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.

Instagram: @therealsethgeko

Main Card

Deiveson Figueiredo (-335 ) vs. Brandon Moreno (+255)

Figueiredo: DK: $9k, FD: $23 | Moreno: DK: $7.2k, FD: $18

I don’t remember there ever being an occurrence when the defending champion has made a three-week turnaround to defend his belt. I’ve seen champions over the years strategically suffer injuries and pull out of fights to prolong their title reigns, only defending the strap once every twelve to sixteen months, but I’ve never seen a champ so eager to clear out a division. Deiveson Figueiredo, I take my hat off, a 2002 Anaheim Angels World Series Champions New Era fitted size seven and one-eighths, with the crusted-over headband and sweat-stained bill, to you, my man.

Figueiredo is coming off a two-minute submission win over Alex Perez just a couple of weeks ago and will be defending his belt against another fighter who fought on the same card, Brandon Moreno. Although the fight was shorter than the time it takes to burn a Pop-Tart, I did see some holes in Figueiredo’s game, specifically his standup.

During the brief standup exchanges, Perez landed several big strikes and just missed with a couple of big hooks that could have ended the fight early in Perez’s favor had they landed. Perez landed heavy kicks to the body and the right hand during some brief, wild exchanges before Perez tied up Figueiredo, looking for a takedown.

It’s Figueiredo’s daring style that has led to his success and will someday lead him down a path where just around the corner, his demise lies in wait. Figueiredo is a savvy striker who uses a low hand position to lure his opponents into traps. He invites opponents to engage first and counters with big power punches. Defensively, Figueiredo relies on subtle head movement and uses footwork to change angles, all the while keeping his hands low to make it appear he is defenseless. But it’s all part of the lure bobbing under the water, inviting solicited attacks that he can anticipate and meet halfway with big power shots.

Carrying your hands low allows you to attack from varying angles and take advantage of holes in your opponent’s defenses that aren’t usually exposed. But, it also leaves you vulnerable, and Figueiredo often gets caught flatfooted in the pocket or while retreating with his head straight up. The best example of living and dying with low hands is Chuck Liddell; it led to the development of his unique way of throwing deadly overhands and also led to his unique way of sleeping on the mat with his eyes open.

I was most impressed with Figueiredo’s slick grappling in the Perez fight. He transitioned from a single leg attempt to a heel hook attempt and eventually to a fight-ending guillotine choke. Perez seemed confused and got caught in a sub he never should have been caught in. The Moreno matchup could lead to some very technical grappling exchanges, and I don’t think Moreno will be the only one looking for a takedown.

Brandon Moreno is coming off a TKO win against Brandon Royval but… but the fight ended prematurely as Royval dislocated his shoulder in the closing seconds of the first round and couldn’t defend himself. The fight was shaping up to be a classic, and although Moreno had the early edge on the ground, Royval looked to have the edge in the striking.

Moreno has won four out of five, and the lone dentist who didn’t recommend a victory offered up a draw. He’s clearly the number one contender, but I don’t know where Moreno can win this fight, likely nowhere.

Moreno is fearless and won’t hesitate to engage Figueiredo on the feet, but he doesn’t have near the power that Figueiredo does, and therefore, his room for error is minuscule and would cause problems for even a world-class contortionist. Size, Moreno will be at a decided size disadvantage and won’t be able to match Figueiredo’s physical strength wherever the fight goes.

Moreno will have to make this an ugly fight and take his chances on the mat and try to gain top position, where he can grind Figueiredo and test his cardio. He needs to extend the fight, and if he can, it will likely be Moreno dragging Figueiredo out against the current and into the dark water beyond the break.

Figueiredo is 20-1 with seventeen wins coming by way of finish and likely to be the one with his hand raised if the fight does not go the distance. Moreno can win a decision or will need to find a finish late. But you can already tell whom I’m putting on wax, Deiveson Figueiredo via Rear-Naked Choke, round two.

Winner: Deiveson Figueiredo | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Tony Ferguson (-175 ) vs Charles Oliveira (+145)

Ferguson: DK: $8.6k, FD: $18 | Oliveira: DK:$7.6k, FD: $15

Tony Ferguson wears his sunglasses at night so he can so he can… Tony Ferguson, Tony Soprano, Tony the Tiger, Ferguson in two. You don’t need me to tell you this is a banger. Even when he’s getting completely, utterly destroyed, Tony Ferguson only participates in bangers. He’s wild, off the leash squatting on lawns. It’s hard to prepare for a guy like Ferguson, he’s unorthodox, uses broken rhythms and varying cadences, strikes from odd angles, and on the ground, he has the most creative grappling in the game. Ferguson strikes from the guard better than fifty percent of the UFC roster strikes from the feet. Ferguson has all the attributes that made him a lot of people’s favorite for having the best chance to upset Khabib.

The Tenth Planet Jiu-Jitsu system is the future of Jiu-Jitsu in MMA; it has it’s own language and specializes in rubber guard techniques. The founder of Tenth Planet is none other than the conspiracy theory GOAT, Eddie Bravo. Eddie has adapted his techniques specifically for application in MMA, and Tony Ferguson is his prized student. Tony will tie you up in this guard, rendering you helpless and destroy you with elbows—watch Tony’s fight against Kevin Lee.

Charles Oliveira is a world-class fighter who is just below the elite level. He’s a top ten fighter who tops out at the top-five. Oliveira is on a seven-fight winning streak, and his last loss was a spanking at the hands of Paul Felder in 2017. The knock against Oliveira is his inability to beat elite competition; Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, all L’s. This is his chance to finally earn a title shot with a dominant win against Tony Ferguson with a lot to prove.

Oliveira has the more technical, traditional standup, with a very upright posture and straight, long strikes. Charles lacks head movement as well as lateral footwork and is at his best striking from a distance. His strikes are too long to get caught exchanging in the pocket, and he’ll only want to venture inside to work takedowns. Also, a black belt, Oliveira’s bread, and butter is Jiu-Jitsu; he’s an elite grappler but not an elite striker.

The ground exchanges should be as wild as the standup exchanges, and the only issue I have with this fight is that it’s only three rounds; this should be a five-round main event. This is a toss-up, and you can’t go wrong with either fighter on your Fantasy roster. Oliveira can win a short three-round fight with top control or by submission, and Tony can win on the feet with his unpredictable striking or by submission as well. I’m still holding out hope that one day Tony vs. Khabib will be booked for the sixth time, and for that to happen, Tony needs a big win on Saturday night. Tony Ferguson via D’arce choke, round two.

Winner: Tony Ferguson | Method: D'arce Choke Rd.2

Renato Moicano (+130) vs. Rafael Fiziev (-160)

Moicano: DK: $7.8k, FD: $14 | Fiziev: DK: $8.4k, FD: $16

This is a banger. This whole card is a banger. I’ll be devastated if Covid takes this one away from us like it did two of the best matchups on last weekend’s card. Rafael Fiziev has been scheduled to fight on multiple recent cards and now lands a big name in Renato Moicano.

Ab. So. Lute. Mon. Ster. Make sure you’ve part taken in all your favorite fight night vices before this fight starts. Fiziev is the head trainer at Phuket Top Team in Thailand. That’s like the Mecca of Muay Thai, and Fiziev has some of the best Muay Thai techniques in MMA. Pound for pound, he has the most powerful kicks in the game. The legend Mirko Cro Cop once said his right leg was the hospital and his left leg was the cemetery; well, Rafael Fiziev has two cemeteries. There’s no such thing as a kick that doesn’t land. If a kick touches you, even if you check it or block it with your forearms, it will cause damage. The only way to truly defend a kick is to get out of the way of it completely, and Fiziev takes this to heart, throwing kicks at a high volume.

Fiziev isn’t all kicks, he uses subtle slips and counters, and his left hand is an orphan maker. Fighters become so hyper-aware of Fiziev’s kicks they forget about his hands, which are just as deadly. Fiziev has yet to be taken down in three fights in the UFC, and the big question is what his ground game looks like. Renato Moicano will want to find out the answer to that question and probably sooner rather than later.

Moicano was five minutes away from being in consideration for a title shot in 2017 when he dominated the first two rounds against Brian Ortega. In the third, Moicano managed to wrestle defeat from the hands of victory when he inexplicably attempted a lazy takedown in the third round after dominating the standup, and forgot the Wu’s number one life hack, Protect Ya Neck, and was tapped with a guillotine.

Kalvin Kattar, Jeremy Stephens, and Cub Swanson are some of the impressive names in Moicano’s win column but he also has notable losses to Jose Aldo, The Korean Zombie, and Brian Ortega. Very reminiscent of Charles Oliveira’s striking, Moicano has the traditional Brazillian upright Muay Thai with heavy leg kicks and straight, sharp punches. He needs space to work and excels from outside the pocket; he will be at a power and speed disadvantage on the feet and will not want to get caught exchanging in the pocket with Fiziev. Moicano has a naturally squared stance, leaving a lot of surface area to attack, especially to the body, and this could be a downfall against a big kicker like Fiziev.

All of Moicano’s seven professional finishes have come via submission, and he is particularly handy with Rear-Naked Chokes, but he’ll have to adjust his usual game plan and look to clinch, work under hooks, and try to drag Fiziev to the mat. I’m taking Rafael Fiziev via TKO, round two. Moicano has been on the dark side of two TKO losses in his last three fights, and Fiziev’s power is a lot to overcome.

Winner: Rafael Fiziev | Method: TKO Rd.2

Kevin Holland (-115 ) vs Jacare Souza (-115)

Holland: DK: $8.2k, FD: $17 | Jacare: DK: $8k, FD: $14

I’ve been riding the Kevin Holland train for the entirety of 2020, a year in which Holland has gone a perfect 4-0 and, spoiler alert, will make that a perfect 5-0 on Saturday night. Holland was originally scheduled to face Jack Hermansson last weekend but now steps in against the legend, Jacare Souza.

Two months ago, we witnessed possibly the greatest KO of all time when Joaquin Buckley KO’d Impa Kasaganay with a jumping spinning back kick. Kevin Holland KO’d the same Joaquin Buckley in August and is coming off beating a second-degree murder charge on Halloween when he destroyed a late replacement in two minutes.

Holland has long, powerful striking with a variety of attacks. The problem that the shorter Buckley had against Holland was getting inside of Holland’s reach. He manages distance well with long punches and kicks and doesn’t relinquish the pocket often without throwing counters on his way out. Aggression can make up for a lot of shortcomings, and Holland compensates for sloppy technique at times with heavy forward pressure. Don’t sleep on Kevin’s wrestling and ground game; he’s formidable on the mat and getting it there, but that will be tested to the fullest extent against the all-time great grappler, Jacare Souza.

Legend; Jacare is a legend in the sport. He’s a former Strike Force World Champion but has never fought for the UFC title. Early in his career, Jacare was strictly a Jiu-Jitsu player fighting in a cage, but when he finally made his way to the UFC, his striking got exponentially better. Jacare developed heavy kicks and KO power in his right hand but still lacks the advanced intricate techniques that separate elite strikers from serviceable ones. Recently, Jacare has relied too much on his striking, and he hasn’t recorded more than one takedown in a fight since 2005.

Jacare has lost three of his last four fights, his lone win coming against Chris Weidman two years ago. He needs to get back to his Jiu-Jitsu roots and implement a ground-heavy game plan. If he resigns to solely stand and strike with Holland, it will be a quick night for Jacare and maybe the last time we see him in the UFC. Demian Maia, Big Nog, Frank Mir, Jacare; off the top of my head, that’s the Mount Rushmore of grapplers, and this is a good matchup for Jacare to get back to what got him there.

I’m taking my man, Kevin Holland, via third-round TKO. I just don’t see Jacare completely committing to getting Holland to the ground, and even if he does, I see him struggling. I don’t see much value for Jacare, who averages a soft two and a half significant strikes landed per minute. Holland is too long, too fast, and too powerful, and 2020 is his Bae.

Winner: Kevin Holland | Method: TKO Rd.3

Junior Dos Santos (+325 ) vs Ciryl Gane (-450)

Dos Santos: DK: $7k, FD: $8 | Gane: DK: $9.2k, FD: $23

Have you seen the memes with the four dancing pallbearers carrying the coffin? Those homies will be carrying Junior Dos Santos out of the cage just like that this weekend. Dana White recently said the UFC would be instituting mass roster cuts in the coming weeks, including big names that have been mainstays within the promotion. If Junior Dos Santos gets KO’d for the fourth consecutive time on Saturday, I think he will be one of those roster cuts.

This is a terrible matchup for an aging former champ who suffers narcoleptic episodes when exposed to light breezes. Here in Southern California, we're experiencing the Santa Ana winds, it's a very treacherous time of year for Junior. Dos Santos won the Heavyweight belt with superior hand speed, crisp combinations, and excellent lateral movement. He showed a glimpse of his former self last year when he defeated Derrick Lewis via TKO, and he even had some nostalgic moments in his most recent fight against Jairzinho Rozenstruik. But his chin failed him, as it has in three consecutive fights. Dos Santos’ mistake was never developing an overall game and solely relying on boxing for the entirety of his career. Glover Teixeira is the perfect example of a fighter with diminishing standup skills who developed his wrestling over the years and, as a result, is on the brink of winning the title late in his career.

Ciryl Gane is 3-0 in the UFC and made his debut after only three professional MMA fights. He has a 7-0 professional Muay Thai record and is a massive striker who moves like a middleweight. He’s a leaf caught in the wisp of a cool autumn breeze on his feet, light and agile. Gane’s distance management is one of the best in the division; he uses continual lateral movement while doubling and tripling his jab to set up power punches. In combination with his hands or thrown naked, Ciryl uses an assortment of kicks, round, up the middle, and sidekicks.

With three takedowns in his fight against Don’Tale Mayes, Gane has more takedowns in one fight than Dos Santos has in his entire career. He can overwhelm you with strikes and then drag you to the ground where he has heavy ground and pound. Although his ground game isn’t elite like his striking is, he does have it in his back pocket, and against a guy like Dos Santos, I wouldn’t be surprised if takedowns were part of the game plan.

I don’t see this fight lasting long, and even with just six professional fights, Gane is the prohibited favorite at (-450). I think this is really close to a guaranteed finish, and I’m taking Gane via TKO, round one. I’d love nothing more than to see Dos Santos get his hand raised somehow, someway, but I just don’t see where he can beat Gane.

Winner: Ciryl Gane | Method: TKO Rd.1

Prelims

Highlighted Matchups

Mackenzie Dern (-200 ) vs. Virna Jandiroba (+160)

Dern: DK: $8.7k, FD: $19 | Jandiroba: DK: $7.5k, FD: $12  

This is the female version of Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields or Maia vs. Ben Askren. I can’t remember a women’s fight featuring two Jiu-Jitsu players of this caliber. Dern and Jandiroba are two of the very best female grapplers in the world. Dern is 4-1 in the UFC with her only loss coming from a decision to another fantastic grappler in Amanda Ribas. Jandiroba has a 16-1 overall record and is 2-1 in the UFC, her only loss coming via robbery to Carla Esparza.

The former Invicta champion, Jandiroba, is far more efficient at getting the fight to the mat than Dern, averaging four and a half takedowns per fight to Dern’s less than one. They’re both submission Bob Ross’s but are very limited on the feet. Both are one-punch power strikers, and if this fight turns into a grappling stalemate and remains standing, it will look a lot like an amateur kickboxing match. Dern’s striking is a lot like Rachael Ostovich’s, nothing but big overhands, often leading to out of control exchanges.

We often see elite grapplers afford too much respect for each other’s ground game, resulting in a lackluster standup fight. I think Jandiroba’s takedown abilities will help to avoid such an occurrence and lead to some high-level scrambles and submission attempts. Toss-up, this is the definition of it. Both fighters can finish this fight, but if it goes the distance, I don’t anticipate high Fantasy points being scored.

I’m going with Jandiroba; I think she will be able to gain top position more often and be able to grind out a decision win. Both fighters have one loss on their records and are two of the toughest fighters in the game, and virtually impossible to finish. Virna Jandiroba via decision.

Winner: Virna Jandiroba | Method: Decision

Cub Swanson (+130 ) vs. Daniel Pineda (-160)

Swanson: DK: $7.9k, FD: $12 | Pineda: DK: $8.3k, FD: $16

These guys have a combined seventy-seven professional fights between the two of them and very similar overall records. Cub Swanson is 26-11, and Daniel Pineda is 27-13 and on his second stint in the UFC.

Daniel Pineda is a wild, unpredictable striker who uses aggression to enhance his attacks. He has submissions from the top and scrambles from the bottom, and he’s coming off a dominant win against a highly touted Herbert Burns in August. The shocker in that fight was that Pineda dominated not only on the feet but in the grappling exchanges as well. Pineda’s gaudiest stat, all twenty-seven of his professional wins have come by stoppage, eighteen via submission.

Cub Swanson is as veteran as you can in the sport. He made his way to the UFC by way of the golden era promotion the WEC—which was owned by the UFC and served as the breeding grounds for the smaller weight classes when there were no lightweight, featherweight, or bantamweight divisions in the UFC. Cub is a carefree striker with a similar style to the main event champ, Deiveson Figueiredo. He’s a gunslinger, fighting with his hands low and firing bombs from the hip like Roland Deschain. Swanson is another fighter who makes up for lack of technique with aggression, and he utilizes the pocket well, using subtle footwork to slip punches and find angles to attack from.

This will definitely be in the conversation for the fight of the night, both have similar IDGAF styles on the feet, and neither will take a step back. Pineda will have the edge on the ground and has what Kron Gracie was lacking, the striking to set up takedowns. These are Cubs four recent losses, Shane Burgos, Renato Moicano, Frankie Edgar, and Brian Ortega—who he was dominating on the feet until he got caught in a guillotine. All four of those fighters are head and shoulders better than anyone Pineda has ever fought. I’m taking the underdog, Cub Swanson via decision.

Winner: Cub Swanson | Method: Decision

Fight OF The Night

Gavin Tucker (+145 ) vs. Billy Quarantillo (-175)

Tucker: DK: $7.7k, FD: $15 | Quarantillo: DK: $8.5k, FD: $15

Absolute banger. This was a late addition to the card and features two killers, serial killers hiding murder material in a cereal box on top of your stereo. Both are polished, well-rounded fighters with enough toughness to spare less fortunate fighters. Billy Q is made of adamantium and gets better as he sustains damage.

Gavin Tucker fights under the legendary coach Firas Zahabi and has very technical striking with KO power in his hands and kicks. Tucker is a strong wrestler with a heavy top game and a serious submission threat.

This will be a fight of two halves; Billy Q is a slow starter, a BDSM fighter who thrives on physical punishment, and he will likely have to stage a late comeback. I anticipate Gavin Tucker coming out and taking control of the fight early, but Billy Q will hang around and start chipping away before finding a way to steal the fight. Round three TKO, Billy Q. Surprisingly, Billy Quarantillo is the early (-140) favorite, but it will likely be close to a pick ‘em fight come fight night. Have one of these guys on your roster; Fantasy points will be flowing.

Winner: Billy Q. | Method: TKO Rd.3

Sleeper

Chase Hooper

Google him. Your first thought will be that you can kick that dweeb’s ass, but trust me, you can’t. You may be asking; well, can you? I like my chances, but this isn’t about me. It’s about my man, Chase Hooper, scoring an early submission win for your Fantasy roster in the second round.

Pick "Em

Tecia Torres ( ) vs. Sam Hughes ( )

Winner: Tecia Torres

 Method: Decision

Sergey Spivak (-240 ) vs. Jared Vanderaa (+190 )

Winner: Sergey Spivak

 Method: Decision

Chase Hooper (-205) vs. Peter Barrett (+165)

Winner: Chase Hooper

 Method: Triangle Choke Rd.2

Final Thoughts:

Don’t miss this card; it’s nothing but bangers from top to bottom.

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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