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

Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey that matters most.”- Some loser after a loss.

The top, a dangerous place to be. An envious position to hold. A treacherous ground to stand.

Some will affix their soul with a price tag cluttered with clearance discount stickers stacked on top of each other like old registrations on a license plate to reach one. Ninety percent off. Final discount. These places can be physical locations, enlightened mind states, or both.

The climb to the top is life’s classic metaphor. You don’t need a scale-arm compass and protractor to draw parallels between most things in life and the journey to the top of some unattainable feat, more specifically, the top of a mountain.

The scaling of Mount Everest has long been one of the greatest examples of human ingenuity and perseverance. It’s a journey that takes six to nine weeks to complete. The payoff is a fifteen to a thirty-minute visual pot of gold. No one stays at the top for long.

Babu Chiri Sherpa defied all known limits and spent a record twenty-one hours at the summit of Mt. Everest in 1999. He died on the mountain two years later. The journey to the top never ends.

What goes up must come down. Most deaths occur during the descent. The toll is never paid in full on the way up. Three hundred. Not Leonidas. Three hundred bodies circle the peak like offerings of appeasement. As the glaciers melt, they rise from icy tombs. Reminders.

A single journey is enough to wear a path into the terrain, a path for others to follow. And they do. There’s a line at the top of Mt. Everest. You have to be quick. Take your picture and keep it moving. Everyone’s on borrowed time at the top.

Eventually, the top becomes commonplace. But there’s always another mountain. Even when you think you’re at the top of the world and nothing else is in sight. For every Mt. Everest, there’s an Annapurna 1.

Israel Adesanya scaled his Mt. Everest. He became the Middleweight Champion and defended his belt until there were no viable challengers left. So he looked for his Annapurna 1. He found it in Jan Blachowicz, the Light Heavyweight Champion, and a second title.

The man they call ‘The Last Stylebender” never reached his destination. It’s still unknown the exact outcome of his journey. But one thing is certain; his ass groove remains firmly embedded in the throne he left behind at the top of Mt. Everest.

Marvin Vettori (+210 ) vs. Israel Adesanya (-265)

Vettori: DK: $6.9k, FD: $ | Adesanya: DK: $9.3k, FD: $

Israel Adesanya has all but run out of contenders in the middleweight division. For the foreseeable future, all potential title fights will be rematches. Izzy fought Marvin Vettori in 2018, and the pair fought to a highly competitive three-round split decision that went in favor of Adesanya. That was only Israel’s second fight in the UFC, but it said more about Vettori’s potential than Adesanya’s.

Israel came into the UFC as a highly regarded striker with championship potential, while the verdict was still out on Vettori, who was 2-1-1 entering the fight with Adesanya. Some will say there’s no such thing as a good loss or moral victories, but as I’ve said before, I’m a Cowboys fan, and I couldn't disagree more with that statement. That was a good loss for Vettori; it showed he could compete at the highest level, and he used the momentum of that fight to propel him to a current five-fight winning steak.

Stylebender had a lot of early success in the first Vettori fight staying on the outside and using his hand speed and jab to keep Vettori in no-man’s land. Vettori had all kinds of trouble getting inside on Adesanya and often resorted to chasing Adesanya around the cage early in the fight. Instead of using feints and footwork to navigate around Adesanya’s long strikes, Vettori tried to power through them with overhands and wide punches. Izzy thwarted Vettori’s attacks using leg kicks from both stances to disrupt Vettori’s timing and balance. The inside low kick from the orthodox stance to the southpaw Vettori’s lead leg made it difficult for Vettori to close the distance, and he wasn’t able to initiate his wrestling game until the second round.

In the first bout, Adesanya mostly controlled the stand-up for the duration, but he does have some holes that Vettori can take advantage of. Israel uses the pull technique to defend strikes, and it naturally leaves his chin in the air. Extended combinations will be the key for Vettori and getting to second and third-level strikes. Adesanya likes to pivot backward and check-hook counter off his opponent’s forward pressure. He used the technique to KO Robert Whitaker, and Vettori will have to be careful not to run into those counters. Also, Adesanya tends to try to be too precise and is too picky with his attacks. If Israel lets his strikes go and increases his output, it’s a wrap. No one can stand with Izzy if he decreases the dead air between exchanges and pushes the pace on the feet. If he’s aggressive like he was in the Gastelum fight, he can score an early finish.

There are a couple of things Vettori can take away from Adesanya’s first career loss at the hands of Jan Blachowicz. In the stand-up, Jan had a lot of success ending his combinations with body kicks. He peppered Adesanya’s body all night and made it difficult for Adesanya to counter Jan’s attacks. The second is to initiate takedowns in the center of the Octagon. Vettori scored multiple takedowns in the first fight, but the takedowns were mostly against the cage, and Adesanya was able to use the cage repeatedly to get back to his feet. If Vettori can secure takedowns in the center and takeaway Adesanya’s reliance on the cage to stand back up, he can control Izzy for long stretches from the top position. Marvin won the third round by doing just that and won the fight on one judge’s scorecard.

Israel Adesanya’s ground game is the complete opposite of his stand-up; it’s amateurish and a liability. You can tell when a fighter is uncomfortable from their back because they will never open their guard for fear of being put in a bad position. Izzy’s guard is victim level, and instead of placing his feet on the hips, stuffing the head down, and pushing off to attempt to create space and stand up, he’ll keep his guard closed or refrain from forcing scrambles and give up close rounds as he did to Blachowicz.

Marvin needs to work his wrestling much earlier in the fight this time, and Adesanya needs to sell out to get back to his feet when he is taken down. Vettori can’t be content with just holding Adesanya down and has to look to cause damage from the top position and grind him out. The first fight ended with Adesanya looking like the much fresher fighter; the wrestling/grappling appeared to gas Vettori and had there been championship rounds, he may have been in trouble.

Can Vettori pull off the upset? Definitely. But it will have to be a grinding, slow process. Jan Blachowicz laid out the blueprint, and Vettori has the wrestling to duplicate it. If he can’t score takedowns, he’s going to be a step behind and in big trouble. I expect Izzy to come off his first career loss looking to make a statement. The key for Adesanya is attacking Vettori’s lead leg as he did to Paulo Costa and increasing his output, making Vettori navigate through a field of landmines to get to his hips and legs.

I’d be shocked like Marv on Home Alone 2 if Vettori finds a way to finish Adesanya; it’s highly unlikely. Any finish in this one will come courtesy of Adesanya’s stand-up. The main event-winning streak sits at eight after Jairzinho Rozenstruik came through for me with a big first-round KO last weekend. I won’t risk number nine betting against Israel Adesanya. Israel Adesanya via TKO, round four. If it ain’t on wax, it ain’t shh.

Winner: Israel Adesanya | Method: TKO Rd.4

Brandon Moreno (+185 ) vs Deiveson Figueiredo (-230)

Moreno: DK: $7.1k, FD:$ | Fig: DK:$9.3k, FD:$

*Fight Of The Night*

If you didn’t see the first fight between these two, stop right meow and go check it out. It was definitely a top-three fight of the year. Unfortunately, a point deduction for a low blow completely altered the fight, but it was the correct decision to take the point away from Figueiredo, who had already committed an eye poke foul earlier in the fight. Had the ref not taken the point away, Figueiredo would have won a close decision on the scorecards. Let’s take a look at the successes each fighter had in the first fight and what adjustments they need to make.

Moreno Success: The jab. Moreno put Fig on notice early with a snappy jab that he used almost exclusively for the entire first round. Moreno didn’t open up with his right hand and combinations until the second round. It was a smart tactic to implement against a fast starter like Figueiredo, who comes out the gate throwing Thor hammers. Throughout the fight, Moreno whizzed his shin bone off the top of Fig’s head by hiding them behind short two-punch combos, and he found success often with same hand combinations off his lead hand. The liver punch to lead hook was Zilliqa Coin in the portfolio for Moreno. The only time either fighter looked visibly hurt on the feet was courtesy of Moreno. He hurt Deiveson with punches and with a head kick. Figueiredo never had Moreno in fight-ending danger.

Figueiredo Success: Pressure. Figueiredo’s pressure is never-ending and relentless. He throws every strike with one hundred percent power and is capable of using crafty boxer’s footwork and head movement to counter. Leg kicks were very effective for Figueiredo, specifically the low calf kick. But he didn’t stay committed to them for the duration and only used them sporadically. Moreno scored multiple takedowns on Fig, but Fig had a very active guard, whether striking from his back or forcing scrambles to his feet. That was a big problem for him in past fights, relenting to being held down on his back. Deiveson fights with his hands low—sometimes to his detriment—and uses the low hand position to throw bombs from unorthodox angles that Moreno often had a hard time seeing. Moreno’s chin was probably the biggest surprise in the first fight.

Moreno Adjustments: Go forward. Moreno gave up too much terrain in the first fight. He was constantly backing up, and that’s always a bad look for judges who all have second jobs working the graveyard shift at a famous Nevada Valero. These judges are always looking to pull Lindbergh baby heists on fighters, and Moreno can’t make it easy for them by retreating for most of the fight. Brandon had success using his combinations to open up takedown opportunities, but he wasn’t able to control Fig for any long stretches. I think Moreno should commit to his wrestling a little more and force Fig to keep getting back to his feet. Whenever Figueiredo switches to the southpaw stance, he only throws massive naked body kicks. Moreno has to force him back to the orthodox stance by attacking his lead shoulder and circling away from Fig’s left leg.

Figueiredo Adjustments: Slow down. Sometimes the best things a fighter can do are slow down and take some steam off their strikes. Fig, came out loading up on every strike trying to get Moreno out of there early. It was clear that Deiveson took Moreno lightly coming into the fight. When he couldn’t put Moreno away with shots that every other fighter has wilted from, he started forcing the issue and taking unnecessary risks. Figueiredo has to be more defensive; he opened the fight with his hands below the waist and never used a handguard to defend. He often had difficulty finding his defensive range and ate shots he thought were out of range. Stick to the leg kicks. Figueiredo headhunted too much without setting anything up. The low calf kick is a good way to open up power strikes to the head and hamper Moreno’s mobility.

The turning point in the fight was the fifth round. Figueiredo was likely down a round after the point deduction and needed the fifth to force a draw. At some point, Moreno severely injured his right arm, defending a body kick. He was unable to mount any offense in the final stanza, and Fig ran away with it. I slept on Moreno before that fight, and I definitely won’t do it again. But… I’m taking Figueiredo to win. He landed the bigger shots, and his pressure and cardio held up for the entire twenty–five minutes. It felt like he was a half step ahead of Moreno for most of the fight. As the (+200) underdog, you’re likely to see Moreno’s name again if you keep scrolling. Deiveson Figueiredo via decision.

Winner: Deiveson Figueiredo | Method: Decision

Leon Edwards (-550) vs. Nate Diaz (+380)

Edwards: DK: $9.5k, FD:$ | Diaz: DK: $6.7k, FD:$

My all-time favorite fighters are the Diaz brothers. Inside of all of us lies a Diaz brother from time to time. The Diaz bros have the brash fearlessness that we all pretend to have when in reality, most of us are all a bunch of Smokeys.

“Man I got mind control over Debo. He be like shut the @#$% up. I be quiet. But when he leaves… I be talkin’ again.”-Smokey

Friday references in back-to-back weeks, homies. Point is, they’re the embodiment of our subconscious egos, and they may be the only two people on earth who actually mean it when they say, “I don’t give a !@#$.”

Nate Diaz (Nathaniel Diaz to you) broke out of his older brother Nick’s shadow when he won The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007. His Jiu-jitsu is world-class, and over the years, he developed world-class unorthodox boxing. Nate lacks power, but he makes up for it two-fold, with volume and precise distance management. He catches you at the apex of every punch. Diaz has snapping long strikes and uses his jab like a boxer to set up his power cross. He uses a unique bladed stance and shields with his lead leg to defend and close the distance to initiate the clinch, where he uses sneaky trips to score takedowns.

Almost every Nate Diaz fight is a war, and as a result, Diaz has taken a lot of damage over the years. He has heavy scarring on his face and is usually bleeding after he touches gloves in the center of the Octagon. His skin is like Parks and Recreation public restroom TP. It doesn’t take much for your finger to slip through. Diaz’s thread count is see-through. The famous BMF fight with Jorge Masvidal ended after the third round because Diaz suffered two massive cuts. The fight was stopped between rounds just when it looked like Masvidal might be starting to tire. Diaz had a hard time dealing with Jorge’s hand speed, and that will likely be the case against Leon Edwards.

Leon’s last fight against Belal Muhammad was marred by an early second-round eye poke that ended the fight prematurely. Edwards’s highlight reel doesn't feature devastating KO’s, slick submissions, or all-out classic back and forth wars, but Leon is one of the most fundamentally sound fighters in the UFC. Edwards is well-rounded with very few holes in his game. He has tight, technical kickboxing and sneaky good wrestling/grappling from the top and bottom. His output isn’t high, but his striking is accurate, and he utilizes textbook fundamental kickboxing combinations—ones and one-twos punctuated with round kicks.

Edwards’s wrestling/grappling makes him special, and his attention to the small details sets him apart. Striking on the break from the clinch or a failed takedown attempt is an intricate veteran attribute. Think about the first Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier fight and how Cormier KO’d Stipe with a short hook on the break after a brief tie-up. A successful takedown attempt isn't always measured by whether the fighter gets the fight to the mat or not. It’s also an excellent way to close the distance and land strikes on the inside in the clinch. Also, many fighters tend to relax, feel a sense of relief when they defend a takedown, and get lazy on the break. Leon will make you pay with elbows and knees off the clinch. Diaz loves to fight in the clinch so pay close attention when the two lock up.

Leg kicks. Diaz doesn’t defend them, and Leon attacks the legs early and often. Conor McGregor isn’t a leg kicker, but even he attacked Diaz’s legs in their second fight, a major hole that Conor failed to take advantage of in their first bout. If I’m Edwards, I’m not looking to wrestle unless I have to. Diaz is dangerous from his back, and it may not be a risk worth taking when Edwards should be able to dominate the stand-up with his superior speed.

This one may be tough for me to watch. In my MMA utopia, Nate would move back to lightweight, and his brother, Nick, would be back in the UFC at welterweight. But we don’t live in the world we wish existed. In the end, Leon is going to be too much for Nate on the feet, and I can see this one ending like Nate’s fight against Josh Thompson, the only time he’s ever been stopped legitimately with strikes. Thompson TKO’d Nate with a head kick in that fight, and it could be in the cards again on Saturday. But I’m going to bet on Nate’s heart to get him to the final bell. Leon Edwards via decision.

P.S. This is the first non-title/non-main event five-round fight. If Nate can get it to the championship rounds…

Winner: Leon Edwards | Method: Decision

Demian Maia (+175 ) vs Belal Muhammad (-225)

Maia: DK: $7.2k, FD:$ | Muhammad: DK: $9k, FD:$

Demian Maia has something in common with Jake Paul. Their most recent wins were both against Ben Askren. Maia has the best Jiu-Jitsu in MMA history. His style is perfectly adapted to MMA and has allowed him to have a thirty-two-fight UFC career by avoiding heavy damage. Maia has fought for a title twice in his career. He fought for the middleweight title against Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title. He lost both fights.

Maia is a floater. Not a CSI body-in-the-river floater or a white water rafting turd that refuses to flush, but a floater as in controlling your opponent from the top position. Floating is allowing the opponent to move underneath you without giving up position. It’s like being trapped in a tiny cell. Maia uses floating to take advantage of his opponent’s desperation to get back to their feet and lets them work their way into making a mistake. It’s like being stuck in quicksand; the more you struggle to get out, the quicker you sink.

Demian has never gotten the credit he deserves as one of the sport’s GOATs because his style is rather dull. His two title fights were probably numbers one and two on the list of wackest title fights of all time. If he can’t get the fight to the ground, his stand-up is a notch above Ben Askren’s, and it makes for a lackluster affair. I will say this about Maia’s stand-up; he has a deceptively nasty overhand left from the southpaw stance. That’s pretty much the extent of Maia’s striking, an overhand left.

A big part of Belal Muhammad’s game is wrestling. But unless he’s into voyeur BDSM and being choked in front of a crowd, he should avoid the ground at all costs against Maia. Belal has an underrated awkward striking and will have a massive advantage on the feet. Maia is a notorious gasser; he’s known to lay on his back with no one around him late in fights with no energy to stand back up. Muhammad should slow play the first round and look to push the pace in the second. If he can defend Maia’s takedowns early, Maia won’t be able to get any late.

On the feet, Belal attacks the body with combinations and changes levels mid sequence and never stops moving forward. He moves his head off centerline when he strikes, allowing him to avoid counters and attack from different angles, and rolls off punches to avoid damage. A BOGO striker, Belal stays busy even when not getting the better of the exchanges. A big flaw in Belal's defense is he tends to slip strikes almost exclusively to his right. Against a southpaw, he ducks right into their power side punches and kicks, i.e., Maia’s left hand.

When it comes to Fantasy rosters, avoid these guys if you can. Ninety-eight percent of Maia’s fights are tactical chess matches, and have you ever seen a chess match? I’d rather watch Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather again. I think Belal has high-level grappling of his own that will allow him to survive on the mat or stay on his feet. He will win the striking exchanges and a decision. Belal Muhammad via decision.

Winner: Belal Muhammad | Method: Decision

Paul Craig (+250 ) vs Jamahal Hill (-325)

Craig: DK: $6.8k, FD:$ |Hill: DK:$ 9.4k, FD:$

Jamahal Hill is the dark horse of the light heavyweight division. Like 2(z-a) + 3(xy) =, Jamahal Hill is a problem. He’s a southpaw with sneaky power in his left hand that he sets up with a boxer’s jab. The double and triple-jab are underused combos in MMA, but Jamahal uses them as fundamental attacks. When you watch opposite stance fighters, pay attention to the lead legs. Whoever wins the outside battle usually gets the better of the exchanges. Both fighters want to get their lead foot outside of the opponent’s because it lines up their power hand and distances them from the opponent’s power hand. Hill is always conscious of his lead foot position and uses it to angle off his lead hook and line up his left hand.

When you ask to speak to a manager, Jamahal Hill shows up and pretends to give a bleep. He’s a distance manager, and like Nate Diaz, he has an incredible feel for range and lands at the end of his strikes. The key for Hill against Paul Craig will be to maintain lateral movement while keeping his jab in Craig’s face. Hill has suspect takedown defense, and I haven’t seen much of his ground game from his back. But I don’t need to see Hill’s guard to know he doesn’t want this fight to go to the mat.

Paul Craig is a creative, world-class grappler who can travel multiple routes to get the fight to the mat. Craig can cover a lot of distance with a traditional double-leg shot and changes levels very quickly. He likes to time his opponent’s striking, and instead of countering with strikes, he counters with takedown attempts. If he’s having trouble securing the double leg, he can pull guard and work his way to the top position using the lockdown from the half guard to sweep and end up on top. Yes, Craig will pull the opponent on top of him as a means of eventually ending up on top. But Paul doesn’t have to end up on top to find a submission; he has seven wins via triangle choke and two via armbar. That’s noine submission wins from his guard. He also has a one hundred percent finishing rate in fourteen professional wins, including twelve total submissions.

Craig’s major malfunction is his striking. It isn’t awful, but he can’t win fights exclusively on his feet. He has better kicks than hands, especially when it comes to using his lead leg to attack. He uses a variety of up-the-middle and round kicks to pepper opponents and draws out aggressive attacks so he can change levels and use the aggression against them. But the last thing Paul Craig will want is to get stuck in a kickboxing match with Jamahal Hill.

This is the classic striker vs. grappler matchup, and these are always the hardest to call. Each fighter has a massive advantage in his area of expertise, and whoever can fight on his terms will win. Hill needs to attack the body often, making it difficult for Craig to slip under his strikes, and Craig will have to strap on his gasoline boots and walk through hell to navigate around a minefield of strikes to get the fight to the mat. I think Jamahal Hill will make it difficult for Craig to get inside, and he will eventually catch Craig with a heat rock that will lead to a finishing sequence. Jamahal Hill via TKO, round three.

Winner: Jamahal Hill | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

Highlighted Matchup

Hakeem Dawodu (+190) vs. Movsar Evloev (-240)

Dawodu: DK: $7k, FD:$ | Evloev: DK: $9.2k, FD:$  

This is a dope matchup between two very technical fighters. Have you seen those memes with the dogs running zoomies in circles with the guy saying, “I’m fast as !@#$ booooyeee! Still fast as @#$% boooyeee?” That’s Hakeem Dawodu. I don’t think you have any idea how fast he really is. Dawodu is one of the most technical kickboxers in the featherweight division, and he’s currently riding a five-fight winning streak after losing his debut in 2018. He has hand speed to burn, tight straight punches, and heavy round kicks. Hakeem is tough to take down and shows urgency scrambling to his feet when his ass hits the mat, and that will be essential against a solid wrestler like Evloev. The key for Dawodu will be staying on his feet and using up-the-middle strikes like knees, uppercuts, and straight body shots to discourage and disrupt Evloev’s level changes.

Movsar Evloev is a mix between Frankie Edgar and bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili. He looks a lot like Frankie on his feet with tight short combinations and constant lateral movement. Edgar is one of the best fighters at using his boxing to set up takedowns, and Evloev is much of the same. Evloev chain wrestlers, transitioning from different techniques; outside singles to inside singles to doubles to body locks in one fluid motion. Chain wrestling will be the key to taking Dawodu down because the first attempt is rarely successful against him. Movsar has the technical boxing to hold his own on the feet, but he will be at a speed disadvantage, and his best path to victory is on the mat from top control.

The only knock against Dawodu is his low output; he’s a little too picky choosing his openings, and as a result, he’s always in close fights. If he ever decides to pick up his pace, he could be a legit contender. Evloev has the all-around technical skills to be a contender as well, and this fight could be one we look back on in a couple of years.

Complete toss-up. Neither fighter is a finisher or high scoring Fantasy warrior. Dawodu is 5-1 in the UFC with one TKO, and Evloev is 4-0 with zero finishes. Evloev is the higher output striker and has the added advantage of ground strikes if he can get Dawodu down. I’m putting Dawodu on wax. He’s a (+200) dog, and the gap between the two isn’t that big. I think he can stay on his feet long enough to put Evloev in some bad situations on the feet and do just enough to eke out a decision. Hakeem Dawodu via decision.

Winner: Hakeem Dawodu | Method: Decision

Fighter Spotlight

Chase Hooper (+100 ) DK: $7.8k

Never judge a dweeb by his Birkenstocks. Chase Hooper’s have permanent black feet prints on the soles. When he leaves them at the door on the welcome mat, it looks like a shadow is standing in them. But don’t let the pocket protector, murse, and hippie sandals fool you; Chase Hooper will choke you into an interdimensional DMT trip. His striking might be worse than Ben Askren’s, but somehow, someway, whether using the ol’ banana peel trick or by removing the Piso Mojado sign, Chase Hooper finds a way to get the fight to the mat. And when he does, it’s a wrap. He’s a submission finish waiting to happen. If he can’t get the fight to the mat…

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Twenty-Ten-Twen Sleeper

I was on fire like NBA Jam last week, dunking from half-court. The dubs were piling up until my Tweny-Twen-Twen horse, Walt Harris, stumbled like Danny Dimes at the fifteen-yard line with nothing but daylight in front of him. He was one follow-up shot away from a first-round TKO, but as he has done his entire career, he found a way to snatch defeat while victory was looking the other way.

There are some big underdogs with clear paths to victory, and like the Fremen on Arrakis, they have the requisite skills to traverse the formidable terrain. Lauren Murphy at (+200) is as grimy and relentless a fighter as there is in women's MMA, and her opponent, Joanne Calderwood, has shown an inability to win big fights. The winner of this could be in talks to be the next sacrifice to the champ, Valentina Shevchenko. If Hakeem Dawodu (+190) can stay on his feet, he can control the stand-up from the outside and upset the highly touted Movsar Evloev. Evloev is a small featherweight, and Dawodu will have a noticeable speed and size advantage. Marvin Vettori at (+210) has the wrestling skills to replicate Jan Blachowicz's game plan and ground Adesanya and grind out a championship dub. But I think I'm rolling with Brandon Moreno at (+185); he had Figueiredo in all kinds of trouble in their first fight on multiple occasions, and he can't be overwhelmed or intimidated. I like his chances to make this another ugly fight, and with a few adjustments, he can pull off the upset.

Pick 'Em

Drew Dober (-140 ) vs. Brad Riddell (+115 )

Winner: Drew Dober

 Method: Decision 

Eryk Anders (-150 ) vs. Darren Stewart (+125 )

Winner: Eryk Anders

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Lauren Murphy (+200 ) vs. Joanne Calderwood (-250)

Winner: Calderwood

 Method: Decision

Movsar Evloev (-240) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (+190)

    Winner: Hakeem Dawodu

 Method: Decision

Pannie Kianzad (-200 ) vs. Alexis Davis (+160 )

    Winner: Pannie Kiazad

 Method: Decision

Matt Frevola ( ) vs. Terrance McKinney ( )

    Winner: Matt Frevola

 Method: Decision

Chase Hooper (+100 ) vs. Steven Peterson (-120 )

    Winner: Chase Hooper

 Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Fares Ziam (-140) vs. Luigi Vendramini (+115 )

    Winner: Fares Ziam

 Method: Decision

Jake Collier (+145) vs. Carlos Felipe (-175 )

    Winner: Carlos Felipe

 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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