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

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Main Card

Gilbert Burns (+250) vs. Mike Malott (-290)

Burns: DK: $6.9k | Malott: DK:$9.3k

A Burns For All Seasons 

 Directed by: Señor Spielbergo 

After four straight Ls, the crowd began to voice their displeasure. Stunned by the sudden turn in favor, Gilbert Burns turned to his head coach. With a look of confusion, as if he had been asked how the reopening of the world’s most important trade route was a major victory when it had been open for thousands of years prior to any Western military aggression, Gilbert inquired of his coach, “Coach, are they booing me?”  

Of course, Gilbert’s long-time head coach couldn’t hear his once-star pupil because the boo birds had become so loud that he had to wear earplugs as if he were at a rave. “Coach, coach!” Gil persisted.  

“What!” Coach Henri yelled, barely audible from just two feet away.  

“Are they booing me?”  

Pausing a moment to take in the scene, Henri replied, “No, they’re saying ‘Boo-urns, Boo-urns.’”  

A look of relief flashed across Gilbert’s face. He turned to the crowd and yelled, “Are you saying ‘boo,’ or ‘boo-urns?’”  

At that point, the booing reached such unbearable decibels that the roof threatened to blow off the little arena. A slight drizzle of unopened condiments and empty food wrappers quickly turned into a torrential downpour of half-eaten nachos and foot-long Franks (wieners if you want to be a Richard about it). Coach Henri placed himself directly in the path of the barrage of edible projectiles, shielding his fighter like a Secret Service agent protecting the Commander in Chief. The boos continued to dog their Uber for miles down the road. 

At this point, Hans Moleman is the only one in that bish yelling, “Boo-urns!” Four straight losses and a third straight main event. That’s the reality for Gilbert Burns. It’s almost like Gilbert is being rewarded for his willingness to play the role of sacrificial lamb. Getting a third straight main event after four straight Ls (two by TKO/KO) is like coming home with straight Fs on your report card, and to celebrate, your parents take you to Casabonita and order the fajita platter so everybody in the place thinks it’s your birthday when they come sizzling out of the kitchen’s batwing doors.  

But I’ll say this for Gilbert: the level of difficulty associated with his last four matchups is the equivalent of facing the Dodgers’ lineup. You got a better chance of surviving The Hunger Games and The Squid Games than surviving Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, and Michael Morales in succession. But it’s a steep fall from grace from that time when he was a follow-up punch or two away from beating Khamzat Chimaev. If I almost beat Khamzat, I’d bottle my own flatulence and label it “Eau de Toilette” and give myself a spritz before going out. You’d have to call an attendant to buy it at Walmart because it would be a high-theft item. You’d see it at Kobey’s Swap Meet, with the theft-deterrent wraps still on it. Most people would retire after achieving such a feat. But not Gilbert Burns. 

And don’t forget the time he nearly KO’d then champ Kamaru Usman. Those two performances, both losses, were Gilbert at his peak. If he were playing horseshoes or hand grenades, Gilbert would be a former champion. But since those flirtations with greatness, Gilbert has been less like himself and more like Monte Burns, who got shot while stealing candy from Maggie Simpson. We need the diabolical Gil Burns, who wants to block the sun because it provides free light, heat, and energy to his customers. 

So, how can Gilbert win this fight (or any fight at this point)? He has to unleash that veiny, overdeveloped Quagmire right hand. The hand speed is gone: Watching Gil throw a 1-2 is like watching a Revolutionary War reenactment soldier reload a replica musket, pouring gunpowder into a funnel and ramming a metal rod down the barrel to tamp down the steel ball. But power is the last attribute to fade. Behind the power of his right hand, Gil can create opportunities to level change. His path to victory is putting Mike Malott on his back and pounding him out (No Diddy) the way Neil Magny did to Malott.   

Never forget Malott’s only UFC defeat. Neal Magny was done, on his way to securing a 30-27 defeat on all scorecards. Neal was already smoking a cig and flipping through the channels, waiting for Malott to be done beating on him. Malott went straight Patrick Bateman on Neil, riding out the top position while flexing in the mirror. With only a minute left, Malott rolled over prematurely like an adolescent version of himself. It looked like Malott suddenly put in his two weeks’ notice and said, “Fuck it! I ain’t doing shit. What are they gonna do? Fire me?” MF murdered my parlay that night, and I’ll never forget it. Homie left my parlay looking like the OJ crime scene. Malott turned into an Unsolved Mystery, just up and disappeared out of nowhere. Yo, DJ! Hit that creepy-ass Unsolved Mysteries theme music that used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid!    

Because of that, I have a healthy skepticism of Mike Malott. Dinty Moore, Chef Boyardee, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Progresso, Alpo: name a can, any can, and Mike Malott will crush it. The UFC has been spoon-feeding Malott dubs. They’vebeen doing that little airplane baby talk, like when you’re trying to feed your toddler split pea and carrot baby food, “Here comes the airplane. Open the hanger!” They’ve been hooking up dubs straight to his veins; intravenous dubs. His win against Kevin Holland is Malott’s only legit dub. That being said, Malott is a solid, well-rounded fighter. He has mid boxing with a sneaky submission ground game. He’s 13-2 with five TKOs/KOs and six subs. Malott wins this fight by striking early and wrestling late. He should use his grappling to polish the dub after building the foundation on his feet. Gilbert is just too slow these days to stand and bang with Malott.   

Malott is the (-525) favorite, and Boo-urns is the (+375) kind of live dog. If there’s anything left of Gilbert, he can take down Malott and dominate the top position. Malott rocks a 14% takedown defense. And he hasn’t faced a guy whose sole game plan will be taking him down. Gilbert was two minutes away from beating Jack Della Soul before he got caught with a knee in the closing minutes. He can do the same to Malott. If Gil can get the fight to the championship rounds, Malott will fade. The play for Burns is a decision, and the play for Malott is a TKO/KO. Four of his five UFC dubs came via finish.  

We got back in the main event win column last week. On one leg, Carlos Ulberg dropped Jiri and proceeded to recite the “In the Air Tonight” drum breakdown on Jiri’s face. It was a bittersweet dub, and that card was an all-time great card. In his prime, Gilbert Burns would dominate Mike Malott. Unfortunately, Gil is far from his prime. Mike Malott via TKO, round three. Put it on wax.  

Props

Malott: TKO/KO (-135) Sub (+650) Dec (+550)  

Burns: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+600) Dec (+800) 

Winner: Mike Malott | Method: TKO Rd.3

Kyler Phillips (+125) vs. Charles Jourdain (-150)

Phillips: DK: $7.5k | Jourdain: DK: $8.7k

I used to be high on Kyler Phillips. How High? Higher than Redman and Method Man attending Harvard classes. But after losing two in a row, Kyler Phillips is no longer top shelf. He’s quickly becoming more like a house shake. This guy looks like Luke Skywalker in the first round and Darth Fader in the second and third rounds. In the first round, this guy looks like Neo in the Matrix, complete with Fist-Time Effect, the ability to slow down strikes until they fall harmlessly to the canvas. Phillips just seems to know what you’re going to do, like he recorded your practice – like he hacked your server and stole all your classified documents. This guy will steal your signs like a runner on second base.   

Every Kyler Phillips first round looks the same. He comes out hitting tricks like he’s riding an X-Games halfpipe - on some Tony Hawk Pro Skater type-shit, racking up points. Kyler comes out a man on fire, like Denzel, hitting aerials and varials on some Lupe Fiasco-type-ish. Yo! Hit that “Kick, Push!” Phillips has a long, crisp kickboxing style and mixes in an arsenal of spinning and flying shit in the middle of the combinations. He’ll punctuate fundamental combinations with some flashy shit. He hides head kicks behind punches and punches behind head kicks and pushes a deadly pace… Until the second round. Then, homie goes from looking like a future champion to a present-day Terrance McKinney, aka the one-round GOAT. Phillips has the gas tank of a heavyweight. If fights were one round, this guy would be the Bantamweight Champion.

Phillips' path to victory against Charles Jourdain is everywhere. He’s the more well-rounded fighter. The most underrated part of Phillips’ game is his takedowns. Not top control. Top control is meaningless to Phillips. He just wants to create chaos and keep your mind in a state of anxiety, not knowing wtf is coming next. But I have this word of caution for Kyler: Protect Ya Neck. Because Charles “Bourdain” Jourdain is a Gilly Monster from the Galapagos. Homie will snatch your neck like a bear trap. He’ll take your head clean off so quickly when your blood spills, it’s still blue. Bourdain Jourdain will kick your ass Without Reservations. He’ll kick your ass in Parts Unknown. He’ll serve you a five-star truffle crusted knuckle sandwich topped with a pickle aioli at a roadside bistro on the side of mountain in Nepal.  

You can call Charles Jourdain underrated, but don’t you dare call him Charlie. You can also call him a finisher. He rocks that Phillip Rivers finishing rate. Jourdain is 17-8 with eight TKOs/KOs and seven subs. Jourdain’s last three dubs came by guillotine. This MF will put your head in a box like Kevin Spacey in the movie Seven.  

“What’s in the box!?”  

Davey Grant's head, Victor Henry’s head, and Ricardo Ramos’ head. They’re all in the box. Not even the Rza, the Gza, Old Dirty Bastard, Inspecta Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U God, Ghostface Killa, and the M-e-t-h-o-d Man could protect their necks against Jourdain. Ed from 90-Day Fiancé thinks he’s safe because he has no neck. Wrong! It’s his party, and he’ll Gilly if he wants to. On his feet, Jourdain is all about that Wing Chung shit. As in, just wing shit. He wings shit like pop quizzes. It’sweird; Jourdain is not technical, but at the same time, he’s not, not technical. He’s technical in his own way. 

But don’t forget about the time Jourdain got posterized by Jean Silva. I have it hanging up next to a KPop Demon Hunters poster in the Thunderdome. Jourdain got out-classed like field trips. My man has a hard ceiling when it comes to levels of competition. Jourdain is on a two-fight streak, but he has never won three in a row in the UFC. He has won two in a row three times, but never three in a row. He’s chasing a three-fight dub streak like Randy Marsh chasing the dragon. Quit playing and hit that En Vogue “My Lovin’!” No, you’re never gonna get it. Not this time. Never ever gonna get it. Jourdain won’t get it if he stands and bangs early. Wrestle early and strike late: Jourdain’s game plan. Gas out Phillips early and dog him out late.    

Whoa! I got this one backward. I thought Phillips would be the favorite. But Jourdain is the (-175) favorite, and Phillips is the (+150) live-ass dog. At least for a round and a half. Phillips is a guy who beat Song Yadong fairly handily. Phillips’ upside is the actual moon. He could come out and run through Jourdain in the first five minutes. But Jourdain is the more stable commodity. Jourdain doesn’t die; he multiplies. He gets stronger as the fight progresses. Four of Phillips six UFC dubs went the distance. I like playing this for a decision both ways. But I would probably sprinkle a little on a Jourdain submission in case Phillips shoot a lazy double leg. Damn, this one is tough. I’m going dog-or-pass on this one. Give me Kyler Phillips via decision. On wax.  

Props

Jourdain: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+600) Dec (+175) 

Phillips: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+1000) Dec (+250)

Winner: Kyler Phillips | Method: Decision

Mandel Nallo (-170) vs. Jai Herbert (+140)

Nallo: DK: $8.8k | Herbert: DK:$7.4k

You may not know this about Jai Herbert, but He is Legend. This is the guy who fooked around and nearly KO’d Ilia Topuria with a head kick. To this day, Jai Herbert remains Topuria’s toughest fight. Nobody has come close to finishing Topuria, not even multiple future Hall of Famers. If I kicked Ilia Topuria in the head, I’d erect a statue of myself on my front lawn with a little crown of thorns on my head, not as some religious statement, but so birds wouldn’t land and shit on my head. Of course, Jai Herbert went on to get KTFO in the second round. Topuria folded Herbert like Marilyn Manson after having a rib removed. After flirting with greatness, Herbert snapped back to reality. Oh, there goes gravity. Herbert came plummeting back to earth. Yo, DJ! Hit that Denny Green! “We let him off the hook! He is who we thought he was!” 

Unfortunately for Herbert, that head kick was the peak of his career. All homie had to do was defend one takedown... But that highlights Herbert’s major malfunction: takedown defense. My man couldn’t even defend against a takedown from sleepwalking Topuria. Herbert has that public defender takedown defense. They just tell you to sign here and hand you an orange jumpsuit. Orange is the new black-ass takedown defense. Takedown defense so bad the judge ordered a retrial. I don’tknow much about Mandel Nallo’s grappling abilities, but his path to victory will be on the mat.   

Overall, Jai “Rainbow” Herbert is a stock kickboxer. He doesn’t come with any fancy shit like power windows and locks or a six-disc CD changer. Herbert doesn’t do anything above average. But that doesn’t mean he’s some kind of crumb bum.Although he rocks a 3-5 UFC record, Herbert is competitive and has lost some close fights that could have gone either way. Against debuting Mandel Nallo, Herbert will have experience on his side. Nallo has fought for major promotions like Bellator, but no lights are brighter than the Octagon lights.  

Mandel Nallo’s nickname is “Rat Garbage.” I guess that’s better than “Rat Shit.” But just barely. I’d propose “Rat Poison” because if you eat a couple of his long-ass punches, you’re going to keel over. Nallo is longer than night in Barrow, Alaska. Nallo has that 40 Days of Night reach. Homie’s legs are so long that he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. Nallo will hit you from yesteryear. Yo! Hit that Stevie Wonder “Yester-me, Yester-you, Yesterday!” This guy can kick you in the face without lifting his leg. His special move is the coffin corner punt to the face. Homie steps into the cage with one bar on his helmet like old-school punters. He has calluses on his feet from kicking people in the face. Before fights, he powders his feet like weightlifters powder their hands.  

Nallo uses his superior range to keep you on the back burner like a side piece. Nallo don’t love these foes. He earned his UFC roster spot with a first-round TKO on the Contender Series after landing a Bruce Lee one-inch punch. You would take one look at this guy and think he’s free lunch money. He looks like the lead singer of a pan flute band. Nallo steps into the cage rocking full sideburn chops and a mustache, looking like a Boogie Nights extra. Debbie Does Nallo type-ish. But don’t let any of that fool you. An ass-whoopin' is on the horizon when this guy steps into the cage. His striking is slicker than Meek’s cheeks. Slip-counters, step-back counters, and same-time counters are all in Nallo’s arsenal. If this fight stays standing, it could turn into a crunchy little undercover banger.   

Nallo will be the (-180) favorite, and Herbert will be the (+155) live-ass dog. Herbert has the Topuria rub. He has shared the cage with one of the best fighters in the world. And he nearly beat Topuria. That has to count for something. It’s rare that a striker whoops Herbert’s ass. His kryptonite is a wrestler/grappler. This will be competitive on the feet. Nallo has three career losses, and all came via finish (two TKOs/KOS and one sub). And Herbert has six career Ls, and four came via finish(three TKOs/KOs and one sub). But even though both are susceptible on their feet, I like playing this for a decision one way or another. I think this will be fairly even to the final bell. The difference could be Nallo’s more advanced arsenal. He uses more weapons/techniques, while Herbert is fairly vanilla. Herbert won’t show Nallo anything he doesn’t see in training every day. Mandel Nallo via decision. Put it on wax.   

Props

Nallo: TKO/KO (+180) Sub (+380) Dec (+450)

Herbert: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+2000) Dec (+350)

Winner: Mandel Nallo | Method: Decision

Jasmine Jasudavicius (-310) vs. Karine Silva (+250)

Jasudavicius: DK: $9.2k | Silva: DK: $7k

Hello? Is this thing on? Where did you guys go? I can hear the collective scrolling to the next matchup. I know, literally and figuratively, this isn’t the sexiest matchup. I know you’re expecting me to hit that Mr. Nice Guy's theme song and declare this an official smoke break. But trust me when I tell you, this will be... it will be... Okay, okay; it’s gonna be ugly. This will be a grappler’s delight – a true connoisseur's matchup. This is one you have to swirl around in the glass while inhaling its vapors, then slowly allow it to saturate your palate. This matchup is an acquired taste. But those who stay will be treated to a low-key grappling firefight. At least, I hope so. I’m trying to stay positive for all the white pillers out there.   

Jasmine Jasudavicius is one of the most slept on since Rip Van Wink. Her style stinks with every element from A to Zinc. This lady is easy to sleep on like a homie’s futon. Her name sounds like some Russell Crowe Gladiator type-ish. Just saying her name out loud boosts your testosterone. It will put some hair on your upper lip in no time. Her name sounds so hard it makes your fookin’ mouth hurt just saying it. But does she have the fight game to match? Kind of. Jasmine is a wrestling/grappling specialist. Painfully so. Her kryptonite is a striker with takedown defense. Such as Manon Fiorot, who beat Jasudavicius in just over a minute back in October. Like fish need water, Jasmine needs to get the fight to the mat.  

But Jasmine has takedowns like cease-and-desist orders. Takedowns like an exotic dancer’s underoos. My lady has slams like Onyx. “Slam! Da duh-duh. Let the girls be girls!” DJ! Hit that shit! She’s got slams like NBA Jam. She'll fook around and break a backboard with your ass. And if she gets you down, you’re not getting back up. You will germinate and grow roots on the mat. They have to pull you like weeds at the end of every round. That’s if she doesn’t beat you into submission first. Jasudavicius is 8-3 in the UFC and most recently had a five-fight winning streak snapped against Fiorot. She is 14-4 with two TKOs/KOs and four subs. Two of those subs came in her last three victories.  

Karine Silva is a solid grappler in her own right. Both women average two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. The difference is in their takedown defense. While Jasudavicius rocks a 75% defense, Silva rocks a 21%. Silva has given up noinetakedowns in her last three bouts. I used to call Karine the next Amanda Nunes. Her style is nearly identical to Amanda’s. But her physical attributes are nowhere near Amanda’s. Yet, Karine’s potential remains high. Only the preface of her fighting journey has been written thus far.  

Silva is a well-rounded, solid fighter. She hands out nothing but sensual ass-whoopin's. Marvin Gaye comes on the arena’s speakers, the lights dim, and parents cover their children's eyes when Karine fights. What makes Karine special is that she effortlessly blends the two elements, striking and grappling. She sets up her takedowns with her striking and vice versa. There are no unsightly seams between her striking and grappling. She has that name-brand craftsmanship. I’m talking Rodeo Drive type-shit – armed security at the door type-shit. And on the mat, she has transitions like Final Cut Pro. Even when she ends up on her back, Karine has the Jiu-Jitsu to execute sweeps and reverse position. An active guard will be the key against Jasudavicius. 

Jasudavicius will be the (-300) favorite, and Silva will be the (+250) live-ish dog. If she can buy time on her feet, Karine will dominate the stand-up. The odds would be reversed if this were a kickboxing match. Fantasy-wise, Silva will be a dud. She averages only 2.5 SLpM and will likely spend long stretches on her back. Jasudavicius will quietly rack up takedowns and top control, but don’t expect a finish. The play for this one is a decision. It’s hard to make a case for a 21% takedown defense against a takedown machine. Jasmine Jasudavicius via decision. On wax.   

Props

Jasudavicius: TKO/KO (+900) Sub (+550) Dec (-165)  

Silva: TKO/KO (+1400) Sub (+800) Dec (+550)

Winner: Jasmine Jasudavicius | Method: Decision

John Castaneda (-130) vs. Mark Vologdin (+110)

Castaneda: DK: $8k | Vologdin: DK: $8.2k

I’m not sure if this one will make it on the main card. The order has changed a couple of times. But check it: Go watch Mark Vologdin vs. Juan Luna from the Contender Series. It was the bantamweight version of Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit. It was the best fight in Contender Series history. It was such a crazy fight that Mark Vologdin won a contract despite losing. And both fighters received the first-ever fight bonuses on the Contender Series. Mark Vologdin kicked as much ass as humanly possible without getting his hands raised. He gets a free short stack at IHOP on Veterans Day after that war. Homie will be catching flashbacks like Private Ryan for the rest of his life.   

After taking one look at his style, no life insurance company will insure Mark Vologdin. His style is all heart and minimal skill. This guy’s face catches punches like Jo Addell catches home run balls. At the end of the Contender Series fight, Vologdin’s face had to be blurred out. His eyebrow looked like a mudflap, hanging on to his face for... 

Dear Life, 

Please don’t let me fall. 

Sincerely, 

Mark Vologdin’s Left Eyebrow 

Vologdin’s eyebrow looked like a student driver's bumper. This guy just stands in the pocket and swings. He’s a pocket squatter. You have to call the Sheriff’s to evict his ass after every round. Vologdin stays in the pocket like lint. And he rarely takes his head off the centerline during exchanges. He will eat four to give one. And he considers that a fair exchange. Vologdin is 12-4 with six TKOs/KOs and four subs. 

I still get John Castaneda confused with Mario Bautista. I’ve lost bets over the years because I thought Castaneda was Bautista and vice versa. Kind of like how I used to confuse Tom Breese with Sean Strickland. If you remember that, you’re a WKO triple OG with general stripes. Castaneda looks like a bad-ass Eric Estrada. What you know about CHIPS, motherf**ker!? Overall, he’s a suit-and-tie professional in the cage. He’s the type to wear slacks and a collar shirt to bed like jammies. MF wears Oxford dress shoes to the beach. Castaneda is a reserved, well-rounded fighter with no holes like Christmas underoos. But he doesn’t have any standout techniques or abilities either.   

Castaneda’s worst nightmare is a fight like Vologdin’s Contender Series scrap. The last thing Castaneda wants to do is enlist and march off to war with this kid. He needs to turn into a draft dodger like the previous two Commanders-in-Chief. My man has to go full activist and protest a war with Vologdin. And he can do that by using his wrestling. Castaneda averages over one and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. The key will be staying committed throughout the fight. If at first you don’tsucceed... 

This one is a virtual pick ‘em. Castaneda will return (-115), and Vologdin will return (-105). If this stays standing, it will be a high-output affair. Vologdin landed 117 significant strikes on the Contender Series and averaged nearly eight SLpM. And Castaneda averages a respectable 4.5 SLpM. The play for this one is a decision. Although a little sprinkle on a Castaneda submission might not be a bad idea. Vologdin has been submitted once in his career. This is a damn toss-up. But I trust the UFC veteran more than the guy coming in off an impressive loss. John Castaneda via decision. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Vologdin: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+1600) Dec (+250)  

Castaneda: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+550) Dec (+180)

Winner: John Castaneda | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Thiago Moises ($7.8k): Thiago Moises has fought some real killers throughout his career: Joel Alvarez, Benoit St. Denis, Islam Makhachev, Ludovit Klein, and Benny Dariush. He lost all those fights, but it speaks to Moises' level as a fighter. He’s capable of competing with elite fighters. He’s a dangerous grappler with a deep choke game. If you place a can in front of him, he will crush it. He’s made a career out of crushing cans. Is his opponent on Saturday night, Gauge Young, a can? Not quite, but he’sfar from the elite level that Moises typically tops out at. Moises tends to get into trouble when he has to rely solely on his striking. He has a deadly right hand but not much else on his feet. If he stays committed to his grappling, he will dominate this fight. If he can’t keep Young on his back, he’ll likely get out-dogged on his feet. Moises’ upside is a submission finish. Gauge Young has only been finished once, but it came by submission.

Kyler Phillips ($7.5k): This guy is good. Really good. But he has a major malfunction: His gas tank. For one round, Phillips is one of the best bantamweights in the world. They don’t call him “The Matrix” for nothing. At least for one round, Kyler is The One like Neo. He combines an unrelenting pace with an extensive arsenal of weapons on his feet. He can kickboxing straight up, or he can bust out the fancy shit and start spinning and throwing flying shit at you. And when you think you've got him figured out, he level changes and puts you on your back. Skill for skill, attribute for attribute, he is better than Charles Jourdain. But Phillips lacks the dog that Jourdain has. Phillips has to score an early finish or win the first two rounds. In noine UFC bouts, I’m not sure Phillips has won a third round. Phillips averages five SLpM with a career high of 114 significant strikes landed against Pedro Munhoz.   

Julien Leblanc ($7.9k): It’s an ugly week for the Value Menu. Julien Leblanc will make his debut in his home country, Canada. I don't know much about Leblanc, but I know enough about his opponent, Robert Valentin. I know enough to know that Valentin is not very good. Since competing on The Ultimate Fighter, Valentin has lost his first three UFC bouts. And he lost two by TKO. Valentin is a grapple-or-bust fighter. If Leblanc has any takedown defense, this will be his fight to lose on the feet. Leblanc is an awkward southpaw kickboxer with eight finishes in ten career wins (four TKOs/KOs and four subs). I think Leblanc will run away with this fight if he can avoid Valentin’s ground game.

 $6k Clearance Rack  

Gilbert Burns ($6.9k): Yo, DJ! Hit that Usher “U Got it Bad!” You got it, you got it bad if you’re sifting through the Clearance Rack crate leading up to Saturday night. I’ll say this about this version of Gil Burns: He can win this fight if he spams takedowns early. Mike Malott will fade. He has never fought for five rounds, and once completely collapsed with a minute left in the fight against Neil Magny. If Burns can make Malott work early, Malott will fade late. It was only two years ago when Burns was a little over a minute away from beating Jack Della Maddalena before he got caught with a late knee. If Burns can duplicate that effort, he can beat Mike Malott. In his prime, Burns would dominate Mike Malott. But Burns is far from his prime nowadays.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Kyler Phillips (+130): It’s going to be a quiet night in the neighborhood on Saturday night. The dogs won’t be barking very much. Kyler Phillips looked to be on a championship trajectory before he ran into Rob Font and subsequently Vinicius Oliveira. Phillips has to find a pace that he can maintain for fifteen minutes. He’s too front-loaded. He burns all his energy in the first five to seven minutes. If he can find a way to ease into the fight and build up to an ass-kicking crescendo instead of coming out shot out of a cannon, Phillips can be a player in this division again. I think he’s better than Charles Jourdain. But being better doesn’t always translate to dubs. The key for Phillips will be protecting his neck when he level changes. Jourdain’s last three dubs all came by guillotine choke.   

Thiago Moises (+110): If odds were based on experience alone, Moises would be a (-1000) favorite heading into this fight. Moises has shared the Octagon with some of the best lightweights in the game, while Gauge Young will be making his third UFC appearance with a 1-1 record. Young lost his debut to Evan Elder, who is a weaker version of Thiago Moises. The key for Moises will be committing to his wrestling/grappling. Young can’t hang with Moises on the mat. But Moises can’t hang with Young on the feet, at least not for fifteen minutes. Fook (+110), the play for Moises is a submission. 

Gilbert Burns (+250): I picked Mike Malott to win this fight, but Burns has the high-level experience to win this fight. Also, I’m canceling Mike Malott after the seven-day trial period; I’m not buying him as a real contender. His dub column looks like AI-generated names. His only decent dub came against Kevin Holland, and Malott landed more strikes to Holland's nuts than he landed significant strikes in that fight. Gilbert can out-dog this guy. Go back and watch the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Burns fight; Gil was one minute away from winning a decision before he got caught. Burns can put Malott on his back and grind him out until Malott gasses. And Malott will gas. I picked Malott to win, but the value bet is on Gilbert Boo-urns.   

Pick ‘Em

Thiago Moises (+110) vs. Gauge Young (-130) 

Winner: Thiago Moises 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Dennnis Buzukja (+345) vs. Marcio Barbosa (-470)  

Winner: Marcio Barbosa 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Julien Leblanc (+115) vs. Robert Valentin (-130)  

Winner: Julien Leblanc 

Method: Decision 

Tanner Boser (+135) vs. Gokhan Saricam (-160) 

Winner: Gokhan Saricam 

Method: Decision 

Melissa Croden (-160) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (+140)   

Winner: Melissa Croden 

Method: Decision 

J.J. Aldrich (+140) vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (-165)   

Winner: Jamey-Lyn Horth 

Method: Decision 

Mitch Raposo (+155) vs. Allan Nascimento (-180)  

Winner: Allan Nascimento 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Jamie Siraj (-250) vs. John Yannis (+210)  

Winner: Jamie Siraj 

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.