We're Back With Another LineStar Weekly Knockout!

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

Instagram: @therealsethgeko & Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

Day 167

Observations:

It’s out of control; there’s no end in sight.  Evidence of the spread is everywhere.  Irrational behavior, paranoia, uncharacteristic aggression, the signs are red flags caught in a torrent.  Red flags no authorities are willing to go on the record to acknowledge.  

A cover-up?

Environment seems to be the prominent precipitator common among the studied subjects.   A preliminary agitator has been identified and attributed to the blind faith in perceived teams. This is a fabricated division that occurs when under normal circumstances, no division would be acknowledged.  

Precautions?

None have shown substantial efficacy.  Half-price beer and concessions, free parking; nothing has proven any measure to allay tempers.  To the contrary, some evidence has emerged that alcohol may be a leading contributor in ninety percent of cases.  In addition, opening venues at fifty percent capacity and increasing the distance between subjects has not yielded the beneficial results we had hoped for.   

However, there’s a strong correlation to the locations of outbreaks.  Early on, the Plaza and View levels appeared to be the super spreader epicenters.  But recently, we have seen a high uptick in Field level infections. The sex of the instigator was initially believed to be predominately male, but peer-reviewed studies have proven sex inconsequential, as females have played escalatory roles in multiple outbreaks. 

Prognosis:

The forecast remains negative at this time.  Within state borders, variants have emerged at differing rates of infection.  City’s like LA and Denver have shown exposure to a more virulent contagion that spreads quickly to surrounding parties.  Bystanders in proximity to the infectious event become infected at an alarming rate and unwilling participants out of fear and necessity to protect their own.  

The perceived division is a veil, a distracting distinction in the peripheral that extinguishes upon direct examination.  Until we can eliminate the wedge thrust between us and stanch the labeling of decency and humanity as disinformation, there is no hope to flatten the curve.

Suggested Pre/Post Treatment:   

·      Mary Jane

·      The Chronic

Conclusion:

We are in the mist of a global Fandemic.  Leave the fighting to the professionals like Ryan Spann and Anthony Smith.

Ryan Spann (+145 ) vs Anthony Smith (-175)

Spann: DK: $7.1k | Smith: DK:$9.1k

2020 was a wild year; it was actually 1984 in disguise, a disguise it has refused to abandon in 2021.  No one on the UFC roster had a wilder 2020 than Anthony Smith.  He went 1-2, and both L’s were complete and utter ass whoopings.  Technically, Smith went 2-2 if you count the home invader he caught breaking in.  Smith administered a clinical beat down in his kitchen that had a lot to do with how Anthony got his groove back.  It was reported that Smith landed over one hundred significant strikes from the top position but failed to finish the intruder.  Smith said the man was on meth or some other stimulant, and if you don’t know anything about meth (watch Breaking Bad), it will make people walk backward on all fours like upside-down spiders.  From experience, I can tell you, it’s hard to finish a person on meth, but that’s a story for another day.

 It’s also hard to forget the images of Glover Teixeira apologizing to Anthony Smith in between hammer fists last year, saying the beating wasn't personal, just business.  And Anthony Smith determined to collect Tooth Fairy money at all costs, picking his teeth up off the canvas and handing them to the ref with Glover on his back.  It was a life-altering loss; Smith took heavy damage only to return a couple of months later for the sequel against top contender Aleksandar Rakic.  He then rebounded against Devin Clark in a makeshift main event in late 2020 with a first-round triangle choke submission dub.  This past April, Smith won a first-round TKO against Jimmy Crute after Smith landed a series of filthy calf kicks that left Crute’s leg looking like Ramen noodles.  

Anthony Smith is a veteran-veteran with a 35-16 record and thirty finishes.  He hasn’t had a win by decision since 2016, but on the other hand, he has also been finished fourteen times in his career.  Smith has the dubious statistical distinction of absorbing more strikes per minute than he delivers.  He averages three significant strikes landed per minute while being hit at four and a half.  Pacing, Anthony Smith has issues.  In his title fight against Jon Jones, Smith paced himself to the extent that he barely threw any punches the entire fight.  Against Glover, it was the exact opposite; he came out aggressive with a cape on, super aggressive.  He gassed after the first round and you know the rest.  If Smith can find the “just right” bowl of porridge and maintain a consistent output throughout, he will have a slight advantage in the striking against Ryan Spann.  

Anthony Smith will be the more diverse striker; he uses both stances and has power in both rear hands.  Against Jimmy Crute, Smith showed an improved jab that he used to pepper Crute with from the outside, making it difficult for Crute to initiate his own offense.  When Smith switches to the southpaw stance, he’s going to throw a left body kick almost immediately.  From the orthodox stance, Smith’s right hand is his best weapon, and he throws it from different angles, as a hook or an overhand.  Anthony will be the higher output striker against Spann, even though he is mostly a one-punch striker.

The game plan for Smith will be to avoid the cage and keep the fight standing unless he can gain top position.  Smith has excellent Jiu-Jitsu and can land subs from his back, but he also tends to take heavy damage from his back.  Against Jimmy Crute, after Smith destroyed Crute’s leg, Crute was still able to take down Smith at will and ended the round on top and landing heavy ground and pound.  Spann likes to clinch against the cage and work trips, and other than the Devin Clark fight, Smith hasn’t faired well from the bottom position in recent fights.

Last September Ryan Spann headed west and crossed the frontier where he panned for L’s in rivers rich with dubs.  Spann was KO’d in the first round against Johnny Walker after nearly KO’ing Walker in the opening minutes. Instead of finishing Walker when he had the chance, Spann pushed Walker against the cage and chased a lazy takedown.  Walker landed some nasty Travis Browne elbows from the Whizzer position, KO’ing Spann against the cage.  However, Spann rebounded with an impressive first round TKO of Misha Cirkunov this past March.

Spann is a huge, one-punch power striker and will be the more technical, traditional kickboxer against Smith.   He reminds me of a more technical, better Greg Hardy.  Spann has a similar flatfooted, plodding style without much movement, footwork, or otherwise.  For the most part, Spann is a boxer and throws short combinations with a lot of dead air in between exchanges.  He prefers controlled exchanges on the feet and doesn't thrive in the pocket trading back and forth.  His biggest weapon is his straight right hand that he throws right down the middle behind his jab.

Low output and an unwillingness to engage for long stretches are Spann’s major malfunctions.  He also doesn’t use his reach very well and allows shorter fighters to get inside on him too easily because he doesn’t really react defensively to strikes.  But on the rare occasions that Spann decides to come forward aggressively, he can overwhelm with his power, especially when he can trap his opponent against the cage.

The Key for Spann will be to implement wrestling into his game plan.  His open mat takedowns aren’t very good, he doesn’t change levels and shoot doubles or singles, but he is good at initiating the clinch behind heavy, short combinations and grinding opponents against the cage.  Anthony has been shaky more often than not recently from his back, and if Spann is able to gain the top position, he has to capitalize with heavy ground and pound.  On the feet, Spann needs to increase his output, not only for this fight but in order to take the next step in his career if he wants to compete for a title in the future.

I’m on the fence teetering like a knock-off Humpty Dumpty.  A lot is riding on this main event pick.  As the world knows, the main event-winning streak came to a screeching halt when Derek Brunson did what Derek Brunson does and won a fight that I picked him to lose.  I like the odds of a finish to conclude this one.  Likely it will happen inside the championship rounds. Anthony Smith via rear-naked choke, round three.

Winner: Anthony Smith | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Ion Cutelaba (-140 ) vs Devin Clark (+115)

Cutelaba: DK: $9k | Clark: DK:$7.2k

If you’ve been following the Weekly Knockout for a while, you already know Ion Cutelaba is the biggest frontrunner in the UFC.  He does Toyota Frontrunner commercials that put Matthew McConaughey’s Lincoln commercials to shame.  You could say Cutelaba is the 2015 Cam Newton of the UFC.  That was the year the Toyota Frontrunner went into production, the year Newton and the Carolina Panthers were all up in the videos, wearing shiny suits and posing for pictures on the sidelines all season long.  Only to get their asses cracked like Conor McGregor’s ego in the Super Bowl against the Broncos.  After the game, Newton didn’t want to answer any questions or pose for any more pictures.  

Other than his two fights against Magomed Ankalaev, the first round against Ion Cutelaba is like hang gliding during Hurricane Ida.  It’s risky business not covered by most health insurance.  The problem for Cutelaba is after the first five minutes he looks like a Coachella hologram version of himself.  You can see right through him, and inside his chest, you’ll notice an empty cavity where his heart’s supposed to be.  Kanye West wrote a song about second-round Cutelaba called “Heartless.”  If he reads this and shows up at the Thunderdome, I'll say I have an anonymous ghostwriter and never actually read my own work.

Ion is 0-2-1 in his last three bouts but is coming off an impressive effort that ended in a draw against the former Glory Kickboxing World Champion, Dustin Jacoby.  Before the Jacoby fight, he lost twin ass whoopings to Magomed Ankalaev.  Ankalaev beat Cutelaba twice last year like Cutelaba was logged into his Netflix account.  But don’t let my gum bumping fool you; Cutelaba is a monster, and he can KO you with a missed punch.  Ion can also take the fight to the mat and finish the fight with heavy-heavy ground and pound. But, his major malfunction is he puts all of his nuggs in one pocket; he sells out in the first round and doesn’t pace himself.  He has quick hands and uses 1s and 1-2s but doesn’t navigate the cage tactically, tending to follow his opponents mindlessly instead of cutting them off.  

I’ll give Cutelaba some credit; against Dustin Jacoby, when it looked like Cuteleba was going to break down in the fast lane right on schedule, he pushed through.  He created dangerous moments for Jacoby throughout the fight.  Against Devin Clark, Cutelaba needs to find the happy medium, the correct mix of aggression on the feet and wrestling with ground and pound.  Cutelaba will also have to defend Clark’s takedowns, and whoever can gain top position consistently will win the fight.

Devin Clark is a big, powerful wrestler with boxy, square striking with sharp edges that could use a little sanding.  He’s stiff on his feet and usually opens up every fight, charging across the cage behind a big right hand, looking for an immediate takedown.  He’s 6-5 since making his debut in 2016 and has a recent gutsy win against the monster Alonzo Menifield.  He faced serious hardship early in that fight, almost getting waved off in the opening round, but persevered and took over the fight with superior cardio, aggressive power strikes, and grinding Menifield against the cage.

But Clark’s last outing wasn’t nearly as successful as he was submitted by a triangle choke in the first round against Anthony Smith.  Clark needs to control the top position in this fight more than Cutelaba does.  Devin doesn’t have the fluid striking that Cutelaba does, and he struggles to put punches together when forced into technical kickboxing exchanges.  The key to defending Clark’s standup is defending his right hand; Clark doesn’t have an educated lead hand and is mostly a wrestling striker.

The game plan is simple for Clark; slow play Cutelaba by closing the distance and forcing him against the cage.  Clark can’t allow Cutelaba to push him backward and needs to control Cutelaba (especially early) against the cage and grind him into the late minutes.  In no way can Clark get stuck in a pure kickboxing match for fifteen minutes; it won’t end well for him.

When it comes to Fantasy rosters, Devin Clark ain’t it, boss.  He’s not a finisher.  He has four finishes in twelve career wins and has never finished a fight in the UFC.  Cutelaba has melatonin hands and has finished fourteen of fifteen professional wins, twelve by TKO/KO.  Ion Cutelaba via TKO, round one.

Winner: Ion Cutelaba | Method: TKO Rd.1

Ariane Lipski (-120) vs. Mandy Bohm (+100)

Lipski: DK: $8.2k | Bohm: DK: $8k

This is a crunchy little groove right here, featuring two solid strikers.  This bout should be a nip/tuck, high output fight until the final bell.  If you look at Ariane Lipski’s UFC record, you might turn away reflexively in horror.  At 2-4, I can’t spin it in any way to make it look like anything other than what it is; you can polish a turd, but it’s still a turd and all of that.  Lipski’s UFC record is a direct result of her terrible takedown defense and overall ground game.  She has Crate Challenge takedown defense and struggles to get back to her feet like she ignored the Piso Mojado sign.

Lipski’s standup is why she is still in the UFC.  She is aggressive and throws punches in bunches with one hundred percent power in every strike.  There’s a natural curve to her strikes; it’s a characteristic you see in many Brazilian Muay Thai fighters.  They have a curve to their strikes that’s between a hook and an overhand and have a natural way of finding their way around the opponent’s guard.  But Lipski’s aggression also leads her into running into takedowns, leaving her out of position to defend her hips.  Against the debuting fighter, Mandy Bohm, Lipski will be the more physically powerful fighter, but she’ll want to be careful not to over pursue on the feet, or Bohm will clinch and take her to the mat.  

I don’t know much about Mandy Bohm other than she’s an undefeated fighter with a 7-0 professional record.  She will be making her debut after fighting once for Bellator in her most recent bout.  I watched that fight, and Bohm looks to be a loose striker who uses a low hand position and has a high output similar to Lipski’s.  Bohm likes to clinch and throw quick elbows and knees and uses standing elbows to punctuate her hand combinations.  She uses more lateral movement than Lipski does and uses it to attack from angles rather than up the middle repeatedly.

The problem I see for Bohm in the UFC is her overall physicality.  She looks a little flimsy like she’ll be at power disadvantages constantly at this level.  That will be the case against Ariane Lipski, but I think Bohm has a more variety of skills than Lipski.  Bohm has excellent timing on level changes and is good with body lock trips from the clinch.  If she can draw out Lipski’s aggression with feints, there will be massive openings for takedown entries.  

I don’t see a finish for either fighter here.  If Lipski can keep it standing, her power can slowly wear down Bohm, but if Bohm can vary her attacks and maintenance leaves the arena doors open, allowing any kind of breeze to flow through the venue, Bohm will be able to take down Lipski at will and steal close rounds.  On wax, Mandy Bohm via decision.

Winner: Mandy Bohm | Method: Decision

Christos Giagos (+500 ) vs Arman Tsarukyan (-800 )

Giagos: DK: $6.6k (Clearance Rack) | Tsarukyan: DK: $9.6k (Top Shelf)

This is a Grapplers Delight.  Sounds like a potent new strain.  If any botanists want to borrow the name, get at me.  This fight features two elite-level grapplers, including the man who went toe-to-toe with Islam Makhachev on the mat, Arman Tsarukyan.  Arman is 3-1 in the UFC, his only loss coming in his debut against Makhachev just two years ago.  Think about that.  In 2019 they brought in Tsarukyan riding a twelve-fight winning streak to fight Islam Makhachev.  They brought Tsarukayn in to fight Islam because of Tsarukyan’s reputation as a world-class grappler.  

Tsarukyan uses a Costco-sized variety pack of takedowns and chain wrestles, flowing from technique to technique to get the fight to the mat.  He can travel different paths to the takedown, mixing Grecco Roman techniques and seamlessly transitioning to Judo techniques.  One of the best ever at setting up takedowns with his boxing is Frankie Edgar.  Arman Tsarukyan has similar smooth takedown setups with his hands.  He’ll change levels for a single or double–leg almost at the same time he throws his right hand.

Once the fight is on the mat, Tsarukyan is always a step ahead, anticipating his opponent’s escape routes before they even take one step toward the exits.  He is constantly looking for head-and-arm control and threatening with D’arce/Anaconda chokes and arm triangles.  On the feet, he has solid boxing and uses his jab in multiples to set up his right hand.  His striking is good enough to stand with almost anyone, but striking is also the path to victory against Arman Tsarukyan.

Christos Giagos is 4-2 in the UFC.  His two losses came to the Champ, Charles Oliveira, and excellent wrestler/bomb-thrower Drakkar Klose.  Giagos is coming off a second-round D’arce choke win over the dangerous striker, Sean Soriano.  Giagos was a step behind on the feet, but once he got the fight to the mat, his Jiu-Jitsu was a level above Soriano’s.

Giagos is especially slick at taking the back immediately off takedowns.  Like Tsarukyan, Giogos chain wrestles, turning singles into doubles and doubles into body locks, but he doesn’t have as many tools on his tool belt as Tsarukyan does.  While Tsarukyan’s grappling style is more wrestling based, Giogos’s grappling is more Jiu-Jitsu based.  You’ll notice when Giogos switches to southpaw, he’s going to change levels and shoot.  When he goes southpaw, it’s like washing your hands only when there’s someone else in the restroom who might witness your depravity; it’s all for show.  

Arman Tsarukyan will have the advantage on the feet.  Giagos throws bombs and has seven TKO/KO’s on his record, but he has massive holes in his technique.  He stands in place when he strikes, throws himself off balance leaning over his lead foot, reaching for punches, and lacks any kind of lateral footwork.  When Giagos gets touched, he reacts by swinging wildly and runs into strikes.  If the grappling is a stalemate, and neither fighter can control top position, Giagos will be at a severe technical striking disadvantage.  

Everything that Giogos is good at, Tsarukyan is better at.  I hope one day we get to see Arman Tsarukyan vs. Islam Makhachev 2, and a win here for Arman will keep that hope alive.  If there’s a finish in this fight, it will be a Tsarukyan submission.  I will be shocked like Marv if Giogos can submit Tsarukyan.  Arman Tsarukyan via decision.

Winner: Arman Tsarukyan | Method: Decision

Joaquin Buckley (-210 ) vs Antonio Arroyo (+170)

Buckley: DK: $9.3k | Arroyo: DK:$6.9k

You may remember Joaquin Buckley winning the 2020 Knockout Of The Year when he landed a jumping spinning back kick to Impa Kasanganay's face.  Any fight featuring Joaquin Buckley is a certified banger.  Outkast’s “B.O.B.” should be Buckley’s ring entrance music.  He’s a big, aggressive power puncher who throws everything with intentions to end the fight.  Buckley’s not the most technical striker, he tends to swing from the waist wide arcing punches, but he makes up for lack of technique with speed and pressure.

Buckley has been KO’d as many times as he has won by KO in the UFC.  He is the literal definition of kill or be killed.  In January, Alessio Di Chirico scored the first Twenty-Twen-Twen upset of 2021 when he KO’d Buckley with a vicious first-round head kick.  Before that, Buckley was on a two-fight KO streak after losing his debut by KO to Kevin Holland.

The key for Buckley against Antonio Arroyo will be to switch things up and clinch and work takedowns.  He has shown the ability to relocate the fight to the mat.  Arroyo’s biggest weaknesses are his takedown defense, inability to get back to his feet, and lack of cardio.  Buckley can take advantage of all three if he decides to wrestle early.

As I alluded to, Antonio Arroyo has a weed whacker gas tank.  He’s the guy that stops for gas and only puts five dollars in.  So ten blocks later, you’re pulling over for gas again.  He’s a lot like Ion Cutelaba; he is a monster in the first round but becomes less and less dangerous every minute past the fifth minute of the fight.  Arroyo has fast, long punches and uses a low hand position that makes them hard to track.  His right hand is a piston, and he uses up the middle snap kicks as well as anyone in MMA.  He will attack the body and the head with snap kicks and turn them into step-in-standing knees if the opponent defends the body.

Defensively, Arroyo relies on distance and staying out of range of strikes, or else he really doesn’t defend strikes at all.  His other major malfunctions are his lack of fight I.Q. and his ground game.  Arroyo has Ralph Wiggum fight I.Q., often taking stupid risks at the absolute worst times.  He lacks takedown defense after the first round, and custodians have to come in regularly to change his bedpan when he ends up on his back.

The good news: There are KO Fantasy points written all over this fight.  The bad news: I have no idea who’s going to end up face down like Tito Ortiz last weekend.  Speaking of Anderson Silva.  In his honor, I’m taking Antonio Arroyo via Anderson Silva front kick KO, round two.  If he throws it, it will land- Field Of Dreams voice.

Winner: Antonio Arroyo | Method: Front Kick KO Rd.2

Nathan Maness (+160 ) vs Tony Gravely (-200)

Maness: DK: $7k | Gravely: DK:$9.2k

Tony Gravely is going to win this fight with takedowns and top control, and heavy wrestler striking.  Nathan Maness isn’t a TLC scrub or anything like that; it’s just that he has trouble with wrestlers/grapplers as he did in his debut against Johnny Munoz Jr.  But, he won that fight.  It was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers opening day lucky ass win that Maness was awarded after getting punched in his mouth by a Dak Prescott who hadn’t played a down since suffering a catastrophic compound ankle fracture last year.  Munoz Jr. lost points for low blows that cost him the fight against Maness, and it ended up being a rare Matt Hamil vs. Jon Jones win that wasn’t a win, but it technically was a win.  But what we learned about Nathan Maness is that Dak Prescott will be the league MVP this year.

Both fighters made their debuts last year; Maness went 2-0, and Gravely went 2-1.  Maness is pretty much average everywhere, and his specialty is being scrappy and hanging around like that doodie you can’t quite pinch off.  You bounce up and down and do a little shimmy and a shake, and it just hangs on like Stallone in Cliff Hanger.  He has an excellent 13-1 record and is coming off an impressive win against Luke Sanders.  It was a fight that Maness was losing convincingly in the first round but found a way to survive until Sanders ran out of gas.

Gravely is the more experienced fighter with a 21-6 record and is coming off a second-round TKO win over the dusty Anthony Birchak.  Gravely should have a slight advantage on the feet as he is the more powerful striker, and he will have a big advantage on the mat from the top position.  This is Gravely’s fight to lose, which is always a dangerous situation for a fighter to be in, but he’ll be the physically stronger fighter and should be able to impose his will on Maness in every position.  But Gravely slows don’t late in fights, and if Maness can survive and get it to the third round, he’ll have a shot at the upset.

Tony Gravely has noine TKO/KO’s and three submission wins in his professional career and will be the fighter with a better chance to finish the fight.  But Gravely also has five submission losses on his record, and I can see Maness being a longshot late submission threat if he can push the pace late.  Tony Gravely via decision.

Winner: Tony Gravely | Method: Decision

Prelims

Highlighted Matchup

Impa Kasanganay (-120) vs. Carlston Harris (+100)

Kasanganay: DK: $8.9k | Harris: DK: $7.3k 

I’m taking a chance on this one.  Impa Kasanganay isn’t known for exciting bouts other than his infamous KO loss to Joaquin Buckley, but this dude Carlston Harris howls at the moon.  Harris is a Brazilian fighter with excellent wrestling/grappling and nasty submissions, and on his feet, he’s aggressive and throws long wide bombs.  This will be Harris’s second UFC bout after submitting Christian Aguilara in his debut with a first-round Anaconda choke.  Harris is 16-4, with noine finishes, and has fought in the premier Brazilian and Middle East promotions.

Impa is also a powerful wrestler/grappler with heavy wrestler striking, and if he ever learns how to throw basic combinations and increases his output, he will be a problem.  But he just doesn’t throw enough on the feet or on the mat.  Although he looks the part and throws heavy strikes, Impa lacks fight-ending KO power; he’s 9-1 professionally but has never won a fight via TKO/KO.  He’s a decision win waiting to happen, the result of prolonged top control.

I think this is the perfect fight for both fighters.  If Harris can finish Impa, it will legitimize him immediately.  Also, Impa’s passivity plays perfectly into Harris’s aggressive style.  For Impa, Harris will force him to get out of his comfort zone.  Maybe a good ol’ fashion firefight is just what Impa needs to extract him from his passive safe space.  Carlston Harris via D’arce choke, round two.

Winner: Carlston Harris | Method: D'arce Choke Rd.2

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

There are some big dogs on this card, and J.P. Buys is one of them, coming in at (+425). Buys is a massive dog for a reason. Montel Jackson is the far more athletic fighter and will have a significant speed and technical advantage on the feet, but Buys has a path to victory. He has excellent takedowns but failed to use them in his UFC debut. If he comes in and commits to his wrestling and can get Jackson to the mat, he has a shot at the upset. I got five on it like the Luniz. Why? Why not? You'll know in the opening minute if Buys has a shot at the upset if he comes out looking for takedowns with urgency. If he doesn't, it's a wrap.

Ryan Spann can beat Anthony Smith. Smith is one of those fighters I never recommend betting on; you never know which Anthony Smith will show up. It's like unmasking the Scooby-Doo bandit at the end of the episode. Spann has power, and Spann doesn't take unnecessary risks and can hang with Smith anywhere the fight goes. At (+145), Spann is dripping with value.

For five minutes, Antonio Arroyo is a lot to handle on the feet, and at (+170), he's another guy with upset value but for a limited time only.

Pick 'Em

Nikolas Motta (-310 ) vs. Cameron Vancamp (+240 )

            Winner: Nikolas Motta

 Method: TKO Rd.2 

Mike Rodriguez (+105 ) vs. Tafon Nchukwi (-125 )

            Winner: Mike Rodriguez

 Method: Decision

Pannie Kianzad (-110 ) vs. Raquel Pennington (+130)

Winner: Raquel Pennington

 Method: Decision

Rong Zhu ( ) vs. Brandon Jenkins ( )

    Winner: Rong Zhu

 Method: TKO Rd.3

Montel Jackson (-650 ) vs. J.P. Buys (+425 )

    Winner: Montel Jackson

 Method: TKO Rd.3

Erin Blanchfield (-310 ) vs. Sara Alpar (+240 )

    Winner: Erin Blanchfield

 Method: Decision

Gustavo Lopez (+105 ) vs. Heili Alateng (-125 )

    Winner: Heili Alateng

 Method: Decision

Emily Whitmire (-130 ) vs. Hannah Goldy (+110 )

    Winner: Hannah Goldy

 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

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