Drew Dober vs. Kyle Prepolec at UFC Vancouver: start time, stakes, and the styles clash on the prelims

How to watch & start time (prelims)

• Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025

• City/Venue: Vancouver, British Columbia — Rogers Arena

• Prelims start: 4:00 p.m. ET (USA/Canada) • 9:00 p.m. BST (UK)

• Broadcast: Streaming platform carrying the event in your region (check your app or provider for the prelims window)

Listings are subject to change; verify the prelims slot near fight time.

Tale of the tape: Dober vs. Prepolec

• Drew Dober — Southpaw pressure fighter; compact build; known for heavy hands, body work, and pocket exchanges. Durable, with fast entries off the lead right hook to the body-left cross upstairs. Defensive wrestling is serviceable; scrambling instincts keep him upright long enough to strike.

• Kyle Prepolec — Orthodox striker from Windsor, Ontario; rangy kickboxing base with a sharp jab and chopping low kicks. Prefers mid-range, where he can layer feints and set up right-hand counters. Grappling is competent, but he typically chooses to stand.

Form snapshot: Dober arrives needing a course correction after a rough run against ranked competition. Prepolec has oscillated between promotions and steps in here with hometown energy and a chance to flip the narrative with one clean counter.

Keys to victory

For Drew Dober

1. Southpaw body work early: Dig the right hook to the liver to slow Prepolec’s footwork and deny the out-fighting lanes.

2. Pressure behind high guard, not naked entries: Close distance off jabs and shoulder feints; finish combinations on angles to avoid the return fire.

3. Clinch insurance: If the kicking game stalls rhythm, walk him to the fence, clinch, and make the bout physical—knees to the thigh and short elbows can bank control time and open the head late.

For Kyle Prepolec

1. First line of defense is the lead leg: Hard calf kicks to the open side of the southpaw reduce Dober’s drive on the cross.

2. Touch, move, punish the reset: Double the jab, pivot off the inside foot, and catch Dober on exits with the overhand/uppercut mix.

3. Don’t give back the ground: If Dober pins you to the fence, clinch-turn out immediately or change levels to break the cadence.

Where the fight tilts

• Pocket exchanges: Advantage Dober. His comfort eating one to land two—and his knack for body-head sequencing—makes the phone-booth minutes treacherous for an opponent who prefers space.

• Kick range: Advantage Prepolec. If he can keep three-quarter distance and land unreturned kicks, he forces Dober to reset rather than roll downhill.

• Cardio under pressure: Historically reliable for Dober; Prepolec’s best window is the first 7–10 minutes before accumulation damage and clinch wear add up.

Numbers and intangibles that matter

• Experience delta: Dober has lived in the ranked neighborhood for years, facing a steady diet of top-15 lightweights. That seasoning shows in crisis management—eating a clean shot without giving away position, or choosing the right clinch breaks under fire.

• Home-crowd energy: Prepolec gains the intangible lift—but the flip side is overextending to chase moments. Managing adrenaline in rounds one and two is essential.

• Referee and cage craft: In a big Octagon, lateral movement favors the outside fighter. If Dober corrals effectively—cutting off rather than following—he neutralizes that geometry.

Odds & market temperature (general)

Market consensus has treated Dober as a clear favorite given résumé strength and finishing rate, with props shading toward a stoppage rather than a 15-minute grind. That said, wide moneylines often mask real upset paths: if Prepolec’s low kicks land unchecked and he wins the jab battle, he can turn this into an optics fight scored on clean counters and leg damage.

What a win means tonight

• Drew Dober: Stops the slide, protects his place as a gatekeeper to the rankings, and reopens matchups with ascending names at 155. A finish would be his fastest route back to a top-15 conversation late in 2025.

• Kyle Prepolec: Captures the best win of his UFC tenure, stabilizes his spot on the roster, and positions himself for a favorable booking on the next Canada card.

Drew Dober vs. Kyle Prepolec is classic prelim matchmaking: a proven action fighter against a technical striker with home-soil momentum. If Dober wins the space war and forces pocket exchanges, his power and body investment should tell. If Prepolec chops the lead leg, jabs clean, and refuses to be squared along the fence, the live-dog narrative comes alive. Either way, style chemistry points to violence—and a decisive answer about where each man fits in the lightweight churn heading into winter.