We're Back With Another LineStar Weekly Knockout!

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

Instagram: @therealsethgeko & Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

"They’re coming; they’re gaining. I’ve been running; they’re waiting. Jason, Leatherface, it’s amazing. The blades, chainsaws that they’re waving…"

When you no longer hear them, you know they're closing in. They're never too far away. Our demons, let's take a look back at them.

I was on a quest for redemption during UFC 271, looking to right many wrongs. Although I had a solid night, I didn’t find what I was looking for. The search continues.

No matter how you spell it, it was a bad night for Derrick’s. Derek Brunson and Derrick Lewis were KO’d viciously after jumping out to early first-round leads. Darrick is also my brother’s name, and I called him last night to make sure he didn’t spontaneously go narcoleptic in between garlic butter biscuits at Red Lobster. The clam chowder can be a drowning hazard.

Here’s something you don’t see often, Derrick Lewis slumped like a solar-powered robot during an eclipse. Homie looked like a six-year-old’s first weary dive off the YMCA’s six-footer. Lewis looked like when it's go-time, but the whiskey kicks in and says otherwise. My man looked like my Super Bowl hopes the first week of every January for the last twenty-six years.

Derek Brunson did what I had been expecting him to do for the last three fights. After making all that noise about a rematch against Israel Adesanya, Brunson turned into a Minnesota Timberwolves customer service rep, selling wolf tickets. I don’t know how they pay him; he probably has trouble punching a clock with that stand-up.

The highlight of the night belonged to my favorite fighter, Bobby Green. “King” Green gets robbed more than department stores in San Francisco, so it was fitting to finally see 30-27 in favor of Bobby Green on all three scorecards. What’s next for Bobby Digital? I like what Jon Anik proposed during the broadcast, nothing short of a headlining spot on a Fight Night card.

Finally, he’s back. Yes, Sojaboy is back for a second season of 90 Day Fiancé, and his grooves are crunchier than ever. But I’m not talking about Sojaboy. I’m back. It wasn’t long ago that I was cast into the mouth of Mount Doom into the bowels of Mordor and left to the devices of the evil Sauron after dropping six straight main event picks. But here I am, Jon Snow waking up on the stone table, a tattered loincloth my only earthly possession. As I lie awake, I get that look in my eyes. That Tom-Brady-after-winning-the-coin-toss-in-OT-after-coming-back-from-a-twenty-five-point-halftime-deficit look in my eyes. Oh, yes, we’re streaking again.

Main Card

Johnny Walker (+200 ) vs Jamahal Hill (-250)

Walker: DK: $7.2k | Hill: DK:$9k

This is the co-main event that’s now the main event after the original main event, The Battle of the Rafael’s (Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev) was pushed back to co-headline UFC 272. For a last-minute fallback plan, Walker vs. Hill will fill in nicely and is an undercover banger, featuring two polar opposite strikers. Johnny Walker represents a Biggie on the corner kicking silky freestyles, going off the top of the dome, freeform, no boundaries. Jamahal Hill represents an aggressive Tupac with sharp technical skills, duffing out a rival in the lobby of the MGM Grand, tough, gritty, grimey.

Jamahal Hill is a sleeper in the light heavyweight division. Other than Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev, Hill is one of the best natural strikers in the division. He’s a southpaw, and his jab has a Master's degree. Jamahal manages distance at an elite level and has a left hand that can execute any life insurance policy without the fear of an ID Network three-part tell-all documentary. Hill has an excellent high output and attacks the body regularly with combinations. The counter check-hook is Hill’s most often-used defensive weapon and served as the executioner in his most recent bout against Jimmy “Valmer” Crute, a forty-eight second TKO.

Less than a year ago, Hill suffered a broken arm against Paul Craig when he was caught in a triangle choke/armbar. Hill’s arm was flapping around at the point of the break and scoring significant strikes on behalf of Paul Craig when the ref finally stopped the fight out of pity. It looked like when a bully gets on top of you and starts making you slap yourself while yelling, “stop hitting yourself, stop hitting yourself.” Homie had two elbows. Homie’s arm looked like it was playing rock-paper-scissors. I imagine the arm snapping sounded like the rare occasion when you use your blinker to change lanes.

Jamahal will be the more technical striker, and a more traditional back and forth affair heavily favors him. If Johnny Walker resigns to a technical kickboxing match as he did in his last bout against Thiago Santos, he’ll slowly and surely get picked apart. Hill needs to dawn the yellow jersey and stay on his bike, circling the outside while protecting the middle ground with jabs and quick one-twos. Speed first, power second. Hill needs to focus on speed and touching Santos early to build the foundation for his deadly left hand.

Johnny Walker is a rare breed of fighter; he needs chaos to thrive. He’s at his best when he fights without boundaries, without the limitations of traditional preconceived rhythms or flows. Walker is a bigger Michel Pereira, the Cirque Du Soleil trapeze artist who does Simone Biles floor routines in the cage. Walker is a Harlem Globetrotter striker who hits you with every spinning and flying technique ever invented. When he starts throwing limbs around willy-nilly, the Globetrotters' whistling theme song starts playing in the background.

Walker is allergic to second rounds. For better or worse, seventeen of his twenty-four career fights have ended in the first round, including five of his last seven. His most recent bout was a main event against Thiago Santos and was a rare occasion that went the allotted twenty-five minutes. The fight was a dud. Two fighters known for howling at the moon combined for a lackluster bout in which neither fighter was willing to risk anything other than stepping into the cage in the first place.

Similar to a Tony Ferguson, Walker lacks fundamental techniques to fall back on when the wild, flashy, unorthodox tactics don’t work. If Ferguson can’t beat you with Gregory Hines tap dancing and electric slide awkward strikes, he has no base to return to. Walker’s style is limited by the same lack of fundamentals.

But you have to stick to what got you to the dance, the Bod Man cologne spray, LA Looks hair gel, and the Ford Escort with the manual windows. The key for Johnny Walker is to be Johnny Walker. Create Chaos and let the chips fall where they may. If I were in his corner, I’d advise Walker to initiate the clinch and work trips. Jamahal Hill’s ground game is fifteen penalties on the Rams’ final drive after an entire game with no penalties, highly suspicious. Close to one hundred percent of Brazilians are good at Jiu-Jitsu, and Walker is no exception. Walker needs to look to relocate the fight and work from the top. That’s not a typical game plan for Walker, but he has the skills to implement it.

The value in both of these guys is finishing, but Jamahal Hill will also provide output and high significant strikes should the fight progress into the later rounds. Walker’s output is low with a lot of dead air between engagements, and his value is almost strictly in an emphatic finish. Here’s to a three-fight dub streak; Jamahal Hill via TKO, round three. You know where to put it. On wax.

Winner: Jamahal Hill | Method: TKO Rd.3

Jamie Pickett (+215 ) vs. Kyle Daukaus (-265 )

Pickett: DK: $7.4k | Daukaus: DK: $8.8k

This card is being held together with glue sticks and Scotch tape; this is another salvaged fight that was originally Julian Marquez vs. Kyle Daukaus and an absolute banger. No offense to Jamie Pickett, but he will be a step down in competition for the skinny Daukaus brother.

Kyle Daukaus is the brother of UFC heavyweight Chris Daukaus, who burned through the heavyweight division and finished 2021 with a main event spot across from Derrick Lewis. Kyle is coming off a win that wasn’t a win after he choked out Kevin Holland late last year. A nasty clash of heads momentarily rendered Holland unconscious, which led to Daukaus taking Holland’s back. Daukaus worked several chokes before he finally found the one that fit just right and tapped Holland. But replay confirmed the clash of heads that led to Daukaus gaining the advantage, and the bout was ruled a no contest.

We’ve yet to see Chris Daukaus’s all-around game, but we’ve seen plenty of Kyle’s. Kyle is a well-rounded fighter, who in just four UFC bouts, has proven he can stand and grapple with the elite in the division. He mixes effortless, smooth striking from the southpaw stance with high-level Jiu-Jitsu and ground and pound. Kyle went three hard rounds against Brendan Allen in his debut, and that fight featured high-level scrambles and submission attempts/escapes from both fighters.

On the feet, Kyle’s left hand is dangerous, and he’s creative setting it up. He often likes to use it as a same-side combination behind a left kick. It’s a sneaky way to land the power cross by bringing the opponent’s hands down to defend the kick. Daukaus has an excellent feel for the pocket and remains just outside his opponent’s reach. Kyle uses the Daukaus patented palm-down hooks that land around the opponent’s guard with the first two knuckles, causing extra damage.

Pick a spot, any spot, Daukaus will have the advantage anywhere the fight goes. Jamie Pickett likes to clinch and work takedowns against the cage, but Daukaus is a master in the clinch, and his top game is far more advanced than Pickett’s. This is a good fight for Daukaus to notch a dub and keep it moving into a quick turnaround after.

Jamie Pickett isn’t a TLC scrub, but he’s not exactly a Jay-Z and Eminem renegade either. He’s average; you’ll find about a dozen Jamie Pickett’s in most MMA gyms that produce professional prizefighters. Pickett has decent kickboxing with a long reach, but he struggles with range and isn’t a fluid combination striker. The game plan I’ve seen Pickett implement in almost every fight is to clinch and control against the cage and work trips.

The key for Pickett will be the Madden shotgun formation with five wide-outs running deep routes on every play. He needs to throw caution to the wind, or else his chonies will likely be aired out in the wind, and he’ll have to give up the sticks at halftime. Is there value for Pickett? Maybe a little more than I’ll provide you from my living room with Mary Jane sitting on my lap on Saturday night. Kyle Daukaus via rear-naked choke, round two.

Winner: Kyle Daukaus | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Parker Porter (-250 ) vs. Alan Baudot (+200 )

Porter: DK: $8.9k | Baudot: DK: $7.3k

This will be a slobber knocker, emphasis on the slobber. One of two things is going to happen: 1) these guys will engage in a Chiles happy hour brawl and the fight will be over before the southwestern eggrolls get to the table, or 2) there will be brief early exchanges that will taper off dramatically by the second round, and the fight will go fifteen agonizing minutes.

Parker Porter is the more technical striker in this matchup and is surprisingly agile for a man with a sumo wrestler’s physique. He maintains good lateral movement while engaging with short combinations and heavy leg kicks. This dude’s legs are the size of Super Bowl 50 Cent.

Like U.S. foreign policy, Alan Baudot throws nothing but bombs. If you’ve ever played the old EA Sports Fight Night video games, Baudot fights like hitting the haymaker button over and over until all your stamina is drained, and you have to wait thirty seconds before you can throw another punch. He averages almost eight significant strikes per minute but his average UFC fight time is only four minutes.

I think Parker Porter is the overall better fighter, but Alan Baudot is very dangerous and has a ton of value coming in as the (+190) underdog. Parker Porter is the massive (-245) favorite, and I don’t think he should be that high a favorite against anything other than a plate of enchiladas. But here we are. Parker also has a high output, averaging eight significant strikes per minute with a ten-minute average fight time. If he can’t score the finish, he’ll provide some solid stats. Parker Porter via leg kick TKO, round two.

Winner: Parker Porter | Method: TKO Rd.2

Nikolas Motta (-180 ) vs. Jim Miller (+155 )

Motta: DK: $8.5k | Miller: DK: $7.7k

Jim Miller is the definition of a gatekeeper; this will be his second straight fight against a fighter making their UFC debut. The guy with the most appearances in UFC history is fighting a guy with zero, zip, nada, nil. Jim Miller is the O’est G of all the OG’s in the UFC, and with this fight, he'll have a record thirty-noine UFC bouts dating back to UFC 89 in 2008. Miller has eighteen submission wins and is coming off a second-round KO, his first TKO/KO since 2016.

Miller remains an outstanding grappler with a dangerous guard, but his standup has become a liability over the years. His hand speed and reactions have slowed, making it dangerous for him to get caught in a firefight where he once thrived.

Because of his seniority, Miller was granted his preference of working the first shift guarding the entrance to the Bridge of Death. Miller’s opponent, Nikolas Motta, is making his UFC debut, after an impressive showing on The Contenders Series. Miller will have his hands full like looters in LA after the refs handed the Rams the Super Bowl.

Motta reminds me of a mini Shogun Rua when he fought in the Pride promotion in Japan; he throws heavy round punches with severe hand speed and aggression. Coming off a KO victory, it might be tempting for Miller to come out feeling himself like he’s doing the Macarena and try to bang with the young savage. But I’m here to dispel that idea, Jim. Take this kid to the ground ASAP. Like at the weigh-ins when he least expects it. DO NOT stand and bang with this kid.

I haven’t seen any of Motta’s ground game; he may very well be a savage on the mat, and Miller could be caught in a classic Catch-22 (an all-time great book, btw). Motta has a third-round KO win over the uber-grappler, Joe Solecki. That could be foreshadowing for this bout. Motta engages with hooks and overhands in threes and fours and likes to cover distance behind a two-three combo (cross-hook). The knock against Motta is although he throws combinations, he leaves a lot of dead air between exchanges. Also, he tends to shoeshine with extended combinations in the pocket and is vulnerable to counters.

Defensively, Motta is a same-time counter puncher. That's turning defense into offense. He’ll time the opponent to throw at the same time as them and beat them to the punch. It’s important to feint and work behind a double/triple jab when you face a fighter who same-time counters. Draw out the counters and counter the counters. Miller can feint Motta into engaging and change levels under Motta’s strikes.

“Earthworm” Jim Miller is coming in as the (+150) dog, and this guy never ceases to amaze me. If he can avoid a firefight with Motta and secure top position consistently, he can win the fight. But Motta is all the superlatives associated with young, hungry, up-and-coming fighters. Motta is 12-3 professionally with eight TKO/KO’s, and I like his chances of catching Miller with something heavy early. Nikolas Motta via TKO, round two.

Winner: Nikolas Motta  | Method: TKO Rd.2

Joaquin Buckley (-145 ) vs Abdul Razak Alhassan (+125 )

Buckley: DK: $8.3k | Alhassan: DK:$7.9k

Joaquin Buckley is a hero without a half shell. Buckley would be a first-round pick in an action figure draft between you and your homies back in the day. 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. 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 is 3-2 in the UFC with three TKOs, but the two losses were also by TKO. He is the literal definition of kill or be killed. As a southpaw, his head is a high kick magnet for orthodox fighters; he tends to duck into round kicks, and against Abdul Alhasssan, if Buckley isn’t careful, he’ll find himself selling magazine subscriptions outside the pearly gates real quick. The way to beat Alhassan is down the middle with straight punches and up the middle kicks and knees. Joaquin will have to straighten out his usually wide, round strikes and dust off that spinning back kick.

Abdul Alhassan is a tale-of-two-rounds type of fighter. In the first round, Alhassan's hand speed is 5G, but in the second, it turns into AOL dial-up. The line stays busy for hours while you download the new Chronic album on Limewire. Alhassan, like Buckley, throws everything wide and in repetitive left-right patterns. He has heavy kicks, but he throws them naked with nothing in front to hide them and often gets countered down the middle. Khaos Williams KO’d Alhassan in thirty seconds with a counter right hand down the pike when Alhassan threw a lazy naked leg kick. Alhassan looked like he was pencil diving for clams, as stiff as one of my eighth-grade tube socks when he hit the ground.

If Buckley is smart, he’ll look to wrestle and get Alhassan on his back. Alhassan is a corpse on the mat, only moving when rigor mortis sets in. The ol’ rigor mortis guard. Alhasssan needs a consistent output on the feet, and he has to take risks drawing out 50/50 exchanges. Buckley has been shown to struggle under pressure and isn’t a sound defensive fighter.

This fight will likely end before the final bell because all Joaquin Buckley fights end before the final bell. Alhassan will be coming in as the dog, most likely because of his tendency to fade in fights and lack of takedown defense and overall grappling. But Alhassan could be a good long shot option to score some finishing points. But when it comes to putting it on wax, I’m rolling with Joaquin Buckley via TKO, round two.

Winner: Joaquin Buckley | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

Highlighted Matchup

Mark Striegl (+180) vs Chas "Mulder &" Skelly (-220 )

Striegl: DK: $7.5k | Wells: DK:$8.7k

I haven’t been outside of San Diego in a while, and I’m not sure how big Taco Shops are in other states, but Chas Skelly is the guy wearing flip-flops holding up the line asking if the “Peeeco” has onions. Of course, it does, Chas. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be pico. It would be tomatoes with little leaves. The point is, don’t let the dad bod fool you; Chas Skelly is a tough-out for a lot of fighters in the featherweight division. And if Chas Skelly takes the last of the spicy carrots, just let it go.

Skelly is a relentless wrestler/grappler, and if he latches on to any part of you, you’re going down, and you’re gonna have a bad time. His ground and pound is more annoying than fight-ending, and he’s a position over submission grappler looking to constrict you slowly with sneaky chokes. His specialty is head and arm chokes, variations of arm-triangles like Brabo/D’arce and Anacondas. This friendly message is brought to you by the letter Wu: Protect Ya Neck!

When it comes to striking, Chas’s ain’t pretty. I’d liken Skelly’s striking to a five-year-old playing Street Fighter and mashing all the buttons at once; he closes his eyes and wings lefts and rights with kicks interspersed randomly. Chas will need to get this fight to the ground A-double S-A-P.

Skelly hasn’t fought since 2019 and had a fight canceled last year after he had already made the walk to the cage. His opponent, Jamal Emmers, had back spasms just before making the walk, and the fight was called off. Skelly’s corner will have to bust out the Pledge cans and buff Skelly until he has a glowing shine before sending him into the Octagon.

Mark Striegl’s strengths align with Chas Skelly’s and should produce a very entertaining ground fight. Striegl is a Southeast Asian Games Sambo Gold Medalist and is 18-3 as a professional. He made his UFC debut in 2020 after a brief stint as the One FC bantamweight champion. The UFC brass must’ve thought very highly of Striegl because they matched him up with Said Nurmagomedov, who KO’d Striegl in under a minute. The good news for Striegl this time around: it can’t get much worse.

Striegl has textbook wrestler striking, basic hand combinations with good speed and power, but his specialty is his wrestling and submission game, much like Skelly. Fourteen of eighteen wins are by submission, and most are rear-naked chokes. He has yet to record a win by TKO/KO, so you know it’s submission or bust for Striegl. If Stiegl gets your back, wrap it up, B.

Chas Skelly is entering as the big (-200) favorite, and Striegl will come in with a lot of value as a little-known underdog. If Striegl is the one to gain top position first, he could cause Skelly some problems. But Skelly is also 18-3 and has never been finished, and I think this one likely goes the distance. Chas Skelly via decision.

Winner: Chas Skelly | Method: Decision

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

The main event is almost always a good spot to look for bet-worthy underdogs. Main events are usually competitive, high-level matchups with precious rankings at stake. This week is no different. At (+200), Johhny Walker has the unpredictable intangibles to beat Jamahal Hill if he makes this a Michel Pereira-like wild fight. If Walker gets outside the box and avoids anything resembling a traditional kickboxing match, he'll have a chance to land something fight-changing/ending.

Mark Striegl's resume and list of accomplishments outside of the UFC are numerous, and his skills line up symmetrically with The California Burrito Kid's, Chas Skelly. This will be a grappler vs. grappler clash, and at (+180), Striegl has the size and strength to cause the much less athletic Skelly problems if Skelly ends up in the bottom position.

Abdul Razak Alhassan (+125) can turn the lights out like a Texas winter and has more than a puncher's chance against Joaquin Buckley. This is a classic, Be First & Be Often, matchup, and whichever fighter leads the dance will likely land first and walk away with a dub.

Longshot: Stephanie Egger (+160) is a Judo specialist with excellent hip throws and a strong top game and ground and pound. She'll be at a decided disadvantage on the feet, but if she can find a way to initiate the clinch, she can make her fight with Jessica Rose Clark ugly and cause Clark problems on the mat from the top position.

Pick 'Em

Christian Rodriguez (-350 ) vs. Jonathan Pearce (+270 )

Winner: Jonathan Pearce

 Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Gabriel Benitez (+125 ) vs. David Onama (-145 )

Winner: David Onama

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Jessica Rose Clark (-190 ) vs. Stephanie Egger (+160 )

    Winner: Jessica Rose Clark

 Method: Decision

Diana Belbita (-110) vs. Gloria de Paula (-110 )

    Winner: Diana Belbita

 Method: Decision

Chad Anheliger (-265 ) vs. Jesse Strader (+205 )

    Winner: Chad Anheliger

 Method: Decision

Mario Bautista ( ) vs. Jay "Wheel of Time" Perrin ( )

    Winner: Mario Bautista

 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