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

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Main Card

Josh Emmett (+410) vs. Kevin Vallejos (-550)

Emmett: DK: $6.6k | Vallejos: DK:$9.6k

Growing old is a b**ch. It takes a while to get used to your new life POV, looking up at the new generation from the bottom of the hill where you lie in a heap too sore to get up and dust yourself off. One day, it hits you, while you’re stirring your morning Metamucil, that your time has passed. There were signs along the way. Suddenly, the “Oldies” stations are playing the shit that used to piss off your parents. Now you’re the one banging on the door, “Turn that shit down!” You’re the one chasing kids off your lawn, “I just seeded, motherf**kers!” You’re the one still pedaling your bike like a sucker, while kids built as Cartman blow past you, yelling, “You're in the fast lane, Boomer!” Your fetish for older women is now just a normal attraction to women your own age. You used to leave a bar with every patron huddled under the tables like a school earthquake drill. But now you're hungover after sipping the wine at Communion. Now happy hour is 8 p.m.—bedtime.   

Imagine how Josh Emmett feels. He woke up after being submitted by Youseff Zalal to the realization that the asses he used to kick now kick his. On the bright side, he can wear open-toed shoes again. No one checks the bottom of their sneakers as if someone in the room stepped in dog shit when Emmett enters, rocking a pair of Reef chanclas. Now he can get that toe ring he has been fantasizing about, and those Roman gladiator sandals in the window that he walks past every day on his way to Bingo. Because it has been a while since Josh Emmett kicked some ass. Two in a row and four of his last five, all Ls. Now they play Emmett’s old fights on ESPN classics.   

Like that time a couple of years ago when he caught a body after knocking out Bryce Mitchell. Emmett could get a teardrop tattoo and walk around South Central like an OG after that knockout. He turned Bryce Mitchell into the latest fitness craze, a human Shake Weight. When Mitchell finally woke up, outside looked like a scene from Demolition Man. People were using three seashells to wipe their asses. Mitchell got knocked out so badly that he woke up and put on a blue donkey jersey. Homie started attending plastic straw protests. But that was the only fight Emmett has finished since 2019.   

Given Emmett’s power, that’s hard to believe. Emmett has so much power that the US government accuses him of having a nuclear enrichment program. His right hand is so powerful that the US sanctions it and sponsors color revolutions in hopes of sparking a left-hand uprising. The UN has to inspect Emmett’s right hand before every fight. Emmett swings that MF like Kyle Schwarber taking hacks in the Home Run Derby. When he landed that right hand on Bryce Mitchell, it sounded like Emmett’s fist hit brains. It sounded so disgusting that my dog and I threw up on the carpet, and my wife smacked us with a rolled-up magazine.  

Emmett’s major malfunction is that he never really developed his game outside of his right hand. If he can’t land it flush, he’s going to be in a close fight. Every time. Emmett never outclasses his opponent and runs away with a clear-cut decision. If he can’t change the tide of the fight with his right hand, he struggles. And that will be the case against the young buck, Kevin Vallejos. It’s sad, but one day you watched Josh Emmett knock someone out in savage fashion for the last time. Yo, DJ! Hit that Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle!” Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future. And the future is Kevin Vallejos. Until one day, he’s not. That’s just the circle of life.   

But for now, Vallejos is in the on-deck circle warming up with donuts around his wrists. In many ways, this kid is Josh Emmett with a system update. Kevin Vallejos auditioned for the UFC on the Contender Series against Jean Silva. That’s like going up against Daniel Day-Lewis for the role of Lincoln. I know what you’re thinking, but no, he didn’t get knocked out. This kid went the distance with Silva. That’s like hijacking a plane, demanding $200k, and later jumping from the plane and living happily ever after. It’s an incredible feat. Sure, Vallejos looked like he was on a Man vs. Food episode, eating countless fist sammiches for the fight’s duration, but he held them down and got his meal comp’d. That was Vallejos’s only career loss in eighteen fights. With a win over Josh Emmett, we might see Silva vs. Vallejos 2 sooner rather than later.  

The first thing you will notice about Kevin Vallejos is that he is built like the Globo Gym logo. The Donner Party had to resort to cannibalism after crossing just half of Vallejos’s upper back. This guy looks like he wears the weight of the world on his shoulders like it’s a weighted vest. Vallejos has a blitzing style like a Rex Ryan defense on his feet. He rushes into the pocket behind wide hooks and overhands. I consider Vallejos a technical meathead striker. “Pay attention, meat head. You’re saying the same shit that he said.” There’s nothing flashy or intricate about Vallejos’s striking. It’s straightforward and power-based. This kid is drunk with power like the ruling class. Homie is a straight power junky. Translated into actual junky terms, Vallejos would be the equivalent of Delonte West, Scott Spezio, or Ryan Leaf.    

Most recently, Vallejos knocked out Giga Chikadze with a spinning back fist and follow-up elbows. Vallejos left Giga flopping around on the mat like Lebron James—had him flopping around like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anytime he gets the fookin’ ball. Giga getting KO’d was something I thought I’d never see, like Goths at the beach. That was Giga’s first career loss by TKO/KO. Vallejos’s special power is backdoor counter right hand. Fighters run into his counter right like birds fly into freshly Windex’d windows. Even when the wire under your jersey is buzzing, and your corner bangs on trashcans to signal to you that the counter right is coming, it still drops you. 

Fantasy-wise, Vallejos is the high-output striker, averaging over five and a half SLpM compared to Emmett’s just over three and a half. Vallejos can edge this fight with superior volume. Emmett will need decisive moments, such as knockdowns, to claim close rounds. Vallejos lacks notable wrestling credentials, but he could look to exploit Emmett’s forty-three percent takedown defense; it would be a strategic move. Vallejos is the (-575) favorite, while Emmett is the (+400) mangy dog. The value lies in a Vallejos decision or an Emmett TKO/KO. It will be difficult for Emmett to win a decision with lower output.   

I couldn’t buy a main event dub if I had an American Express Centurion card. If you can’t trust Max Fookin’ Holloway, who can you trust!? Never go full Rob Font. Quit playing and give me Kevin Vallejos via decision. I don’t know what I’ll do if Emmett lands his right hand and leaves Vallejos face down. Put that shit on wax! 

Props

Emmett: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+3000) Dec (+1000)  

Vallejos: TKO/KO (-110) Sub (+650) Dec (+200) 

Winner: Kevin Vallejos | Method: Decision

Amanda Lemos (+165) vs. Gillian Robertson (-200)

Lemos: DK: $7.6k | Robertson: DK: $8.6k

Repost from 12/11/25:

The WKO always has love for the ladies. This is a classic grappler vs. striker matchup. Gillian Robertson is one of the best undercover dogs in the women’s divisions. This lady will submit you like travel expenses. The mat is lava, and Robertson will turn that bish into Pompei. She’ll have you looking like that guy who got caught unawares watching the Spice Channel when the lava came rolling through, “Hey, buddy! I’m busy—” At least that guy went out doing what he loves. You’ll be immortalized while getting choked out or getting your arm broken. Robertson is a lady on her feet and a freak on the mat. She’ll choke you like public executions in the 1600s. And if Robertson can’t submit you, she’ll beat you like the U.S. government beats the war drums. Robertson is a dual finishing threat on the mat. She can submit you or pound you out. Hey, Pawtna! Don’t threaten me with a good time! 

Robertson’s major malfunction is her striking. She can’t win fights on her feet. For starters, she severely lacks head movement. On her feet, she’s cruising around in a motorcade, if you know what I mean. The last thing she wants to do is get stuck striking with “Wild Thing” Amanda Lemos. Yes, I’m talking about Ricky Vaughn coming out of the bullpen. Robertson has to use her two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes to exploit Lemos’s sixty-four percent takedown defense. Lemos has been finished three times in her career, and two came via submission. 

Now quit playing and hit that The Troggs “Wild Thing!” Amanda Lemos will make your heart sing when she lets her right hand go. Her right hand is like Henry Rowengartner’s from Rookie of the Year. She throws frozen rope no-hoppers from the stands to the catcher. She once threw a right hand and sniped a bird like a clay pigeon mid-flight on some Randy Johnson-type-ish. This lady could knock the pinstripes off a Yankee. Lemos has so much power that her feints are considered significant strikes. She might be the first fighter to record a feint KO. The problem with Lemos is that sometimes she fights like she needs a Roger Dorn pep talk, “Strike this guy out!”   

Lemos pulls rose petals to decide if she’s going to defend takedowns. “Defend takedowns... Defend them not.” If she sees her own shadow when she wakes up, she will spend most of the fight on her back. I rarely pick Lemos’s fights correctly. When I have faith like George Michaels that she can stay on her feet, she gets taken down with little resistance. And when I think she will get taken down and spend fifteen minutes on her back, she turns into Jose Fookin’ Aldo defending takedowns. She turns into fooking Chumbawamba: She gets taken down, but she gets up again, you’re never gonna keep her down! Yo! Hit that “Tubthumping!” When Lemos is on her back, she looks like Mason Rudolph when Myles Garrett was on top of him. 

Robertson is the (-165) favorite, and Lemos is the (+140) live-ass dog. If Lemos stays upright, she will dominate this fight. If she gets taken down, Robertson will dominate. This one is a toss-up. The thing about Robertson is that she chainwrestles. She has a full arsenal of takedowns. None of that Jiu-Jitsu takedowns shit. She wrestles like her life depends on it because it does. I like playing this one for a decision, but the value in Lemos is in a TKO/KO finish. Robertson can submit Lemos, but Lemos is strong. She can power out of submissions. Give me Gillian Robertson via decision. Wax on, wax off. 

Props

Robertson: TKO/KO (+750) Sub (+275) Dec (+165) 

Lemos: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+1600) Dec (+330)

Winner: Gillian Robertson | Method: Decision

Ion Cutelaba (+200) vs. Oumar Sy (-245)

Cutelaba: DK: $7.4k | Sy: DK:$8.8k

Toyota is bringing back the original Frontrunner, Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba remains flat earthers’ best evidence as he seems to fall off the face of the earth after the first round. If life seems a little boring and you want to spice it up a little, start betting on Ion Cutelaba's fights. Nothing will make you feel more alive. When you expect the world from him, he delivers Needles, CA. When you expect Bruce Banner to show up rocking a purple polo shirt, the fookin’ Hulk shows up and puts the whole arena on smash. Nobody can go from looking like a legit title challenger to looking like a TLC scrub quicker than Cutelaba. I mean, you have to be super mid to lose a decision to Modestas Bukauskas, AKA the human anesthesia. I say all that to say this: Cutelaba is a risk-taker. When life deals him a seven-two off suit, he goes all in. 

Cutelaba is a bully. You have to stand up to this guy, or he’ll be waiting for you every morning before school, smoking a cancer stick while sitting on the hood of his ‘87 Trans Am, bumping Bon Jovi. When the bell rings, you have to make yourself big and scream like you’re being attacked by a grizzly bear. At least, that’s what I’ve heard you’re supposed to do if you’re attacked by a bear. Disclaimer: The WKO is not offering health advice in the unlikely event that you're attacked by a bear and get mauled while you’re standing there screaming instead of running for your life. If you can survive the first-round spit wads and atomic wedgies, the fight will be yours to lose.  

Cutelaba’s M.O. is coming out of the gate throwing heavy hands on his way to shooting a Goldberg spear across the cage. If he can maintain the top position, he will steamroll his opponents. But if he loses it, he rarely regains it. Cutelaba’sstriking is fairly average, but the threat of the takedown enhances its effectiveness. And he has some sneaky power. But no matter how good he looks at the start of the fight, no lead is safe with Cutelaba. This guy is a Boston Strangler victim-level choker—a David Carradine at a Fredricks of Hollywood clearance sale level choker. Against Oumar Sy, Cutelaba just has to be himself and create chaos early, hoping to overwhelm Sy. The longer the fight goes, the better chance Sy will have of taking over.   

I don’t know what to make of Oumar Sy. He’s a Tale of Two Positions fighter. I get drowsy just thinking about Sy’s stand-up. By law, you can’t drive for eight hours after watching his fight against Alonzo Menifield. Sy’s stand-up is habit-forming. He’s just not built to be a striker; he’s too long. His arms get tangled like Christmas lights. If Cutelaba can get inside on Oumar, he will have a major advantage inside the pocket. But Sy’s striking isn’t his biggest red flag. That would be his suspect record. We don’t demand apologies for dubs at the WKO, but we reserve the right to dub shame. And I have to bust out the Cersei Lannister shame on this guy. Shame! Shame! Shame! Homie can keep his fight shorts on, though. Sy’s UFC dubs aged like Mickey Rourke. Sy is 3-1 in the UFC, but none of the opponents he beat are still in the UFC. They’re back to bagging groceries like Kurt Warner before the Rams picked him up.   

But Sy shines on the mat. He’s a better ground striker than stand-up striker. This guy crushes you from the top position. He’s so big that his opponents disappear beneath him.  This guy’s top position is like a medieval torture technique, like when they used to crush people by stacking stones on top of them. You’ll be two-dimensional when they finally pull Sy off you. They have to hit you with some Pam cooking spray so he doesn’t stick to you. But Sy isn’t just a position fighter on the mat. He beats you so badly that he gets his name redacted in the files, while his victims’ names get exposed. Cutelaba might be a slightly more gifted grappler on the mat, but Sy’s ground and pound is more dangerous. This one could come down to who wins the top position first.  

The numbers: Cutelaba is the higher output striker, averaging four and a half SLpM compared to Sy’s three and a half. Cutelaba averages over three and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes compared to Sy’s two and a half. Both fighters are tough to get to the mat. Sy has yet to be taken down (that may change against Cutelaba) while Cutelaba rocks a seventy-five percent defense. Sy is the (-215) favorite, and Cutelaba is the (+180) live-ass dog. Cutelaba is oddly dangerous on his feet, and he’s an elite grappler when he wants to be. But if you stand up to him, he will fade. I think there is value in a decision, but I like playing a TKO/KO one way or the other. Play Cutelaba for an early finish and Sy for a mid-to-late finish. I have to ride with thesteady hand. Oumar Sy via TKO, round three. On wax.  

Props

Cutelaba: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+1200) Dec (+550)

Sy: TKO/KO (+330) Sub (+200) Dec (+300)

Winner: Oumar Sy | Method: TKO Rd.3

Andre Fili (+275) vs. Jose Delgado (-345)

Fili: DK: $6.9k | Delgado: DK: $9.3k

Yo, DJ! Hit that Post Malone “Congratulations!” This is Jose Delgado’s first career WKO write-up. That’s like getting your first career hit in the MLB. I’ll send you an autographed copy of this, Jose, to hang up over your mantel. This is a fighter’s rite of passage. You haven’t really made it until you get that official WKO stamp. This is an impossible fight to pick. If you flipped a coin to determine the outcome of this fight, it would land on its edge. I might have to make a WKO first and put a draw on wax. Compared to Andre Fili’s resume, Delgado is an infant when it comes to UFC experience. Homie hasn’t even started teething yet. My man is still using sippy cups, wearing pocket bibs, and sitting in a highchair. Delgado is 3-0 in the UFC, while Fili will be making his twenty-sixth appearance. But don’t get it twisted like Kenny Smith’s knees, this one should be a stand-up banger.  

My man Jose Delgado looks like he’s ballroom dancing in the Octagon. I’m talking the Tango, Cha-Cha, Salsa, and all that. This guy looks like a figure skater doing twirls and triple axels out there. Lateral movement and constant stance switching are the foundation of Delgado’s striking. He reminds me of two classic fighters: Chito Vera and Carlos Condit. This kid is a Natural Born Killer like Mickey Knox. He has a fetish for kick-ass. He doesn’t want to just win; he wants to inflict pain and get some adrenochrome flooding your bloodstream, thinking you’re about to die. He’s what Chito could be if Chito fought with an ounce of urgency. In four measurable bouts, Delgado averages over eight SLpM. He landed one hundred thirty-four in his most recent bout, the only bout that went past the first round. 

Let’s talk about his recent scrap against the perennially underrated Nathaniel Wood. Delgado landed a spinning backfist in the first round and had Nathaneil decomposing on his feet. But Delgado couldn’t finish him. Wood was like Leo DiCaprio, yelling, “I’m not leaving! I’m not fookin’ leaving! The show goes on!” Delgado went on to blow his wad trying to finish Wood in the first round. Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! That’s a helluva sentence. I mean, Delgado gassed out while trying to end the fight early. Wood fought his way back into the contest and stole the second and third rounds and won a close decision. Wood looked like Wilson in Castaway at the end of the first round. But Delgado still went on to notch well over one hundred strikes. Even in defeat, it was an impressive performance. 

Andre “Touchy” Fili. He still has the best nickname in the game. It sounds like an accusation. It sounds like Andre is a walking HR issue. Fili’s career has been touch-and-go since his debut in 2013. He hasn’t won or lost two in a row since 2020. He has twenty-five UFC bouts and has only won two in a row twice. His Sherdog record looks like it has OCD with alternating wins and losses. But like a Big Mac after sitting on a shelf for twenty-five years, Andre Fili looks exactly the same as he did when he made his debut. Homie looks like he hasn’t aged a day; he must be loaded with preservatives – phthalates and parabens. My man is aging like Sofia Vergara. Pick a name, any featherweight name, and Andre Fili has fought him. Jose Delgado is just another chapter in Fili’s War & Peace. 

Yo! Hit that WAR “Low Rider!” It’s about to look like a Dre and Snoop music video in the Octagon. Andre Fili has those low rider hands like they’re on a pair of stilts and rock one hundred spokes. Homie should come out with some flames and candy paint on his fight shorts. When Fili gets to slanging fists, it sounds like “Lolo Intro” on Chronic 2001. Lowrider magazine needs to quit playing and put Fili on the cover already—the lifetime achievement edition. From the low hand position, Fili lumps you up like brail. Hence the nickname “Touchy Fili”. He’ll have people reading your mind like Braille. Fili is a member of the Lanky & Janky committee, which, as you know, is a Deadly Combination like Big L and Tupac. He pumps long-range strikes while circling the Octagon on some Daytona 500 type-shit. All the while switching between goofy foot and orthodox stances like an X-Games skateboarder. Homie will bust out a 900 after hitting you with a crispy 1-2.   

Against Delgado, Fili has to increase his volume. He only averages just over three and a half SLpM. That won’t get it done against a volume striker like Delgado. Technique for technique, skill for skill, Fili can hang with Delgado. But he runs the risk of being out-worked and losing rounds based on activity. That’s why Delgado is the (-320) favorite, and Fili is the (+260) live-ish dog. Considering Fili’s experience, I think those odds are a little wide. Delgado has a much better Fantasy upside. I like playing him for a finish. Fili isn’t a big finisher; play him for a decision if you’re feeling lucky. Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk? Nope. Jose Delgado via TKO, round two. Put it on wax. 

Props

Delgado: TKO/KO (-105) Sub (+550) Dec (+350)  

Fili: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+2500) Dec (+550)

Winner: Jose Delgado | Method: TKO Rd.2

Vitor Petrino (-260) vs. Steven Asplund (+210)

Petrino: DK: $9k | Asplund: DK: $7.2k

You’ve never seen a bigger physique discrepancy than this one. If the odds were based on physique alone, Steven Asplund would be a (+10,000) dog. Asplund is built like the raw side of a pancake when you flip it, and the dough sloughs over the side. My man is built like an Ozempic Jelly Roll. He’s The Biggest Loser Jelly Roll. Looking at Asplund reminds me of an old childhood song: “Does your gut hang low? Does it wobble to and fro? Can you tie it in a knot? Can you tie it in a bow?” Yes. Homie easily has the least threatening physique in the history of the UFC. But it’s a reverse psychology physique. Don’t get to thinking Asplund is Assplund when he steps into the cage. This guy might be the livest dog on the card.   

Asplund will either get finished in the first round or survive early and slowly steal a decision with superior volume. This guy is the heavyweight Max Holloway. He has persistent hands. His hands won’t take no for an answer. They just keep touching you like a creep. Yo, DJ! Hit that Radiohead “Creep!” Check this shit out: Asplund averages twenty SLpM (only two measurable bouts) and landed one hundred seventy significant strikes in a little over a round and a half of work in his debut in December. The finishing sequence was a one-hundred-punch combo. Despite his unimpressive figure, Asplund’s cardio is better than that of many fighters in the lower weight classes. This guy is a fookin’ anomaly. And after the fight when he gets on the mic, he’s like a heavyweight Nate Landwehr. And you already know I love Nizzy Nate. And now that I think about it, I love Steven Asplund. I’m head over heels smitten with this guy. No Diddy. 

The knock against Asplund is that he lacks power. The impact of his punches sounds like throwing ham sandwiches against a wall. But he never stops throwing. But none of that matters if he can’t stay on his feet. I haven’t seen a second of this guy’s ground game or takedown defense. Petrino averages three takedowns per fifteen minutes. If Asplund can survive on his back early, Petrino will fade, and Asplund’s volume will take over. Play this guy for a late TKO/KO.   

Vitor Petrino is Ed-209 set to Octagon Pacification mode.  

“Put your hands up! You have twenty seconds to comply!”  

I think you’d better comply before Petrino is authorized to use deadly force and pumps you full of left hooks and right overhands. This guy’s shadow could knock your ass out. His leg kicks sound like Redwoods falling in the forest. If Vitor Petrino kicks your legs in the Octagon and no one is around to hear it... His best weapon is the Ryan Garcia check hook minus the quantum leap hand speed. But he has excellent timing, waiting for you to load up on your rear hand to beat you to the punch. Although he has crazy power, he’s all straight lines. No wrinkles or curves. He’s a dragster built to sprint straight down the runway with a little parachute shooting out of his ass to slow him down between exchanges. 

Petrino is at his best (and most boring) on the mat. From the top position, Petrino is a bully. “Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!” He grounds and pounds you with your own limbs—kneads you like pizza dough and tosses you in the air like a deep dish. Then he gases. Also, Petrino’s fight IQ matches the IQ of his 1988 predecessor, who famously got trapped when it fell down a flight of stairs. Overall, Petrino is an ass-kicking machine with some major design flaws. His path to victory is testing Asplund’s grappling cardio. He can throw hands for hours. But can he grapple for fifteen minutes? 

Petrino is the (-225) favorite, but those odds will diminish with every passing second. He needs an early finish or Asplund will win the battle of attrition. Petrino only has two career subs, but I like playing him for one. Asplund will likely have to fight from his back early. I’ve gone chalk up to this point. Picking Asplund is like picking half blind without knowing anything about his ground game. I may not pick him, but I may have a Hamilton with his name on it. Vitor Petrino via arm-triangle, round one. Wax on, wax off.

Props

Petrino: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+225) Dec (+300)  

Asplund: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+2500) Dec (+550)

Winner: Vitor Petrino | Method: Arm-Triangle Rd.1

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Bruno Silva ($7.5k): This guy is a little underrated sleeper. He’s 1-2 in his last three bouts, but those two losses came against the current champ, Joshua Van, and the possible future champ, Manel Kape. Bruno is one of those guys who gets thrown tothe wolves and, more times than not, comes out on top. Of his fifteen career dubs, eleven came via finish. Without a finish, Bruno won’t light up the scoreboard on Saturday night. But a finish will be in the cards for Bruno against Charles Johnson, who is coming off a first-round TKO loss. As good as Johnson is, he tends to take a lot of big shots, and his chin is a little suspect at this point. Bruno is a one-punch power striker, so he will have to make up for a lack of volume with big moments. In my book, this fight is closer to a toss-up.   

Ion Cutelaba ($7.4k): Now we’re really gambling. U have to be a Shohei Ohtani betting junky to bet on Cutelaba. And like the great Redman once said, “I’ll be dat. I’ll be dat!” Cutelaba will either run over Oumar Sy in the opening round, or Sy will survive the early onslaught and take over with his wrestling/grappling. Cutelaba has wild, powerful striking and a nasty ground game. This guy comes out of the gate NBA Jam on fire, 360 dunking from halfcourt. But he tends to fizzle out real quick. Cutelaba’svalue is front-loaded. If he can’t get it done early, he will spend long stretches on his back as the clock runs out.   

Steven Asplund ($7.2k): This guy is the great unknown on the card. He has the potential to be a Fantasy flipper. He is only 7-1 for his career, including 1-0 in the UFC. If you took one look at this guy, you would automatically pick his opponent to win the fight without even knowing who he is fighting. Asplund is the ultimate physique sleeper. You wouldn’t expect a guy built like Asplund to strike for volume and average twenty SLpM. On the Contender Series, he landed eleven significant strikes in just sixteen seconds on his way to a TKO dub. He followed that with one hundred seventy significant strikes in his debut. If Vitor Petrino can’t finish Asplund in the first round, Asplund will take over this fight with a never-ending stream of pitty-pat punches until Petrino collapses under the barrage.  

 $6k Clearance Rack  

Josh Emmett ($6.6k): Emmett still has his right hand, and more importantly, he has two extra rounds to work with. Kevin Vallejos’s output will force Emmett to try to match, or Vallejos will run away with the scorecards. At forty-one years old, Emmett doesn’t have many more fights left. I think he will be more willing to go out on his shield because, more than likely, this will be the last time Emmett will headline a card if he loses. Emmett is the only option on the Clearance Rack who has finishingpotential, even though he has only finished one fight since 2019.  

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Sam Hughes (+130): I know what you’re thinking: Who the fook is Sam Hughes? My answer: a rare absolute dog in the women's divisions. This lady is one of the little-known sleepers not just in the women's divisions, but in all of the UFC. She has won three in a row and four of her last five. Sam Hughes only loses to high level competition, and her opponent, Piera Rodriguez, is a notch above mid. She combines high-level wrestling and grimy boxing on her feet. She makes every fight ugly, and I think she has the counter wrestling to cause Rodriguez problems. This is the first fight of the night, and what better way to kick it off than with an underdog hit.   

Steven Asplund (+200): I’m either going to be a genius or a complete Moe Ron after this fight. Asplund opened as the (+185) dog and is quickly rising. I think more people are googling his name, taking one look at his physique, and betting the house on Petrino. Petrino may very well win this fight dominantly. But if he doesn’t get it done early, Asplund will inundate him with punches—flood his fooking basement with punches. My hesitation on Asplund is that I have never seen his ground game. I know nothing about it. He could turn into Steven Assplund on the mat for all I know. But if he can keep it standing and avoid a big right hand early, his volume will be the story of the fight, and he will steal this one late.   

Amanda Lemos (+170): This is one of the ugliest Twenty Twens in a long time. This might be the first time two females are featured. Lemos vs. Robertson is a classic grappler vs. striker matchup. Lemos has decent offensive grappling, but her takedown defense (sixty-five percent) isn’t great. The only thing worse than Lemos’s takedown defense is Robertson’s takedown defense (forty percent). If Lemos can scramble back to her feet, she will dominate the striking. And if Robertson runs into a takedown wall, she could be the one who ends up on her back. This will be a nip/tuck fight with “split decision” written all over it like solicitous propositions written all over a gas station bathroom stall. 

Honorable Mention: Bruno Silva (+165): I just don’t trust Charles Johnson’s chin. 

Pick ‘Em

Marwan Rahiki (-260) vs. Harry Hardwick (+215) 

 Winner: Marwan Rahiki 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

 Charles Johnson (-195) vs. Bruno Silva (+165)  

 Winner: Charles Johnson 

Method: Decision 

 Brad Tavares (-140) vs. Eryk Anders (+115)  

 Winner: Brad Tavares 

Method: Decision 

Chris Curtis (+220) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (-270) 

 Winner: Myktybek Orolbai 

Method: Decision 

Bolaji Oki (+220) vs. Manoel Sousa (-270)   

 Winner: Manoel Sousa 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Luan Lacerda (+190) vs. Hecher Sosa (-230)   

 Winner: Hecher Sosa 

Method: Decision 

Bia Mesquita (-550) vs. Montserrat Rendon (+390)  

 Winner: Bia Mesquita 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Elijah Smith (-205) vs. Su Young You (+175)   

 Winner: Elijah Smith 

Method: Decision 

 Piera Rodriguez (-155) vs. Sam Hughes (+130)   

 Winner: Sam Hughes 

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.