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

Thiago Santos (+340 ) vs Magomed Ankalaev (-450)

Santos: DK: $6.6k | "aev": DK:$9.6k

“This be the realest shit I ever wrote.”- Tupac Shakur

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Khamzat Chimaev, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Islam Makhachev, Magomed Ankalaev; if you only take away one piece of wisdom from the Weekly Knockout and disseminate it far and wide, let it be this: If the last name ends in “aev,” “ev,” or “ov,” don’t f**k with them. Nothing in your life has prepared you for any type of physical encounter with an “aev,” “ev,” or “ov.” Nothing. Your cross-fit ain’t shit. Your Tough Mudder—ain’t nothing tough about it—ain’t shit. Racquetball on the weekends with your eye of the tiger goggles ain’t shit. Trading oven-mitted hands with Uncle Rick every Thanksgiving ain’t shit. Take my word for it, trust the science.

The most slept-on fight promotion in the world is Brave FC. I’ve mentioned it quite a few times when talking about an "aev," "ev," or "ov" fighter who was about to “smesh” someone in his UFC debut. Brave FC is a Middle Eastern promotion that manufactures killers that come straight off the conveyor belt with stock dominant wrestling/grappling and varied stand-up specialties. There’s a good chance three such fighters will be champions by the end of the year: Islam Makhachev, Khamzat Chimaev, and Magomed Ankalaev. And don’t worry, there are more coming up through the lower weight classes, too. Umar Nurmagomedov comes to mind.

This weekend, we’ll see one of the most well-rounded light heavyweights I’ve seen since Jon Jones. If Islam Makhachev is Khabib Lite, Magomed Ankalaev is Khabib Double IPA. Or, if Chimaev is a bigger Khabib then Ankalaev is a bigger Chimaev. The skillsets are all similar, but Ankalaev’s striking is better than both. Magomed has versatile takedowns in the center of the cage or against the fence in the clinch. Like Chimaev, Ankalaev’s top control is stifling and accompanied by heavy, aggressive ground and pound. Ankalaev doesn’t have any major holes in his game; his stand-up is technical and precise, and his success isn’t fully dependent on securing takedowns. I can’t say that for Makhachev, and the jury is still out on Chimaev.

Magomed is 15-1 with eight TKO/KOs; his only loss came with one second left in a fight he completely dominated against Paul Craig. With less than ten seconds remaining in the final round, Ankalaev got caught in a Hail Mary triangle attempt and tapped inexplicably just before the buzzer sounded. My man broke into a dub factory in the dead of night and found a way to steal an L. You can’t pry an alligator’s mouth open once it closes, but you can pry open the jaws of victory, reach your hand down its throat, and pull out defeat. For the rest of Paul Craig’s life, “Tapped Magomed Ankalaev” will be the first thing you see on his Indeed resume.

Against Thiago Santos, Ankalaev is surrounded by victory on all sides, and it’s closing in. The only way he can lose is if the old Thiago Santos shows up throwing hammers all over the Octagon Willy Nilly, Oprah giveaways, and catches Anakalaev with something wild. If the subdued, passive Thiago Santos shows up, it’s going to be over quick. If Ankalaev wants to take the downhill path, kick his feet up, and just coast with no threat of catching the speed wobbles, he’ll take down Santos, beat him up, and submit him. If Ankalaev wants to make a statement, he’ll stand and pick Santos apart before implementing the aforementioned.

I’ve documented the armed robbery Thiago Santos was the victim of in a desolate stretch of Nevada desert when he fought Jon Jones for the belt in 2019. Everyone mentions Dominick Reyes’s robbery against Bones Jones but few mention Santos went into the fifth round of his fight against Jones with a clear two rounds in the bag. He went on to outwork Jones for the entirety of the fifth and was rewarded with two destroyed knees and an undeserved L. Although in defeat, Santos proved his heart is as big as the hammer tatted on his chest.

But we haven’t seen much of that Thiago Santos since. We saw glimpses of him against Glover Teixeira before Glover waved his magic wand, recited a Pig Latin incantation, and turned Thiago Santos into Greg Hardy as soon as the fight hit the mat. That was the foreshadowing that keeps on foreshadowing. Santos' modus operandi is throwing long, wide punches and heavy round kicks during intermittent blitzes.

Santos is in the Bobby Green position, or that of any fighter who ever fought Khabib; you can’t focus on the takedown; you’re going down no matter what. So the best chance you have is to go down swinging. Do you. Do what got you to the dance, the Axe deodorant, and Doc Martins. Go out on your shield. Santos has to create chaos and create it quickly and maintain it for as long as he can. If he doesn’t, as soon as the fight hits the ground, it’ll be over. Ankalaev can do everything that Glover did to Santos and more.

Thiago is coming off a five-round decision win against Johnny Walker after dropping three straight and is overall 22-9 for his career. Historically, when Santos wins, it’s usually via TKO/KO; he has fifteen for his career. Can Santos win the fight? Sure. Can the Dallas Cowboys win the next Super Bowl? Sure. But will they? Probably not. Last week, Colby Covington prevented another main event losing streak by soundly beating Jorge Masvidal for five rounds. A new main event dub streak sits on the horizon. Magomed Ankalaev via TKO, round three.

Winner: Magomed Ankalaev | Method: TKO Rd.3

Marlon Moraes (+195) vs. Song Yadong (-240)

Moraes: DK: $7k | Yadong: DK: $9.2k

No one can go from one hundred to zero quicker than Marlon Moraes, not even Dale Earn… Maybe Cowboy Oliveira would have something to say about that, but Moraes can come to a screeching halt faster than ABS. The gas gauge on cars should have Marlon Moraes’ face when the needle’s in the red. You’d quickly notice no matter how much money you put on pump six, the needle never moves out of the Marlon.

Marlon Moraes is a Toyota Frontrunner, a Missy Elliot one-minute man, a two-pump chump, a plaza-level world champion. Moraes has the dubious distinction of having dominated almost every fight he has ever lost. Moraes was smoking the Triple Champ, Henry Cejudo, before fading in the second and getting TKO'd in the third. It was a similar story for Moraes against Rob Font and Jose Aldo. To Marlon's credit, he attempted to switch his style against Cory Sandhagen and came out much less aggressive, actually pacing himself for the first time in his career. It didn’t work. Turns out Moraes is at his best when he disables the speed governor and redlines it early in a fight, building enough momentum to roll through the finish line in neutral.

Moraes is all speed and power and is an aggressive savage for one round. You have to be sure to strap on your gasoline boots and flame retardant trench coat for the first five minutes for your walk through hell. Also, make sure you got some flip-flops and board shorts on underneath, or you’ll look ridiculous walking on the beach in the second round. When Moraes fights, you hear the clock ticking over the Arena’s cacophony. Expect him to come out throwing heavy kicks and punches and jumping right into a firefight against Song Yadong. It’s his best chance; Yadong is built to last and can go three hard MMA rounds with no problems.

Yadong is a right-hand dominant power striker with high-level wrestler striking. His go-to combination is the 2-3-2 (cross-hook-cross); Yadong uses his right hand to engage ninety percent of the time (fictitious stat). Yadong lacks footwork from the outside, so he relies on explosive athletic ability to close the distance with his cross.

The next step in the evolution of Song Yadong is using speed instead of power. Yadong’s striking is all power, everything he throws is at one hundred percent, and he needs to learn how to use his speed to set up his power. Focusing on speed allows you to touch the opponent more often and uses less energy. If Yadong learns to take a little steam off his punches, he’ll develop into a contender.

Song is 6-1-1 in the UFC and on a current two-fight win streak. He has back-to-back impressive dubs over Casey Kenney and Julio Arce. The key for Yadong will be avoiding a firefight early and using his wrestling to drain Marlon’s battery.

For better or worse, seven of Marlon’s last eight fights have ended before the final bell; the chances are good that this one will too. As the early (+200) dog, Marlon has some stretch value as an emphatic KO threat in the first five minutes. If you’re in a pinch and hunting for a possible finish on your roster, Marlon could be one of the better options. But I’m riding with Song Yadong by TKO, round two. On wax.

Winner: Song Yadong | Method: TKO Rd.2

Sodiq Yusuff (-250) vs. Alex Caceres (+200)

Yusuff: DK: $9.1k | Caceres: DK: $7.1k

There’s no happier soul than Bruce Leeroy, Alex Caceres. He’s an oxymoron like a fire and brimstone Bob Ross painting. A featherweight Sam Alvey, Alex Caceres will whoop your ass, and you’ll thank him afterward and feel better about yourself. Bruce Leeroy has been a UFC staple since competing on the Ultimate Fighter in 2011. He is 14-10-1 in the promotion, and he’s currently on a five-fight winning streak and six of his last seven overall.

Bruce-Bruce will throw every technique he’s ever learned at any given moment and will never stop moving. He’s long and, at times, uses his distance well. Other times, he gets into firefights in the pocket with no head movement or deviation from the centerline. His footwork, lateral movement, and unpredictability are what he relies on most. On the mat, Caceres is a sneaky grappler. Long limbs are a massive advantage when grappling. Caceres has seven career submission wins but that number zeros out if you add his seven losses via submission. As on the feet, Caceres gets into grappling firefights, wild scrambles that can end in a dominant position one way or the other. Most importantly, Bruce Leeroy is Gandolf facing the Balrog, “You shall not pass!” a gatekeeper.

The key for Bruce Leeroy against the faster, stronger, and more athletic Sadiq Yusuff is to make this a frantic MMA fight. Yusuff likes a slow-paced back and forth traditional kickboxing match. Caceres will have to stay in his face with volume and make Yosuff work nonstop for fifteen minutes. Test him everywhere; that’s the game plan for Caceres.

Sodiq Yusuff has hand speed to burn and an overhand right that can change a marital status real quick. He has a stiff boxer’s jab, a textbook one-two, and utilizes a high and tight hand-guard for defense. He reminds me of Bellator’s long-time lightweight champion, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, the classic Brazillian upright, stalking Muay Thai. Yusuff’s pressure is constant even without using a high strike output, and he cuts the cage off well. Like a lockdown corner in the NFL, Yusuff can take away half the field by using his piston right hand to box in his opponents, leaving only one escape route.

Yusuff lacks takedown defense, but it's hard keeping him on the mat. For Yusuff, the mat is lava; touching it will turn him into a Pompei plaster cast. When Yusuff’s ass hits the mat, he shows urgency getting back to his feet. The key for Yusuff will be keeping the fight standing and using his speed from the outside. The biggest knock against Yusuff is his lack of output; he's too picky and doesn't let his hands go. He can overwhelm Caceres on the feet if he's willing to take some risks.

This is Yusuff’s fight to lose, all the measurable are in his favor, but Bruce Leeroy is on a hell of a run and is as tough as they come. Yusuff is the large (-230) favorite, and I think this fight is closer than that. Caceres could be a sleeper late submission threat if he can survive early. But when it comes to putting it on wax, I’m taking Sadiq Yusuff via decision.

Winner: Sadiq Yusuff | Method: Decision

Khalil Rountree (-115) vs. Karl Roberson (-105)

Rountree: DK: $8k | Roberson: DK: $8.2k

Khalil Rountree is 1-1 against the Sloane brothers. He fought both in an underground Muay Thai circuit in the late 80s in Bangkok, Thailand. Rountree defeated older brother Eric—the reigning kickboxing world champion at the time—by second-round TKO in dominating fashion. With his eyes set on vengeance for Eric's humiliating defeat, younger brother, Kurt, fought his way to the top of the rankings and challenged Rountree’s throne.

Rountree accepted Kurt Sloane’s challenge but with stipulations. The bout was to be fought in accordance with ancient tradition; the hands bound in cloth and dipped in glue and glass. Despite Eric’s protests, Kurt accepted the stipulations and fought the man the Thai people called “Tong Po” in what was potentially a fight to the death.

It was a back and forth affair, both men bloodied all over their bodies where the glass tore gashes in their skin. Ultimately, Kurt finished Rountree with back-to-back jumping, spinning roundhouses to the face. Khalil may have conceded revenge to Kurt Sloane, but that was not the end of Khalil’s chapter. He went on to fight for the greatest fight promotion the world has ever seen, the UFC. This weekend, Rountree will be making his twelfth UFC appearance.

Khalil Rountree has nasty classical Muay Thai and fights out of the Tiger Gym in Thailand. Rountree attacks the legs from either stance inside and out and uses an upright, squared posture that allows him to generate power with both hands, like having two crosses instead of a typical jab and cross. He uses basic combinations, mostly 2-3s (cross-hook) and 3-2s (hook-cross), and fires his left hand like Ken Caminiti firing a strike across the diamond from the seat of his pants. Rountree’s left hand is a missile, and his left round kick destroys anything left behind.

Tong Po will be facing another striking specialist, kickboxer Karl Roberson, in a fight that is unlikely to go to the mat while either fighter is conscious. The problem for both is they have hologram imitation versions of themselves that sometimes step into the cage in their stead. This could turn into a Coachella hologram battle, Rountree spitting “Ether” and Roberson spitting “The Takeover” back and forth. If the original versions both show up, this will be a banger.

Roberson is a southpaw with heavy backside power strikes and has a more traditional European kickboxing style to clash with Rountree’s Muay Thai style. The key for Roberson is fighting. Huh? Yeah, he just needs to fight. His lack of output is his biggest detriment. When he lets his strikes go, he’s very formidable, but unfortunately, that’s not very often. He has all the tools to beat Rountree, but if he doesn’t come out the gate aggressive, Rountree could buzz saw right through him. If you fall behind early in this sport, there's no halftime to regroup and adjust.

I’m surprised Rountree opened as the slight underdog; if neither fighter can score a finish, Rountree’s higher output will be a huge factor in a decision. In the end, I don’t trust either fighter, but Khalil Rountree often fights with a mean streak, and when he does, let the bodies hit the floor. Karl Roberson has never been finished via TKO/KO until Saturday night. Khalil Rountree via TKO, round three.

Winner: Khalil Rountree  | Method: TKO Rd.3

Drew Dober (-170) vs Terrance McKinney (+140)

Dober: DK: $9k | McKinney: DK:$7.2k

The fight game is about one thing, risk. And there’s nothing riskier than taking a fight on one week’s notice. Terrance McKinney will be stepping in on short notice only two weeks after completely annihilating Fares Ziam. But the Malt-O-Meal Michael Chandler, Drew Dober, isn’t Fares Ziam. Drew Dober is a sneaky good fighter who has faced the highest level of competition in the game, Islam Makhachev. You may not believe in moral victories, but I’m a Cowboys fan, and that’s all we got, so I loooove moral victories. Dober scored the biggest of his life when he made it to the third round against Makhachev. If I survived a Makhachev fart, I’d be celebrating, talkin all kinds of shit, literally.

Dober has traditional wrestler striking with quick hands and a heavy right hand. He uses short two-punch combinations and can mix in some wrestling as well. Drew isn’t the most dangerous grappler, but he can time takedowns and score points in a close fight. This will be Dober’s eighteenth UFC fight; his experience level will be a Madden 99 compared to Terrance McKinney’s, who’s making the walk for only the third time. The key for Dober will be defending takedowns and not giving up his back, especially against the cage. McKinney is a gifted grappler with dangerous long limbs that have secured seven submission wins. Dober has to keep this standing and use his speed to pick McKinney apart on the feet.

Noine of Terrance McKinney’s last ten fights have ended in the first round. His UFC debut against Matt Frevola lasted all of seven seconds. And he tapped Fares Ziam in just over two minutes two weeks ago. The problem I have with McKinney is I have never seen him in a real scrap. When plan A doesn’t work, is there a plan B? Does McKinney have that dog in him when things aren’t going his way? Can he stand and bang on his feet if he can’t relocate the fight? This fight with Drew Dober will answer a lot of those questions. I’d be shocked like Marv if Terrance walked through Drew Dober.

McKinney has long, fast straight punches and is no chump on the feet; he isn’t all grappling. But I don’t think his striking is good enough to engage in a fifteen-minute kickboxing match. His striking is effective because of the threat of the takedown. Drew Dober is the favorite coming in, but McKinney is the finishing threat when it comes to Fantasy rosters. If this fight ends early, it will be because of a McKinney submission. Dober is in this for the long haul and out-striking McKinney for three rounds. I have zero, zip, nada, nil idea who wins this fight. None. Drew Dober via decision.

Winner: Drew Dober | Method: Decision

Alex Pereira (-170 ) vs Bruno Silva (+150)

Pereira: DK: $8.9k | Silva: DK:$7.3k

Alex Pereira is the dude who beat the dude who beat all the other dudes except for the dude who beat that dude at a different weight class. He’s the guy who beat Israel Adesanya, twice. Well, one was a Valero robbery, and both wins were in kickboxing, not MMA. But the first win over Izzy was a KO in which Pereira dropped Izzy with his patented left hook. Disclaimer: Alex Pereira is a Glory Kickboxing Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion.

Alex Pereira is a tall, long kickboxer who looks like Sagat from Streetfighter. His hands are an oxymoron; he has the longest, short strikes you’ll ever see. He uses every inch of his long reach, but his punches are straight and quick to the target. Pereira’s lead left hook is multifaceted; he throws it while sliding out of the pocket as a check hook and as a lead while moving forward. And when it lands, it’s an off swith.

Pereira is only 4-0 in MMA and is coming off a second-round flying knee KO debut late last year. The unknown about Pereira is his overall MMA game. But he’s Brazilian, and Brazilians are born wearing a Gi, and from what I’ve seen of Pereira in MMA, he seems to have solid clinch skills. He ended up on his back in the first round in his debut but managed to get back to his feet and never looked like a fish out of water. It was a good sign, but his ground skills will be tested to the max against Bruno Silva.

In many ways, Bruno Silva could prove to be Pereira’s kryptonite. He has excellent relentless takedowns and some of the scariest ground and pound you will see. If he can gain top position early, Pereira could be in a lot of trouble quick. Pereira lost the first round against Michailidis as he struggled to get his back off the cage. That could be bad news bears against Bruno Silva.

On the feet, Silva is wild; he howls at the moon. He uses wild blitzes and throws bombs like he’s in the New Mexico desert. Silva tends to run straight forward, leading with his face while alternating heavy left/rights to close the distance. But he’ll have to be more careful closing the distance against a nasty counter striker like Pereira.

This fight will end in a finish one way or the other. Bruno Silva’s value is in an early submission, but his chances will diminish as the fight prolongs. Pereira will be a TKO/KO threat for the duration. Have one of these guys on your roster. Silva provides solid underdog/low-tier value if you're in a pinch. But I’m going to keep the possibility of a Pereira vs. Adesanya MMA fight alive; Alex Pereira via TKO, round two.

Winner: Alex Pereira | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

Highlighted Fighter

Javid Basharat (-150) DK: $8.7k

Get a load of this guy. I don’t know much about Javid Basharat, but I saw his Contenders Series fight, and this dude looked like there wasn’t enough ass to kick in the Octagon. He looked like an ass-kicking fiend, a legit MMA Tyrone Biggums. My man has a hybrid Taekwondo style on the feet and is a polished dangerous grappler on the mat. Basharat pressured and pushed the pace everywhere the fight went and systematically broke his opponent’s will, scoring a late third-round submission. And his opponent wasn’t a TLC scrub either; the guy had well-rounded skills, and it was one of the better scraps I’ve seen on the show.

Basharat will be making his debut against the athletic Trevin Jones, who had the upset of the year in 2020 against Timur Valiev. Jones is a grappling-heavy fighter who will look to work from the top position. But I think Basharat can dominate this fight wherever it ends up. Jones will have a hard time closing the distance against Basharat’s striking and will likely get stuck in no man's land eating punches. For Basharat, this looks like a tailor-made matchup, complete with the cufflinks and bowtie.

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

From the co-main event to the first prelim, this card is loaded with underdogs with viable paths to victory. Damn near every fight is a toss-up. Bruce Leeroy (+200) has the experience and all around game to drag Sadiq Yusuff into deep waters, and if he can advance the fight to the later minutes, he can close the gap with his grappling.

Terrance McKinney is dangerous in the opening stanza. We haven't really seen him in a round two other than his Contenders Series loss to Sean Woodson. McKinney is slick at taking the back against the cage in the opening minutes, much like Charles Oliveira. At (+140), he's a big-time submission threat early. But he may fade as the fight progresses... if the fight progresses.

We have no idea how Alex Pereira will look from his back for extended periods. If Bruno Silva (+150) can drag Pereira to the mat, I think Silva can finish Pereira from the top position. Again, a big IF.

Honorable mention:

Sabina Mazo (+250) is facing a very vanilla Miranda Maverick who is coming off two lackluster performances. I don't think Maverick should be a (-335) favorite against anybody other than me. Mazo is long, with sharp kickboxing, and I think this one will come down to activity and overall output. Whoever leads the dance more often will win the scrap.

Pick 'Em

Matthew Semelsberger (-230) vs. A.J. Fletcher (+185)

Winner: Matthew Semelsberger

 Method: Decision

J.J. Aldrich (+135) vs. Gillian Robertson (-155)

Winner: J.J. Aldrich

 Method: Decision

Trevin Jones (+125 ) vs. David Basharat (-150)

    Winner: Javid Basharat

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Damon Jackson (+130 ) vs. Kamuela Kirk (-165)

    Winner: Kamuela Kirk

 Method: Decision

Sabina Mazo (+250) vs. Miranda Maverick (-335)

    Winner: Miranda Maverick

 Method: Decision

Dalcha Lungiambula (-125) vs. Cody Brundage (+105)

    Winner: Dalcha Lungiambula

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Kris Moutinho (-150) vs. Guido Cannetti (+125)

    Winner: Kris Moutinho

 Method: Decision

Tafon Nchukwi (+150) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (-185)

    Winner: Azamat Murzakanov

 Method: TKO Rd.2

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