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

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Main Card

Fluffy Hernandez (-320) vs. Roman Dolidze (+260)

Fluffy: DK: $8.7k | Dolidze: DK:$7.5k

They call him Fluffy, but don’t get it twisted; he ain’t no fluffer. He’s a libation engineer (or a barista, if you want to be a Richard about it) with an acute expertise in seasonal Frappuccinos. Don't forget to get your card stamped. Ten stamps and you get a free D’arce or Anaconda choke. At the end of the year, Fluffy Hernandez will be a free agent and is expected to test the market, having already garnered interest from all the big names: Starbucks, Peet’s, and Better Buzz. While from the looks of him, concocting expressos, lattes, and frappes is Fluffy’s passion, fighting pays the bills. 

It’s about time that Fluffy Hernandez makes the walk, rocking the green apron. While his nickname suggests he’s soft, Fluffy is anything but. Fluffy would be a (+1000) dog in every matchup if they were based solely on appearances. He looks like a vegan wearing toe shoes and rolled-up jorts while selling CBD dog treats at the local farmer’s market. My man looks like he carries a satchel (or a murse, if you want to be a Richard about it) and participates in Rock Band drum circles in any place that has a fountain. Fluffy looks like he’s fresh off the plastic straw picket line in front of the soda machine at a local McDonald's. 

Hey, buddy! Get the fook outta the way! I gotta get to work!” 

Fluffy ain’t your buddy, pal. Don’t you dare get it twisted like that guy. Fluffy submitted the Jitz God, Rodolfo Vieira. That’s like beating Michael Jordan in a game of 21 and posterizing him like Johnny Furphy in the Summer League for the final point. If you submitted the Jitz God in a dream, you better wake up and apologize. Fluffy also TKO’d the Cirque du Soleil performer, Michel Periera. That beating looked like a band geek finally snapping and cracking the wrestling coach’s ass after first-period PE. That’s because Fluffy is a grappling genius. Only Khamzat Chimaev can compete with Fluffy on the mat.   

Yo! Hit that Sublime “Same in the End!” Fluffy is a rollin’, rollin’ stone. He rolled away one day, and he never came home. The rolling Fluffy Hernandez doesn’t gather moss. Fluffy rolls on the mat like fire drills. Rolls like red carpets. Rolls like fookin’ avalanches. And he hunts necks like Mossy Oak, duck whistles, and shitting in the woods. You can call him the Sub Hunter, on some Brazzers type-shit. Even though he has eight career submissions, Fluffy’s ground and pound is what makes his grappling the most dangerous. He literally beats you into submission, dropping elbows on you like the Macho Man from the top turnbuckle. That’s what he did to Michel Periera. Over five rounds, Fluffy ground Periera like some whole bean French roast. 

All that grappling is cool and all, but every fight/round starts on the feet. That’s where Fluffy can get got. His stand-up is sketchy like art class. Sketchy, like taking a shit in public and the seat is already warm. Fluffy’s striking has bigger holes than the gauges in his ears. In nearly every fight, when he gets stuck on his feet, there is a moment when Fluffy gets drowsy like an Ep$t3in prison guard. Fluffy is Young & Reckless on the feet. His striking would be sold as “Slightly used/lightly soiled” on eBay. And it’s because he lacks defensive instincts. He’s only offensive-minded and mostly only uses a janky Philly Shell to defend strikes. But his Philly Shell isn’t even within the Philly city limits. It moved with its Auntie and Uncle to Bel Air. Fluffy creates wild exchanges on the feet and uses the ensuing chaos to take you down. Nothing will change when Fluffy fights Roman Dolidze. This fight will look like every other Fluffy fight. He will take down Dolidze and grind him down from the top position. And there is nothing Dolidze can do about it. How do I know that? Because Dolidze rocks a thirty-three percent takedown defense. And he has never faced a takedown specialist like Fluffy. 

But that doesn’t mean Dolidze can’t win this fight. Because Roman is built like an ancient Roman. He’s the Encino Man, but the Roman Gladiator version. He looks like he rode into the Octagon in a chariot pulled by lions. Dolidze looks like a reimagining of the Terminator, in which he is sent from the Coliseum to save John Connor’s grandson. When you get into a fight in a dream, it’s always against a guy who looks like Roman Dolidze. When someone hollers at your main squeeze at a bar, it’s always a guy who looks like Roman Dolidze. Dudes named Roman steal Betty’s like horse thieves in the 1800s. Homie has wanted posters up in forty states – Dead or Alive. Just call him Roman the Kid.   

Even though he was never a kid. Dolidze was born grown and grew down. He grew chest hair before his old man. This guy had a five o’clock shadow before recess. In middle school, Dolidze was on Scared Straight, and he scared the inmates straight. My man looks like he drinks a glass of testosterone every night with dinner. Ur head will grow to twice its size like Barry Bonds if you accidentally bump into him while getting off an elevator or some shit. But looks are only half the battle in this game. On the feet, Dolidze has the power to match his intimidating stature. But he also has some major malfunctions. 

Roman moves exactly how you would imagine a man built like him would move. He moves like a GTA character. Homie has that directional pad movement, no joystick. And he has hand speed like the arrival of the White Walkers. It takes seven seasons for them to show up. “Right hand is coming...” But when they land, Dolidze’s hands turn your ass into memory foam. He leaves hand impressions in you like the Walk of Fame – impressions, like you just met him for the first time. But he has hands like music in the ‘90s, all singles. He has those Leo DiCaprio hands, eligible bachelor hands. Combinations aren’t in Dolidze’s offensive repertoire. He marches forward and unloads lefts and rights, but mostly rights.   

Fluffy will have to be careful not to end up on his back once he gets Dolidze down. Dolidze’s ground game from the top position is sadistic, dark, and disturbing. Never forget when he made Jack Hermansson squeal like a pig. That shit looked like a real-life Sharpshooter. If Dolidze can keep the fight standing, his power will eventually catch up with Fluffy. Dolidze is 15-3 with eight TKOs/KOs and three subs (he’s handy with heel hooks). And Dolidize is riding a three-fight dub streak.  

Fluffy will be the (-310) favorite, and Dolidze will be the (+255) live-ass dog. Fluffy can’t sleep on Dolidze’s power. Dolidze has hit the one hundred strikes landed mark in two of his last three bouts. He may be slow, but he doesn’t really fade and keeps throwing. There is a lot of value in a Fluffy finish, but Dolidze has never been finished. I like playing this one for a decision. Dolidze is a tough mother-shut-your-mouf and can probably take whatever Fluffy throws at him. 

Tatsuro Taira, AKA the Max Holloway of grappling, ended the main event L streak and got us back in the dub column last week. He made a good fighter look like a TLC scrub. This week... I get nervous when the pick seems too clear. I think Fluffy has already beaten better fighters than Dolidze. I see this one looking like the Pereira fight. Fluffy Hernandez via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

Dolidze: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+1200) Dec (+1100) 

Fluffy: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+200) Dec (+185)

Winner: Fluffy Hernandez | Method: Decision

Steve Erceg (-585) vs. Ode Osbourne (+410)

Erceg: DK: $9.1k | Osbourne: DK: $7.1k

Down on his luck Aaron Rodgers is back.  

“A-A-Ron? Is there an A-A-Ron?” 

Steve Erceg remains the only MMA fighter who was immortalized as a Simpsons character. What can you do to a man who is already dead after electrocuting himself? Before the Pantoja fight, Frank Grimes, AKA Steve Erceg, quit his day job at the Springfield nuclear plant. After three straight subsequent losses, I hope Erceg doesn’t become like Chris Daukus, who quit his job as a cop and went on to lose four straight and ultimately got cut from the roster. Erceg had a Hawk Tua twelve-minutes of fame in ‘24, after earning a title shot with three straight dubs to start his UFC career.  

And Erceg damn-near pulled it off. After the Toja Cat fight, Erceg was living the high life like he was double fisting a couple of Miller beers. Homie was Thirty Seconds to Mars. There was a brief time when Erceg was an undercover sleeper. They call him “Astro Boy” because he used to wear a wire like Altuve. He would sneak up on you like a white Astro Van doing twenty-five down the street, like children are present. That’s because Erceg looks like a new Trapper Keeper, pair of Heelys, and $3.50 worth of lunch money to bullies. My man looks like he got lost on the way to his clarinet recital. But don’t let that fool you. Steve Erceg will break you off quicker than Asto Turf. 

On his feet, Erceg is a Sadie Hawkins striker. A counter striker that you have to invite to the dance. You gotta pick him up and pay for his dinner too. You even gotta pin a fookin’ boutonnière on this MF. Erceg has slick slip n rips and same-time counters. He counters you like he has been waiting for this moment all his life. Yo! Hit that “In the Air Tonight!” And when Erceg throws, he throws extended combinations like the drum solo. Erceg drives better in reverse than he does forward. His major malfunction is that his strikes are too straight. They need a little crookedness. They need some wrinkles to find their way around defenses.   

And on the mat... Well, he went five rounds with Toja Cat. That’s all you need to know about his ground game. He forces scrambles and can grapple with anyone. Even Tatsuro Taira? I don’t know about all that. But I do know that Erceg is a better grappler than Ode Osbourne. I think Erceg will be a step ahead of Osbourne wherever the fight goes. Erceg is 12-4 with two TKO/KOs and six subs. He also averages four and a half SLpM compared to Osbourne’s under three and a half.  

Ode Osbourne can go from Ode to Ozzy Osbourne real quick. When you bet on Ode, he walks into the Octagon rocking eyeliner and black nail polish with a bat head in his mouf. And all you can do is wipe your ass with your “Osbourne by Decision” ticket. No one can Zero The Hero quicker than Ode. He will dominate a fight you think he will lose and lose a fight you think he should win. Five for five dead or alive, when homie goes out, he dies hard, and nobody shows up to his Electric Funeral because he fooked up too many people’s parlays over the years. Falling off the Edge of the World after a fast start is Ode’s special move - homie catches the speed wobbles, and when you catch the speed wobbles, never jump off. Just ride it out. At this point, you’re begging to get slapped by the Hand of Doom if you’re still betting on Ode Osbourne fights. But you’re my type of sick f**k! Fook it! It’s my Jackson, and I’ll bet how I want to! 

Hit that George Michaels “Faith” one time for ya boy! Because I don’t have any in Ode Osbourne. His style is too generic, and he has lost three of his last four. How did he beat Charles Johnson? Then lose to Ronaldo Rodriguez. And Charles Johnson KO’d Joshua Van. The MMA math ain’t adding up. You don’t even get partial credit for showing your work. Ode relied on wrestling to beat Charles Johnson. But Johnson doesn’t have the slick grappling that Erceg does. I think Ode should take his chances on the feet, using his long-range to disrupt Erceg’s timing.   

Erceg was originally facing Hyun Sung Park, who fought in last week’s main event. Ode is stepping in on short notice, and he will likely be the mangy dog. This is a good fight for Erceg to break the losing streak. He’s better than Ode everywhere. The toughest part is deciding on a TKO/KO or submission for Erceg. I like his chances of scoring a finish. Ode will have to outpoint Erceg on the feet or from the top position. Steve Erceg via TKO, round three. On wax.   

Props

Erceg: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( ) 

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

Winner: Steve Erceg | Method: TKO Rd.3

Iasmin Lucindo (-195) vs. Angela Hill (+165)

Lucindo: DK: $8.3k | Hill: DK:$7.9k

Angela Hill is a Hill I’m willing to die on. It’s Valentina, Rose, and Angela, and ain’t nothin’ after that. My female MMA Holy Trinity. A fellow San Diego representative, Angela Hill, is the most robbed fighter in the UFC. She has four split-decision Ls on her record, all of which should have been dubs. Hill was victim zero of the Valero gas station in the middle of the Nevada desert after she fought Michelle Waterson. The Valero became a known ambush location for NSAC judges to shake down fighters for their dubs. Angela gets robbed more than convenience stores. She has been robbed by judges more times than Snake has robbed the Kwik-E-Mart. Batman’s parents ain’t got shit on Angela Hill. When the judges see Angela walking to the Octagon, they throw on ski masks and black gloves and have a getaway Craft Service golf cart waiting cage side. Best believe the judges are already planning how they will spend the dub they are going to steal from Angela when she fights Iasmin Lucindo this Saturday night.   

Hill is Billy Bean’s baseball ideology manifested inside the cage; she’s on that Moneyball shit, getting on base by any means necessary: Drag bunts, infield singles, dropped third strikes – it's all about on-base percentage with Angela Hill. She’s Steve Young’s West Coast offense, dinking and dunking with volume punches all the way down the field. “Kill” Hill is the definition of a high-volume striker who you can count on to throw strikes. She has those acupuncture hands; she’ll leave you looking like a blowfish real quick, no Hootie. Her hands tap dance on your face; they C-Walk across your face like WC crippin’ across the stage. Angela’s hands stay in touch with your face like pen pals. For the youngbloods out there, people had to handwrite letters to others, put them in envelopes, and mail them to stay in touch before the introduction of the internet and cellphones. 

Angela averages five and a half SLpM and has eclipsed the one hundred strikes landed mark eight times in her UFC career. And that’s with every opponent she faces diving for her ankles like they’re Greg Louganis. They come out wearing spandex body suits, shower caps, and goggles when they face Angela Hill. Hill still manages a seventy-five percent takedown defense. She will need every bit of that against Iasmin Lucindo, who averages over two takedowns per fifteen minutes. If Angela can stay on her feet, her volume and speed will carry her to victory. 

Iasmin Lucindo looks like she grew up with older brothers. To ensure her survival, she developed devious tactics such as bending the corners on their Topps trading cards, bisecting their G.I. Joes, and leaving the toilet seat down. She’s a tough little MF with a stifling ground game. Her top control is like Saran Wrap; she’ll keep your ass fresh for weeks. Lucindo has that Velcro top control. It makes that ripping sound when they peel her off you at the end of rounds. She’s a human Breathe Right strip that will crack your ass and leave you with clear pores. The only knock against her ground game is a lack of submissions. She only has three career subs to go with eight TKOs/KOs. 

Lucindo is far from a technical striker, but she has a Power Slap overhand right. She leaves fighters headbanging the podium on their way down. She’ll have you headbanging like a hair band in the ‘80s. Her prefight ritual is tossing baby powder in the air like LeBron. She’ll do you like Mike Epps in “How High.” 

“Come on with it!” 

“Baby powder? Are you changing diapers?” 

Slap! 

But Iasmin’s hands aren’t good enough to stand and bang with elite strikers. She lacks a professional cadence and doesn’t put combinations together very well. She needs to supplement her striking with wrestling. She is 17-6, including 4-2 in the UFC. Lucindo is coming in off a loss to Amanda Lemos. In that fight, Lucindo was out-grappled; she was the one spending time on her back. Against Angela, she has to remain committed to her wrestling. She can’t keep up with Angela’s volume, averaging just under three SLpM. 

Lucindo is the (-200) favorite, and Angela is the (+170) live-ass dog. I’ve only ever seen Angela get her ass kicked once (against Mackenzie Dern). Other than that, she is in nothing but close decisions. Lucindo struggled in her debut and in her previous fight when she couldn’t get the fight to the mat. She’s not built to win on the feet. Fantasy-wise, I might shy away from this matchup. Lucindo won’t likely finish Angela, and Hill will likely spend some time on her back and not scoring on the feet. But I didn’t come here to pick against “Kill” Hill. Angela Hill via decision. On wax. 

Props

Lucindo: TKO/KO (+1100) Sub (+800) Dec (-135) 

Hill: TKO/KO (+2200) Sub (+2500) Dec (+185)

Winner: Angela Hill | Method: Decision

Andre Fili (+200) vs. Christian Rodriguez (-240)

Fili: DK: $7.8k | C-Rod: DK: $8.4k

The man with the best nickname in MMA is back. Andre “Touchy” Fili is back. His nickname sounds like a confession. It sounds like an HR issue. Fili has been in the UFC for over a decade, and he’s aging like Salma Hayek. He’s aging like a Big Mac and fries sitting on your counter for twenty-five years, looking the same as the day you ordered it. My man must be filled with preservatives - phthalates and parabens. That’s the only way you get a twelve-year shelf life in the UFC. His second fight was against Max Holloway in 2014. Pick a name, any featherweight name, and Andre Fili has fought him. Christian Rodriguez is just another chapter in Fili’s War & Peace. 

Still D.R.E., Andre Fili has those Snoop and Dre in the Lo-Lo hands. His hands look like scissor lifts when he starts slangin’. His low hand position allows him to attack from the lower peripherals, which you already know are the hardest to defend. Fili will lump you up and have people reading your mind like Braille. Lanky and janky – a Deadly Combination like 2Pac and Big L. He’s an X Games striker, switching between goofy foot and orthodox in the middle of combinations. He’s out here busting out Tony Hawk 900s after cracking your ass with a quick 1-2. Switching stances is one thing, but switching mid-combination while your opponent is covered up is diabolical work.   

All this while looking like Van Damme in Lion Heart, scrappin' in a drained pool with more ink than Bic. My man has more ink than an LLC. But don’t get to thinking he’s some kind of hippie beach bum. This dude is aggressive as all get out and never takes a step toward safety. You can throw his fight record out the window whenever Fili fights; wins/losses hold no weight in Fili’s world. He comes to scrap every time. He’s on some Fifty First Dates type-shit; he can’t remember the fight before. It’s like every fight is his debut. Fili is 24-12 with ten TKOs/KOs and three subs. He’s coming in off a first-round submission L to Mel Costa. But check it: Fili has never lost two fights in a row. Never. If he can stay on his feet, his long striking will cause Christian Rodriguez problems.  

They call Christian Rodriguez C-Rod because he’s just average. Everywhere, the mat and on the feet, just average. You can call him 70%-Rod. Pass/Fail-Rod. Yo! Hit that Jidenna “Classic Man!” C-Rod is the Weird Al remix: Average Man. Fook Malcolm; it’s Christian in the Middle. But being average can take you pretty far in this game. C-Rod remains the only man to have beaten Li Jingliang’s wingman, Raul Rosas Jr. It was an Easter Sunday comeback on Easter Island. Most of C-Rod's dubs are comebacks. Homie is like The Freeze at Braves home games, giving his opponents head starts before reeling them in. Dana put this guy on a final warning for showing up late to work. C-Rod is a montage fighter who waits until “No Way Out” is playing before he starts fighting. He waits until Lizzo starts singing.   

On his feet, C-Rod is a swap meet Pettis brother. Make a Wish Pettis. His style has an Anthony Pettis aftertaste. He is fairly technical with some spinning shit in his back pocket that will catch you by the boo-boo if you get to thinking shit’s sweet. But again, he’s only average on the feet. He lacks speed and power. His main gig is on the mat. C-Rod rolls like ‘70s Dicks (Private I’s) when they enter a suspicious room. He rolls like genetically modified Backwoods cigars. He survived the first round against Rosas Jr., then dominated the top position for the rest of the fight. C-Rod also out-grappled the highly touted Austin Bashi (who won last week).   

His path to victory against Fili will be on the mat. Fili rocks a seventy-percent takedown defense while C-Rod averages just under two takedowns per fifteen minutes. Fili averages two takedowns per fifteen minutes, but he isn’t a better grappler than C-Rod. Whoa. C-Rod will be the (-245) favorite, and Fili will be the (+205) live-ass dog. I thought this would be closer to a pick ‘em. Fili can win this fight at range on his feet. But C-Rod has never been finished on the feet, only once by submission. I like playing C-Rod by submission. Fili has been submitted three times and is coming in off a submission loss. The play for Fili is a decision. I’m gonna ride with C-Rod, but you haven’t seen the end of Andre Fili. Christian Rodriguez via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

Fili: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+2500) Dec (+300)  

C-Rod: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+400) Dec (+120)

Winner: Christian Rodriguez | Method: Decision

Eryk Anders (+375) vs. Christian Duncan (-525)

Anders: DK: $7k | Duncan: DK: $9.2k

This one will have the pace of a highly contested Bocce Ball game, AKA Lawn Curling. Eryk Anders is the dude at the Y who shows up to the pick-up game rocking a full ‘96 Bulls uniform with neoprene covering every joint and smelling of BenGay Cologne.  

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! You can’t say that!” 

Fine. IcyHot. But I ain’t your buddy, homie. Anywho, he’s the MF who calls a foul every time he misses a shot. Homie leads power plays like it’s hockey when people foul out. Speaking of IcyHot, Anders has those arthritic hands. His hands have hip replacements. They can predict when it’s going to rain. But Anders has never been known for his hand speed. On his feet, Anders is stiff like JC Penny catalogue pages. IYKYK. And he shops at Flanders’ Leftorium. He’s all-left-hand everything on the feet. Even as he pushes forty, he still has KO power if you get to half-steppin’ and taking him lightly. Early in his career, Anders relied on his wrestling to win fights. But lately, his takedowns haven't been effective, and he has had to rely heavily on his striking. He can still hang and has won two in a row, including a TKO dub over Chris Weidman in his previous bout. 

Most importantly, Anders is the Al Bundy of MMA. He once scored four TDs in the championship game. Okay, not really. But he did play in a championship game and won it when he played football at Alabama. Maybe this will be the fight that Nick Saban walks Anders out to the Octagon. Anders’ major malfunction is his wins. Huh? Check his record. His dubs are a who’s who list of whos? He has been jumping on grenades. He’s been taking home fives and waiting until his roommates are asleep before calling the Uber. But dubs are dubs, and we never apologize for those at the WKO. Anders can win this fight if he makes it a grimy, even boring, MMA fight. His experience dwarfs Christian Duncan’s. Anders has lost to better fighters than Duncan has ever fought.   

CLD, AKA Christian Leroy Duncan, looks like an uncle who claims he won the ‘87 Kumite when he was a Navy Seal in Vietnam. Talking about, “I once sparred with Bruce Lee.” My man looks like he rocks penny loafers with no socks in his spare time. He likes to be barefoot even when he’s not. And you don’t want to fook with dudes who rock loafers with no socks. Those corns and bunions are no joke, and they’ve been through a lot. CLD is Rex Kwon Do’s prize student. He has ESPN at two a.m. Karate competition kicks. Cinderblocks shake like a chain-link fence when they see CLD. This guy will Rolling Thunder Kick you into two days before the day after tomorrow. But his hands don’t match his kicks. His hands look like he borrowed them and never returned them. But the biggest problem with his striking is that he doesn’t strike. 

In recent fights, CLD has been playing it safe like Fort Knox. He has been wrestling instead of utilizing his striking background. And he’s far from an elite wrestler/grappler. Duncan has Freshman PE wrestling. Overall, CLD isn’t as good as he looks. He’s like stadium nachos; they always look bomber than they are. CLD is 11-2 with eight TKOs/KOs and one sub. He will be the higher output striker, averaging over four and a half SLpM compared to Anders’s three and a half. But Anders averages over one and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes while CLD defends at seventy-two percent. This will likely be decided on the feet.    

CLD is the (-575) favorite, and Anders is the (+400) live-ass dog. CLD should only be a (-575) favorite against me. Those odds are wild. Anders is no crumb bum. He has only been finished twice in his career. This is a man who lost a split decision to Lyoto Machida and went the distance with Khalil Rountree. The play for this one is a decision. CLD has yet to be finished in his career, and Anders hasn’t been stopped on his feet since 2018. That (+400) is taunting me... Don’t do it... I think I’m gonna do it... Don’t do it. Rooooooooooooooll Tide! Give me Eryk Anders via decision. Wax off, wax on.   

Props

Anders: TKO/KO (+1200) Sub (+3500) Dec (+700)  

Duncan: TKO/KO (+180) Sub (+1600) Dec (-115)

Winner: Eryk Anders | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Angela Hill ($7.9k): Even when Angela’s opponents are hell-bent on getting her to the mat, she still manages to land high-significant strikes. In many ways, she’s the female Max when it comes to volume as her main weapon. Hill is a classic sprawl-and-brawl fighter, an ode to the early days of MMA. Every second spent on her feet will be spent touching up Iasmin Lucindo. Lucindo is a power striker who is heavily dependent on her right hand. Her path to victory will be on the mat. But if she struggles, as she did in her debut and most recently against Amanda Lemos, Angela will win rounds with sheer volume.   

Roman Dolidze ($7.5k): I’m not too sure Roman Dolidze won’t fook around and win this fight. First off, the guy is huge, and even though he rocks a thirty-three percent takedown defense, it’s hard to takedown a man his size for twenty-five straight minutes and keep him there. On the feet, Dolidze is the finishing threat and overall, a better/more dangerous striker. He’s also nasty in the clinch, where Fluffy Hernandez is used to dominating. And clinch strikes add up quickly. Roman has landed one hunnid or more strikes in two of his last three bouts, and one was a three-rounder. If Fluffy runs into a takedown wall and is forced to stand and trade for extended periods, Dolidze will win this fight while racking up solid striking stats along the way.   

Andre Fili (7.8k): Andre Fili’s hands will be Touchy Fili all over C-Rod’s face if C-Rod can’t get Fili to the mat consistently. C-Rod doesn’t want a stand-up war with Fili. He doesn’t have the intricate striking that Fili does. Fili is long and uses every inch of his range while implementing stance switches to alter his attacks. Although he won’t light up the scoreboard, Fili will be a live-ass dog with a real chance to steal the fight with moderate striking stats (60-70 range).  

 $6k Clearance Rack

Toshiomi Kazama ($6.9k): If you find yourself browsing the Clearance Rack this week, you might be in some trouble. Kazama is a submission specialist with terrible striking. He will be up against a fellow wrestler/grappler in the young Elijah Smith, who will be making only his second UFC appearance. If this turns into a grappling firefight, Kazama will have a chance. Smith is far from a world-beater on the feet, but he doesn’t have to be to outstrike Kazama. Six of Kazama’s eleven career dubs came via submission, and two came from his guard (one triangle and one armbar). He is coming in off a triangle choke sub and has a specialty, Kimura’s. If he can end up in the top position, Kazama could surprise Smith. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Miles Johns (+255): Always beware of dudes with two plural names. Miles Johns is a mirror image of his opponent, Jean Matsumoto. This fight will be like when you're playing Street Fighter, and the computer is the same character as you. Johns will have the power advantage on the feet, and the grappling could turn into a stalemate. Matsumoto is heavily dependent on getting the fight to the mat. More so than Johns is. Johns has been finished twice in his career, but both came against elite competition. This one will likely go the distance and has “split decision” written all over it like vulgar graffiti written on the face of the first person to pass out at the function without removing their shoes. 

Angela Hill (+180): Biased? Maybe I am. If you have been fookin’ with the WKO for a while, you know Angela Hill is a fellow San Diego representative and one of my favorite female fighters. But there isn’t a fight that she won’t be competitive in. Mackenzie Dern was the exception. Iasmin Lucindo is a wrestler/grappler first, but her submission skills are inferior to Dern’s. So is Lucindo’s overall ground game. But Lucindo does have strong takedowns, which is Angela’s Achilles' heel. But don’t get it twisted like McGregor’s Johnson, Angela ain’t no crumb bum on the mat. She has excellent takedown defense and get-ups. Her style is really similar to Michael Johnson’s. She can win this fight with volume if she stays upright.   

Roman Dolidze (+265): I picked Fluffy Hernandez to win this fight, but the more I think about it, the more I think these odds are too wide. I would handicap Dolidze around (+150). He is huge, and I’m not sure Fluffy can keep him grounded for twenty-five minutes. Dolidze’s thirty-three percent takedown defense might suggest otherwise. But setting up his level changes might be hard for Fluffy. That’s because Dolidze won’t be threatened at all on the feet. He is the finishing threat on the feet. And he has turned into a high-output single-punch striker. He slows down late in fights, but he never stops throwing. He can go a hard five rounds and steal this fight if the takedown well dries up on Fluffy. 

Pick ‘Em

Miles Johns (+255) vs. Jean Matsumoto (-310)  

 Winner: Jean Matsumoto 

Method: Decision 

Julius Walker (-650) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (+450)  

 Winner: Julius Walker 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Elijah Smith (-700) vs. Toshiomi Kazama (+475)  

 Winner: Elijah Smith 

Method: Decision 

 Joselyne Edwards (-340) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+270) 

 Winner: Joselyne Edwards 

Method: Decision 

Uros Medic (-460) vs. Gilbert Urbina (+340) 

 Winner: Uros Medic 

Method: Decision 

Gabriella Fernandes (-435) vs. Julija Stoliarenko (+325) 

Winner: Gabriella Fernandes 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Cody Brundage (-185) vs. Eric McConico (+160) 

 Winner: Cody Brundage 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

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.