Written by LineStar contributor, combat sports enthusiast, and practitioner, Chris Guy. Instagram: @therealsethgeko | Twitter: @DadHallOfFamer

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Main Card

Amir Albazi (-110) vs. Kai Kara-France (-110)

Albazi: DK: $8k | Kara-France: DK:$8.2k

Back? I never left. After a week off and a subsequent Fear and Loathing-like debaucherous Vanderpump Rules bender, I sit before you a changed man, an enlightened man who ascended to a higher level of consciousness, the likes of which can only be achieved by witnessing such stupidity. As the great ancient philosophers sipped ergot-laced wine, tripped balls, and created such pillars of humankind as religion and the idea of democracy, I have experienced a psychedelic awakening and unlocked a new understanding of man’s role among the celestial stars and the ever-expanding universe. What is the meaning of life? I think I know. But to reveal it would be to deny you its greatest gift, as the meaning can only be found within the journey. 

But much can be learned from the modern philosophical scrolls known as The Weekly KO and from the artists and their expressions of primal instincts the scrolls attempt to interpret. The newest translation of the world’s oldest art form, the art of fighting, will be a contemporary neoclassical take on a sleeper main event between Amir Albazi and Kai Kara-France from the perspective of a tetrahydrocannabinol-augmented mind.  

Amir Albazi comes with three basic instructions: 1) Don’t expose him to bright lights. 2) Don’t let him get wet. 3) Don’t feed him after midnight. Should any of the rules be broken, a slept-on promising prospect will writhe, contort, and metamorphose into a savage little heathen and immediate title threat. Rule number one will be broken this weekend when Albazi steps under the bright lights of a main event after only four UFC appearances. Albazi will go from facing a debutante in his last bout to a guy coming off a title fight. And he’ll go from Mogwai to title challenger quicker than Calvin Broadus turns into Snoop Dogg with a dub over Kai Kara-France.  

Albazi reached this precipice by accumulating a 16-1 professional record with fourteen finishes, including five TKO/KOs and noine subs. Albazi is more well-rounded than a one-kilogram, single-crystal silicon sphere. He combines strictly technical kickboxing with elite wrestling/grappling/submissions, and he is a glimpse into the future when most fighters will be products of every major discipline and have few glaring defects. Albazi’s kickboxing is so technical it almost looks AI-generated. Watch his right hand; it never moves from his chin unless he’s throwing it. His right hand is disciplined, and his left hand is educated. He uses his jab as a multifaceted tool to probe defenses, set up his right hand, elicit attacks to counter, and manipulate the opponent’s hand guard. On some Vasily Lomachenko-ish, Albazi will pull down the opponent’s guard and strike around/over it. But what’s most impressive about Albazi’s striking is his defense. 

Albazi’s reactions are well-honed and calculated to the exact degree of movement needed to avoid a strike and stay within countering range. He’s got that Flex Seal hand guard, no leaks, and is generally hard to hit clean. He’s got that ‘85 Bears defense. That Revis Island defense. Scratch that. That Epstein Island defense. Na’h mean. Albazi controls range and is rarely caught out of position, all the while keeping that mf’ing thang right with him. A Mega Man right hand that he uses like a wrestler striker to close distance and end fights.  

But Albazi’s best skills might be on the mat. Albazi has Derek Brunson takedowns; if he gets his hands locked under your ass, you’re gonna have a bad time. Sprinkle in some Aljo-like back-takes and control, and add a dash of Makhachev rear-naked chokes, and you have Albazi’s ground game. He can also hang out in the guard and Mark Coleman ground and pound you until you get desperate and finally try to escape. Then he takes your back or moves to the side mount where he attacks Kimuras. Of his noine career subs, five were RNCs, and three were Kimuras, or hammer locks if you’re an old-school Bas Rutten head. Take down, damage, and submit; the Albazi secrets to success. The key against Kara-France will be staying committed to his wrestling throughout. The striking will be FX Nip/Tuck, and the difference will likely be the effectiveness of Albazi’s wrestling. Kara-France sports an eighty-seven percent career takedown defense, so the key will be volume takedowns and not abandoning them if not immediately successful. 

On the feet, Kai Kara France is Amir Albazi’s Van Damme Double Impact twin. Kara-France has the same offensive technical proficiency and strict defensive prowess as Albazi. Like Albazi, Kara-France is mostly a 1s and 1-2s-striker with intermittent, calculated extended combinations and a fight-changing right hand. But for me, there’s always been something missing with Kara-France. He’s like a refurbished Volkanovski missing some of his original parts. Kara-France is like last year’s Volkanovski on a Ross clearance rack. If you rock him to school, all the homies will clown you. I’ve never bought Kara-France as a legit title threat, and I think it’s because of the type of dog in him. He does have some dog in him, he’s no cat identifying as a dog, but it's that Ceasar Millan rehabilitated dog. That Scared Straight dog. Not that stray Buca Di Bepo dumpster dog fighting for scraps. When the game is on the line, he turns into Lebron, becomes passive, and dishes the rock instead of driving to the hole.  

In his last bout against Brandon Moreno, Kara France got off to a slow, cautious start. When he finally started to open up and had his most success in the third round, he got hit with the ol’ shit kicker, a liver kick that folded him like an Olive Garden napkin. That’s how Kish happens. One second, he was coming on strong and turning the tide, and the next, he was Justine Kish painting the town brown. In the Askarov fight, Kara France took his foot off the gas in the third round after having Askarov dead to rights at the end of the second. Instead of going for the kill, he played it safe and was lucky to get the decision that night. 

The key for Kara-France will be making shit ugly for once. Saying, “Fook it!” and wiping his ass with the towels wifey says are just for decoration, not for actual use. Albazi hasn’t been in a world-class elite dogfight yet. Can Albazi survive in the AB-infested waters? Extended combinations will be the key for Kara-France. Getting to third and fourth-level strikes and trying to penetrate Albazi’s defense with volume. Strikes one and two may not get through, but three and four will. He has the hand speed to extend combos without over-pursuing and walking into takedowns. That is why his takedown defense is at the top of the promotion. When facing a wrestling threat, Kara-France is one of the few strikers who can have the confidence to let his strikes go without fear of repercussions. 

Fantasy-wise, both fighters are finishing threats, but Albazi will be a dual threat. He can end it on the feet or on the mat. Kara-France's path to a finish will be stuffing takedowns and landing something heavy during a 50/50 exchange. Kara-France is the higher output striker, averaging over four and a half significant strikes per minute to Albazi’s three and a half. In his only UFC bout to go the distance against Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Albazi landed sixty-eight strikes. But Albazi can make up for a lower output with possible takedowns and top control. Odds-wise, this is a Vegas pick ‘em at (-110). An Albazi TKO/KO will return ( ) and a sub ( ). And a Kara-France TKO/KO will return ( ).  

We’re streaking. The main event-dub streak sits at two after San Diego’s finest, Angela Hill, took an uncharacteristic ass whoopin’ against Mackenzie Dern two weeks ago. This one has split-decision written all over it like Slap For Cash’s face had male anatomy written all over it when he passed out with his shoes on during his Power Slap debut. Amir Albazi via decision. On wax. Next up: A Manel Kape vs. Amir Albazi main event.  

Winner: Amir Albazi | Method: Amir Albazi Decision

Daniel Pineda (+145) vs. Alex Caceres (-175)

Pineda: DK: $7.3k | Bruce Leeroy: DK: $8.9k

The world becomes a brighter place every time Bruce Leeroy steps into the cage. There’s no happier soul in MMA than Alex Caceres. Bruce Leeroy will whoop your ass, and you’ll thank him afterward and feel better about yourself for having received a Bruce Leeroy kick to the face. You can write off a Bruce Leeroy ass whoopin' on your taxes as a charitable donation. Bruce-Bruce will be making his twenty-eighth UFC appearance after competing on The Ultimate Fighter and making his debut in 2011. He’ll be up against a wild mother-shut-your-mouf, Daniel Pineda, who has over forty career MMA bouts to his name, including his first stint in the UFC back in 2012 and appearances in Bellator, LFA, Fury FC, and the PFL. This will be veteran on veteran crime, OG on OG violence, which will likely end before the final bell. 

Cue the Harlem Globetrotter theme music. Bruce Leeroy is a Sweet Lou Dunbar striker who throws every flashy technique ever invented since the dawn of man. He’s a walking Smithsonian of ancient techniques from every discipline ever tested on the battlefield. Karate, Muay Thai, boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Weng Chung; you name it, Bruce Leeroy will use it. He’ll even bust out some Eskrima sticks while no one’s looking and crack your ass like Tanya Harding. Caceres’ style is a whirlwind of nonstop limb flying, and if you let him stand at range, he’ll piece you up Willy with the quickness. His special move is the same-side cross-rear round kick combination. I’ve been training Muay Thai/kickboxing since 2004, and I still can’t master this technique. It’s the filthy combination he KO’d Julian Erosa with in Caceres’ last bout. You throw the rear hand and almost at the same time swing the rear leg behind it, landing over the lead shoulder or around the guard. Erosa slid out of the way of the cross and thought shit was sweet until the round kick went upside his head a split second later. 

Bruce Leeroy’s major malfunction is his lack of power. His strikes are long and loopy and more whipping than stiff. Because of this, Bruce Leeroy’s weakness is inside the pocket, exchanging back and forth. He needs distance to land, and inside the pocket, his punches are too long to the target, and he often gets beat to the punch. But he uses extreme arm angles from underneath and over the top and uses crafty, subtle slips and rips.  

The underrated part of his game is his grappling. Bruce is a tumbling gymnast grappler who hits the deck and keeps rolling like a 90s school fire drill. Keep Rollin’ Rollin Rollin’ Rollin’. He creates chaos on the mat with 50/50 scrambles and is a Wu syndicate. Protect Ya Neck. Caceres has seven career submissions, and his specialty is chokes. He can snatch your neck with his long arms in positions you think you are safer in. The key for Bruce Leeroy against Daniel Pineda will be pace, not necessarily volume. Bruce Leeroy is a moderate output striker, but he leaves little dead air between engagements, thus pushing a pace that fades opponents in the later rounds. 

Daniel Pineda is an Evel Knievel daredevil striker who holds no regard for his personal safety. He’s a George Benson “Give Me The Night” moon howler. His style is nothing but one hundred percent hooks and overhands and filthy leg kicks. The best way to describe his style is a technical street brawler. He throws bombs while mixing in some YouTube instructional bobs and weaves. His specialty is same-time counters. Pineda will wait for you to lead the dance, then counter over the top of your strikes, most often with his right hand. 

The best part of Pineda’s game is his grappling. Out of twenty-eight career dubs, noineteen are subs. He’s got guillotines on deck like the Middle Ages. Pineda has William Wallace guillotines that he uses for everything from defending takedowns, landing knees, and submitting. Pineda is coming off a second-round submission of Tucker Futz; I mean Tucker Nutz; I mean Tucker Lutz. But before that, he was molly-whopped by Cub Swanson and Andre Fili (ruled a no-contest) in back-to-back fights. Pineda’s Fantasy value will be as a dual-threat finisher. He can target Bruce Leeroy’s legs early and land heavy hands when Bruce is compromised, or he can get into a grappling firefight and snatch Bruce’s neck. Seven of Bruce’s thirteen career L’s came via submission. 

Bruce Leeroy will be the (-175) favorite, and Pineda will be the (+140) dog. Pineda’s value will be early and fade late. He will have to fast-play the fight and look to catch Caceres slipping early. Caceres will be a late finishing threat, as his pace and activity will eventually wear down Pineda, who tends to slow down. A Pineda TKO/KO will return ( ) and a sub ( ). A Caceres TKO/KO will return ( ) and a sub ( ). Alex Caceres via rear-naked choke, round three. 

Winner: Alex Caceres | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Jim Miller (+145) vs. Jared Gordon (-175)

Miller: DK: $7.1k | Gordon: DK:$9.1k

Jim Miller sits in George Washington’s spot on the gate keepers Mt. Rushmore. This will be Miller’s forty-second UFC bout, and his goal is to get to fifty. He debuted in 2008—George Bush was still president—and “Earthworm” Jim Miller is still grimy, still filthy, still rotten... Cue the Scott Storch piano... Still J.I.M. And, it seems like just last month when Jared Gordon was getting KO’d by Bobby Green for no reason at all. Gordon got hit with a Lethwei headbutt and subsequently put to sleep with follow-ups only for the bout to be called (rightfully) a no contest. And for all those YouTubing Lethwei, proceed with caution; it makes BKFC look like a pillow fight. This one is more sanctioned veteran-on-veteran violence, and one of those fights where you hate to see a loser. 

In his heyday, Jim Miller was one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC. He had sleeper hand speed and crispy boxing on the feet, and Boy Scout tie-em-in-knots Jiu-Jitsu. He’s fought everybody who ever fought in the lightweight division: Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz, Beniel Dariush, Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis, Takanori Gomi, Diego Sanchez, Dustin Poirier, Thiago Alves, and he fought Charles Oliveira twice and submitted Oliveira with a kneebar in 2010. Earthworm Jim is most famous for biting off his tongue when he was caught in a Nate Diaz guillotine choke. He was the inspiration for R.R. Martin’s famous quote, “When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar; you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” 

Jimmy still has solid kickboxing and dangerous grappling and is amid a midlife resurgence. He’s won three of his last four, all finishes, and even in his recent loss to Alexander Hernandez, Jim was highly competitive and ran out of time when he had a rear-naked locked in at the end of the fight. But Jim has lost a step. He gets caught out of position, reaching for punches too often because he can’t cover distance like he used to. His feet are just too slow now. Jim will have to fill in some of the holes in his striking with his grappling. I don’t know if he can get Gordon to the mat, but Jim has to try. Gordon might have better wrestling, but once it hits the mat, Jim has the slicker Jiu-Jitsu. Or at least he used to. 

King Green is my favorite current fighter. I love his style and fearlessness, but I have to say, Jared Gordon was looking good in that first round. Gordon was getting inside and landing his left hook at will and even had Green stunned twice. Bobby was fighting uncharacteristically flat-footed, and Jared was taking advantage. I was most surprised by Gordon’s hand speed. I hadn’t seen that kind of speed in his recent bouts. The key for Gordon was extending his two-punch combos to a third punch. The first two allowed him to cover distance, and the third was creating damage. Gordon should have a noticeable speed advantage against Miller, and the key will again be extending his combinations to punch three and four. Miller’s reactions have slowed and volume is now his worst enemy. Gordon is the much higher output striker, averaging nearly five and a half significant strikes landed per minute to Miller’s less than three. 

The key for Gordon will be avoiding tie-ups and keeping the fight standing in the center of the Octagon. Miller will want to slow things down, but Gordon can’t allow that. I think Miller will have a hard time getting Gordon down, and his speed will give him the edge on the feet. Gordon will be the (-185) favorite, and that has a lot to do with how good he looked against Green. He was kind of piecing my boy up. Miller will be the (+150) arthritis-ridden dog with hot spots all over its ass, and his value will be in landing that sneaky left hand and snatching a neck. His last three dubs were two TKO/KOs and one sub. Gordon has been TKO/KO’d four times in his career and once unofficially in his last bout; he can get got on the feet. But give me Jared “Fisherman” Gordon via decision. On wax. 

Winner: Jared Gordon | Method: Decision

Victor Altamirano (+145) vs. Tim Elliott (-175)

Altamirano: DK: $7.2 | Elliott: DK: $9k

Wild ass Tim Elliott is back. Cue the Simon & Garfunkel: 

 Hello darkness, my old friend / I’ve come to talk with you again. 

The lights dim whenever Tim Elliott steps inside the Octagon, like the setting of a snuff film. Every Tim Elliott fight turns into a new installment for the Hostel franchise. He’s a Lord of the Flies heathen that doesn’t give a fook about your conch shell. Tim Elliot is the type to roll into battle with his inner demons as his cornermen. This fight against Victor Altamirano will be the ultimate clash of good versus evil. Victor vs. Evil Dead. Bust out the crucifix and holy water; this one will be a macabre little scrap. 

Tim Elliott fights like sniffs cat nip back stage. Ol’ p***y junky. He never stops moving, never stops flailing Palm Springs windmill haymakers, never stops shooting sloppy doubles, never stops scrambling and neck hunting; can’t stop, won’t stop. There’s no real technical breakdown for Elliott because there’s nothing technical about him. He uses Pic ‘N Save Dominick Cruz footwork, and he has some of the slowest hands ever seen in the flyweight division. He has lost in transit hand speed. His hands take detours on the way to the target. And defensively, he uses a garage sale Philly Shell; it’s the jankiest Philly Shell you’ve ever seen. The American Pickers offered seventy-five cents for that shit. Take it or leave it.  

But it’s his awkwardness that makes Elliott dangerous. He throws from odd angles, Christopher Columbus newly discovered angles. And he never stops throwing his long, whipping hands, making it hard for opponents to judge when it’s safe to engage. It’s like trying to time a double Dutch. You just stand on the outside watching the ropes swinging, trying to figure out how to get in there. And then, when you finally commit, he shoots on you, just to stand back up and shoot on you again. There’s no rhythm, flow, cadence, or method to Elliott’s madness. It's just all madness. The key for Elliott against Altamirano will be doing Tim Elliott-type-ish. Talking shit, creating chaos, and introducing Altamirano to his closest homie, darkness.  

Victor Altamirano has to be prepared to be Father Merrin from The Exorcist. What worries me about Victor is that he might be a little too innocent for this fight. But in a lot of ways, he has a similar style to Elliott. Altamirano has long, whipping strikes and constantly switches stances. His strikes look like the inflatable wavy arm man outside a fifteen-minute oil change spot. And like that wavy-arm man, Altamirano doesn’t stop swinging unless he shoots a double leg. He is like Tim Elliott turned down a notch. Turn down for what? Like a Tim Elliott without the Molly at a rave 

Altamirano can keep pace with Elliott on the feet, but I’m not sure on the mat. Altamirano likes to wrestle more than strike, but Elliott is a very sneaky grappler, and I’m not sure Altamirano can out-position him. I think this one will play out more on the feet. Altamirano also lacks power and relies more on volume, averaging over six significant strikes per minute. His biggest defensive hole is his exaggerated head movement. He looks like an 80s headbanger when he ducks to avoid a strike, leaving him out of position to counter and off balance. Altamirano’s Fantasy value will be in punch stats and possible top control time. 

Tim Elliott will be the (-180) favorite, and Altamirano will be the rabid chihuahua (+150) dog. Neither fighter will be much of a finishing threat; Elliot hasn’t finished a fight since 2017, and Altamirano is a fifty-percent finisher with twelve career dubs. As a roster option, Altamirano will likely put up similar Fantasy stats as Elliott with the same chance of a finish. This one has me second-guessing. Fook it! Give me the dog. Victor Altamirano via decision.

Winner: Victor Altamirano | Method: Decision

Karine Silva (+175) vs. Ketlen Souza (-225)

Silva: DK: $9.3k | Souza: DK:$6.9k

This is the battle of the Coachella holograms. Karine Silva is an alternate universe Amanda Nunes, and Ketlen Souza is a Kobey’s Swap Meet Jessica Andrade; she still has the ink tags on her. Silva will be making her second UFC appearance, and Souza will be debuting after most recently fighting in Invicta. This will be a clash of styles on the feet and a firefight if it hits the mat. I know the question on your mind. Is this a Mary Jay break type of scrap? I’m gonna say maybe. This could turn into a low-key unexpected banger, or a complete mismatch in Silva’s favor.  

You will catch serious Amanda Nunes vibes when you see Silva’s striking. She’s still a little raw and doesn’t have the best understanding for managing distance, but her cadence and stature and three-quarter delivery look very similar to Nunes’. I’m talking copyright infringement, Gorilla Black, and all that. On the mat, Silva is dangerous from her back because she uses the rubber guard and “Mission Control” to land elbows like vintage Tony Ferguson. If you’re not versed in the rubber guard, you’ll have no idea how to escape it. The rubber guard, and more specifically, the “Mission Control” position, is the most underutilized technique on the mat. She can carve you up with elbows or hit a Go-Go on you, and I ain’t talking Hollywood Blvd and Jim Morrison. 

Ketlen Souza is a short, compact bomb thrower. On some Catch-22 type-ish. What you know about Yossarian? Souza uses a Capoeira cadence on the feet, dancing and skirting around the outside while pepping with rear teeps and mixing in occasional spinning ish. She’s one of those Brazillian strikers who kick more than they engage with hands and almost exclusively attack from distance, even though she lacks reach. On the rare occasions when she does throw hands, she throws nothing but twelve-year-old Andy Reid overhands. 

On the mat, Souza has a Venus flytrap guard. She will lay in wait and lull you into a false sense of security, then suddenly escape her hips and take a limb. Souza relies on an active guard because her takedown defense is R. Kelly Doo Doo Butter. That will be the difference in this fight. Although Souza has a nasty guard, she only has one career submission. But she has eight TKO/KOs and thirteen career dubs. Her path to victory will be standing and trying to catch Silva with one of her Punt, Pass, and Kick bombs from the outside. 

Silva is 15-4 for her career with noine TKO/KO’s and six subs, including a first-round submission in her UFC debut. She will be the (-220) favorite, and Souza will be the (+180) dog. Silva does have trouble covering distance, and Souza likes to dominate the outside, so there is some distant value in Souza. But I think Karine Silva is more well-rounded and an overall better scrapper. Karine Silva via rear-naked choke, round two. Put that ish on wax. 

Winner: Karine Silva | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (-110) vs. Elizeu Dos Santos (-110)

Not Khabib: DK: $7.9k | Dos Santos: DK:$8.3k

Banger. You see Abubakar’s last name and automatically think someone’s ass is getting kicked, but not so fast. Elizeu Dos Santos is no chump. He’s a Hollywood Blvd. Hugh Jackman look-alike with adamantium in his hands. The last time we saw Dos Santos in the Octagon, he was catching a body for the whoopin’ he put on Benoit St. Denis. Denis won Dancing With The Stars for the fifteen minutes of chicken dancing he did in the cage without the ref coming to his rescue and waving him off. The crowd was screaming “Mercy!” like at the end of Braveheart. The ref’s performance was so appalling he was fired upon exiting the cage, sent to the showers, no chanclas. “Can’t win with ‘em. Can’t do it.” If the takedown well dries up for Abubakar, things could get Bubba Sparxxx Ugly again real fookin’ quick. That’s a big IF, though. 

As his last name suggests, Abubakar is a wrestling specialist with experience in The World Series of Fighting and the PFL before debuting in 2019. Abubakar rolls into battle with a Prince crew in his corner, and after cracking your ass, he will serve you pancakes. His team consists of Khabib and Belal Muhammad; they’re the Kevin Costner to his Whitney Houston. With a crew like that, you already know what time it is: takedowns and top control. Rinse and repeat. But don’t let the last name fool you; Abubakar has some major holes in his ground game. He doesn’t have the same tenacious ground and pound as Khabib and settles for controlling position over creating damage and sub-opportunities. Also, two of his three career L’s came via submission, including his UFC debut against David Zawada, who is far from a killer on the mat.  

On the feet, Abubakar is nothing to Tik Tok home about. He throws heavy, wide single shots, and overall, his striking is a means for closing the distance or drawing out his opponent’s forward pressure so he can level change and shoot a double. If he struggles to get Elizeu Dos Santos to the ground consistently, this could turn into another Benoit St. Denis situation real quick. Abubakar’s path to victory is a single-lane dirt road winding through the New Mexico desert, where the locals say the hills have eyes. Abubakar averages just above three significant strikes landed per minute and just under one and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. He’s 2-1 in the UFC and has yet to score a finish or even come close. His Fantasy value will be moderate forty to fifty strikes landed with a takedown or two, garnished with a dash of top control time. 

Y’all must’ve forgot. Elizeu Dos Santos is an underrated heathen. Since 2020, he has only fought once, the St. Denis fight, so it’s easy to forget that he’s been cracking asses in the UFC since 2015. He’s 9-3 in the promotion with losses to the MMA Mona Lisa Li Jingliang, the Kung Fu Panda Muslim Salikhov, and the underrated Nicolas Dalby in his debut. Dos Santos is no chump on the mat but does struggle to stay on his feet. Dalby, who is far from a takedown specialist, took down Elizeu six times, and Jingliang took him down twice. It’s safe to say Abubakar’s takedown prowess dwarfs both of those fighters. The key for Dos Santos will be the middle to late minutes of the fight. Abubakar slows, as do many fighters who rely heavily on wrestling, and Dos Santos has a punishing stand-up style that breaks opponents over fifteen minutes. 

On the feet, Dos Santos kind of reminds me of “The Ponz” Santiago Ponzinibio. Dos Santos has no problems standing in the pocket and trading wide hooks and overhands while taking the chance that he’ll be the one left standing when all the smoke clears because he inhaled it and made smoke rings with it. He will have to respect Abubakar’s early power on the feet while maintaining distance to avoid level changes. I think there will come a point when Abubakar’s takedowns become ineffective and becomes resigned to a kickboxing match. That will be when Dos Santos will start to take over and make up for the early minutes he may spend on his back. For his career, Dos Santos is 23-7 with fourteen TKO/KOs and three subs. Fantasy-wise, he will be the better finishing threat and higher output striker, averaging just under five significant strikes landed per minute. 

This one is a (-110) Vegas pick ‘em, and each fighter will have his moments to dictate where the fight takes place. Abubakar is 17-3 for his career with six TKO/KOs and four subs, and a TKO/KO finish will return ( ) and a sub ( ). A Dos Santos TKO/KO will return ( ). I also like playing this one to go the distance ( ). Abubakar can drain a lot of time off the clock and slow the fight down with his wrestling and drag this one to the final bell. But I’m rolling with Elizeu Dos Santos. F your pancakes. Elizeu Dos Santos via TKO, round three. On wax. 

Winner: Elizeu Dos Santos | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Victor Altamirano ($7.2k): This fight will be the proverbial cartoon dust cloud bouncing all over the cage. This will likely be the highest-paced fight of the night, and Altamirano will be forced to match Tim Elliott’s output and perpetual activity for an entire fifteen minutes. A finish may be a long shot, but Altamirano can rack up significant strikes and sneak in a takedown or two with some top control time. 

Andrei Arlovski (7.7k): The man who has fought in four different decades is back like he never left because he didn’t. He lives under the cage with his roommate, Bones Jones. Arlovski has won four of his last five bouts, and in those four dubs, he averaged eighty-five significant strikes landed and topped one hundred once. He will be the slight (+110) dog against Don’Tale Mayes, who landed a grand total of twenty-noine strikes in his last bout. Arlovski lost via submission to Marcos de Lima, but Mayes is far from a sub-threat. 

Daniel Pineda (7.3k): Pineda is the best finishing threat in the $7k price range. He lives life high speed. He’s take-one-to-give-one personified and can finish Bruce Leeroy on the feet or the mat. You’re getting noineteen career subs for Fantasy crumbs at $7.3k, and Pineda has a specialty, guillotines. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Johnny Munoz Jr. (+175): Munoz Jr. will be up against ol’ Willycat, Daniel Santos, and if Munoz Jr. plays to his strengths, this will be a grappler vs. striker matchup. Munoz Jr. is 12-2 for his career with seven subs and two TKO/KOs. Although his striking has improved, he’ll be at a severe disadvantage on the feet. Willycat has yet to be tested on the mat in two fights inside the Octagon, and Munoz Jr. has just enough striking to set up takedowns and the slick grappling and back-takes to threaten Willycat on the mat.  

Andrei Arlovski (+110): There’s a good chance Arlovski will move into negative money come fight night, so bust out the Hamiltons and Andy Jacks right meow. Don’Tale Mayes looked awful in his last bout, adopting the William Knight do nothing and hope for the best game plan. Arlovski may not be the same finishing threat he once was, but he still always comes to fight, and he’s been in the cage with about fifty fighters better than Mayes. Arlovski will outwork Mayes on the feet as long as he can avoid the clinch and keep his back off the cage. 

Victor Altamirano (+145): The stage has been set for an Altamirano upset. Tim Elliott recently revealed some personal details about his life that travel along the Scandoval Tom and Raquel spectrum. Elliott has been thrust into a Maury Povich episode, and it’s hard to believe his mind will be focused on fighting. When it comes to pure x’s and o’s, Altamirano is a sneaky good striker and grappler, and his style is very similar to Elliott’s, nonstop action wherever the fight goes. This fight will be nothing but 50/50 exchanges on the feet and scrambles on the mat. When it comes to dogs, I’ll take 50/50 odds all day. 

Pick 'Em

Daniel Santos (-215) vs. Johnny Munoz Jr. (+175)

Winner: Willycat

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Andrei Arlovski (+110) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (-140)

Winner: Andrei Arlovski

 Method: Decision

John Castaneda (-125) vs. Muin Gafurov (-105)

Winner: Muin Gafurov

 Method: Decision

Muhammadjon Naimov (+335) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (-450)  

Winner: Jamie Mullarkey

 Method: Decision

Elise Reed (-135) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+110)

Winner: Jin Yu Frey

 Method: Decision

Da’Mon Blackshear (+120) vs. Luan Lacerda (-150)

Winner: Luan Lacerda

Method: Triangle Choke Rd.2

Philipe Lins (+110) vs. Maxim Grishin (-140)

Winner: Philipe Lins

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.