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

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Main Card

Arnold Allen (-150) vs. Mel Costa (+125)

Allen: DK: $8.6k | Costa: DK:$7.6k

About last night... 

Worst title reign ever – Comic Book Guy 

It was a job for Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and the incomparable Scooby Doo, the unmasking of the most dominant ground specialist the MMA world had seen, Khamzat Chimaev, as none other than a repackaged Edmen Shahbazyan. A reign that many (meaning me) thought would last longer than the Ottoman Empire ended without even a single title defense. To quote the eternal DMX: “What do you do when you find out that your dog is a cat?” You don’t feed it Alpo or put a leash on that MF and take it to the local dog park to mingle with the other dogs. No, you rid yourself of that p**sy and find a real fookin’ dog.  

Of course, there were signs: the Gilbert Burns fight and the third round against Kamaru Usman. Had that fight been five rounds, Chimaev may have never fought for the title. Maybe I’m still high since last night, but I don’t see Chimaev getting the belt back. The cashier had the invisible-ink marker uncapped and poised to strike, and the little overhead black light was glowing before he even approached the checkstand. After the fight, homie set off the EAS merchandise antennas on his way out of the Octagon. It’s over; Chimaev’s face is plastered all over that bish and was shared with retailers across the country. No one will be fooled ever again. In the end, Strickland didn’t need a runny nose to beat Chimaev—not even a scratch in his throat; he just needed to survive for five minutes. 

Joshua Van: All I can say is he’s a real motherf**ker like Delonte West. And Taira is like Germany in the early 20th century or the United States since World War 2 when it comes to losing wars. I suffer from PTSD since watching that fight. But now we must redirect our eyes from the rear view to the road ahead lest there be a Dwayne Haskins in the vacnity.  

This week’s matchup, Arnold Allen vs. Mel Costa, is an undercover banger. Mel Cosat, aka the Dalmatian, is back after fighting just a few weeks ago. They call him The Dalmatian because he has Vitiligo. Psychiatrists use Costa to administer Rorschach tests. Homie rocks that skin camo so he can blend in with diverse crowds. The Predator rocks his skin when hunting humans. It looks like Costa is wearing a shirt with gravy stains. But don’t let that fool you; this MF will knock the pigment off your ass. Just ask Dan Ige. Costa became the first man to ever KO Ige, something that I proclaimed to be impossible. If I KO’d Dan Ige, I’d change my name to a symbol like Prince, so people would have to sign it with their hands. They’d call me The Pick ‘Em Gawd, formerly known as... I’d start referring to myself only in the third person. 

“... And would you like a soup or salad with that?” 

“Yes, Chris would like the super salad, but he’d like you to hold the cherry tomatoes.” 

KO’ing Dan Ige is harder to do than watching an OKC Thunder game. Before the fight, I was quoted as saying, “He’s not that impressive like Michelangelo’s David’s David...” Then Costa went out and spinning back kicked Ige in the throat, leaving Ige choking on his Adam’s Apple on the canvas. They had to run in there and do the Heimlich on Ige. However impressive it was, I’m still not ready to buy Mel Costa. He’s solid all-around; he has no glaring holes in his game. He has strict, technical striking and respectable grappling. But he just doesn’t scare me. To me, Costa’s style is like Flan; it’s just whatever. The key for Costa against Allen will be initiating wrestling before Allen does.   

Costa rocks a 58% takedown defense. Against the super mid Christian Rodriguez, Costa was taken down six times, all by foot sweep. I'm talking about school yard trips. Costa fell for the same trick six times. Trip me once, shame on me. Trip me six times... This guy falls for anything like your mammy opening spam mail because it says she has an unclaimed prize. But Costa averages two takedowns per fifteen minutes and has eight career subs, which is nearly as many as his noine career TKOs/KOs. If the fight stays standing, I think Costa will be at a power disadvantage.   

Maybe they call Costa “The Dalmatian” because it takes 101 of them to fook with Arnold Allen, aka Arnold Almighty. On his feet, Allen looks like he doesn’t know anybody at the party; he’s socially awkward, but for some reason, chicks seem to dig it. You take one look at his stance and stiff cadence and think he’s not a threat. Then the lights come on in the club, and he walks away with the Betty you bought drinks for all night. You end up in an Uber with a Betty that looks like Herb Dean. It'seasy to forget that Allen is an op, a Fed, an undercover savage. One second, you’re in an alley scoring a KFC family meal, levying suspicions that the gravy is cut with Boston Market’s. The next moment, the bums sleeping under cardboard boxes are pointing ARs at you, screaming, "Get on the ground, get on the f**king ground!" 

Allen’s best weapon is his left hand. It looks like he’s throwing a javelin (the missile not a spear). It looks like Zues throwing a lightning bolt as some poor bass turd taking a shit during a thunderstorm. Yes, it’s possible to be struck by lightning while taking a shit. Yo, DJ! Hit those receipts! 

Never forget the time Arnold Allen walked through Dan Hooker like old people walking through the mall before it opens. He walked through Hooker like he was Charlie Sheen. Allen will have a slight edge on his feet, but his biggest advantage will be his experience. Compared to Arnold's resume, Costa’s is like me applying for the Angels' head coaching position after Kurt Suzuki is fired midway through the season, after coaching my tee ball team to a 2-11 record. Allen has fought Max, Movsar Evloev, and Jean Silva. Ige is the best fighter Costa has faced.   

Fantasy-wise, this will be a low-scoring affair without a finish. Costa averages 4.3 SLpM compared to Allen’s 3.4. Costa eclipsed the one-hundred-strikes mark twice in four fights that went a full three rounds. Allen has only done it once in nine such occasions. Allen is the (-200) favorite, and Costa is the (+165) live-ass dog. I thought the oddsmakers might sleep on Allen. No such luck. Costa has a superior kicking game to Allen. Allen is mostly all hands on his feet. Costa can mix it up with a full arsenal of spinning and traditional round kicks. And Costa can put Allen (71% takedown defense) on his back. Like last week’s main event, I like this one to go the distance. Allen is a better finishing threat, but I think this one will slow down midway through.   

All good things come to an end. The main event dub streak was broken at four after Chimaev gassed after the first round. I still thought he won 1, 3, and 4, but it wasn’t a robbery. Round three could go either way. This week’s pick feels like a trap pick. I always doubt Costa, and he makes me eat my words like the glutton in the movie Seven. Here we go again... “Hey!” Arnold Allen via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

Allen: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+1200) Dec (+165)  

Costa: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+600) Dec (+330) 

Winner: Arnold Allen | Method: Decision

Doo Ho Choi (+135) vs. Daniel Santos (-160)

Choi: DK: $7.8k | Willycat: DK: $8.4k

Like Henry Rowengartner, this co-main event came out of right field. Don’t get me wrong, this is a crunchy little banger. It's just kind of random. For better or worse, seven of Choi’s noine career UFC bouts ended before the final bout. And two of Santos’s four UFC dubs came via TKO/KO. The Angels have a better chance of making the playoffs than this fight has of going to the ground. Face first is the only way one of these guys is going to touch the mat.   

His name might be Doo Ho, but you ain’t gonna do him like one. Doo Ho Choi has been training with Baxter Stockman and has gone from Superboy to Super Duperboy. My man looks like Baby Fark McGee Zax. He looks like he makes a list and leaves doobies and brownies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Doo Ho looks like he still wears light-up Velcro shoes and goes to bed when the streetlights come on. Homie doesn’t get carded at the McDonald's Play Place. He looks like he still puts baby teeth under his pillow. But although he might look like a boy, he hands out adult ass-whoopin's. He’s the MMA Childish Gambino. And he’ll crack your ass like the Great Bambino. He will have your mammy calling out sick for you the next day, real quick. 

This MF doesn’t seem to age like Tom Cruise. Even at 35, Choi still has that NES Power Glove power in his right hand. And his hands still hit triple digits on the gun. His hands are blunt, straight to the point. They travel straight down the middle and could fit through a peephole. But his major malfunction is his lack of wrestling/grappling. Choi has freshman P.E. wrastlin’. He once got pinned by the captain of the debate team. Choi rocks a miserable 47% takedown defense. While Santos is known for his dangerous striking, he averages three takedowns per fifteen minutes. The key for Choi will be avoiding the clinch and keeping his back off the cage. Santos’s open mat takedowns aren’t very impressive.   

Ol’ Willycat is back, aka Daniel Santos. He reminds me of a vegan, homemade Robbie Lawler. He looks like a Gain-of-Function Ricky Martin. And you can catch this little dynamo, Livin’ La Vida Loca, inside the cage. Yo, DJ! Hit that shit! His stand-up comes equipped with more spins than that record. This guy has more spins than a merry-go-round. His special move is the spinning back kick. He’s surgical with that bish, Jake. Like most Brazilian strikers, Willycat has that Santa’s Little Helper Dog in him. Against John Castaneda, Willycat went full Night of the Living Dead and climbed out of his grave in the first round. Homie sat up on the autopsy table, talking about, “How ‘bout some chonies, homie?” He was all but dead on his feet but came back like Easter Sunday.   

That was the beginning of a current four-fight dub streak for Willycat. His major malfunction is inactivity. He just doesn’t fight enough. I change my oil more often than he fights, and it has 100k miles and is still on the original oil filter. That’s why he looks completely different every time you see him. Homie went from looking like Paulo Costa to looking like Russ Wilson playing Banana Ball in between fights. In his most recent fight, he was rocking that post-career dad bod. He came out looking like Larry Holmes, flabby and sick. Hit that 2Pac “Against All Odds!” But that didn’t stop him from scoring a second-round TKO. The key for Willycat is pressure. He has to back up Choi and make him fight off his back foot. Much like what Strickland failed to do against Chimaev, or else he could have finished Chimaev.   

Willycat is the (-130) favorite, and Choi is the (+110) live-ass dog. The difference is Willycat’s takedowns. He has a clear path to victory riding out top control on the mat. But if Choi can stay upright, his straight punches will beat Willycat’s wide hooks down the middle. The striking stats are dead even at 4.6 SLpM. But Willycat does his best work inside the pocket, and Choi is best from range. The play for this one is a decision. Willycat is a bigger finishing threat, but I think he’ll salt away some clock from the top position. Give me Brazilian Robbie Lawler, Daniel Santos, via decision. On wax.  

Props

Willycat: TKO/KO (+250) Sub (+500) Dec (+275) 

Choi: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+2000) Dec (+450)

Winner: Daniel Santos | Method: Decision

Malcolm Wellmaker (-280) vs. Juan Diaz (+225)

Wellmaker: DK: $9.2k | Diaz: DK:$7k

Ace of Base - “The Sign”, Crazy Town - “Butterfly”, Gotye - “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and Baha Men – “Who Let the Dogs Out.” The list of one-hit wonders is endless. The UFC has its own version of one-hit wonders – One Punch Wonders. Malcom “In the Middle” Wellmaker is quickly becoming the most prominent one-punch wonder in the promotion. When you play the UFC 6 video game as Malcolm Wellmaker, every button is a check-right hook. If you mash two buttons together, he’ll throw a check-left hook. Watching him fight is like going to a Vanilla Ice concert, and he only performs “Ice Ice Baby” on repeat for the entire set. Malcolm is the definition of going to the Wellmaker too often. Wellmaker’s answer to every question in life: Check-hook.   

Q: How did two planes bring down three buildings?  

A: Check-hook. 

Q: How many drinks have you had this evening, Sir? 

A: Check-hook. 

Q: Do you take this woman in sickness and in health... 

A: Check-hook. 

Wellmaker has never been presented with a problem that he can’t throw a check-hook at. When all you have is a check-hook, every problem looks like a chin. But although you might know it’s coming, you can’t stop it. And when it lands, opponents are left face down like massage tables. Wellmaker’s opponents are left looking like 1800s outlaws in coffins with rouge on their cheeks. Now that I think about it, Wellmaker’s style (other than mostly throwing check-hooks) looks very similar to Joshua Van. The power and body work are similar. Wellmaker is all power and zero finesse. What he lacks in technical footwork and defensive prowess, he makes up for with one-punch power.   

Wellmaker is 10-1 with 6 TKOs/KOs and 2 subs. That one loss came in his previous fight against Tim the Toolman Taylor, aka Ethyn Ewing. Ewing’s superior MMA skills were too much for the one-punch wonder. And that there is Wellmaker’s major malfunction; he’s too one-dimensional. The blueprint for beating Wellmaker is to make the fight a true mixed martial arts bout, not just a boxing match.   

Or you can make it a dogfight and let the chips fall where they may. That will be Juan Diaz’s approach. This guy has a hard time finding an apartment to rent because of breed restrictions. Diaz is a true MexiCan with that scavenger, back-alley Tijuana dog in him. This guy could survive on just scraps. He’s like a coyote that can adapt to any environment. If fighters had headhunter awards like Ohio State football helmets, Juan Diaz would be walking around looking like a NASCAR with decals plastered all over him. From the opening bell, Diaz comes after U like the letter V, handing out more three-pieces than Popeye’s.  

Check out his fight on the Contender Series. He caught a body that night. He even has a little teardrop tattoo under his eye to prove it. His opponent looked like the alien from the M. Night Shyamalamalan movie “Signs.” Homie looked straight out of Roswell, New Mexico. Diaz welcomed his opponent to earth with a spinning back elbow KO. Diaz’s opponent looked like he was auditioning for the role of Meek Mill in the upcoming Diddy biopic after eating that elbow. Homie was sleeping with his Eyes Wide Shut. Overall, Diaz is a typical Mexican fighter, with his best attribute being his heart. He has an excellent pro record of 15-1 with 5 TKOs/KOs and 2 subs.   

Even at 15-1, Wellmaker will be a tough draw in Diaz’s UFC debut. I think he will be a little out-gunned on the feet. He will be taking fists to a grenade fight. Diaz has to draw out Wellmaker’s offense, make Wellmaker come forward. If Diaz pursues too much, that check-hook will find a home on Diaz’s chin like Zillow. Feints and double-jabs will be keys for Diaz to draw out Wellmaker’s counter-striking.  

Wellmaker will be the (-250) favorite, and Diaz will be the (+210) stray dog. It will be hard to pressure Wellmaker without over pursuing and running face-first into the check-hook. Ewing did it with superior footwork and cutting angles. Diaz just doesn’t have that kind of intricacy on his feet. But you can count on Diaz to go out on his shield. The big question is, will Wellmaker get the early finish, justifying his high Fantasy price tag? Wellmaker will definitely have a decided power advantage. The play for Wellmaker is a TKO/KO, and the play for Diaz is a decision. He has to try to outwork Wellmaker. But give me that check-hook to reign supreme. Malcolm Wellmaker via TKO, round two. Put it on wax.   

Props

Wellmaker: TKO/KO (+120) Sub (+800) Dec (+250)

Diaz: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+1400) Dec (+600)

Winner: Malcolm Wellmaker | Method: TKO Rd.2

Modestas Bukauskas (-340) vs. Rodolfo Bellato Christian Edwards (+270)

Bukauskas: DK: 8.3$k | Edwards: DK: $6.9k

Christian Edwards is a last-minute replacement for Rodolfo Bellato. Bellato was one of my Twenty Twen-Twenties Sleepers this week, and I’ll never forgive him for dropping this fight. It was tailor-made for a Bellato upset TKO/KO. Christian Edwards will be stepping in on just a couple of days’ notice. I have no idea who the fook that guy is. He is 8-4 with 5 TKOs/KOs and one sub, including 2-3 under the Bellator banner. If Modestas Bukauskas can’t win this fight, he should be cut immediately from the roster and shamed like Cersei Lannister on his way out of the arena. Anywho, this is what I wrote for Bukauskas before the change of opponent: 

Bukauskas’s corner will have to rub two sticks together under his ass to light a fire under it. If he comes out with the same lack of urgency that he shows in every fight, he might get run over. Bukauskas is a walking C- if you grade on a curve. Modestas has all the flamboyant style of a waiting room. My man is elevator music personified. They play replays of his fights at coffee shops to create a relaxed ambiance. At anger management meetings, they prescribe his fights to patients when they feel on the verge of an outburst. When you feel angry, just watch a Bukauskas fight, then count to three. Homie’s fights could win a Nobel Peace Prize. 

Yo, DJ! Hit that Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah!” Buskaus’s style is the equivalent of rocking a plain white tee everywhere; I’m talking weddings, funerals, and job interviews. Bukauskas's idea of taking a risk is wearing one after Labor Day. His special power is that he won’t beat himself like Jim Carrey beating his own ass in Liar Liar. My man is a walking infield single—a full swing bunt. From the moment the bell rings, Bukauskas takes laps around the cage like it’s the fookin’ Daytona 500. They gotta send a pace car out there to slow him down. Lateral movement is paramount to good striking, but Bukauskas never allows himself time to sit down on punches. Meaning he has no power. 

Bukauskas is the (-340) favorite, and Edwards is the (+270) dog. I have no idea what type of dog Edwards is, but looking at his record, this should be a grooved fastball for Bukauskas, like Cal Ripken Jr. hitting a home run in his final All-Star appearance. This is a blind Stevie Wonder pick, but I feel confident that Bukauskas has the far better resume, facing far better competition. He should dominate this fight from the outside. A finish? Bukauskas has finished three of his last four wins, and Edwards looks like the low-level competition that Bukauskas fights his best against. Bukauskas via TKO, round three. On wax.  

Props

Bukauskas: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )  

Edwards: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )

Winner: Modestas Bukauskas | Method: Decision

Timothy Cuamba (+130) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (-155)

Cuamba: DK: $7.8k | Sopaj: DK: $8.4k

Timothy “Aye” Cuamba is the bantamweight version of Modestas Bukauskas. Okay, maybe Cuamba isn’t that extra ordinary. But it’s close. Cuamba has the stigma of having lost to Lucas Almeida. It’s a real accomplishment to lose to Almeida. You have to really not want it more than Almeida to lose to him. Cuamba also has a loss to Bolaji Oki, but that guy looks like he was carved the same way Mt. Rushmore was, using TNT to blast away rock and sediment. So, that loss was understandable, like Christopher Reeves skipping leg day. But since losing his first two UFC bouts, Cuamba rebounded like Rodman in the post with back-to-back dubs over a couple of arena security guards on their fifteen-minute breaks.   

Overall, Cuamba is middle of the road like Dwayne... Haha you already know. His major malfunction is a lack of head movement. It looks like he’s wearing bifocals, trying to get a closer look at his opponent’s knuckles when he’s under attack. He looks like Grammy trying to read a text when someone throws a jab. Offensively, Cuamba has technical, yet basic attacks. Power? He has less power than the American people. Cuamba is 10-3 with five TKOs/KOs. He can beat Bernardo Sopaj by hanging around and winning a battle of attrition.  

You may remember Bernardo Sopaj from the time Vinicius Oliveira took off from the free throw line and landed a flying knee on Sopaj’s chin. Oliveira dunked on Sopaj like Vince Carter dunking over that Australian galoot in the Olympics. Oliveira left Sopaj looking like Bud Dwyer. Now that’s a helluva a reference. But what people forget is that Sopja was dominating that fight until midway through the second round. Homie came out looking like the second coming of Ilia Topuria. He looked more like Ilia’s brother than Ilia’s brother. Sopaj looked like Ralphie beating the bully’s ass in A Christmas Story in the first round, bombing on Oliveira from the top position. But then he went out like Jim in American Pie, when his homies are watching him on webcam alone with Nadia. Sopaj blew a 3-1 series lead like the Celtics. Like Chimaev against Strickland, Sopaj gassed after the first round and wound up on SportsCenter's Top Ten for all the wrong reasons.  

Overall, Sopaj is fookin’ good. He rebounded with a dub over Ricky Turcios, the guy from No Country for Old Men. Pretty Ricky is closer to a TLC scrub than a world beater, but I won’t dub shame Sopaj after coming back from one of the most vicious KOs anyone could suffer. This is his fight to lose. Barring another inexplicable cardio issue, Sopaj can dominate on the mat. He can dominate on the feet too, but his clearest path to victory is on the mat, dominating top position.   

Sopaj will be the (-165) favorite, and Cuamba will be the (+140) live-ish dog. Cuamba rocks a 72% takedown defense; it’s not easy getting him to the ground and keeping him there. If he can stay upright, he can outlast Sopaj on the feet. Once a gasser, always a gasser. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Take a look at Chimaev. The play for this one is a decision. If Sopaj couldn’t finish Ricky Turcios, he won’t finish Cuamba. Give me Bernardo Sopaj via decision. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Sopaj: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+900) Dec (+150)  

Cuamba: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+2500) Dec (+215)

Winner: Bernardo Sopaj | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Doo Ho Choi ($7.8k): They call him Superboy, but he has some grown man power and speed. If he can stifle Willycat’s wrestling/grappling (which is super mid), Choi will be a serious finishing threat, especially early. Choi’s straight boxing will beat Daniel Santos down the middle all night long. Choi will have to be careful not to get drawn into a firefight inside the pocket. That’s where ol’ Willycat will have the advantage, winging wide hooks within close range. But Choi can dominate this fight from outside the pocket with his jab while looking for opportunities to fit his right hand between Willycat’s shoulders. All five of Choi’s UFC dubs came via TKO/KO, including his current two-fight winning streak. The play for Choi is a TKO/KO. 

Mel Costa ($7.6k): All this guy does is prove me wrong. This is the only man to finish Dan Ige, and he did it with a spinning back kick to the throat. I think Arnold Allen has better hands, but Costa’s kicking game is far more diverse than Allen’s. Also, this man is hotter than fish grease right meow. After getting dismantled by Steve Garcia, Costa has won six in a row and finished four of the six. Costa is a two-prong finisher who can put you to sleep on your feet and on the mat. How do you want it? How do you feel? His major disadvantage against Allen will be experience. Allen has fought the highest level of competition in the featherweight division, while Costa’s best win is against Ige. This will be a big step up in competition for “Sideshow” Mel Costa.   

Timothy Cuamba ($7.8k): This spot was originally set for Rodolfo Bellato. Cuamba won’t have nearly the finishing upside that Bellato had, but he is a solid middle-of-the-road Fantasy option. He won’t get shut out and should be able to put some points on the board even in a losing effort. In his two UFC wins, he scored 68 and 99 Fantasy points. He averages 2.7 SLpM, but also 1.3 takedowns per 15 minutes. If Sopaj gasses as he did in his debut, Cuamba can dominate the top position and supplement his low striking output. Another option is Cody Brundage at ($7.3k), but he will be an all-or-nothing option. Brundage will either score an early TKO/KO or get wrestled fooked for 15 minutes. But his upside is much higher than Cuamba’s. Cuamba offers a more reliable scoring option. 

 $6k Clearance Rack  

Juan Diaz ($7k): There is no $6k option this week. The debuting Juan Diaz will have the lowest cap hit. And he’s not a bad option. This guy is 15-1 with one of the best KO’s on the Contender Series last year. He literally has only one job when he steps into the Octagon against Malcolm Wellmaker: Avoid the check-hook. Wellmaker is a staunch counter-striker; the key to beating him is drawing out his check-counters with feints, double/triple jabs, and combinations starting at the body. Juan will be outgunned power-wise, but he can make up for it with a much more diverse striking arsenal and pressure. Wellmaker is coming in off a big upset loss; if Diaz can put some doubt in his mind early, he can make this a close fight. Both fighters average 5.8 SLpM, so this is bound to be a high-output banger and a good fight to target, fantasy points-wise.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Doo Ho Choi (+145): Never forget, Doo Ho ain’t one. He will have a speed and reach advantage, and those two attributes are hard to overcome. I think Daniel Santos will try to use his wrestling early and often. Why wouldn't he? Choi rocks a 47% takedown defense. But Willycat is far from a world-class wrestler/grappler. I’m not so sure Willycat can keep Choi on the mat. On the feet, it will be a battle of range, and Choi is built to dominate range with his long reach and hand speed. I picked Willycat to win this fight, but the betting value is on a Choi TKO/KO. Santos has a suspect chin; he was nearly finished in the first round against John Castaneda. He won’t survive this one if Choi clips him early.   

Mel Costa (+145): He’s hot, boy; he’s hot. Costa is riding a six-fight dub streak, and right now, you can’t tell him nothin’. When you become the first fighter to KO Dan Ige, it’s okay to feel yourself a little bit. Costa has the kicking game and sneaky grappling to cause problems for the more experienced Allen. The key for Costa will be avoiding Allen’s left hand. It’s the best weapon in this matchup. But Costa is the more diverse striker, able to mix in timely takedowns to steal close rounds. All I do is doubt this guy, and all he does is win. Sometimes, you just have to ride the hot hand, and that’s Costa. Although Allen’s level of competition dwarfs Costa’s, Allen has lost three of his last four bouts. And that can take a toll on a fighter mentally.   

Cody Brundage (+180): I can’t believe I’m typing this. I can’t believe Brundage remains on the roster after going 1-4-2 in his last seven fights, including a current three-fight losing streak. Two of those losses were split decisions he could have won. You never know what you will get out of this guy. When you sift through all the weird fights and no contests and DQs, he isn’t a bad fighter. He’s certainly good enough to beat Andre Petroski. Petroski is a pure wrestler and not a dangerous one. If he wins, it will be by controlling Brundage on the mat for the majority of fifteen minutes. But Brundage is the wild card, with sneaky power on the feet and surprising grappling. He mentally loses fights, and you can see when he checks out. Still, this is a rare matchup that Brundage can win, possibly by TKO/KO.   

Pick ‘Em

Nikolay Veretennikov (Even) vs. Khaos Williams (-120) 

Winner: Khaos Williams 

Method: Decision 

George Tokkos (+155) vs. Ivan Erslan (-180)  

Winner: Ivan Erslan 

Method: Decision 

Ketlen Vieira (+140) vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (-170)  

Winner: Jacqueline Cavalcanti 

Method: Decision 

Cody Brundage (+175) vs. Andre Petroski (-210) 

Winner: Cody Brundage 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Alice Ardelean (-200) vs. Polyana Viana (+170)   

Winner: Alice Ardelean 

Method: Decision 

Daniel Barez (-108) vs. Luis Gurule (-112)   

Winner: Daniel Barez 

Method: Decision 

Shauna Bannon (+195) vs. Nicolle Caliari (-235)  

Winner: Nicolle Caliari 

Method: Decision 

Thomas Gantt ( ) vs. Artur Minev ( )  

Winner: Thomas Gantt 

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.