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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

Jamahal Hill (Even) vs. Khalil Rountree (-120)

Hill: DK: $7.8k | Rountree: DK:$8.4k

Sorry, Father, for I have sinned. Once upon a time at UFC 300, Jamahal was the Hill I chose to die on. I made a mountain out of a Jamahal Hill that night, the only time I ever picked against the Fist God, Alex Pereira. An aggressive southpaw with Dim Mak bottom brick power, I expected the world from Hill that night, and he handed me his seventh-grade Earth Day project, the earth painted on a Dixie paper plate. Rightfully so, I was excommunicated from the Church of Alex Pereira for my transgressions. I was convinced that Hill would cause Alex the same problems that Khalil Rountree had caused Alex during their title fight. Hit that Charlie Murphy! 

“Don’t ‘believe the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” - George Orwell “1984.” 

I didn’t believe the evidence of my eyes and ears. I’ve been watching sports for over three decades and have never seen an athlete return from an Achilles tear and achieve the same form they had before the injury. But I thought Jamahal Hill would be different. Sativa is a helluva an herb. It’s a shame, but somewhere out there is a guy who rocks a full 1996 Chicago Bulls uniform and Horace Grant goggles with neoprene covering every joint who has Jamahal’s Achilles tendon mounted over his mantle after crossing Hill up at the local YMCA. That guy forever fooked up my parlays. 

But this ain’t an obituary. Jamahal Hill ain’t dead yet. He had some big moments in his return fight against Jiri. Those guys were trading bombs like the Middle East. It was only a matter of time until one of them collapsed. Hill proved he is still Dr. Sleep. That he still has those euthanasia hands. Doctors induce comas with Hill’s hands. This guy will miss you, and you’ll still wake up with yellow crust in the corners of your eyes. When he lands, it will look like the Jetsons outside with flying cars and talking dogs when you wake up. You’ll wake up, and it will look like the Fifth Element outside. Skynet will be the CEO of the corporate world government when you wake up. Jamahal’s hands are the cousins of death. 

Hill has the style of a true Street Fighter, no Capcom. I’m talking about “Share Location” and abandoned Hooters parking lots. R.I.P Hooters. We lost Hooters and Bed Bath and Beyond in 2024. Anywho, Hill fights like his first Octagon was the high school quad, with Yard Duty acting as Herb Dean. Three-day suspension; that’s the type of shit Jamahal Hill is on. He’s rough like Timberland WEAR, yeah! He’s raw, like wearing pants without chonies. Raw like Wagyu beef. His left hand out of the southpaw stance garners all the admiration, but it is his lead right hand that makes it all possible. It’s the Pippen to the left hand’s Jordan. The Owen Wilson to its Vince Vaughn. Hill is so dangerous because he throws from the hips like a true gunslinger, which creates unorthodox arm angles that are hard to defend. But a low hand position leaves him vulnerable in the pocket. 

Which brings me to Hill’s major malfunction. A lack of honed defensive instincts. He is gas, dip, and no brake. And lately, he has been sporting that Achy Breaky Chin. His chin is starting to spring a leak. That’s not a good look when stepping into the cage against the MMA Tong Po, AKA Khalil Rountree. Against Rountree, Hill has to be the one moving forward. Pereira put Hill in reverse from the opening bell, and he wound up looking like a mafia hit slumped against the cage. Hill will be the far higher output striker, averaging seven SLpM compared to Rountree’s just over three and a half. Hill can steal close rounds with volume. 

Khalil Rountree had his best performance during a loss when he fought Alex Pereira. I’ve been harboring a secret that I can finally get off my chest: I dropped a Hamilton on Rountree that night. Unlike Jack Dawson, I knew Khalil would go down swinging until his body reached the ocean floor. Rountree fights like a Man on Fire, and I ain’t talking Buddhist monks. I’m talking Denzel. A man can be an artist in anything. Khalil’s art is violence. And like Tupac, he paints a perfect picture every time he steps into the cage. This guy immolates like Johnny Storm. Homie has to draw on his eyebrows like some Bettys I know for weeks after his fights.  

His fights aren’t fights; they’re maulings. They look like bear attacks. And I’m not talking about Leo in The Revenant. I’m talking about the last ten minutes of Grizzly Man. The broadcast has to cut away, and you’re just left with the audio, a man screaming like a six-year-old girl for help from woodland critters. Your life flashes before your eyes after every strike Tong Po throws. Left cross: It’s Christmas day, and you’re in your G.I. Joe jammies, unwrapping an NES with a Power Glove. Right hook: You’re at your Shit Ain’t Sweet Sixteen birthday bash and your parents just handed you a bus pass instead of the keys to a Civic with lawnmower exhaust. Left round kick to the body: You’re back in the womb, jump roping with the umbilical cord.   

Rountree has whipping, round punches in combination, and straight impaling punches when throwing single shots. He hits you down the middle and around your guard. And he has so much power that the U.S. government accuses him of having nuclear weapons in his fists. They might fook around and bomb the arena during the second round. Rountree’s hands are enriched with uranium and produce mushroom clouds every time they land. This guy’s hands can’t pass a UN weapons inspection. He had Pereira on shaky legs briefly in the second round of their title fight. It was the toughest fight of Alex’s career, and Israel Adesanya once knocked him out.   

If the same Rountree shows up against Jamahal Hill, Hill might be in trouble. The big knock against Rountree is that his output wanes inexplicably. He hits lulls of inactivity. It’s how he lost to a guy like Marcin Prachnio. Hill will be the (-165) favorite, coming off the strength of that title fight performance. And Hill will be the (+140) live-ass dog. Like the Hill vs. Jiri fight, this will be a race against time. Who will land the death blow first? The play is a TKO/KO one way or the other. I gained a little confidence in Hill after the Jiri fight. That was a war until the end. Rountree has been TKO/KO’d three times within the UFC. He can get got. This fight is a banger and should be filled with plenty of 50/50 exchanges. 

The main event winning streak came to a halt last week when Joaquin Buckley couldn’t defend a takedown if it meant bringing about world peace. And he looked like a Life Alert commercial trying to get back to his feet, SMDH. This week’s pick is a coin flip in my book. One of these guys will get got. But I’ve been burned by Jamahal Hill two fights in a row. And Khalil looked like a peaking fighter against Pereira. Khalil Rountree via TKO, round four. Put it on wax.   

Props

Hill: TKO/KO (+185) Sub (+2000) Dec (+550) 

Rountree: TKO/KO (+120) Sub (+1600) Dec (+800)

Winner: Khalil Rountree | Method: TKO Rd.4

Rafael Fiziev (+110) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-130)

Fiziev: DK: $8k | Bahamondes: DK: $8.2k

You already know what time it is. Hit that Goodie Mob “Cell Therapy!” Who’s that peekin’ in my window? Blaow! Nobody now. The Night Stalker, Ignacio Bahamondes, is back. But he ain’t creepin’ up on anybody anymore. He might as well be wearing bells and whistles and have a full procession announcing his arrival before climbing through your window now. His all-white Avila sneakers no longer sneak, and every floorboard in the house creaks under his weight as he’s creepin’ on opponents. Best believe Rafael Fiziev will be setting traps around the house like Kevin McCallister and sleeping with one eye open like Shara Magomedov leading up to this fight. The MMA Night Stalker won’t be sneaking up on him.   

Ignacio has subs now!? WTF? The dangerous striker is evolving like zombies that figured out they can walk along the bottom of the ocean floor. Baha is coming in off only his second career submission against Jalin Turner. And he did it from his back with a triangle choke. So much for taking him down. Baha has won three in a row and six of seven. He’s been leaving behind muddy footprints at the crime scene because he’s been kicking so much ass lately. Stance switching is Baha’s special move. He’s a natural switch hitter who can bat for average from either side of the plate. And he flows seamlessly between orthodox and southpaw. At times, it’s impossible to tell when his offense ends and his defense begins.   

Baha’s best weapon on his feet is his length. He has hands like the scenic route. He has those pull-over-and-ask-for-directions hands. His hands have meters like taxis. Baha’s modus operandi is skirting along the outside of the pocket while using his jab to keep your head nodding like a yes man. Nodding like toddlers falling asleep anywhere. He keeps you at arm’s length like the friend zone. And his combinations are tight, like church parking spaces. Baha can fit his hands between a rock and a hard place. He throws nothing but upper-noinety fastballs and dares you to hit them. He will have to use every inch of his reach against Rafael Fiziev. And he can’t spend a moment standing directly in front of Fiziev. Lateral movement and attacking from angles will be the key for Baha. He’s 17-5 for his career with eleven TKO/KOs and two subs.   

Rafael Fiziev has the honorary distinction of having fought Justin Gaethje for six rounds. And he’s still standing like Elton John. Yo! Hit that “I’m Still Standing!” Fiziev’s still standing better than he ever did. Lookin’ like a true survivor, feelin’ like a little kid. Surviving six rounds with Gaethje is like running sprints on the beaches of Normandy like Rocky and Apollo on the morning of June 6, 1944, and living to talk about it. There are only two things on earth that I’m afraid of: Heights and Rafael Fizievs. IT’s final form should be Rafael Fiziev, not a fookin' spider. Freddy doesn’t chase me in my dreams; Fiziev does. My Fiziev phobia has a lot to do with his left leg.   

Twelve states use Rafael Fiziev head kicks to carry out death penalties. Fiziev has always reminded me of a one-half-scale Mirko Cro Cop. Scientists cloned Cro Cop’s left leg on the back of a rat and attached it to Rafael Fiziev like Mr. Garrison’s appendage. And he has double-barrel fists to compliment it. Fiziev has those closed casket hands. Kurt Cobain hands. They have to bleep out the sound of his hands landing because it’s too explicit. They have to hit Fiziev fights with old-school Parental Advisory stickers. His fights sound like the clean version of an Eminem track – like Morse Code.   

Fiziev had early success in both Gaethje fights. He just kind of faded enough to let Gaethje pull away late in those fights. Fiziev throws everything so hard that it’s impossible for him to not fade late in fights. Bobby Green nearly scored a 10-8 third round against Fiziev (Green got robbed in that fight). He will have the added pressure of having to finish Bahamondes within the first two rounds. Barring serious damage, Bahamondes will likely be the fresher fighter in the third round. Bahamondes will be the higher output striker, averaging seven SLpM compared to Fiziev’s respectable just under five. But the impact of Fiziev’s strikes can make up for a slight deficit in volume on the judges’ scorecards.   

I was surprised to see Baha open as the slight (-115) favorite. Fiziev will be the (-105) live-ass dog. This is a big step up in competition for Bahamondes. His last loss came against the savvy striker Ludovit Klein. I think Fiziev is a far better striker than Klein. Early in Baha’s UFC career, John Makdessi caused him a ton of problems on the feet. I would give Fiziev a slightly better shot at scoring a finish. Baha has never been finished on the feet, and Fiziev has only once (the injury against Gamrot doesn’t count). I like playing this one for a decision. Fantasy-wise, barring an early stoppage, this one should produce high striking stats for both fighters. This is a certified Grade-A stand-up banger. Rafael Fiziev via decision. On wax.   

Props

Fiziev: TKO/KO (+300) Sub (+2000) Dec (+275) 

Bahamondes: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+900) Dec (+180)

Winner: Rafael Fiziev | Method: Decision

Curtis Blaydes (-240) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+200)

Blaydes: DK: $9.1k | Kuniev: DK:$7.1k

One day, I want Curtis Blaydes to be one of my pallbearers so he can let me down one more time. I’d like to address the allegations that I picked Curtis Blaydes to beat Tom Aspinall. What am I gonna do, pick Curtis Blaydes to beat Tom Aspinall like it’s something to do? C’mon, I have a little more sense than that... Yeah, I remember picking Curtis Blaydes to beat Tom Aspinall. Curtis Blaydes’ career is a head-scratcher. This guy debuted against Francis Ngannou, and two of his five UFC losses came at the hands of Francis. Blaydes only loses to real killers: Francis, Derrick Lewis, Sergey Pavlovich, and Tom Aspinall. He’s 13-0 against the field with notable dubs over Alistair Overeem, Mark Hunt, Junior dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, Rozenstruik, Jailton Almeida, and Tom Aspinall (an injury TKO). And the UFC brass is giving Blaydes a debuting fighter. I’m not quite sure what to make of that.   

Curtis Blaydes is built like a fookin’ Transformer. He has school buses for legs, trash trucks for arms, dumpsters for hands, and a refrigerator for a head. Blaydes is a dominant wrestler until it matters most. Then, he identifies as a striker. He abandons his takedowns anytime he’s facing an elite striker. Yeah, he’s a deadbeat wrestler. But can you blame him? Chicks dig the KO. Blaydes’ striking is actually pretty solid. I thought he would cause Aspinall problems on the feet before implementing his wrestling. He has long, technical boxing. But defensively, he is too stiff. He lacks a true boxer’s reflexes and has no counter game. He can move straight forward, but that’s it. But Blaydes’ biggest red flag isn’t his striking; it’s his wrestling. 

Check it: Blaydes has zero career submissions. A man who averages nearly six takedowns per fifteen minutes has the same number of subs as everyone reading this. He couldn’t submit you with a ball gag and a little tasselly horsewhip. He couldn’t submit his taxes. Homie probably has the IRS hounding him like Wesley Snipes. All Blaydes has to do is invent a water-powered motor, and the CIA will teach him something about choking real quick. Or he can just throw on a Knicks jersey. I don’t know much about Rizvan Kuniev other than he has been on the Contender Series twice, and his last name ends in “ev.” Which means he can probably wrestle. But I’m willing to guess Blaydes is a better wrestler. Blaydes needs to wrestle early and strike late. He has to stop getting into stand-up firefights like he did against Aspinall and Pavlovich.   

My first thought about Rizvan Kuniev was, “They make heavyweight ones too?” It's not often you see a heavyweight Dagestani. Dominating every other division wasn’t enough for them. They’re like a plague of locusts taking over the MMA world. Their like the Harkonnens. Rizvan looks like Islam Makhachev ate the Willie Wonka three-course dinner gum and ballooned to 265 pounds. “You’re turning violet, Violet!” This guy has to cut weight to make the heavyweight limit. He’s built like an offensive lineman. The Chiefs could have used Rizvan in the Super Bowl. All You Can Eat buffets start sweating like the Jordan Peele meme when Rizvan walks through the double doors.   

Kuniev has fairly generic stand-up but heavy hands. I’m talkin’ hernias just trying to lift them. And he has some Happy Hour bouncer takedowns. He just manhandles opponents to the ground after the bartender cuts them off. Jailton Almeida put Blaydes on his back early in their fight, but I’m not sure Kuniev has the savviness to do the same. On the feet, Rizvan will exchange long, wide punches for Blaydes’ straight, down-the-middle punches. This fight officially marks Blaydes as a gatekeeper. This fight is an entry-level position, working at the gift shop at the Bridge of Death for Blaydes. There’s no other way to justify why Rizvan is debuting against a guy with Blaydes’ experience. The UFC has gone out of its way to keep this fight together as it has been scheduled at least three different times dating back to February.   

Blaydes will be the (-285) favorite, and Kuniev will be the (+235) dog of some kind. I’m not sure what kind of dog Kuniev will be. He wasn’t overly impressive on the Contender Series, and I’m still confused as to why the fight was made. Kuniev is 12-2 with six TKOs/KOs and two subs. And he has never been finished in his career. The path to victory for Kuniev is on the mat if he can get it there. Blaydes rocks a thirty percent takedown defense. His wrestling/grappling prowess is all offensive. But I just haven’t seen enough of him to pick him to beat a guy who has shared the Octagon with some of the best heavyweights in the game. Curtis Blaydes via decision. You know what to do with it. Put it on wax.   

Props

Blaydes TKO/KO (+130) Sub (+1800) Dec (+200) 

Kuniev: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+1200) Dec (+550)

Winner: Curtis Blaydes | Method: Decision

Myktybek Orolbai (-165) vs. Tofiq Mustayev (+140)

Orolbai: DK: $8.5k | Mustayev: DK: $7.7k

Straight out of the Stone Age, a crazy MF named Myktybek. Don’t say that name out loud, or you might blow out the ACL in your tongue and end up on the noinety-day IR. Myktybek Orolbai looks like he just got off the swing shift at the Smithsonian Museum, standing in as the wax Neanderthal. This guy looks like he has a pet Mastodon. He eats four-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex eggs for breakfast. And there are only two remaining in the entire world. Orolbai rocks alligator loafers while they’re still alive. My man is used to fighting sabertooth tigers – he only cage fights in the offseason to stay in shape. Orolbai has three fights in the UFC, and all three were as close as a civilian can get to actual war. This matchup against the debuting Tofiq Musayev will be Orolbai’s personal World War IV. This is a low-key undercover banger.   

“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” is easier to type than “Myktybek.” I had to put Copper Tone compression sleeves on my fingers after typing it twice. Orolbai is on the spectrum. The Merab spectrum. He trains by tearing down City Wok’s shitty walls. “Cot damn, Mongolians!” Stand-up-wise, Orolbai combines a Tyrone Biggums cadence with hands like Thursdays at the school cafeteria, Sloppy Joes. He stays perpetually in awkward motion while serving up greasy little overhands and hooks. It doesn’t look pretty (neither does Merab’s striking), but his striking is highly effective when he uses it to set up his level-change entries. Like Merab, Orolbai stays committed to his wrestling for the duration of the fight.    

Overall, Orolbai reminds me of a cover band version of Merab. He covers all of Merab’s greatest hits: Constant pressure, heavy pace, endless gas tank, perpetual motion, and a chin made from the meteorite that killed off Orolbai’s homies and the dinosaurs. Also, he has that prehistoric dog in him. In his previous bout, Orolbai fought for two rounds with a broken face. Half of his face looked like a different person. It looked like he ate a right hand with a fist allergy. They had to hit Orolbai with an EpiPen between rounds. Homie looked like the Phantom of the Octagon in that bish. He fought with Shara Magomedov’s POV for nearly ten minutes. At one point, he had the crowd chanting his name like he was Rudy. Against Musayev, Orolbai has to stay committed to his wrestling.

Because Tofiq Musayev has eighteen career TKOs/KOs to his name. This guy has that classic “Four score and seven years ago” look to him. Not even John Wilkes Booth can stop this MF. On the feet, Musayev has napalm palms. He reminds me of a better Arman Tsarukyan on the feet (but not a better fighter). He throws every punch and kick as if it’s his last. His hands whistle when he throws and leave behind contrails. Musayev puts his entire soul into every strike like Grandma’s cookies. Freshly baked hands. When they land, his hands sound like 100 mph fastballs hitting the catcher's mitt. But he doesn’t have much command over the strike zone. He tends to send some overhands over the backstop. Some lucky fan takes home a souvenir when Mustayev fights.   

Mustayev is 22-5 with an extensive career outside the UFC. He’s a globetrotting ass-kicker, having fought for promotions all over the world. He is a diverse/inclusive ass-kicker. Where in the world is Tofiq Mustayev? Yo! Hit that Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego theme song! This guy should have a show on the Travel Channel with him kicking asses all over the globe. Got Reservations with Tofiq Mustayev. Overall, Mustayev looks like he was born noine months after the Tsarukyan vs. Makhachev fight. He looks like a combination of both, but he’s not nearly as good as either. The big question is can he wrestle? He’s an EV, and I’m not talking about electric vehicles. “Ev/ov” fighters usually score their first career takedown on the doctor who delivered them. So, with limited footage on this guy, I’m gonna have to assume he’s no chump on the mat. 

Orolbai will be the (-165) favorite, and Mustayev will be the (+140) live-ass dog. When this guy lets his hands go, it’s scary. He commits to combos and punctuates hands with kicks. He just has to find a consistent pace. If Mustayev can stuff a couple takedowns, I think he will have the edge in the striking. But can he keep up with Orolbai’s relentless pace? IDK. Of Mustayev’s five career Ls, four came via finish (three subs and one TKO/KO). Orolbai is 13-2 and has never been finished. And he has six TKO/KOs and five subs to his name. There is value in a finish for both guys, but I think the play is a decision. These guys are high-level. I’m not confident in this one. Myk... can’t do it. Orolbai via decision. On wax.  

Props

Orolbai: TKO/KO (-350) Sub (+900) Dec (+650)  

Mustayev: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+2200) Dec (+1800)

Winner: Myktybek Orolbai | Method: Decision

Nazim Sadykhov(-460) vs. Nikolas Motta (+340)

Lil Naz: DK: $9.4k | Motta: DK: $6.8k

Nikolas “Still Smokin’” Motta is back.  

“Fumas motta?  

“Si! Si! Fumo mucha motta, amigo.  

“¡No es tú amigo, compañero!” 

The man with the best last name in the game is back. And so is Lil Nazim X. This is the opening act of the Up in Smoke Tour. This is a classic striker’s delight, and one of these guys will likely disappear in a cloud of smoke at its conclusion. This is another undercover banger to round out a main card better than most PPVs.   

When it comes to Nikolas Motta’s stand-up, all roads lead to the left hook. The answer to every question in life is “left hook.” How do you want your steak, Sir? Left hook. Motta has always reminded me of Shogun Rua if you left Shogun in the microwave too long. Motta is like a Sega Genesis graphics Shogun. He has the classic Brazilian Muay Thai with rounded shoulders and powerful hooks. And he has a big head that he refuses to move off the centerline. It looks like he got hit with the NBA Jam Big Head cheat code. He has that Mr. Mackey head. Kids see Motta and start taking hacks at him with a yellow wiffle ball bat. Overall, Motta has power to burn but lacks defensively. 

Motta freezes in the crosswalk when under fire. When those headlights are coming at you, some people jump out of the way. Others freeze and become roadkill. Motta is the latter. People will stop and ask you what kind of car you’re driving with that Nikolas Motta hood ornament. When under fire, Motta doesn’t cover up or move his head/feet. His main objective is to beat you to the punch. Motta instigates firefights in the pocket. It’s a coin flip if he will come out on top. He is 15-5 in his career with ten career TKOs/KOs. And he is 3-2-1 in the UFC. His two losses were brutal KOs to Jim Miller and Manuel Torres. 

Nazim Sadykhov is the exact type of striker who gives Motta problems. I’ve been riding Lil Nazim X to the Old Town Road. And I’m gonna ride until I can’t no more. I have been riding the Sadykhov horse for a couple years now. I got me some chaps (ass intact), a little whip, and knee-high pleather boots. I’ve been on some equestrian shit, jumping over puddles and little wooden fences, riding Sadykhov to some dubs. Nazim has nifty striking. He's a gadget striker with plenty of hidden features. Sadykhov has those Every Day Carry hands. His hands have a 4.4 Amazon rating.   

Words most commonly associated with his hands are: Slip n’ Rips, Philly Shell, Stance switches, footwork, head movement. Customers most often returned Sadykhov for: Fight IQ, lacks power, easy to hit. Although Lil Nazim has slick head movement and footwork, he relies mostly on a Philly Shell that is more like a Hoboken Shell, and he tends to eat a lot of big punches. He also has a bad habit. After he throws, he invites you to fire back at him by immediately covering up. He sends out RSVPs after he strikes:

Will you be punching me in the face? 

Yes No 

And his fight IQ: He had every inch except one freckle on Borshchev’s ass kicked in the first round and still couldn’t seal the deal. Victory was throwing itself at Nazim like a floozy. Begging Nazim to take it home with him. But homie opted to take home a draw instead. He tied up Borschchev and started wrestling when he had him hurt. Sadykhov will be the more technical/diverse striker against Motta. But Motta will have the power advantage. Nazim uses angles and combinations. Whereas Motta is more straightforward while relying on big single shots.   

Sadykhov is 10-1 with seven TKOs/KOs and two subs. He will be the higher output striker, averaging over four and a half SLpM compared to Motta’s three and a half. Lil Nazim X will be the heavy (-460) favorite, and Motta will be the (+340) mangy dog. I didn’t expect Motta to be this big of a dog. The odds reflect Sadykhov’s superior technical striking. But Motta has the one-punch KO power. This won’t be an easy fight for Sadykhov if he comes in thinking shit’s sweet. He has to avoid extended combinations in the pocket where Motta can land that left hook. There’s value in a late Sadykhov finish, but I think he might lack that killer instinct. Nazim Sadykhov via TKO, round three. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Sadykhov: TKO/KO (-105) Sub (+400) Dec (+300)  

Motta: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+2800) Dec (+800)

Winner: Nazim Sadykhov | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

 $6k Clearance Rack

Jamahal Hill ($7.8k): The main event will be like playing Hot Potato with live grenades sans the pins. One of these guys will get got. Never forget the beating Hill put on the former champ, Glover Teixeira, to win the undisputed belt. Hill cracks like Meek’s cheeks in the champagne room. He will also be the higher-output fighter on Saturday night. This will likely be a nip/tuck affair, barring an early finish. Hill’s high output will give him the inside track on the judges’ scorecards should they be needed. But I think this one will end before the final bell, and Hill has the high-level championship experience to win this fight. Even without a finish, Hill will hover around the one hundred strikes mark. 

Tofiq Musayev ($7.7k): I’m not sure what to expect from the debuting Tofiq Musayev. But from what I’ve seen, this guy throws without No Reservations on some Anthony Bourdain type-ish. He tends to fight in violent bursts. And those bursts are violent. The sound of his hands landing on the target is disgusting. It will make you vomit. The impacts are scary. His opponent, Orolbai, is no TLC scrub on the feet, but Musayev will be the more dangerous striker. The question is, can he defend takedowns? His last name suggests he can. Orolbai has never been finished, but of Musayev’s twenty-two career dubs, twenty came by stoppage, including eighteen TKOs/KOs. If anybody can be the first to finish Orolbai, it’s this guy. Especially if he can keep it standing and handle Orolbai’s Merab-like pace.   

Bogdan Grad ($7.4k): This is the only guy to win a contract on the Contender Series after a losing effort. This guy marched off to war like cannon fodder. Bogdan Grad is a scrappy little MF wherever the fight goes. He isn’t the most technical on the feet or the mat, but he commits to combinations and has a bottomless gas tank. Grad also has some sneaky power inside the pocket. His sweet spot is within the pocket extending combinations. He will be up against Muhammadjon Naimov, whose style travels along the wrestler-striker spectrum. If Grad can stay on his feet, his volume will cause Naimov, who relies mostly on overhand rights, problems on the feet. Grad out-strikes Naimov two to one, averaging over five and a half SLpM compared to Naimov’s just under three. This will be a high-paced fight, which should produce moderate strikes (50-70) at the very least.

Seok Hyeon Ko (6.7k): There are actually some solid options on the Value Menu this week. Azat “Time For Some” Maksum is also another solid option. He will be up against the Dagestani weak link, Tagir Ulanbekov. But I’m taking Seok Hyeon Ko because “KO” is in his fookin’ name. And because they call this guy the Korean Tyson. He fought a slick striker on the Contender Series and dominated with waist-level power punches and slick counters. I’m picking Oban Elliott to beat Seok Hyeon Ko. But I think Elliott could be in trouble if he can’t implement his wrestling. Ko is the finishing threat on the feet. But I haven’t seen his ground game. Oban is excellent at blending his striking with his wrestling; he’s a well-rounded fighter. I’m not sure if Ko is. But I know he throws nothing but Hobgoblin bombs and will be a real threat on the feet.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Azat Maksum (+355): I called Tagir Ulanbekov the Dagestani weak link earlier. That’s because he’s missing that kill-or-be-killed dog that almost all Dagestani fighters have. You’ll rarely find a Dagestani with a suspect gas tank. But Tagir tends to fade late in fights. Especially if you can make him wrestle defensively. Azat “Time For Some” Maksum can do that. The striking will look identical. These guys are mirror images of each other on the feet. And very similar on the mat. Maksum can take over the fight around the midway point. He can wear down Tagir by making him defend takedowns and by scrambling to his feet if Tagir gets Maksum down. Tagir should be the favorite based on his UFC experience alone, but the odds are off to me. This should be a much closer fight.   

Rafael Fiziev (+115): Yo! Hit that Roy Jones Jr. “Y’all Must Have Forgot!” Y’all must’ve forgot that Rafael Fiziev is one of the scariest MF’ers in the game. Don’t let two losses to the Hall of Fame heathen Justin Gaethje fool you. Fiziev was winning both those fights early. And the second fight was his first fight after an ACL tear. Fiziev will welcome Ignacio Bahamondes into the world-class level of striking. Bahamondes has faced one elite striker, Ludovit Klein, and Klein handled Bahamondes convincingly. Get this guy at plus money while you can. Fiziev is the head striking coach at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. Go look up that gym on YouTube. Watch the tryouts for the Muay Team. Like right now. That’s all you need to know about Fiziev’s level of striking.  

Jamahal Hill (+105): This is a crossroads fight for Jamahal Hill. If he wants to stay within the grasp of a future title shot, he has to win this fight. He has the volume and power to do that. This fight will be nothing but 50/50 coin-flip exchanges from the jump. Chin for chin, I trust Khalil Rountree’s a little more. Hill is coming in off back-to-back TKO/KO losses. The key for Hill will be pressure and volume. He has to keep Khalil on his back foot. Keep Khalil from building a head of steam with extended combinations. Hill had some good moments against Jiri in his previous bout. I think that performance showed he isn’t hesitant to let his hands go after the Pereira KO. Also, main events have provided plenty of winning dogs this year, including Kamaru Usman last week. 

Pick ‘Em

 Muhammadjon Naimov (-275) vs. Bogdan Grad (+225)  

 Winner: Muhammadjon Naimov 

Method: Decision 

Seok Hyeon Ko (+375) vs. Oban Elliott (-525)  

Winner: Oban Elliott 

Method: Decision 

Ismail Naurdiev (+165) vs. Jun Yong Park (-190)  

Winner: Jun Yong Park 

Method: Decision 

Melissa Mullins (-250) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (+210) 

Winner: Mellisa Mullins 

Method: Decision 

Irina Alekseeva (-280) vs. Klaudia Sygula (+230) 

Winner: Iriina Alekseeva 

Method: Decision 

Tagir Ulanbekov (-490) vs. Azat Maksum (+355) 

Winner: Azat Maksum 

Method: Decision 

Hamby Abdelwahab (-160) vs. Mohammed Usman (+135) 

Winner: Hamby Abdelwahab 

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.