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

Top BONUS Offers 💸

One of the only ways to guarantee a W in betting is by taking advantage of promos. Trying a new service is a great way to be able to do that. Tapping the links below will help support LineStar through an affiliate referral.

Offers for new users only, additional terms and conditions may apply — see operator site for full details. Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

Main Card

Reinier de Ridder (-215) vs. Brendan Allen (+180)

De Ridder: DK: $8.8k | Allen: DK:$7.4k

They still haven’t released the “de Ridder Files.” Who’s they? The unelected shadowy apparatus of billionaires and oligarchs (the CEOs of corporations with assets that dwarf the GDPs of most countries, i.e., Blackrock and Vanguard), entrenched networks of power that outlast presidents and thwart elections, all the while prioritizing elite interests over those of the public. They wield influence through campaign finance, lobbying, think tanks, and media ownership (Larry Ellison - Paramount, UFC, CBS, MTV, TikTok, with future acquisitions in the works: HBO and Warner Bros). This isn’t a single cabal with a secret layer on the summit of Mt. Olympus, but a web of interlocking systems where wealth buys policy and policy protects wealth, while the working class foots the bill. Essentially, the deep state is the government that controls the “elected” government. And it’s “they” that don’t want the “de Ridder Files” released. 

To what extent will they go to prevent it? Well, they recently shut down the government. If the files revealing the names and circumstances in which MMA fighters at all levels were caught in the infamous “Diddy Choke” were revealed, the hierarchy would collapse, and with it, the whole damn thing. MMA as we know it would cease to exist. The recent $7.7 billion UFC/Paramount deal is set to eliminate the Pay-Per-View model. If it falls through, it will leave the future of the largest promotion on unstable ground.   

Fighters know Reinier de Ridder as Mr. Honeypotter. It’s the same story over and over: “You wanna roll, bro?” An innocent request repeated countless times on Jiu-Jitsu mats all over the world turns into waking up in a seedy motel room, a malfunctioning “Vacancy” sign flashing red outside the only lighting, and pictures of you caught in a compromising position inside the Octagon covering every wall. It’s like blackmail wallpaper, a new chic trend. And RDR is the interior decorator. 

In four UFC bouts, RDR has yet to bust out his signature move, a reverse triangle choke set up from bottom side control. If caught in it, it’s nearly impossible to explain to wifey how you let another man place you in such an illicit position. RDR hasn’t had to resort to his blackmail operation because he has been TKO’ing and submitting his opponents with ease. De Ridder is 4-0 with three finishes (two subs) since his UFC debut. In twenty-one career wins, de Ridder has eighteen finishes, including thirteen subs. This guy taps you like touch screens. TAPS you like military funerals. They give you a twenty-one-gun salute while RDR gets his hand raised. He submits you like resignations. If RDR gets hold of you, it’s only a matter of time until you’re saying, “Maté!" like Chong Li. 

But it’s a different story if RDR can’t get his opponent to the mat. Space is RDR’s kryptonite. He has to eliminate it. RDR operates almost exclusively within the clinch, using knees to the body to break you. Ask Bo Nickal. Bo doesn’t know the clinch. RDR gave homie an enema inside the cage. Yo! Hit that Blink-182 “Enema of the State!” RDR turned Bo Nickal into copper with a series of knees to the liver. De Ridder looks like a bad ass Clayton Kershaw on his feet. He throws hands like a splitter in the dirt. His punches are wild pitches. He’ll fook around and throw them over the backstop. Overall, RDR strikes like pitchers used to bat in the National League. He’s an automatic out. You have to pinch-hit for him on his feet.   

RDR is coming into the fight after a suspect dub against Robert Whittaker. His dub against Bobby Knuckles bounced immediately after the decision. RDR got caught passing a fraudulent dub. His record is one dub overdrawn. Homie is about to get hit with those overdraft fees. But we don’t apologize for dubs at the WKO. RDR is on a run like criminals, having won five in a row. A win over RDR’s original opponent, Fluffy Hernandez, would have guaranteed him a title shot. I’m not sure beating Brendan Allen will give him the bump over Nassourdine Imavov.   

That’s not to shit on Brendan Allen. Don’t you dare call him Brandon Allan. Because Allen is a solid fighter; he’s just not on Fluffy’s level. I have this piece of advice for Allen; you must remember this one thing: No matter what RDR tells you, there’s no grappling in the champagne room. None. Oh, there’s champagne in the champagne room. But no grappling. None. Don't do it. Break the wrist and walk away. I know you’re a gifted grappler in your own right. But the only way RDR beats you is on the mat. He can’t beat you standing up. RDR has that Lenny from Of Mice and Men strength. He turns everyone he gets hold of into mice. You don’t want to end up in the de Ridder files. 

My usual advice for Allen is to stick to his grappling. His striking is good enough to get him into trouble. Allen has Ikea striking. It looks nice in the little showroom, but it falls apart the first time you sit on it. Allen’s striking holds up just long enough for the thirty-day warranty to expire. Like an iPhone that starts acting up the second u make your final payment. At some point in nearly every bout, Allen turns into Napoleon at the talent show. My man has that Jay Leno chin. It’s just too easy to hit.

The key for Allen is to strike first and grapple second. He has to hurt RDR before mixing it up on the mat. Allen’s specialty is rear-naked chokes. Allen is 25-7 with five TKO/KOs and fourteen subs. Of those fourteen subs, twelve were RNCs. Allen throws up rear-nakeds like bulimics – like Jay-Z throws up the R-O-C. Like cats always land on their feet, Brendan Allen always lands in a rear-naked choke. If he had Tourette’s, Allen’s tic would be throwing anyone close by in a rear-naked choke.  

RDR is the (-200) favorite, and Allen is the (+170) live dog. Fantasy-wise, RDR will be a bust without a finish. He recorded a career high of sixty-seven significant strikes against Bobby Knuckles. Allen is the far higher-output striker, having eclipsed the one-hundred-strikes mark in a three and five-round bout. But it will be difficult landing at that rate against a guy who will be constantly clinching and trying to relocate the fight. RDR is the bigger finishing threat, but I think this one will go the distance. Allen is no crumb bum from his back. He had some impressive moments on the mat against Fluffy. If he can stay standing, he can out-point RDR from range.   

We’re streaking like Frank the Tank after Do Bronx violated Mateusz Gamrot. Charles scaled and summited Gamrot. The Boy Scouts gave Do Bronx an honorary patch for the knots he tied Gamrot into. This week is tricky. Fluffy is a much tougher task than Allen, but Allen is good. Real good. But RDR has a way of making shit ugly, and so far, only one man has beaten him. Reinier de Ridder via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

De Ridder: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+185) Dec (+350)  

Allen: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+550) Dec (+650) 

Winner: Reinier de Ridder | Method: Decision

Aeimann Zahabi (-130) vs. Chito Vera (+110)

Zahabi: DK: $8.5k | Chito: DK: $7.7k

I don’t know what it is, but every time I say Aiemann Zahabi, I say it like the Red Stripe Rasta guy, “Aye-Mon!” Aye-Mon Wasabi. Aiemann’s brother, Frias Zahabi, is the MMA Professor X. Firas is the head coach of Tri-Star Gym, which was where the real-life Van Damme, Georges St-Pierre, trained. He’s the modern Master Tanaka who trained Frank Dux. Don’t look now, but Aiemann is streaking like my son’s chonies now that he wipes his own ass. And you know what? Zahabi will never lose again as long as I keep picking against him. Aiemann’s career is solely in my hands. He could put his kids through college, Ivy League, with the money I’ve lost betting against him. I’m like Ashy Larry stepping out to take out the trash and wind up gambling away the family savings. Instead of dice, I step out and log into my Bovada account. Zahabi has won six fights in a row and is coming in off a wild fight against the legend, Jose Aldo. 

A fight I thought Aldo won. It wasn’t a robbery. It was more like a routine Gotham City mugging. The thing about Aiemann is that he isn’t much to look at. Aesthetically, his style isn’t pleasing to the eye. His style is subjective. It’s an acquired taste like defeat. Aiemann’s style is awkward like first dates. Awkward like meeting your future in-laws for the first time. On some Meet the Fockers type-shit. It starts with Aeimann’s footwork. It’s anti-footwork. His footwork is like deaf people with AirPods, off-beat. Aiemann moves like he’s wearing clodhoppers. He moves like he has hooves. And he looks like the human portion of a centaur. That’s his special power; he looks unassuming. He’s the guy at the Y who shows up wearing a full John Stockton Utah Jazz uniform with the Friar Tuck bald fade who has the unstoppable set shot from the corner. He’ll fook around and drop a triple-double without taking a single dribble.     

Aye-Mon wins this fight by outworking Chito. That’s the story of Chito’s career. Getting out-worked. If Aiemann fills the dead air between exchanges with offense, he can steal close rounds. Make no mistake, Aiemann will have to steal a close fight. Because no one has or ever will finish Chito Vera. Chito will straight-up murder your ass. He’s Unbreakable like Bruce Willis. Chito comes with a Lifetime Warranty. If anybody should ever finish him, you get your money back, no questions asked. I’ve never even seen Chito rocked. He wouldn’t wobble in a 10.0 earthquake. Hit that Chumbawamba “Tubthumping!” I get knocked down, but I get up again... Chito has never had to get back up again because he has never been knocked down. Not even racking his shin with the pedal on a Huffy could hurt this guy. Stubbing his pinkie toe against a door jam couldn’t make him even wince. Now hit that Lupe Fiasco “Hurt Me Soul!” Shang T’Sung couldn’t even do that.   

On his feet, Chito doesn’t have weapons; he is a weapon. He’ll throw all his limbs at you at once. This guy would go door-to-door on Elm Street, delivering ass-whoopings. Homie don’t give a fook about your “No Soliciting” sign. In fact, Chito is impotent when it comes to giving a fook. Chito will march you down, looking to land one shot that will erase everything that happened before. And that IDGAF attitude is a gift and a curse. Chito’s major malfunction is that he likes to let the ass-whoopin marinate. He’s like the poem “Casey at the Bat.” Casey lets the first two pitches go by, confident that he only needs one swing... then he strikes out. Chito waits and waits, looking for the perfect opening. Then he runs out of time right when he starts delivering foot to ass. Over his career, if Chito had just let his limbs go more often, he might be undefeated today. 

Fantasy-wise, these guys are dead even, averaging around four and a half SLpM. If Chito averaged five, he would be the current champ. Instead, he’ll be the slight (+105) dog, and Aiemann will be the (-130) favorite. Chito is the bigger finishing threat. Aiemann has only been finished once in fifteen career scraps, but Chito just hits different. But I like playing this one for a decision. This will be a grimy banger to the final bell. This will be a good high-output fight to target. I see it snowballing into a firefight. But at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I don’t trust Chito when the judges will likely be involved. I’m finally picking him. Aiemann Zahabi via decision. On wax.   

Props

Zahabi: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+1100) Dec (+275) 

Chito: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+3000) Dec (-115)

Winner: Aeimann Zahabi | Method: Decision

Kevin Holland (-105) vs. Mike Malott (-115)

Holland: DK: $8k | Malott: DK:$8.2k

The Canadian Psycho, Mike Malott, is back. Malott has been cruising through the welterweight division, but he’s about to pull up to a Fraud Check Point. Manning the toll booth will be the most active fighter in the UFC, Kevin Holland. While this will be Malott’s second fight of 2025, this will be Holland’s fifth appearance. Holland could fight an MLB one hundred sixty-two-fight season and have plenty of gas left over for a late October playoff run. If the UFC let him, Holland could fight on every fookin’ card. Win or lose, best believe you’ll be seeing Holland on another fight card before the end of the year. Expect the unexpected on Saturday night. This fight could turn into a grappling firefight or a stand-up banger or both.  

Dinty Moore, Chef Boyardee, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Progresso, Alpo: name a can, any can, and Mike Malott will crush it. Malott is 5-1 in the UFC, but his dubs all have “CA Cash Redemption ¢5” stamped on them. Malott is a human can opener. Wins are wins, but not all wins are created equal. Four of Malott’s five UFC dubs are no longer with the promotion. And never forget his lone loss to Neil Magny. Malott dominated fourteen minutes of that fight only to inexplicably run out of gas on the home stretch. Homie went from flexing in the mirror like Patrick Bateman while riding out Magny from the top position, to looking like Jason Bateman in Zootopia, a cartoonish version of himself real quick. Homie disappeared like Evan Tanner with only one minute separating him from 30-27 on all the judges scorecards. Malott turned into an Unsolved Mystery. Hit that creepy-ass theme music that used to scare the shit outta me when I was a kid!  

But don’t get it fooked up like Wanderlei Silva after headbutting his opponent three times in a boxing match. Malott is a solid, well-rounded fighter. Malott looks like he rocks bathrobes and Hush Puppies in public, but that bathrobe is tied with a black belt. And his list of submissions is longer than a BJ’s restaurant menu. It’s like flipping through War and Peace, trying to find the beers on tap. Malott is 12-2 with five TKOs/KOs and six subs. Three of those subs came under the UFC banner. The good news: Holland has been finished six times in his career, and four came via submission. But fighting Holland will be like a Red Bull stunt, setting the record for leaps in competition. Holland rocks a terrible fifty-five percent takedown defense, but he has noine career submissions and is particularly handy with D’arce/Anaconda chokes.   

Malott will have to navigate carefully on the mat because I don’t think he wants to get into a kickboxing match with Holland. Holland is longer than the number pie. He doesn’t always use his reach well, but when he does, Holland is tough to beat. Plus, Holland has faced better strikers in the middleweight and welterweight divisions. If Holland can stay on his feet, this will be his fight to lose.

Malott will be the slight (-115) favorite, and Holland will be the (-105) live-ass dog. Holland will be the toughest competition Malott has ever fought. The play for Malott is a decision, riding out top control for fifteen minutes. The play for Holland is a finish. I always love playing Holland for a submission when he’s facing a grappling-first opponent. The D'arce/Anaconda chokes are perfect for defending takedowns. Matter of fact, quit playing and give me Kevin Holland via Anaconda Choke, round three. And don’t forget to put it on wax.    

Props

Holland: TKO/KO (+330) Sub (+500) Dec (+450)

Malott: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+300) Dec (+400)

Winner: Kevin Holland | Method: Anaconda Choke Rd.3

Manon Fiorot (-235) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (+195)

Fiorot: DK: $8.9k | Jasudavicius: DK: $7.3k

Before her UFC debut, I crowned Manon Fiorot a future champ. And she made it all the way to a title shot against Valentina in her most recent bout. I cheated on Valentina with Fiorot, picking Fiorot to win that fight in order to fulfill the prophecy I made way back in 2021. Fiorot came up short, but she’s just getting started. She will continue to be one fight away from a title shot for as long as she continues to scrap. But don’t sleep on Jasmine Jasudavicius. Her name alone sounds hard as nails. It sounds like some Roman gladiator type-ish. This lady has been on her T-Pain shit lately; all she does is win, win, win, no matter what. Jasmine has won five in a row and seven of her last eight. She’s the dark horse in the division. Hit that 2Pac “Don’t go to sleep!” Don’t sleep on Jasmine Jasudavicius.  

Fiorot’s best attribute is that she’s a Makaveli Seven Day Theory track one representative. She rewrote The Art of War, condensing it into one rule: "Bomb First." All the WKO day-ones remember my advice for winning any street fight: Be first and be often. The slogan was printed on throw pillows and sold nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond before they went out of business. Fiorot embodies my philosophy. She throws first and extends combinations. Her best weapon is her check hook. Noinety percent of the time, Fiorot throws a check right hook every time. She buys her check hooks in bulk at Costco (Sam’s Club if you want to be a Richard about it). Fiorot averages five and a half SLpM with a career high of one hundred seventy-two against Erin Blanchfield in a five-round main event.   

The knock against Fiorot is a lack of power. Her hands come with a free Triple A membership and three free roadside jump starts. Fiorot has no power like overdue bills. No power like privatized electric companies in Texas. And her best weapon, her left hand, has commitment issues. No openings are good enough for it. The way she uses (or doesn’t use) her left hand is like having an AR but only stabbing fools with the bayonet or hitting them with the butt instead of blasting their asses. Fiorot is mostly a point fighter who steals rounds late with timely step-in trips. Her offensive output is hard to keep up with, and because of it, it’s nearly impossible to win a decision against her. 

The key for Fiorot against another wrestler like Erin Blanchfield will be her eighty-seven percent takedown defense. Fiorot is the female Jose Aldo when it comes to stuffing takedowns. A bad day couldn’t get her down. Not even the ending of Stand By Me, when the boys grow up and slowly lose touch, and the narrator says, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve,” could get Fiorot down. Attempting takedowns on Fiorot is like being Sisyphus (who?), condemned to eternally push a boulder uphill without ever succeeding—instead, you’re stuck shooting double-legs at Manon Fiorot and getting stuffed every single time. Valentina was two for noine on takedowns with less than two minutes of control time against Fiorot. That’s bad news for Jasmine, who is solely reliant on her ground game.   

Jasmine Jasudavicius has takedowns like cease-and-desist orders. You know what? This one goes out to my little girl... Hit that KPop Demon Hunters “Takedown!” We ain’t talking about little schoolyard trips. We’re talking slams like Onyx. “Slam! Da duh-duh. Let the girls be girls!” She’s got slams like NBA Jam. She'll fook around and break a backboard with your ass. We're talking 360 windmills, jumping over cars, and taking off from the free-throw line. When Jasmine gets hold of you, it looks like an episode of “When Animals Attack,” when a bear trainer at the zoo gets mauled in front of a group of kindergarteners. While she only averages three and a half SLpM, Jasmine averages two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. Early in her career, Jasmine lacked finishes. But she has submitted two of her last three opponents, including Jessica Andrade, in under three minutes.   

But Jasmine’s boxing is a Madden forty. She’ll be Tom Hanks in Castaway, stranded on an island, if she can’t get Fiorot to the mat. She’ll be rocking a full beard with her fight kit in tatters by the start of the third round. She looks like every wrestler who has just started striking. Stiff with basic footwork and combinations. This won't be competitive on the feet. Jasmine has to sell out and keep selling out for her wrestling. If she fails, she has to try, try again. Jasmine is 14-3 with two TKOs/KOs and four subs. If she can pull this one off, she will find herself in a title eliminator.   

Fiorot is the (-250) favorite, and Jasudavicius is the (+210) live-ish dog. Jasmine is a dog: ruff, ruff. No matter what, she will keep on scrapping. She has to stay in Fiorot’s face and not give her room to throw her long-range side kicks. Fantasy-wise, try to avoid this matchup. Fiorot will lose time defending takedowns and have to be more cautious when extending combinations. This should be a low-output matchup with a small chance of a finish. The play is a decision. Give me Manon Fiorot via decision. On wax.   

Props

Fiorot: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+4000) Dec (-150)  

Jasudavicius: TKO/KO (+1400) Sub (+1000) Dec (+300)

Winner: Manon Fiorot | Method: Decision

Davey Grant (+140) vs. Charles Jourdain (-165)

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

Low-key banger. Charles “Bourdain” Jourdain is back. He’ll kick your ass Without Reservations. He’ll kick your ass in Parts Unknown. You can call him and underrated savage, but don’t you dare call him Charlie. And I didn’t forget about you, “Wavey” Davey Grant. Ol’ Davey has been one of the best-kept secrets in the bantamweight division. Over the years, Davey and I have been a dynamic duo, him kicking ass and me betting on him. The UFC brass went out of their way to find two fighters with unorthodox and completely different styles to match up. And Jourdain’s brother just whooped an ass on the Contender Series this past week. Can the Jourdain brothers go back-to-back like Mel and Danny? Not if Wavey Davey gets to feeling oh so crazy! 

Charles Jourdain comes with two settings: Brawl and Technical. Jourdain can engage in a technical back-and-forth kickboxing match or put all his nugs into one Swisher and see how high he can get. Yo! Hit that Wu-Tang “As High as Wu-Tang Get!” Speaking of the Wu, Jourdain has a specialty: guillotines. 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 Fiance thinks he’s safe because he has no neck. Wrong! It’s his party, and he’ll Gilly if he wants to. Three of Jourdain’s last four dubs came via guillotine choke. 

On his feet, Jourdain is on some Wing Chung shit. As in, just wing shit. He wings shit like pop quizzes. Jourdain’s not technical, but at the same time not, not technical. His M.O. is putting things together that shouldn’t be put together, like Billy Bob and Angelina. Charles will hit you with a spinning wheel kick/flying knee combination. His style is like hitting random buttons to figure out what they do. But don’t get it fooked up like the Cowboys’ defense, Jourdain will knock your block off like he lost a game of Jenga. Jourdain is 16-8 with eight TKOs/KOs and six subs.   

Never forget when Davey Grant hit Rafael Assuncao with the de Ridder Diddy Choke. Wavey hit Assuncao with that Will and Jada entanglement. Assuncao and Davey looked like X-Mas lights when you pull them out of the attic. They looked like Ye and his cousin when Ye’s mom walked in. Davey stole a dub like De Niro in Heat that night. What makes Davey so underrated is his awkwardness. This guy moves with a drunken cadence and throws haymakers from his waist.   

Davey Grant is awkward like asking a lady when she’s due and finding out she isn’t a lady and isn’t due. Davey is awkward like taking a shit in the handicap stall and suddenly hearing “squeak squeak” like Deebo’s bike, and when you’re done blowing it up, Chris Reeves is sitting there mean-muggin' your non-handicap ass. Grant is so awkward on his feet that using traditional defense is detrimental. His hands are like heat-seeking missiles—they just find a path around your guard. Davey will reach back like he’s reaching into the backseat, fumbling around for the CD case, and launch clubbing overhands. Davey’s punches come from all angles like the minute hand on a clock. It’s like his punches ricochet all over the Octagon. Davey is 17-7 with four TKOs/KOs and noine subs. My man has won two in a row and four of his last five.    

Fantasy-wise, these guys are almost dead even, averaging just below five and a half SLpM. This is another high-output fight to target. Plus, both fighters are finishing threats. Charles has the walk-off Gilly cocked and loaded, and Davey has his trademark awkwardness. Jourdain will be the (-175) favorite, and Davey will be the (+155) live-ass dog. Either fighter could flip the script and look to expose the other’s takedown defense. Jourdain rocks a forty-seven percent takedown defense, and Davey rocks a sixty-three percent. And both have submissions. I like playing this one for a finish, though, a decision will have a lot of value. I like Jourdain by sub and Davey by TKO/KO. Give me the dog. Davey Grant via TKO, round three. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Jourdain: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+550) Dec (+165)  

Grant: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+1400) Dec (+250)

Winner: Davey Grant | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Chito Vera ($7.7k): Chito will straight-up murder your ass. Although Chito is known for inexplicable lulls in activity that allow his opponents to get the drop on him via the judges’ scorecards, he’s still a finisher. He has eighteen finishes with twenty-three career dubs. Chito can change the tide of any fight with a single shot. Never forget when he nearly stole the O’Malley fight in the final seconds with a well-placed liver shot after being dominated for twenty-four minutes. No lead is safe when it comes to Chito. He’s the Patriots down 28-3 at halftime. Aiemann Zahabi is on a roll, but he took a beating in his previous bout against Jose Aldo. Aldo was a follow-up away from finishing that fight. Chito has a little more left in the tank than Aldo did. The upside for Chito is a TKO/KO.  

Brendan Allen ($7.4k): I’m not so sure Brendan Allen might not fook around and steal this fight. If he can resist mixing it up on the mat early, I like his chances of dominating at range on his feet. He has to avoid the clinch and keep his back off the cage. Should Allen end up on his back early (which is likely), he has the slick grappling to survive. Allen went the distance with Fluffy and even had some offensive moments from the top position. Strike early and wrestle late; that’s the key for Allen. He’s the far more competent striker, especially at range. Fantasy-wise, he’ll have an extra ten minutes to rack up striking stats. Barring an early finish, this fight will eventually be decided on the feet. Allen landed one hundred twelve significant strikes in his previous bout and landed over one hundred in his only five-rounder.  

Davey Grant ($7.5k): Jourdain vs. Grant could be the Fight of the Night. This will be a firefight wherever the fight goes. Davey is an undercover sleeper, wearing a wire while he fooks up your parlay. This guy throws hands from angles that haven’t been discovered yet. Wide, whipping overhands and hooks with a slick ground game to match. Jourdain and Grant average over five SLpM; this is a good fight to target, Fantasy-wise. It should be high output on the feet, and both fighters are dual finishing threats. The red flag for Grant is that four of his seven career losses came via submission. And three of Jourdain’s last four dubs came via submission. But those were all guillotines. Grant doesn’t shoot double legs that will leave his neck exposed. This one should be a stand-up banger.   

 $6k Clearance Rack

Djorden Santos ($7k): Technically, Santos isn’t on the Clearance Rack; he’s a day or two away from his sell-by date. If you find yourself digging at the bottom of the Fantasy barrel, try to scrape together an extra c-note or two to take Santos. He will have a good chance of pulling off an upset against Danny Barlow. Barlow looks better than he is. He’s a dangerous striker, but he lacks basic defensive skills and carries his hands low at all times. Barlow can get got as he did early in his previous bout. Santos doesn’t look like a world-beater, but he has sneaky power and has a better upside than the two options below him on the Clearance Rack.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Davey Grant (+150): The prelims are loaded with lopsided matchups. You will have to target the main card for viable sleepers this week. “Wavey” Davey has won four of his last five bouts, including two in a row. He most recently beat Da’mon Blackshear, who is a solid all-around fighter. His one loss in that span was a split decision to Daniel Marcos. Davey is always a valuable underdog and rarely goes out and gets his ass kicked. This guy even has a dub over Chito Vera. Grant vs. Jourdain will be a close firefight with a split decision written all over it.  

Aoriqileng (+140): The Mongolian Murderer is back to tear down some shitty walls. This guy has some Davey Grant-like awkward striking. He will have a power advantage on the feet against Cody Gibson. Gibson relies on his wrestling/grappling to control fights. The red flag for Aoriqileng is that he rocks a fifty-eight percent takedown defense and usually loses to wrestlers. But Cody isn’t as dominant a wrestler as some of Aoriqileng’s past opponents. He will likely end up on his back early, but if he can progress to defending one or two and keep the fight standing, he will have the stand-up edge.  

Chito Vera (+110)/Brendan Allen (+175) Parlay (+480): I can’t decide between Chito and Brendan Allen, so why not stick them in a parlay? Don’t sleep on Allen in the main event. RDR’s striking was exposed by Robert Whittaker, and I thought Whittaker won that fight. Allen can win this fight at range on his feet and has the slick striking to survive RDR’s ground game and implement his own. And I don’t need to tell you anything about Chito. He can win any fight as long as his mind is right. If ass-kicking Chito shows up, Aiemann Zahabi doesn’t stand a chance. Chito has had a year off and should be fiending for an ass to kick.  

Pick ‘Em

Cody Gibson (-165) vs. Aoriqileng (+140) 

Winner: Cody Gibson 

Method: Decision 

Kyle Nelson (-105) vs. Matt Fevola (-115)  

Winner: Kyle Nelson 

Method: Decision 

Bruno Silva (+205) vs. Hyun Sung Park (-245)  

Winner: Hyun Sung Park 

Method: Decision 

Danny Barlow (-310) vs. Djorden Santos (+255) 

Winner: Danny Barlow 

Method: Decision 

Drew Dober (-550) vs. Kyle Prepolec (+390)  

Winner: Drew Dober  

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Stephanie Luciano (-290) vs. Raven Oliveira (+240)  

 Winner: Stephanie Luciano 

Method: Decision 

 Azamat Bekoev (-290) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (+240) 

Winner: Azamat Bekoev 

Method: Decision 

Melissa Croden (-125) vs. Tainara Lisboa (+105) 

Winner: Melissa Croden 

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.