We're Back With Another LineStar Weekly Knockout!

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

Instagram: @therealsethgeko & Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

Main Card

Yair Rodriguez (+140) vs Brian Ortega (-170)

Rodriguez: DK: $7.7k | Ortega: DK:$8.5k

Lately, the Fight Night main events have been hot fire like Dylan on Chapelle’s skit. The matchups of guys I would never in a million years want to find myself engaged in fisticuffs with for any reason continues this weekend with Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. This matchup will pit the man who perpetrated one of the greatest KO’s in UFC history against a participant in the greatest round in UFC title fight history.

Yair Rodriguez is the stuntman behind your favorite superhero’s best fight moves. They dress up Yair in green leotards (not a derogatory term for people named Leo or people born in July/August) and glue little ornaments on him like a he’s huge cat toy and record Yair doing wild shit like an X-Games 900 spinning wheel kick or a Guile flash kick. The next thing you know, Spiderman’s on the big screen doing Ong Bak ducking back elbows and knocking out the Green Goblin at the buzzer before a nuclear bomb destroys the world.

Mr. Rodriguez is the King of taking flashy techniques and making them fundamentals, white belt techniques he’s mastered like jabs. He pulled off a Hollywood KO when he landed the aforementioned Ong Bak ducking back elbow at the final buzzer against the Korean Zombie in 2018. Yair was literally a second away from losing a close decision when he caught the Zombie rushing in for a final flurry as time expired. He left the Korean Zombie face down on the mat like he was a fiend trying to snort lines of dried blood off it.

What makes Rodriguez special is his kicks. He's one of the rare fighters with better kicks than hands but can still dominate a stand-up fight. No one uses kick combinations like Yair. Yair will throw repeated calf kicks by the dozen, alternate left/right round kicks, and sprinkle in some snap kicks and spinning shit. He lets it all simmer on medium/low heat until the opponent’s legs, arms, and body are well done, exhibiting varying shades of purple.

Rodriguez fights naturally out of both stances and likes to attack from the opposite stance of his opponent. This strategy lines up his power leg with the exposed and defensively vulnerable side of the body. His weakness is his hands in close range. But he mitigates this by hiding his hands behind kicks or vice versa. He keeps his hands low and whips long, wide punches and has excellent hand speed. In his last bout against Max Holloway, Yair landed heavy hands when he stayed at a distance but got pieced up when Max got inside and exchanged.

Against Brian Ortega, the game plan will be the same; keep the fight standing and stay on the outside. Yair needs space to execute his arsenal of strikes, and he’ll have to keep the fight at kickboxing range and not allow Ortega to get into boxing range.

For his career, Yair is 13-3 with four TKO/KO’s and three submissions. Although he’s been in the UFC since 2014 he’s only fought eleven times and has an 8-2-1 record. But Yair also fought on the Ultimate Fighter: Latin America and won the whole thing.

Once a troubled youth, Brian Ortega used Jiu-Jitsu as a conduit to turn his life around. He found an outlet for his aggression and anger at the Gracie University under head instructor Rener Gracie. The two quickly formed a dynamic duo whose cohesiveness is only rivaled by the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, myself and Mary Jane. Under Gracie’s tutelage, Ortega developed a treacherous guard and specializes in triangle and guillotine chokes.

Ortega uses guillotines as a multifaceted attack. From the clinch, he’ll climb up an opponent after snatching down the head, and it’s a wrap. He uses the guillotine to stuff takedowns, from the guard to finish or force scrambles, and he can use it to land knees when standing. But although Ortega is a grappling wizard, he lacks traditional takedowns and is a world-class grappler who has fallen in love with his striking.

Round three. IYKYK. Ortega was the closest anyone has come to beating Alexander Volkanovski in twenty-two straight Volkanovski fights. Hyperbole in my back pocket; it may have been the greatest round ever. Ever-ever? Ever-ever. Volkanovski put on a technical clinic, out landing Ortega with extended combinations until about halfway through the third round. Ortega knocked down Volkanovski and quickly snatched up his neck in a tight guillotine. When Volkanovski started flutter kicking, trying to free his legs to escape, I thought it was a wrap. Wrap it up, B. I tapped in my living room and dropped Mary Jane. She still won’t let me forget it and points out the burn mark on the carpet every time she comes over.

But Volkanovski escaped, only to be caught in a D’arce choke and then a triangle. But Volkanovski escaped again and again. And the rest is sixth period Mrs. Bob’s class, history.

Ortega has always been one of the most dangerous submission threats in the featherweight division, but since his debut in 2014, Ortega’s striking has consistently gotten better with new wrinkles added every fight. Ortega uses both stances in different ways; he uses orthodox to attack and southpaw to counter with his lead hook and jab. T-City has tight, traditional boxing but in recent fights began emphasizing standing elbows. He can counter with spinning elbows and punctuate hand combinations after working his way inside.

But Ortega has major holes in his stand-up. Ortega doesn’t throw many combinations and relies on the big play as the main source of his offense. There’s usually a tide-turning knockdown at some point during an Ortega fight. The key of Ortega will be making this an ugly firefight, not only in the pocket, but also in the clinch, in the phone booth, if you will. If Ortega can control Yair against the cage, he can threaten with chokes and use guillotine attempts to get the fight to the mat.

Brian Ortega is 15-2-1 for his career and 7-2-1 in the UFC, with his lone losses coming to Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, two legends. He finished six of his seven UFC dubs, and although Yair has the more dangerous strikes, I think Ortega is the bigger threat to finish the fight. Ortega can catch you on the feet and beat you on mat and can do both in a blink.

Because he's a dual-threat, Ortega will be stepping in as the (-170) favorite, which means you’ll have to bust out the Piso Mojado signs for Yair because he’ll be dripping with value. They say MMA math never adds up, but I often disagree. Both fought Max Holloway and were very competitive, but Yair caused Max more problems. And Yair fought Max immediately after Max put on a MasterClass for the ages against Calvin Kattar. As I write this, the odds for a finish or the fight going the distance are nearly even. I think both will be hard to finish, and a decision is likely, but an Ortega finish is a good look.

Oh yes, we’re streaking again. The main event WINNING streak now sits at two, and I’m over here doing the Macarena, feeling myself. Brian Ortega via D’arce choke, round four. On wax.

Winner: Brian Ortega | Method: D'arce Choke Rd.4

Michelle Waterson (+260) vs. Amanda Lemos (-350)

Waterson: DK: $6.8k | Lemos: DK: $9.4k

This one will be the equivalent of a Tesla Type S vs. a Mazda Miata with the ragtop up for improved aerodynamics. Amanda Lemos is the flashy set of wheels that’ll leave you in the dust at a green light, but you find abandoned on the side of the road in the middle of the Nevada desert a couple hours later. Twenty-five miles out from the nearest Valero, you’ll pass Lemos walking in the breakdown lane carrying an extension cord. Michelle Waterson is the once sporty two-seater that turned all the heads back the day but is now on its fourth Maaco paint job. But it's reliable and still gets you to the dance before the spiked punch is gone.

Nicknamed the Karate Hottie, Michelle Waterson has become more of the latter, relying more heavily on her wrestling and grappling to win fights than her Karate standup. Waterson has never gotten over the hump and has lost to every big name in the strawweight division. Overall, Waterson is 6-5 in the UFC and is staring down the barrel of a second straight loss and four of her last five. Her problem is she takes every fight they offer her, and every fight they offer her is a former champion or soon-to-be-champion. Also, she came up as an atomweight (105lbs) and is undersized at strawweight.

Waterson has excellent side-kicks and fast hands, but she struggles to close the distance. Karate’s base is in/out movement, relying heavily on leaping in/out of range. With that style it’s hard to overcome reach and speed disadvantages, and Waterson is often forced to wrestle/grapple. The grappling-heavy game plan will be tough to implement for Waterson against the bigger and much stronger Amanda Lemos. And on the feet, she’ll once again be at a reach, speed, and power disadvantage.

In other words, this is a bad matchup for Michelle Waterson. Her only chance is to go full Apocalypto and run across the field while zigzagging, attempting to dodge the hail of jabs and overhands falling down around her. Her only chance is in the clinch trying to trip Amanda to the mat or wear Amanda out enough to have a chance on the feet late.

Pound for Pound Lemos is a top three-power striker in all of women’s MMA. She carries her hands low and throws punches from chest level, shovel hooks that travel upward from the lower peripheral. Her style is like Deiveson Figueiredo’s, using range to unload with long looping overhands. Lemos’s striking speed is a Madden 99, and the first round against Lemos will be the worst five minutes of your life.

At all costs, while attempting to drag Lemos to the mat, Waterson has to avoid the Thai clinch. Lemos has nasty knees similar to the ones Oliveira used to destroy Dustin Poirier. Lemos is hyper-aggressive in bursts and looks to cause damage in every position. The key to beating Lemos is surviving the early storm, dragging her into deep waters, and testing her suspicious cardio. Noine of Lemos’s fourteen career fights have ended in the first round, and she’s only heard the final bell three times.

Lemos is the definition of an a la carte one-punch striker; her hands break out in hives when she throws combinations. Instead of using combos, Lemos throws single shots in quick succession and can push the pace without extending exchanges in the pocket. Her right hand is a four-seam fastball, and her special move is a right-hand counter as she slides back just out of range. She also attacks up the middle with vicious snap kicks like vintage Anderson Silva KO’ing Vitor Belfort.

In her last bout, Lemos came out on fire, hotter than Drake contraceptives, picking Jessica Andrade apart with speed from the outside. Then she caught the speed wobbles, someone threw a stick in her spokes, and she got caught in a standing arm triangle and submitted. Logistically with their height difference, I didn’t even think that was possible.

Lemos is 11-2 for her career and 5-2 in the UFC with seven TKO/KO’s and two subs. She’ll be the massive (-400) favorite and Waterson the (+290) underdog. Two and a half rounds is the magic number; the fight ending under two and a half rounds is (+190) and over is (-260), favoring a likely decision. The finishing threat is Amanda Lemos, and if she does stop Waterson, it’ll be early, when her power and speed can overwhelm. Amanda Lemos via decision.

Winner: Amanda Lemos | Method: Decision

Li Jingliang (+140) vs. Muslim Salikhov (-175)

Jingliang: DK: $7.6k | Salikhov: DK: $8.6k

The UFC hates Li Jingliang. His last fight against Khamzat Chimaev was a reenactment of the T-Rex feeding scene in Jurassic Park. Jingliang played the park of the goat. It won’t get any easier for Li against Muslim Salikhov. Jingliang will go from an “ev” to an “ov” opponent, go from a goat up against a T-Rex to a sailboat up against Jaws. The good news for Jingliang is that Muslim Salikhov loves to stand and bang, which will give Jingliang a chance to fight to his strengths this time out.

Don’t let his guest appearance on South Park (season 5 episode 10) fool you; Li Jingliang, aka The Male Mona Lisa, aka The Armpit, is a dangerous underrated sleeper. Nothing about Li Jingliang is pretty; his mother has zero apprehensions about having her best friend over for a glass of wine. His stand-up is awkward, and he has sneaky power generated from punches thrown from odd angles. In 2021, Jingliang KO’d “The Ponz” Santiago Ponzinibio with one punch in the first round.

Jingliang has an offbeat cadence on the feet, a mix of bobbing and weaving and ducking and dodging. At times he looks like a homemade-missing-half-the-ingredients Dominick Cruz the way he enters the pocket behind strange movements. But he uses his unorthodox footwork to slip into the pocket and unload with heavy overhands and hooks. If you step into the Octagon underestimating Li Jingliang, you’ll wake up backstage and start warming up all over again.

The numbers: Li Jingliang is 18-7 for his career and 10-5 in the UFC with noine TKO/KO’s and four subs. Li will be stepping in as the (+140) dog and has a path to victory on the feet. Jingliang’s value will be in creating a fight-ending sequence by engaging in a firefight. He has an excellent finishing rate and often gets overlooked. He averages almost four and a half significant strikes per minute, but in fifteen UFC bouts, has never reached one hundred significant strikes.

If you didn’t get enough spinning shit last week from Said Nurmagomedov, Muslim Salikhov’s got you covered. Salikhov is another killer in the long list of “ov” and “ev” last names that are taking over the sport. Trust me when I tell you, Salikhov has excellent wrestling that he rarely puts on display because he’s devastating on the feet. His right hand teleports to the target and his kicks sound like shotgun blasts. His specialty, though, is spinning shit, specifically, kicks.

Muslim throws spinning wheel kicks out of nowhere, zero telegraphing in the hips or shoulders. He starts with spinning wheel/back kicks to the body and then switches to the head when the opponent blocks low. Spinning attacks often get labeled as flashy and low-percentage, but if you set it up, you can land any “flashy” technique. Salikhov sets up spinning attacks by using his lead hook to gain a reaction and to jumpstart his spin, using the momentum to make the spin quicker.

Salikhov is 18-2 for his career and 5-1 in the UFC, having lost his debut before rattling off five straight wins. He has twelve career TKO/KO’s and two submissions and is coming off fighting two killers back-to-back in Francisco Trinaldo and Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos. His path to victory will be using his wrestling and avoiding a firefight on the feet. Salikhov only averages three significant strikes landed per minute and relies on one-strike power to end fights. He’s coming off three straight decision wins, and like Bobby Bonilla’s contract, Li Jingliang just won’t go away. The odds for the fight going the distance are at plus money (+105) and dripping with value. Muslim Salikhov via decision.

Winner: Muslim Salikhov | Method: Decision

Su Mudaerji (-290) vs. Matt Schnell (+220)

Mudaerji: DK: $9.1k | Schnell: DK: $7.1k

This one’s a nasty little undercover banger featuring two fast, slick strikers. Su Mudaerji is a highly touted long striker with Michael Johnson-like hand speed and excellent range management. And Matt Schnell is a fast, combination pocket striker who likes to Bear Grylls camp in the pocket, surviving solely on reclaimed urine and dung beetle dung.

Su Mudaerji is a polished striker who will pose serious problems at bantamweight if can develop a ground game and get in the Octagon more often than once a year. Striking wise, Su is a master manipulator. The focus of his manipulation is the pocket, making it difficult for him to develop any lasting relationships with fellow fighters. He stays outside his opponents' range with long punches and long-range kicks, crescent and sidekicks, never letting anyone get close enough to get to know the real Su. He maintains continual lateral movement and expeditiously chooses his openings judiciously while keeping his opponents at the end of his strikes. There's no deviation in Su’s punches as they travel from point A to point B in perfectly straight lines, textbook technique.

Su is 16-4 for his career, including 3-1 in the UFC since 2018. Mudaerji is a finisher, having scored thirteen TKO/KO’s and one submission. Su’s physical attributes (reach and hand speed) have him stepping in as the massive (-265) favorite, and his value will be in using his speed to create an early finish against Matt Schnell, who has been finished five times out of his six career losses.

Matt Schnell is a slick, crafty striker with quick hands and deceptive power. Schnell attacks the body then uses level change feints to set up power strikes to the head, high-level stuff. He’s dances on the outside and manages range well with a clean, stiff jab. Subtle slips and counters in the pocket, defensive head movement off strikes, and damaging calf kicks are all in his arsenal, making Schnell a diverse striker.

My only worry about Schnell is his habit of hanging out in the pocket too long and stringing together long combinations, aka, camping out in the pocket. He needs to be in and out, float like a butterfly, and all that. The key for Schnell is getting the fight to the mat where he has eight submission wins. Mudaerji’s major malfunction is lack of a ground game; his guard looks like he’s doggy paddling upside down.

Overall, Schnell is 15-6 for his career and 5-4-1 in the UFC with two TKO/KO’s and eight subs. At (+215), Schnell will have mid-tier value like Su Mudaerji as they both average close to four and a half significant strikes per minute. Schnell will be at a power disadvantage, making Mudaerji the bigger finishing threat on the feet, but Schnell will have the advantage on the mat. But at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I’m rolling with speed and range, Su Mudaerji via decision.

Winner: Su Mudaerji  | Method: Decision

Shane Burgos (-175) vs Chales Jourdain (+145)

Burgos: DK: $9k | Jourdain: DK: $7.2k

*Banger Of The Night*

 Every Shane Burgos and every Charles Jourdain fight is a bonafide banger of the night. These two guys are wild; they howl at the moon and run in packs. These guys are offensive capitalists, prioritizing offensive output and damage at the cost of everything else. To these guys, defense is a conspiracy theory deserving of a total social media ban.

Shane Burgos is a turn-the-other-cheek striker who likes to build his opponents’ confidence by letting them punch him in the face. Also, energy spent defensively is energy not spent offensively. Burgos's all-or-nothing style quickly turned him into a fan favorite but also quickly turned him into a solar-powered robot during an eclipse against Edson Barboza two fights ago. He recently got back on track with a decisive victory against the savage Billy Quarantillo, a fight in which Burgos nearly broke Quarantillo’s leg with vicious calf kicks.

Shane Burgos is a pocket survivalist who can survive in the most extreme conditions; his only sustenance, eating every strike the opponent throws at him. Offensively, Burgos is a mother-shut-your-mouth. Burgos will use the low calf kick to open up with his hands once the opponent's attention is on his necrotic leg. He also works behind a heavy boxer’s jab that he doubles and triples to gain entry into the pocket. Once he’s inside, he unloads with alternating power shovel hooks while changing levels and attacking the body. In addition to nasty leg kicks, Burgos has excellent up-the-middle teep and snap kicks that he uses to vary his attacks.

Burgos is 14-3 overall and 7-3 in the UFC. His three losses all came to killers: Edson Barboza, Josh Emmett, and Calvin Kattar. Shane has a symmetrical five wins by TKO/KO and five by submission. His Fantasy value will be in eight significant strikes landed per minute; Burgos is the definition of a combination striker. He landed one hundred noinety-three significant strikes against Billy Q and has recorded over one hundred significant strikes in a fight five times, fifty percent of his UFC bouts. He is also a finishing threat, using power and volume to slowly break down opponents.

Charles Jourdain is the rare fighter who gets stronger as the fight progresses. Cue up the footage of Jourdain literally kicking Andre Ewell’s entire ass in the third round of their fight. Jourdain was howling at the moon as he chased Ewell down like it was a 90s slasher movie. Jourdain is 4-3-1 in the UFC but has faced some stiff competition. His major malfunction has been the first round. Sometimes you need jumper cables and a steep hill to get Jourdain started in the first round, and subsequently, he has to overcome large deficits.

Jourdain is a long striker who can flow between stances, and like Burgos, the low calf kick is a major weapon for Jourdain. Jourdain’s specialty is mixing up his attacks and using every available weapon to create damage, much like a Chito Vera. He’s tough anywhere the fight goes and has a mean streak that he can activate like he just caught a Super Mario Bros Power Star. When he starts glowing, get the fook outta there; he’ll start slanging hands and feets and elbows and knees all over the arena.

Against Burgos, Jourdain will be at a power disadvantage but is also a combination striker averaging over five and a half significant strikes per minute. You can get (+140) odds for the fight ending under two and a half rounds as the odds favor the fight going the distance at (-185). These guys are accumulative strikers and tough to finish, but a late finish is definitely in the cards just under the two and a half rounds. Shane Burgos via TKO, round three. On wax.

Winner: Shane Burgos  | Method: TKO Rd.3

Meisha Tate (-220) vs Lauren Murphy (+175)

Tate: DK: 8.8$k | Murphy: DK: $7.4k

Meisha Tate is two fights into her comeback campaign after taking five years off to enjoy the experience of becoming a mother.

(Zach Wilson has entered the chat.)

Her return has produced a 1-1 record thus far, and her championship hopes took a major blow after losing a main event bout to Ketlen Vieira late last year. Tate has always been an elite wrestler among the women’s ranks and used it to beat Holly Holm to win the belt. But her major malfunction has always been her stiff, robotic striking. Speaking of stiff, robotic striking…

Lauren Murphy’s making her first appearance since taking Valentina Shevchenko into the fourth round in a title fight. This one has all the makings for a classic episode of BattleBots, the winner earning a spot in the finals against the defending champion Lock-Jaw.

Betting-wise, I’d stay away from this fight. It will almost certainly go the distance, and large stretches will be spent in the clinch against the cage. Meisha Tate averages under two and a half significant strikes landed per minute, and Murphy averages three and a half. Significant strikes will come at a premium even if the fight goes to the mat. The odds for the fight going the distance are a prohibited (-325). If you’re feeling froggy or like Drake with a million bucks burning a hole in your pocket, a finish will bring you (+230) odds. I really only wrote this for the Zach Wilson joke. Meisha Tate via decision.

Winner: Meisha Tate  | Method: Decision

Prelims

Highlighted Bets

Punahele Soriano (-240) vs Dalcha Lungiambula (+190)

Soriano: DK: $9.2k | Lungiambula: DK: $7k

The odds favor an early ending in this one at (-220), and Soriano is the large (-275) early favorite. But you can get Soriano at (+160) for a TKO/KO finish, which is his likely manner of victory in this one. Dalcha Lungiambula can also end this fight in a blink, but his window to score a finish will diminish as the fight wanes, as he has suspicious cardio. A Lungiambula finish will return (+450), and if Lungiambula wins this fight, it will have to be by TKO/KO.

Dustin Jacoby (-125) vs Da Un Jung (+105)

Jacoby: DK: $8.3k | Jung: DK: 7$k

The ex-Glory Kickboxing world champ, Dustin Jacoby, will be stepping in as the (-140) favorite and is 6-0-1 since returning to the UFC after fighting on the Contender Series in 2020. His only blemish was a draw against Ion Cutelaba. Da Un Jung is 4-0-1 since his UFC debut and has finished three of his wins. The odds favor the fight going over two and a half rounds at (-150), returning plus money on a finish. I could see this going the distance, but I like the value of betting a stoppage. Someone’s going to land something heavy eventually.

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleepers

Last week, Michael Johnson failed to stop for gas in Barstow, thinking he'd have plenty to make it to Primm, Nevada, before the final stretch into Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he found himself on E in the middle of the Nevada desert with only one Valero available for a hundred miles. You know how the story ended. A twenty-twenty-twen wrested from my hands by proxy at gunpoint in the restroom.

Li Jingliang (+140): Everything about this guy is ugly and other than the Khamzat fight, Jingliang has always been a sleeper. He has stupid sneaky power, is awkward, and tends to land shots no one sees coming. Muslim Salikhov has shown vulnerabilities on the feet, and Li has the power and skills to expose them.

Matt Schnell (+220): If Schnell can avoid an exclusive kickboxing match and work his way into some takedowns, his ground game will cause Su Mudaerji all kinds of problems on the mat. Mudaerji is a master at the rigor mortis guard and has shown limited skills on the mat. Schnell has eight career subs, and if I were in his corner, we'd be hunting for Mudaerji's neck all night long.

Charles Jourdain (+145): Jourdain howls at the moon; he's wild, especially late in fights. Jourdain will have to survive Shane Burgos's power early, but he'll hang around, chip away, and have a chance to steal the fight late. Jourdain uses all his weapons and never shies away from a firefight.

Herbert Burns (+160): Herbert is the brother of welterweight savage Gilbert Burns and will be a serious submission threat for the first five minutes against Bill Algeo. Algeo isn't a killer, and doesn't crush a lot, and Burns has eight submissions in eleven career wins. He's a notorious gasser, so his value will only be viable for a small window, but if he can get Algeo's back early, he can finish the fight.

Damn, almost forgot... YAIR RODRIGUEZ! Yair is as live as and underdog can get. The main event is a toss-up, and Yair's last performance was the best I've seen him and it was in a losing effort. Lots of dogs with paths to victory on this one.

Pick 'Em

Punahele Soriano (-240) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (+190)

Winner: Punahele Soriano

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Ricky Simon (+140) vs. Jack Shore (-170)

Winner: Ricky Simon

 Method: Decision

Bill Algeo (-200) vs. Herbert Burns (+160)

    Winner: Bill Algeo

 Method: Decision

Dustin Jacoby (-125) vs. Da Un Jung (+105)

    Winner: Dustin Jacoby

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Dwight Grant (-140) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (+110)

    Winner: Dwight Grant

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Jessica Penne (-150) vs. Emily Ducote (+115)

    Winner: Jessica Penne

 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