We're Back With Another LineStar Weekly Knockout!

Written by LineStar contributor, combat sports enthusiast, and practitioner, Chris Guy.

Instagram: @therealsethgeko & Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

New year, who dis?  Welcome to 2022, homies.  What have I been up to since the last UFC event?  I spent much of my time with a Rug Doctor on my hands and knees, trying to get the Tyron Woodley stain out of my carpet.  I also did a little shopping.  The suit I’ve worn for the last twenty-six Dallas Cowboys’ funerals is so tattered it looks like a fishnet bodysuit from Men’s Fashion Depot’s new 2022 line of male lingerie.  I figured a new set of threads was in order for this weekend’s ceremonies.  And, of course, I put in the work.  You can’t identify as the best MMA newsletter in the world if you don’t put in the work.  They’re lighter, faster, my fingers.  The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog, endless reps, endless sets.

The foul taste in my mouth is still there; only a new main event-winning streak will remove it.  I ended the year with four straight main event L’s, none more inexplicable than picking Chris Daukaus to beat Derrick Lewis.  Maybe I was blinded by an affection for Daukaus that flourished while documenting his entire UFC career and sudden rise to main event status on this here newsletter.  Or maybe, I was just distracted by the holiday spirit and Mary Jane wafting about masquerading as Mrs. Claus.  Either way, reasons and excuses are kissing cousins, and it’s quite awkward when you happen upon them in the act, so I’ll just keep it moving.  

This year’s New Year’s resolution: a double-digit main event-winning streak, leading off with Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze with Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou on deck.

*Side Note: This card is falling apart as I'm typing this. The co-main event was set two feature Michel Pereira with two different opponents but has now been removed from the card. The rumored new co-main event could be Jake Collier vs. Chase Sherman... let's pray that's just a vicious rumor.

*Side-Side Note: The fights are continuing to drop like T. Woodley.

Main Card

Calvin Kattar (+195 ) vs Giga Chikadze (-250)

Kattar: DK: $6.9k | Chikadze: DK:$9.3k

There’s no better way to kick off the New Year than with a stand-up banger.  It so happens that Calvin Kattar's last fight was the first UFC card of 2021 when he fought Max Holloway.  You might remember that fight.  There hasn’t been a beating like that since True Lies came out on VHS.  Max Holloway went viral in the fifth round, throwing no-look John Stockton bombs while holding a conversation with Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier sitting cage-side.  Kattar set a Guinness Book of World Records new record for most strikes absorbed in a fight.  He averaged almost one hundred significant strikes absorbed per round.  Ok, you get the idea; it was the Carrie prom scene.

That was then; this is now.  Kattar remains a very dangerous boxer and a fringe title contender if he can string together a couple of wins.  His matchup with the fast-rising Giga Chikadze will be a battle of range.  Giga dominates fights from the outside with rangy kicks and punches, while Kattar is best when using short, crisp combinations inside the pocket.  

Kalvin Kattar is a coach’s example of the perfect fundamental technique.  He keeps his hands up and elbows in, maintaining an effective handguard with two uses: defending strikes and parrying/countering.  There’s no wasted motion.  Kattar’s jab is a piston that he keeps in his opponent’s face, creating openings to attack the body and land his right hand.  He uses full-length feints, like shadowboxing in front of the opponent, to probe the defense and use the momentum to propel strikes.  

The problem for Calvin Kattar during his UFC career has been that he’s a notoriously slow starter, and it has cost him in every one of his three UFC losses.  By the end of the first round against Holloway, the fight was over.  Kattar had already taken massive damage, so much so that he couldn’t mount any offense for the duration.  He was a punching bag for twenty-five minutes, and it was a modern miracle that he made it to the final bell.  Giga Chikadze wouldn’t slow play a flush on the flop; he's shot out of a cannon and pushes a heavy pace from the jump.  If Calvin gets caught half-stepping... Wrap it up, B.

The Giga Kick is Giga Chikadze’s special attack.  The Giga Kick is a round kick from the southpaw stance thrown more like a soccer kick than a traditional round Thai kick; it travels at an upward angle and lands underneath the opponent’s arm.  He throws it so hard and fast, even when you know it’s coming, you can’t stop it.  There’s no such thing as blocking a Giga Chikadze kick; if it touches you, it will do damage.

Giga is a former Glory kickboxing title challenger and has a 14-2 record in MMA dating back to his debut in 2015.  Chikadze carries his hands low and can attack from different angles and peripheries.  He can bring the jab up from his waist or throw it straight from his face while whipping his overhand right over the top.  Giga’s overhand right is a haymaker thrown from left field, and he sets it up with peppering kicks and jabs.  

The ability to manage distance separates Chikadze’s striking from other elite strikers in the division.  Chikadze uniquely mixes kickboxing and boxing techniques and blends them into a hybrid style.  You’ll see him slipping and countering and rolling off strikes like a traditional boxer and mixing in kick combinations like a kickboxer.  The unknown on Chikadze is his overall MMA skills.  So far, Giga hasn't been tested on the mat, and I doubt we will collect any data about his ground game against Kattar.  Unless… A clever way to close the distance is to level change and initiate the clinch.  It would be smart for Kattar to use a little wrestling to get inside on Giga and make this an ugly fight in close quarters.

Win or lose, both fighters are going to score high significant strikes barring an early stoppage, which would favor Giga, whose last three dubs have come via TKO.  Kattar’s best chance to score a stoppage will be dragging Giga into uncharted championship round waters.  Can Giga keep his break-neck pace for a full twenty-five minutes; that is the question.  The first pick of 2022 immortalized on wax; Giga Chikadze via TKO, round three.

Winner: Giga Chikadze | Method: TKO Rd.3

Jennifer Maia (+145 ) vs. Katlyn Chookagian (-185 )

Maia: DK: $7.3k | Chookagian: DK: $8.9k

This is a matchup of two women who have had the honor of getting their asses cracked by the Champ and possible future GOAT, Valentina Shevchenko.  The women’s flyweight division is about as deep as a Slip n’ Slide, and rematches may soon be Shevchenko’s only options for defending her belt in the near future.  

Katlyn Chookagian’s offense is the MMA version of the West Coast Offense.  You could call her the Steve Young of the UFC.  Chookagian’s style is death by a thousand paper cuts to a hemophiliac.  She’s a point fighter who focuses on constantly touching her opponent and weaponizes volume rather than power.  Everything she throws is peppering, and she has a perpetual lateral movement that allows her to skirt around the outside of the pocket, picking her opponents apart.  She averages four and a half significant strikes per minute and can hit one hundred significant strikes landed, but thirteen of her sixteen professional wins have come by decision.  She’s not a killer, and she doesn’t crush a lot.

Jennifer Maia is a solid grappler with average kickboxing and has one finish in her last eleven fights.  If you’re taking notes, this fight isn’t likely to provide you with any finishing points.  If Maia gets stuck in a kickboxing match for fifteen minutes, Chookagian will win a close decision mostly by outworking Maia.  If Maia can find success taking down Chookagian, she can steal a decision with top control time.  Otherwise, Maia averages just over three and half significant strikes per minute and has come close to one hundred strikes landed in a fight only once.

The co-main event was set to feature the Cirque Du Soleil acrobat, Michel Pereira.  At the writing of this, Pereira is opponent-less and is in danger of being axed from the card.  Unfortunately, that might leave this matchup as the co-main event.  You know what that means; the chronic-chronic break is in play.  Katlyn Chookagian via decision.

Winner: Katlyn Chookagian | Method: Decision

Rogerio Bontorin (+140) vs. Brandon "Crown" Royval (-170)

Bontorin: DK: $7.4k | Royval: DK: $8.8k

This one is Fourth of July fireworks in the park with zero point zero chance of turning into TJ sparklers in the driveway.  Both fighters are elite and creative grapplers, and this should be the perfect showcase to debunk exciting ground fight deniers.  The ones who beg the ref to stand it up as soon as the fight hits the mat.  

Brandon Royval shot up the flyweight rankings after just two fights in the UFC and found himself in what turned out to be a title eliminator against the current Champ Brandon Moreno in 2020.  The fight was as exciting a one-round fight as you’ll see.  The action was back and forth on the feet and the mat, and in the waning seconds of the first round, Brandon Royval dislocated his shoulder while in the bottom position, and the ref stopped the fight with one second remaining.  Royval was giving as much as he was taking and proved he can be competitive against elite competition.

Royval fights like an extra in the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.  He runs headfirst into danger no matter where the fight is taking place.  On the feet, he is movement personified, and his perpetual movement creates a sense of chaos even when the strikes aren’t flying.  His pace is nonstop pressure, and he attacks from range with quick 1s and 1-2s.  I’ve mentioned before there’s a difference in cadence between throwing combos and throwing single strikes in quick succession.  Royval throws a lot of single strikes in quick succession.  When I see Royval’s stand-up, I see Nate Diaz.  The posture and the long arm punches are almost identical.

Brandon can work level changes into his striking, and his pace is just as furious from the top or bottom position as it is on the feet.  Royval strikes from his back and the top and constantly forces scrambles, reversals, and transitions while maintaining continual ground and pound.  The key for Royval will be slowing down a little bit.  He can still push a heavy pace, but Royval often borders on frantic and out of control.  He will be at a power disadvantage on the feet and the mat, but he’s creative and unpredictable. 

Bontorin’s strength is Jiu-Jitsu.  Bontorin has eleven wins via submission and has an affinity for rear-naked chokes.  He’s 3-2 in the UFC and a win on The Contender Series.  Rogerio is a puncher, not a boxer; he just throws heavy, wide bombs and headhunts.  All he needs is two sticks to start a firefight, but his path to victory will always be on the mat.

The game plan for Bontorin will be to close the distance behind his reckless wide punches and work takedowns from the clinch. Cage presence will be a big factor.  Royval has excellent movement while utilizing peppering shots to circle from the outside.  Bontorin will have to cut the cage and trap Royval with hooks to close off the exits. 

I like the chances of a finish for this one.  Royval is dangerous everywhere, but he is a kill or be killed fighter who takes risks and puts himself in danger constantly.  That cost him in his last two fights, having been finished in both. If Bontorin can get Royval's back, he can finish Royval.  But Royval has eleven finishes in twelve professional wins, including eight submissions.  I’m surprised Royval has opened as the (-170) favorite.  Bontorin will provide a ton of value as an underdog, and this is a complete toss-up.  Rogerio Bontorin via rear-naked choke, round three.  On wax.

Winner: Rogerio Bontorin | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Jake Collier (-130 ) Chase Sherman (+110 )

Collier: DK: $8.5k | Shermanator: DK: $7.7k

Welcome to the 50th annual Loves Truck Stop Invitational.  Next time you’re on a road trip, pull into any Loves and head around back where the big rigs are, and you’re guaranteed to see a couple of scraps like this one.  But, remember, don’t feed the lot lizards.

The Shermanator, Chase Sherman, looks like a cross between Johnny Bravo and PC Principal.  But don’t let the looks fool you; Chase Sherman is a below-average fighter.          

Sherman is almost exclusively a boxer with decent hand speed and basic short combinations.  His best weapons are his hooks; he throws them palm down and sneaks them around the opponent’s guard.  The problem for The Sherm is his defense.  When he moves backward, he sticks his chin straight in the air (Do you smeeeeeeeell….), looking like a slip and fall lawsuit waiting to happen. He reacts to strikes like he has Tourette’s and tends to get the entire surface area of his ass kicked when he steps in the Octagon, sporting a 3-7 UFC record.

Jake Collier used to fight at middleweight but now has to cut to make the two hundred sixty-five-pound heavyweight limit.  Think about that.  He looks like someone blew into a surgical glove and drew a happy face on it.  Overall, Collier is a better fighter than Chase Sherman and has more weapons on the feet.  He can put combinations together and has solid kicks that he uses in combination with his hands.  

Neither fighter will wow you with technical or athletic ability, but they have high outputs and post up high significant strikes.  Collier has landed over one hundred twenty-significant strikes in two straight fights, and Sherman has done it three times in the UFC, including his last bout, a loss.  The interesting thing about Collier is that in noine UFC fights, he has alternated between losses and wins, never deviating from the pattern.  He lost his last fight.  Jake Collier via decision.

Winner: Jake Collier | Method: Decision

Bill Algeo (+115 ) vs Joanderson Brito (-140)

Algeo: DK: $7.6k | Brito: DK:$8.6k

If you’ve ever driven by a car wash or used car lot, you’ve seen the inflatable wavy arm blow-up men dancing out front.  Those are black belt students under Bill Algeo, and they will defend their Sensei’s honor at the flip of an on switch.  “Oh No Mr.” Bill Algeo rocks a payless Wonderboy style to school, complete with a Detroit Urban Survival Training trapper keeper.  His hand speed is ten to thirteen-day economy shipped from India; you forgot you ordered anything by the time it arrives.  But Algeo is fun and creative and throws every strike ever invented.  He continually peppers from the outside with a wide variety of kicks and long punches and never stops moving, much like… a wavy arm blow-up man.  He has the same power, too.

To say Bill Algeo lacks power is to say Brandon Staley lacks common sense, an understatement.  Algeo’s strikes bounce off the target and make boinking sounds.  “I’m rubber; you’re glue…” Algeo is the rubber.  Against Joanderson Brito, Algeo will have to overcome sizeable speed and power disadvantages, but his nonstop pressure and overall activity could cause Brito problems, especially late.

I don’t know much about Joanderson Brito other than his appearance on The Contenders Series.  He’s a short, stalky Brazilian who throws short round punches that resemble wrestler striking and uses a ground-heavy game plan.  Like many Brazilian fighters, Brito has periods of hyper aggression when he just says “F it” and just starts swinging for the fences.  The path to victory for Brito will clearly be on the mat.  Three of my neighbors have Christmas lights still up with better takedown defense than Algeo.  Brito uses intermittent heavy ground and pound, punctuated with nasty elbows, and will rack up significant strikes numbers.

Brito’s power and strength will be a lot for Algeo to overcome if he can’t keep the fight standing.  I don’t see either fighter scoring a finish, but both have value by way of significant strikes landed; Algeo’s will be from the feet, and Brito’s will be while clocking top control.  Joanderson Brito via decision.

Winner: Joanderson Brito | Method: Decision

Prelims

Highlighted Fighter

Viacheslav Borschev (-210) DK: $9k 

This is the third fighter I’ve highlighted for this card; the previous two were promptly removed from the festivities.  I haven’t seen a more cursed card than this one in a while.  But we roll with the punches, and as they say in the sports world, next man up.  And the next man up is Viacheslav Borshchev.  This card has many Contender Series Alumni, and Borshchev is another fighter to pave his path to the UFC via the show.  Borshchev is 5-1 professionally and has very slick striking.  He has tight, technical kickboxing with fearless aggression and clever creativity and uses extended combinations consistently.  My man even landed a rolling thunder kick in his bout on the Contenders Series and finished the fight in the second round with slick counter striking.

Borshchev’s best weapons are his poindexter looks; he looks like his parents drop him off at Target, where he spends his day playing display video games in the electronics department.  On weekends, Borshchev loiters at the local Apple store in between training sessions.  But rest assured, Borshchev will waste no time this weekend beating around the Dakota Bush when he makes his promotional debut.  

Dakota Bush has solid grappling and throw-shit-against-the-wall-to-see-if-it-sticks striking.  Dakota’s major malfunction is his gas tank, which will be a big liability against a combination, high output striker like Borshchev.  Bush’s path to victory will be on the mat and slowing Borshchev down with control time from the top.  Bush holds an 8-3 professional record and has never been finished, but I think Borshchev will have a good chance of changing that if Bush can’t relocate the fight and get Borshchev to relinquish the sticks.  A late finish could be in the cards for Borshchev.

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

It’s looking like slim pickings for the underdogs this weekend.  The most promising shot at a notable upset will come from the main event where Calvin Kattar is coming in as the (+195) dog.  He’s one fight removed from a title eliminator against Mad Max Holloway and has the boxing to cause Giga problems if he can survive early and drag the fight into the later rounds.

Jennifer Maia has five submission wins on her professional record, including an armbar sub over Joanne Calderwood.  If Maia isn’t set on perpetuating an exclusive standup bout for fifteen minutes, she could find some success on the mat and steal a decision with top control time.

Rogerio Bontorin isn’t a world-beater by any means, but he is very dangerous on the mat.  His opponent, Brandon Royval, will not hesitate to put himself in dangerous positions throughout the fight.  If he gives up his back, Bontorin can seal the deal; he’s a lot like Charles Oliveira against the cage with the body lock and being able to take the back from the standing position.  At (+140), there’s some serious value on Bontorin stealing the upset.

Pick 'Em

Dakota Bush (+170 ) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (-210 )

            Winner: Viacheslav Borshchev

 Method: TKO Rd.3 

Court McGee (-110 ) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (-110 )

            Winner: Ramiz Brahimaj

 Method: Decision

T.J. Brown (-190 ) vs. Charles Rosa (+160 )

Winner: T.J. Brown

 Method: Decision

Kevin Croom ( ) vs. Brian Kelleher ( )

    Winner: Brian Kelleher

 Method: Guillotine Choke Rd.2

Joseph Holmes (-150) vs. Jamie Pickett (+125 )

    Winner: Joseph Holmes

 Method: Decision

Thanks for reading LineStar Weekly Knockout! We'll be back next Thursday with another one. Until then, good luck and support your local MMA Gym.

About Me

My name is Chris Guy, and I’m an avid combat sports enthusiast and practitioner. I’ve been a fan of MMA since the early 2000s when Limewire was still around, and I downloaded Bas Rutten’s Big Book of Combat. In 2004, I started training Muay Thai at City Boxing in San Diego, CA. I competed as an amateur for many years, and I've also dabbled in Jiu-Jitsu. I follow many different disciplines, such as Combat Ji-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Glory Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA.

I’m equally as enthusiastic about the craft of writing, and in addition to writing about combat sports, I also write short fiction and music. I hope to bring unique prose to sports writing, and along the way, encourage people to not only become Martial Arts fans but to also become Martial Artists themselves. 

In the future, you may see me refer to the Thunderdome; it's an ode to the old Mad Max movie and refers to the world-class training facility I built in my one-car garage. It's complete with throw dummies, wrestling mats, heavy bags, and six months' worth of Chef Boyardee cans from when I thought the world was going to end back in March. I hope you enjoy my work, and if you don’t, the Thunderdome has an open door policy. 

Check out my Podcast The Whiskey (S)ick Podcast on Apple and Spotify. Parental Advisory Warning