We're Back With Another LineStar Weekly Knockout!

Written by LineStar contributor, combat sports enthusiast, and practitioner, Chris Guy. More about me at the end of this newsletter.

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Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

Robert Whittaker (-265 ) vs. Kevin Gastelum (+210)

Whittaker: DK: $9.1k | Gastelum: DK: $7.1k

“Play that new Chronic album,” Kevin said between coughs. I had been flipping through my CD case for the last fifteen minutes, still unable to make a selection as we sat in the parking lot. Flipping to the front, I found the CD with the big green leaf on the front and slid it into the color-changing deck. Kevin handed me the bong, I mean water pipe, “It’s still cherry.”

I ripped it. Immediately, my mind flooded with memories of the third grade and the pencil sharpener mounted on the wall next to the teacher’s desk. The “dank” Kevin had picked up tasted how the pencil shavings had smelled. It did the job, though, I guess. I don’t know if I was high, but my vision was trailing, buffering lazily when we finally got out of the car, my Pops’ white 1987 Monte Carlo SS.

“Don’t slam the—“

SLAM. “My bad.”

“Prick,” I said, shaking my head.

Rain shattered the bright Blockbuster sign’s reflection against the blacktop as we ran across the parking lot. Beads of sweat glistened and streaked down the “Guaranteed In Stock” plastered windows.

We stepped inside, wiped our feet, and Kevin gestured with his head in the direction of the blonde girl behind the register, “That’s the Betty I was telling you about. The one from sixth period.”

I nodded my head approvingly. “So, what are you gonna do? You gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?”

It was brief, but I saw panic flash before his eyes, “We’ll see, I might slow play it,” Kevin said. I translated that to mean he planned to do two things, nothing and not a damn thing.

Hidden in the far corner of the store was the section Kevin was looking for. Its location gave it a shameful, seedy feel, almost as if it should be hidden behind beaded curtains.

“Let’s see… WrestleMania… Summer Slam… Royal Rumble…” Kevin browsed a small four-square-foot section of the shelf. “Here it is,” he found what he was looking for at the very bottom. For months Kevin had been telling me about a real-life Kumate called Ultimate Fighting. Fighters representing different martial arts disciplines were locked in a cage with little to no rules and fought in a tournament to determine which one was supreme.

I had pictured the champion looking like Chong Li or Tong Po, but Kevin said the best fighter was a skinny guy from Brazil. His name was Royce, but it was pronounced “Hoyce” because, in Brazil, they pronounce R’s like H’s. Apparently, Royce used a bathrobe to choke people.

“They don’t have the first one, but they have these,” Kevin said and handed me two empty cartons.”

I held a copy of UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors and UFC 8: David vs. Goliath. The covers didn’t look much different than the WWF ones, but Kevin had assured me the fights were real.

“This is that Grace guy you were talking about?” I said.

“Grace-eee,” Kevin corrected. “Yeah, that’s him.”

At the checkout, Kevin grabbed a box of Sno-Caps and Dots. I remember that because he picked the two worst candies of all time that I thought no one ever bought.

“You know this s!#t’s fake, don’t you?” said the sixth period Betty as she rang us up.

“No, it's not!” Kevin snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. This ain’t wrestling.”

The young lady shrugged, “Whatever,” and handed me the tapes and a warm smile.

We watched those tapes several times, and it became a kind of hobby for Kevin and me, renting UFC tapes and practicing the moves and submissions in the mangy dirt lot he called his backyard.

Looking back, that day at Blockbuster turned out to be a seminal moment that changed my life forever. I left with the sixth period Betty’s number and the realization that girls were nothing to be afraid of. Oh, and I was introduced to a sport that would heavily influence the rest of my life.

The day the first Ultimate Fighter aired on SPIKE TV was another game-changing day for me. I knew Dana White had directed his famous so-you-think-you-want-to-be-a-fighter speech at me, and I decided to dedicate myself to fighting in the UFC someday. It didn’t work out for me, but it did work out for Kevin Gastelum and Robert Whittaker. Both men competed on the Ultimate Fighter and won their respective seasons, completing the toughest route to the UFC. This weekend they will face off with the title of number one middleweight contender and next opponent for the champ, Israel Adesanya, at stake.

A win for either fighter would produce a rematch with The Last Stylebender. Gastelum was one round away from winning the belt when he fought Adesanya two years ago and undoubtedly gave Adesanya his toughest test inside the Octagon, including the recent Jan Blachowicz fight.

By the end of the fight, Adesanya’s face looked like he had a shellfish allergy and had ordered the Admiral’s Feast at Red Lobster. He was swollen and looked a mess, and he had to dig deep in the fifth and deciding round to beat Gastelum that day. Even though he fell a little short of achieving championship gold, that performance was Kelvin Gastelum reaching his absolute potential. The loss to Adesanya began a three-fight losing streak for Gastelum, culminating in an early first-round submission loss to Jack Hermansson last July.

Gastelum rebounded with an impressive, decisive win this past February over Ian Heinisch. Getting back to his wrestling roots, Gastelum dominated the majority of the fight with timely takedowns and top control; it looked a lot like the game plan Marvin Vettori just implemented against Kevin Holland. Kelvin rose to the top of the division as an undersized middleweight relying on superior hand speed and a laser beam, fight-changing left hand.

What makes Gastelum special is his ability to cover distance and get inside on taller, longer fighters and land big overhand lefts and lead hooks. His speed catches every opponent off guard, and his excellent defensive wrestling leaves them with zero options if they are a step behind on the feet. Against Whittaker, Gastelum needs to commit to his wrestling, setting up takedowns behind his left hand. If at first, his takedowns don’t succeed, Gastelum must try, try again. And again.

Robert Whittaker is the second-best middleweight of all time. Did I stu-stu stutter? When it’s all said and done, Israel Adesanya may hold that position or may even sit upon the throne, but as of today, Whittaker is that dude. Since losing to Wonderboy Thompson at welterweight in 2014, Bobby Knuckles has gone 11-1 in the middleweight division, the lone loss coming to Adesanya. He not only agreed to fight Yoel Romero twice, he actually showed up both times. And he beat Romero. Twice.

Robert Whittaker was one of the most underrated Champions of all time. His striking is unorthodox, unique, and elite. Whittaker slips, taking his head off centerline, with every strike he throws, and he carries his hands down by his waist and engages from the opponent’s lower periphery. His jab is one of the best in the game, coming upward from out of view instead of straight from the face, and he uses it to set up his right hand over the top.

Same-side combinations, I have talked about them before. Whittaker uses the best same-side combination I have ever seen. And that's not hyperbole. An example of a same-side combo is firing a right hand after a right kick before the kicking foot touches the ground, like a superman punch. Whittaker throws a right high kick after a right cross that looks like a sleight of hand, some kind of smoke and mirrors. He throws the high kick behind the right hand almost simultaneously and lands the high kick at a high rate. He almost finished Jared Cannonier in his most recent bout after landing that combination in the third round. Cannonier did one of the best chicken dances you’ll see. Get ‘em. Homie dropped a cardboard square and started breakdancing on a Twister mat. Get ‘em. Homie looked like his buddies talked him into doing a flip off the high dive, and he belly-flopped. Get ‘em. Homie flopped around like an Aquaman out of water. Get ‘em. Homie looked… okay, you get the idea.

Whittaker will have to dust off his wrestling shoes this Saturday, but I don’t see Gastelum’s wrestling overwhelming him. Yoel Romero had very little success taking Whittaker down in both fights, and Romero has some of the best wrestling in MMA.

In many ways, this is the perfect fight for Gastelum; he needs an opponent that will bring out the dog in him and force him into a firefight. Too often, in big fights, Gastelum disappears and just doesn’t let his hands go. Whittaker’s aggression and high output will force Gastelum to pick up his pace as Adesanya forced him to do.

This is a titillating matchup, and I have a main event winning streak on the line here. The red flag for Gastelum is that he has consistently lost the biggest fights of his career. This fight would fall into that category. Bobby Knuckles, even in defeat, goes for it; he risks everything and never plays it safe or freezes up. Robert Whittaker via decision. On wax.

Confidence Index:

Whittaker: 65%

Gastelum: 35%

Winner: Robert Whittaker | Method: Decision

Jeremy Stephens (-125 ) vs Drakkar Klose (+105)

Stephens: DK: $7.8k | Klose: DK:$8.4k

Like the Dallas Cowboys’ title hopes every year since 1995, this one won’t last long. On tap, we have the house special, a spicy brawl with hints of a firefight and strong notes of reckless exchanges that linger on the back of the palate for an aggressive finish. This matchup features two fighters that look down at the floor and swing for the fences like its batting practice.

Jeremy Stephens has long been a fan favorite since 2007. I knew Stephens was a long-time UFC veteran, but I didn’t realize he’s made thirty-three appearances inside the Octagon. His overall UFC record won’t wow you, 15-17-1, and he’s lost consecutive fights five times and is currently 0-4-1 in his last five bouts. But dig this, Stephens’s last five opponents have been Kalvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez (twice), Zabit Magomedsharipov (easier to spell than it sounds), and Jose Aldo. That’s a Suge Knight lineup, Death Row.

Little Heathen has been a mainstay in the UFC because of his willingness to go out on his shield and his unwillingness to avoid taking heavy damage in the process. Jeremy stands in the center of the Octagon and exchanges with anyone placed in front of him; he shows zero respect in that regard to any and all fighters. He throws every strike at one hundred percent, and maybe that comes as a detriment to his success, but at the same time, it’s also the crux of it. Simply put, Stephens has Dim Mak power and can KO anyone in the division if he catches them.

Stephens throws mostly hooks and overhands and compliments his boxing with heavy above-the-knee and low calf kicks. His major malfunction, Stephens drops his hands every time he engages and Bear Grills camps in the pocket. That’s a drowsy combination. Jeremy also tends to attack straight up the middle every time and fails to mix up his cadences to provide different looks. On occasions, Lil Heathen will switch stances as he moves forward, throwing power punches with both hands, similar to how Michael Chandler recently KO’d Dan Hooker.

Drakkar Klose will match Stephens’s willingness to engage in back and forth fight of the night-worthy fisticuffs. Klose will literally look down at the ground as he wings heavy overhand rights and left hooks. With a cherry Garcia Vega rocking in his favorite Lazy Boy, my Tio used to tell me he won over a dozen street fights by breaking his opponent’s hands without ever throwing a punch. His tactic, lower his head when his aggressor would throw so the punches would land on the top of his head and forehead. Was it true; who knows, but Drakkar Klose jacked my Tio’s style and implements the same technique to defend punches.

Klose also brings solid wrestling to the table, and the easiest path to victory would be to close the distance, press Stephens against the cage, and use dirty boxing to work trip takedowns. Drakkar has to be careful closing the distance, though. He often uses sloppy pocket entries, entering into clinch range without the cover of feints or strikes to distract the opponent. Stephens will make him pay every time. If Drakkar can get the fight to the mat, he has heavy ground and pound and looks to end the fight with strikes.

Jeremy Stephens provides the better Fantasy roster option; his noineteen career KO’s more than justifies it. Klose could be a solid lower-tier option; he’ll engage with Stephens and could record some top control time with solid significant strikes landed, but he’s not a finisher. Lil Heathen via TKO, round two.

Winner: Jeremy Stephens | Method: TKO Rd.2

Andrei Arlovski (-125) vs. Chase Sherman (+105)

Arlovski: DK: $8.5k | Sherman: DK: $7.7k

This fight is tailor-made for the Walmart self-checkout circuit. Arlovski is one hundred fifty-seven in fight years, and he’s taking this fight on one week’s notice. Oddly, as his skills and physical attributes have diminished, Arlovski has remained highly competitive throughout his career. Before his most recent bout against a future title contender, Tom Aspinall, Arlovski had won three of his last four fights.

Andrei still has enough power in his right hand to earn respect, but his hand speed is a flicker of the flame it used to be, and he has a hair-trigger light switch. Luckily for Arlovski, he’s fighting a very beatable opponent, the type of opponent he should be fighting in the twilight of his career instead of the Tom Aspinall’s of the world.

Chase Sherman looks like the high school bully in an 80s movie, like Biff from Back To The Future. Sherman moves like a synchronized swimmer, slow and lethargic, and he has a terrible habit of smelling what the Rock is cooking every time he engages, raising his chin high in the air like he took an mRNA vaccine to prevent getting knocked out.

Sherman does have tight boxing, he’s aggressive, and he throws three to four-punch combinations consistently. The lead hook is Sherman’s best weapon, especially when he punctuates combinations with it as opposed to leading with it. Overall, Sherman is a smoke and mirrors type of striker. He looks better than he is. The stance, the high handguard, and the pendulum swaying movement all look the part of an excellent striker, but he’s actually very average.

I think this is a winnable fight for Andrei Arlovski, one he can use to stave off the retirement talk for at least another fight. Andrei Arlovski via decision.

Winner: Andrei Arlovski | Method: Decision

Abdul Razak Alhassan (-300 ) vs Jacob Malkoun (+235)

Alhassan: DK: $9.3k |Malkoun: DK: $6.9k

Do you remember that show Pros vs. Joes? Regular shmucks like myself would compete against former professional athletes in their respective sports. This fight has that feel to it. Jacob Malkoun is 4-1 professionally in MMA, and he made his UFC debut after just four pro fights. It lasted eighteen seconds. Phil Hawes KO'd Malkoun real quick, and those eighteen seconds make up most of the available footage on Malkoun.

Abdul Razak Alhassan is a power striker with a one hundred percent finishing rate. He spent much of the past five months in Khaos Williams’s closet as an ironing board after being starched by Williams in thirty seconds back in November. He also lost to Mounir Lazzez previous to the Khaos fight and is riding a two-fight losing streak.

Alhassan has good skills, tight hands with a traditional high handguard, but he lacks movement. Any movement. He relies solely on covering up to defend strikes and never attempts to get out of the way. Against Khaos Williams, Alhassan showed low fight IQ. He came out throwing naked leg kicks while covering up in front of Williams. You don’t throw leg kicks without anything in front of them against someone looking to throw bombs at the first sign of a sneeze, sniffle, cough, or fart. They’ll give you the leg kick in exchange for landing a bomb in return. And that’s exactly what happened.

Abdul has KO power to spare in his right hand, and he can throw it at different angles, as an overhand, straight, or as a crooked hook. There doesn’t appear to be any real tactic behind Alhassan’s striking; he just throws with no real setups.

I don’t know much about Malkoun, and I’d stay away from this fight from a pick ‘em standpoint. If I’m forced to have one on my Fantasy roster, I’m taking Alhassan. Ten wins, all by TKO/KO. That works for me. Abdul Razak Alhassan via TKO, round two.

Winner: Abdul Razak Alhassan | Method: TKO Rd.2

Luis Pena (-150 ) vs Alex Munoz (+125)

Pena: DK: $8.7k | Munoz: DK:$ 7.5k

The Violent Bob Ross, Luis Pena has one of the best nicknames in the game. Pena was a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter in 2018 and has gone 4-3 in the time since. He’s a long one-punch striker with solid grappling and moderate takedown abilities. Luis likes to stay on the outside and pepper with teeps and front snap kicks to set up his hands. The clinch is Pena’s path to takedowns, using it to tie up and land trips.

Alex Munoz is a wrestler who trains with Urijah Faber at the legendary Team Alpha Male camp. Munoz has classic wrestler striking and looks like a right-handed southpaw. He uses his lead right hand predominantly and occasionally throws a haymaker overhand left. Level change feints from a wrestler are good ways to open up windows to land their hands, and Munoz uses them often, sometimes too often. Munoz will often drop his level repeatedly and come right back to his normal stance, telegraphing the movement and making him vulnerable to up the middle strikes.

I’d give Pena the advantage on the feet, and he can land sneaky chokes on the ground, but I think Munoz will be the all-around better grappler. Munoz will also be the more physically strong fighter. If he comes in with the Khabib mindset—shooting takedowns repeatedly despite the success rate—he can maintain enough top control to win a decision. If it stays on the feet, Pena is likely to eke out a decision. Coin flip. Alex Munoz via decision.

Winner: Alex Munoz | Method: Decision

Bill Algeo ( ) vs Ricardo Ramos ( )

Algeo: DK: $8k | TBD: DK:$

As I was posting this, Sherdog reported that Ricardo Ramos withdrew from his bout against Bill Algeo. I have let Dana know that I can make 145 no problem, and I can be in Vegas in four hours. Here's a little about Bill Algeo, a replacement hasn't been announced, and Algeo may be dropped from the card altogether.

Prelims

Highlighted Matchup

Alexander Romanov (-145) vs. Juan Espino  (+120)

Romanov: DK: $8.8k | Espino: DK: $7.4k  

This is a matchup between two promising heavyweights who could someday shake up the division. Alexander Romanov howls at the moon. He’s wild. He’ll grab hold of you and toss you over his head like a beer keg in a Strong Man contest. When he gets you down, his ground and pound is heavy, and his submission game is filthy rotten. He’s won three professional fights via forearm choke, including his most recent fight back in November. A forearm choke is exactly how it sounds, a forearm straight to the throat until you tap. It’s so vicious it looks like it should be illegal.

The interesting thing about this fight is that Juan Espino is an elite grappler and submission artist himself, and Romanov may have to explore a different path to victory. The only thing that hasn’t been impressive about Romanov in his two UFC outings has been his striking. He has looked to have slow hands and wild, wide punches with zero defensive prowess. I think this will be a good fight for Romanov to showcase his standup that looked far better in his fights outside of the UFC.

Always be wary of a man with a summer tan in the winter. Juan Espino has put Ashley Yoder on notice for the best tan in MMA. Espino’s striking is an eyesore; you have to squint and can’t look directly at it. But he’s a killer on the mat. Juan has excellent chokes and arm/shoulder submissions. He uses the clinch to initiate takedowns, and if he ends up in the top position, Romanov could be in big trouble. Romanov is more of a power wrestler who needs to gain top control, while Espino is more of a Jiu-Jitsu player comfortable from the top and bottom.

Espino will be entering the cage as the slight underdog and might slip on the abundance of value dripping from him. You can’t go wrong with either fighter on your roster, depending on your budget. Romanov is 13-0 with thirteen finishes, and Espino has finished eight of his ten pro wins. Alexander Romanov via TKO, round two.

Winner: Alexander Romanov | Method: TKO Rd.2

Bonus Bout

Jake Paul (-190) vs. Ben Askren (+155)

This could end up being a bad look for MMA. Ben Askren's hands are slightly better than a man missing both. He's immobile, stiff, and looks like he's a month removed from a hip replacement; there's zero rotation. His punches make boinking sounds when they land, and he carries his hands lower than his chances to win the fight.

The only path to victory I see for Askren is the Ol Homer Simpson approach. Simpson worked his way through the rankings by beating a murderer's row of Box Car Willies by letting them punch him in the face until they got tired. Homer would then just push them over, and he entered his bout against Frederick Tatum for the Heavyweight Championship of the world with a one hundred percent finishing rate.

Jake Paul will no doubt come out swinging haymakers and hooks. Askren needs to be prepared to cover up and attempt to establish some distance with the jab. The only question is Paul's gas tank. When you try to finish someone and can't, it saps a lot of energy. Askren's only hope is to survive the early storm and try to chip away in the later rounds.

I hope I'm wrong... Jake Paul via TKO, round two. Nate Robinson will be looking on in the crowd like Smokey waiting to recite the famous line, "You got KTFO, maaaaaaaan!!"

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

Last week the favorites threw a no-hitter. This week doesn't look any more promising. At (+210), Kelvin Gastelum is the dog with the best chance of scoring the upset. If he comes out aggressive and lets his left hand fly and uses his wrestling, he's definitely capable of beating Whittaker. Juan Espino at (+120) is a submission waiting to happen, and Alexander Romanov hasn't been tested in a long time.

Pick 'Em

Tracy Cortez (-275 ) vs. Justine Kish (+235 )

Winner: Tracy Cortez

 Method: Decision 

Alexander Romanov (-145 ) vs. Juan Espino (+120 )

Winner: Alexander Romanov

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Jessica Penne (+225 ) vs. Lupita Godinez (-285)

Winner: Lupita Godinez

 Method: Decision

Gerald Meerschaert (+110) vs. Bartosz Fabinski (-130)

    Winner: Bartosz Fabinski

 Method: Decision

Dakota Bush ( ) vs. Austin Hubbard ( )

    Winner: Dakota Bush

 Method: Decision

Zarah Fairn Dos Santos (+105) vs. Josiane Nunes (-125)

    Winner: Josiane Nunes

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Tony Gravely (-140) vs. Anthony Birchak (+115)

    Winner: Tony Gravely

 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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