorilla," he maintains a 46 percent striking accuracy but has not secured any takedowns to date. His significant strike rate is 8.46 per minute, with an absorption rate of 5.29, demonstrating a favorable aggressive ratio.

In his UFC career spanning 15 minutes per fight, Ribeiro has yet to average any takedowns or submissions. Impressive on the defensive end, he boasts a 65 percent success rate against significant strikes and has not faced takedown challenges in the UFC.

MyBookie showcases appealing UFC 298 odds, with Zhang Mingyang coming in slightly favored at -125. Both fighters have similar resumes, which means this could easily be one of the better fights to watch on the preliminary card.

This could arguably go either way depending on who can control the pace early. It might not matter after a few minutes, as one of them will likely finish the other one by some form of a knockout. The edge slightly goes in favor of Mingyang, who has accumulated all first round finishes in his career.