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

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Main Card

Manel Kape (-220) vs. Asu Almabayev (+180)

Kape: DK: $9k | Asu: DK:$7.2k

Yo! Hit that Harlem Globetrotters’ theme song! Whistle while you work. Whistle while you take a shit on company time, homies! When Manel Kape fights, you never know what will happen. If you’re sitting cage side, you could wind up part of the show. In his last fight, Kape looked like “Curly” Neil, launching shots from half-court and dribbling circles around Bruno Silva. He even hit Silva with the water bucket trick in between rounds. When Manel Kape’s mind is right, and he’s on top of his game, his fights look like an old-school And1 mixtape. My man looks like Hot Sauce in the cage, straight saucin’, saucin’, saucin’ on you. You already know! Hit that Post Malone “White Iverson!” Manel Kape stays swaggin’, swaggin’, swaggin’ on you when he starts zoning like Cover 2. They don’t call him “Starboy” for nothing. If he beats Asu Almabayev and earns a rematch against the champ, Alexandre Pantoja, they may have to name one after him.   

The Bruno Silva fight was Kape at his best. That fight looked like a dunk contest. And Kape looked like the only guy who could give Mac McClung a run for his money. He hit poor Bruno with everything: no-look punches, around-the-back punches, and yakked on him like Vince Carter in the Olympics, jumping over that French dude. Speaking of Iverson, Kape even busted out the A.I. crossover and didn't just leave Bruno with broken spirits but also with broken ankles. When Kape enters a flow state, he’s the most intricate striker in the flyweight division. His special move is showboating. Kape is a rare functional showboater like Roy Jones Jr. and the drunken master, Emanuel Agustus. There’s a method to his showboating. He’ll hit you with the rooster, putting both hands behind his back and swaying methodically. Or he will literally start dribbling an imaginary basketball between his legs. These are methods of distraction to lull fighters into a weird trance. How do you react to someone hitting you with a crossover in the middle of a fookin’ fight? The second you freeze up, Kape leaps into action, hitting you with quick two to three-punch combos before he’s out of range again and taunting you.  

Kape combines the fastest hands in the division with the best footwork. He makes you miss and makes you pay. But because he doesn’t use a traditional hand guard to defend strikes, he often leaves himself open for return fire. Brandon Royval was Kape’s original opponent for this main event, and it would have been interesting to see how Kape would deal with Royval’s volume. The way to beat Kape on the feet is with extended combinations. He will make the first two shots miss. But the third and fourth shots will land if you can get to them before he counters or exits the pocket. But Kape’s major malfunction is Manel Kape. Who needs enemies when you have yourself to thwart your ambitions?   

The Muhammad Mokaev and his first two UFC bouts (both losses) are perfect examples. Kape seems to take load management nights off on some Kawhi Leonard-type-ish. He takes so many nights off that Shaq, Kenny, and Charles talk shit about Kape and the new generation on the pregame show. Kape doesn’t show up some nights and allows himself to get out-worked. I have never seen Kape get his ass kicked to any extent. When he loses, it’s because he didn’t let his hands go and let the showboating interfere with the ass-kicking. When he comes with the correct amount of showboating and ass-kicking, he’s the future champ in waiting. In addition to load management nights, Kape’s pullout game is legendary. Kape’s pullout game is so strong that adoption.o.r.g has awarded Kape “Man of the Year” four years running. This guy should already be the champ or, at the very least, have had a couple title shots. But Kape has dropped too many fights over the years.   

Before making his UFC debut, Kape was the Rizin champion like Jiri Prochazka. Back then, Kape relied heavily on his wrestling. He even rocked Asics MatFlex shoes into the cage. He’ll have to dust off his old singlet for this fight against Asu Almabayev. Asu is special on the mat, and dominant wrestlers are Kape’s kryptonite. Almabayev is a one-man horde on the mat. In a previous life, Almabayev was Genghis Khan’s champion to settle military disputes. Like mastodons, people rode this MF into battle. Almabayev is a warhorse. He has that thoroughbred in him like Mr. Hands. Mr. Who? IYKYK. When this guy gets his hands locked around you, it’s like they’re welded together. You need bolt cutters to break his grip. Bust out the welding mask and blowtorch. Doubles, singles, underhooks, overhooks: they’re all in Almabayev’s takedown arsenal. And his top control is solitary confinement. In between rounds, you get conjugal visits.  

More than anything, Almabayev moves differently than most fighters on the mat. He moves like a lava lamp, taking on a fluid state like a ball of mercury against stainless steel. Almabayev seems to morph into different positions without much effort. His chain wrestling is the perfect style to defeat Kape. Almabayev throws takedown combinations like hand combinations on the feet. He’ll hit you with misdirections and make you think he’s going one way while he’s intentions are the opposite. Plans within plans. Like the Bene Geserit, Almabayev knows what he will do twenty seconds before he does it. But that’s a whole lot of talk about groundwork. What about his hands?   

Asu was dipped in the River Styx and held by his wrists. His stand-up is his major malfunction. His striking is shakier than Michael J. Fox playing Operation. He needs to complete some missions and add some hit points to his striking. Almabayev tries to make up for a lack of fluidity and technical ability by over-punching. He takes huge batting practice hacks, leaping in from a long distance to try to close the distance. It’s a little like Khabib’s early striking. He’s no TLC scrub on the feet, but if he can’t ground Kape like punishment for twenty-five minutes, he will be in serious trouble. Asu hasn’t taken a course on throwing combinations yet and relies on emphatic single shots. 

The numbers: Almabayev is 21-2 with three TKO/KOs and noine subs. Kape will be the much higher output striker, averaging five SLpM compared to Almabayev’s two. But Almabayev averages five takedowns per fifteen minutes, while Kape’s takedown defense is a strong seventy-seven. I see Almabayev having success early and running into a takedown wall late. The fight will largely be decided on the feet. We’ve seen Kape taken down before, but he’s tough to hold down. Mokaev landed three takedowns against Kape but only recorded two minutes of control time. At some point, Almabayev will have to rely on his striking, and I don’t think it’s ready for the likes of Manel Kape’s.   

Asu was originally scheduled to face Allan Nascimento on this card. He got the bump up when Royval dropped. Nascimento would have been a good test for Almabayev because Nascimento is a solid grappler. This might be a little too much too soon for Asu. Kape will be the (-240) favorite, and Almabayev will be the (+200) dog. There’s a lot of value in a late TKO/KO for Kape. The play for Almabayev is a decision. Kape has been submitted twice in his career, the last coming in 2017.   

The main event dub was fookin’ ugly last week. But you already know we don’t apologize for dubs at the WKO. We have yet to go streaking in 2025, but I like our chances this week. Asu is a tough test for Kape. But I’m not sure Almabayev is ready for this stage. The lights are awfully bright. As bright as a star. As bright as a muhf**kin’ Starboy! Manel Kape via TKO, round four. Put it on wax.  

Props

Kape: TKO/KO (+180) Sub (+1000) Dec (+180) 

Almabayev: TKO/KO (+1800) Sub (+1200) Dec (+250)

Winner: Manel Kape | Method: TKO Rd.4

Cody Brundage (+115) vs. Julian Marquez (-125)

Brundage: DK: $7.7k | Marquez: DK: $8.5k

The co-main event? I had to double check Sherdog, Tapology, and Wikipedia. Nobody wins by DQ more than Cody Brundage. Never doubt Cody Brundage’s ability to trip, fall, and land on a dub. In his last bout against Abdul Alhassan, Brundage set a Guinness Book of World Records record for taking the biggest ass-whooping without taking an L. My man looked like the guy 2Pac kicked the shit out of in the MGM Grand lobby. Alhassan treated Brundage like Southwest luggage. Brundage looked like the package in the opening scene of Ace Ventura. But Brundage didn’t lose. He caught a couple haymakers to the back of the head and escaped with a no contest. Enter stage left Julian Marquez, a man on a three-fight losing streak, all via TKO/KO. In a weird way, this should be a wild-ass fight. 

I don’t like to start with major malfunctions, but that’s where the mind leads when I think of Cody Brundage. He is a heavily flawed fighter with more holes than SpongeBob. But he will give you hell for a solid two and a half to five minutes. Then he usually fades like Fruit Stripe gum. Fruit Stripe was the shit back in the day. It was bomb AF for about thirty seconds, and then it was gone. And you were left chewing on a piece of dried caulking. Cody Brundage is Fruit Stripe gum personified in the cage. After the first five minutes, Brundage’s wheels are almost guaranteed to fall off like Lizzo on a ten-speed. Brundage has the unique ability to look like two different fighters in less than a round. He’ll go from a killer to a victim real quick. But I say all that to say this: Brundage fights like track sixteen of the Slim Shady LP. Yo! Hit that “Just Don’t Give A F**k!”   

For better or worse, Cody Brundage goes for it. His fights look like Jackass skits. A lot of wild, random shit happens, and you’re oddly entertained. But no matter what, somebody is getting fooked up. Brundage’s fights look like when Johnny Knoxville fought Butterbean inside a sporting goods store (Dick’s if you want to be one about it). You just see arms flailing and bodies flying when the bell rings. Brundage throws nothing but Don Quixote and Sancho Panza windmills. I’m talking windmills like on your way to Palm Springs. Oftentimes, it looks like Brundage doesn’t belong in the Octagon, but then he’ll knock out Tresean Gore and Zachary Reese. The more I think about it; I really admire Cody Brundage. He’s my type of guy. Brundage is 10-5 with five TKO/KOs and three subs, including 4-5-1 in the UFC.   

Never forget when Julian Marquez landed an NBA halftime halfcourt shot at Miley Cyrus on Valentines Day. He took a halfcourt shot like Emmanuel Acho. My man took his shot during his post-fight victory speech, and Miley responded in his favor on Twitter. But then Marquez fumbled the bag in the backfield and completely blew it. If I had landed that shot, Miley would have been wearing me to the Met Gala, homies. This publication would be called the Weekly Spirit Cook. The WDP: The Weekly Diddy Party. But I didn’t, and here we are.  

They call Julian Marquez the “Cuban Missile Crisis.” It’s a dope nickname, but lately, peace talks have prevailed. Marquez needs an Operation Northwoods to provoke an ass-whoopin'. Traffic hasn’t moved on his Sherdog record in four fights. All red lights. Soon, it will look like Burning Man traffic when the floods hit. Marquez has been caught sleeping on the job lately and was put on a final warning after Zachary Reese KO’d Marquez in twenty seconds. When talking about Marquez, you have to talk about him in the past tense. It’s like giving a eulogy. At one time, Marquez looked like a scary savage. 

Marquez looks like he rocks a banana hammock at the community pool and asks random people, “Can you get my back?” He looks like he takes portraits on the beach in jeans and uses them for Holiday cards. You can almost smell the Brut cologne when Marquez steps into the cage. But don’t let any of that fool you. He once KO’d Phil Hawes with a head kick on the Contender Series back in 2017. It was a violent KO, long before Phil Hawes was getting KO’d on the regular like it’s just something to do. When he’s aggressive, Marquez has nasty kickboxing with underrated sneaky round kicks. His style is creating firefights in the pocket with alternating wide hooks and overhands. But Marquez’s major malfunction has become his chin. Like the U.S. Congress, his chin has been compromised. It’s hanging on by a finger like Stallone in Cliffhanger.  Marquez is 9-5 with six TKO/KOs and three subs. He only wins by finish.  

Marquez will be the (-165) favorite, and Brundage will be the (+140) live-ass dog. I don’t know what to make of Brundage’s striking stats. He averages one and a half SLpM compared to Marquez’s just below five. Also, Brundage averages nearly two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes, while Marquez rocks a fifty-three percent takedown defense. That’s Cody’s path to victory - on the mat. This one won’t go the distance. The play for each guy is a TKO/KO. Marquez can end it on the feet, and Brundage can end it with strikes on the mat. Brundage has sneaky good wrestling... before he doesn’t after a couple of minutes. Dammit. I’m torn on this one. Don’t do it. I think I’m gonna do it. Cody Brundage via TKO, round one.   

Props

Brundage: TKO/KO (+240) Sub (+600) Dec (+700) 

Marquez: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+250) Dec (+650)

Winner: Cody Brundage | Method: TKO Rd.1

Esteban Ribovics (-270) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+220)

Ribovics: DK: $9.1k | Haqparast: DK:$7.1k

I tried to tell you about Esteban Ribovics before UFC Sphere. I tried to tell you he was an undercover savage. “But they don’t hear me though.”- DMX voice. Robovics reminds me of a Southern Hemisphere Dustin Poirier. Ribovics’ style is like someone hit the SAP option during a Poirier fight broadcast. He’s outsourced Poirier. It’s only a matter of time before they impose tariffs on all the asses Ribovics has been kicking lately. And if Ribovics keeps winning, the U.S. will call him a dictator and start calling his wins illegitimate. But a win over Nasrat Haqparast, aka prequel Kelvin Gastelum, won’t be easy. This one right here will be the very definition of a striker’s delight. This right here is my official co-main event. There’s little chance that Haqparast and Ribovics aren’t handed 50k bonus checks after this one.    

I’m still living off the money I made after dropping an Andy Jack on Esteban Ribovics to beat Daniel Zellhuber last summer. That fight was as close as civilians can get to actual war. To me, Ribovics is the MMA Brett Favre. He’s a true gunslinger. I’m talking five hundred yards passing, four TDs, and four picks, including a pick-six. But like Favre, Ribovics gives you the best chance to win. And win or lose, everyone in the arena is guaranteed to be entertained. I get anxious watching Ribovics exchange lengthy combinations in the pocket. He leaves himself wide open to counterfire but trusts that he will land the kill shot first. Watching Ribovics fight is like watching a cartel video on Instagram and not knowing which unsuspecting guy on his lunch break is about to get got. Ribovics fights with complete disregard for his own well-being. He fights like he’s Deadpool thrown into a Final Destination movie. This guy has a Death Wish like Charles Bronson, and he’s just looking for a genie to rub. 

The way Ribovics unloads with chest-high shovel hooks reminds me of Dustin Poirier. Poirier is more technical, especially defensively, but Ribovics has similar power. Like Poirier, Ribovics' hands look heavy. Like he needs a Team Lift just to wipe his ass. In addition to heavy hands, Ribovics has sneaky head kicks. Just ask Terrance “& Phillip” McKinney. Ribovics KO’d McKinney with a head kick and left McKinney smiling in his sleep. McKinney looked like Kenny cheesing on cat urine (piss if you want to be a Richard about it) and woke up talking about, “I have to save the princess!” Ribovics style is trading in the pocket long past the last call. You need a court order to get him out of the pocket. But Ribovics' major malfunction is his defense. 

Defensively, Ribovics relies entirely on his chin. A granite chin is Ribovics’ special power. He walks through everything like the T-1000 in hot pursuit. In almost every fight, Ribovics gives up the first round because he gets off to slow starts. He needs to get punched in the face a few times before he gets warmed up. Ribovics is 14-1 with seven TKO/KOs and five subs. His lone loss came in his UFC debut against Loik Radzhabov, who was able to take down Ribovics repeatedly. When it comes to striking stats, Ribovics puts up Max numbers, averaging seven and a half SLpM compared to Haqparast’s six. This one will be a high-output banger, no matter how you slice it.   

Nasrat Haqparast is like the commercial Kelvin Gastelum versus what he looks like when you order him at the first window. Kelvin Gastelum uses a picture of Nasrat as his profile picture to catfish Bettys online. The similarities aren't just in appearance alone. Like Kelvin, Nasrat is strictly a boxer on the feet. The only weapons he utilizes are his hands. But that’s okay because Nasrat has exceptional hand speed. Homie has hand speed like a virgin, like a virgin, for the very first time. Yo! Don’t hit that Madonna shit! That lady is fookin’ weird. Nasrat’s hands have racing stripes, hood scoops, and dual exhaust that blows smoke like dab hits. His hands sound like a Harley revving when he lets them go. Haqparast’s special move is his overhand left. He is a southpaw and slangs his left hand much like Benny Dariush - like he’s throwing a javelin or a Zeus thunderbolt from Mt. Olympus. Nasrat throws his left hand from the wind-up, even with runners on base. Even when you know it’s coming, it’s hard to avoid.   

Nasrat can win this fight from outside the pocket. This will be a battle of range and who can dictate it. Nasrat can’t trade back and forth with Ribovics in the pocket. He has to touch up Ribovics from the outside and avoid getting drawn into a firefight. This is one of the rare occasions when extending combinations will be detrimental. Nasrat needs to focus on controlling the engagements from distance. Haqparast is 17-5 with ten TKO/KOs. Since getting annihilated by my favorite fighter, King Green, Nasrat has won four straight and is coming in off a dub against the always-tough Jared Gordon.    

Ribovics will be the (-260) favorite, and Nasrat will be the (+215) live dog. Ribovics’ chin isn’t hard to find like 2Pac All Eyes On Me, disc two. And Nasrat’s hand speed is far superior to Ribovics’. Nasrat has only been finished on the feet once in his career, and that came against Drew Dober. I think the play for this one is a decision one way or the other. Even in a loss, Nasrat will be a valuable Fantasy option, as this one should produce high striking stats both ways. But I have to ride with Hecho en Argentina Dustin Poirier. Esteban Ribovics via decision. Put it on wax.

Props

Esteban: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+1200) Dec (+100) 

Haqparast: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+3500) Dec (+400)

Winner: Esteban Ribovics | Method: Decision

Hyder Amil (+170) vs. William Gomis (-200)

Amil: DK: $7.4k | Gomis: DK: $8.8k

This one is a public school vs. private school matchup. Hyder Amil attended Carlmont High School, and William Gomis attended Cranbrook. This is a matchup of conflicting styles. Hyder Amil balls up the game plan and throws it out the open sunroof (or is it a moonroof) as soon as the bell rings. And William Gomis plays it safe at all costs. Wearing Crocs to hoop in is more dangerous than William Gomis. This will be an aggression vs. passivity matchup. Amil is 2-0 in the UFC with two TKO/KOs, and William Gomis is 4-0 with three split decisions. Which style will reign supreme? 

Hyder Amil’s jawline is Drew Dobers’ stunt double. Amil’s jawline could cut glass. His jawline looks like Amil chews rocks all day. Amil looks like TRT Dominick Cruz, only shorter. My man is the short arm of the law. Amil’s little arms are too small to box with God. But, boy, does this little MF have some power. Don’t let his short stature fool you; Hyder Amil fights like he has a hair up his ass like a suspect magician. In his most recent bout, he nearly broke Max’s striking record against Calvin Kattar in just thirty seconds. Amil landed a Killer Instinct one hundred-punch combo to end the fight. At one point, Amil’s opponent was only being held up against the cage by Amil’s punches. Homie just wanted to fall already and just go to sleep, but Amil wanted to keep punching him. Hyder looked like he was lying in wait with a Browning Automatic when the Ford V-8 carrying Bonnie and Clyde rolled through.   

I don’t know much about Amil’s overall game. So far, all he has displayed is unrelenting aggression with hair triggers on his hands. But he’s the type of fighter who has to be the Diddy and can’t be the Meek Mill. Or (if you don’t want to be a Richard about it) Amil has to be the hammer and can’t be the nail. Like a bully, you have to stand up to Amil and meet aggression with aggression. You can’t let this little Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball build up a head of steam. Hyder’s only defense is offense. He only uses the ol’ Face Guard to defend against punches. Meaning, he just eats punches and hopes for the best. Head movement: Not Applicable. Footwork: Not Applicable. In many ways, William Gomis’ painfully technical style is Amil’s Kryptonite. Amil wants a firefight at all costs, and Gomis wants to avoid one. Gomis is a point striker who likes to attack with single shots from the outside. Hyder will have to get inside consistently and unload combos while avoiding the clinch and takedowns.   

William Gomis is the type to brush his teeth with his eyes closed. In the cage, he’s a human yawn. According to the law, you can’t operate heavy machinery for eight hours after watching a Gomis fight.  

“Excuse me, Sir. How many William Gomis fights have you watched this evening?” 

“None. I swear, Officer. I’m just drunk.” 

“Oh, okay. Get out of here, buddy.” 

“Hey, I ain’t your buddy, pal.” 

Dentists make you watch Gomis fights before pulling your wisdom teeth. You can catch Herb Dean falling asleep during a Gomis fight. I spent a week watching a fifteen-minute Gomis fight to prepare for this. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan never would have met in Seattle had a William Gomis fight been on TV that night. On the feet, Gomis is a fencer. A fookin’ gold medalist. He throws one shot, then gets out. This guy wakes up in a cold sweat just dreaming about throwing a 1-2. His special weapon is his long frame. Gomis can touch you when you can’t touch him. He tends to rely on a high output of kicks because he doesn’t quite trust his hands, especially within the pocket. The pocket is Gomis’ Kryptonite. Overall, Gomis is a human C-. He does just enough to pass. Gomis does the bare minimum to win.   

Gomis’ major malfunction is that he’s too technical. He needs to learn how to color outside the lines. He needs to get outside the box. But he can’t punch his way out of it. Gomis once won a decision by landing only twenty-seven significant strikes and zero takedowns. This guy will make your Fantasy roster go impotent. Stay away. He averages two and a half SLpM and half a takedown per fifteen minutes. His career high in four UFC bouts is fifty-two significant strikes. Gomis has one finish, but it was highly suspect. I think Gomis will look to clinch and drag Amil to the mat, and for all our sakes, I hope Amil has some takedown defense. 

Gomis will be the (-220) favorite, and Amil will be the (+180) live-ass dog. The finishing threat is Amil. He can overwhelm anybody within the first five minutes. Overcoming Gomis’ long reach will be the deciding factor. If he can get inside and unload, he can cause Gomis problems. There’s value in a Hyder finish, but I think he will have to take the scenic route to victory this time. He’ll have to create damage over fifteen minutes. The only play for Gomis is a decision. Fook it. Don’t do it. I’m gonna do it. Give me Hyder Amil via decision. Eventually, someone has to beat Gomis. Put it on wax. 

Props

Amil: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+1600) Dec (+450)  

Gomis: TKO/KO (+450) Sub (+2000) Dec (-115)

Winner: Hyder Amil | Method: Decision

Austen Lane (+400) vs. Mario Pinto (-575)

Lane: DK: $6.9k | Pinto: DK: $9.3k

“Jane” Austen Lane is back, aka Austen “Carpool” Lane. If you pressure Austen on the feet, he’ll turn into Austen “Bowling” Lane. And if he loses a third UFC bout, he’ll be Austen “Memory” Lane. “Austen Lane fights like his parents jerked him. He’s Brendan Shaub, the generic version.” Lane reminds me of a consignment store Brendan Shaub. He’s another Any Given Sunday former football player-turned-fighter. They all tend to have the exact same style. Wide, heavy stances, with big right hands and not much else. Lane has the dubious distinction of being KO’d by Greg Hardy on the Contender Series. But he’s still standing here, screaming fook the Free World!   

Austen Lane’s biggest malfunction is that he can’t stay awake like he’s in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. My man has been knocked out more than the Cowboys have been in the first round of the playoffs in the last thirty years. Austen is 13-5, and all five Ls came via TKO/KO. Lane’s problem is that he is huge. And huge things just don’t move very fast. Especially Austen’s hands. Austen has those lined up in the neutral zone hands. Illegal formation hands. Pre-snap penalty hands. Overall, it looks like it’s his first day on the job on the feet. He looks like he’s still in New Hire Orientation. Austen is learning on the job, but that’s hard to do at this level. Lane has good power but lacks any type of MMA flow. This feels like a showcase fight for Mario Pinto.   

Mario Pinto is a 9-0 undefeated fighter. And although he’s built like an actual Pinto, he drives like a Caddy. He’s debuting, coming in off a one-inch-punch KO on the Contender Series last year. It was the shortest check hook you’ve ever seen. It looked like Pinto didn’t move – like it was a Jedi Mind Trick. Yo! Hit that Jedi Mind Trick “Violent by Design! Pinto’s KO looked like Bruce Lee’s famous punch. This guy should be coaching Austen Lane, not fighting him. Lane should be watching Pinto's instructionals on YouTube. On the feet, Pinto looks cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. He looks cooler than the other side of the pillow when looking down the barrel in the pocket. This guy wouldn’t break a sweat if he was Keith. Yo! Hit that “Get Up On It!”   

Because Pinto is about to get up on an ass-whoopin'. From what little I’ve seen of Pinto, he looks like a traditional kickboxer. So far, he looks comfortable in MMA positions, like in the clinch and against the cage. But I’m not sure about his overall MMA abilities. In noine career dubs, he has five TKO/KOs and one sub. He has three decision wins, and one was five rounds. So, he has the gas tank to go the distance. But although he doesn’t break a sweat on the feet, his takedown defense makes me sweat. Austen Lane is a big man, and I’m sure he’ll throw on the flippers and oxygen tank and go ankle diving as soon as the bell rings. Like Lane did against Robelis Despaigne. If Pinto keeps it standing, he should slowly pick Lane apart.   

Pinto is the (-380) favorite, and Lane is the (+290) mangy-ass dog. Lane’s only path to victory is lay-and-praying from the top position for fifteen minutes. I don’t see him hanging with Pinto for long on the feet. The play for Pinto is a TKO/KO. He will need a first-round TKO/KO to justify his high Fantasy price tag. I never like to bank on first-round finishes. But I like Pinto’s chances. Four of Austen’s five TKO/KO losses came in the first round. And one came early in the second. Mario Pinto via TKO round one. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Lane: TKO/KO (+600) Sub (+2500) Dec (+1100)  

Pinto: TKO/KO (-150) Sub (+600) Dec (+350)

Winner: Mario Pinto | Method: TKO Rd.1

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Cody Brundage ($7.7k): It will be hard finding finishes on the Value Menu this week. Brundage is an all-or-nothing pick. He will either take down Marquez at the jump and work toward a dominant position where he can win the fight early. Or he will fizzle out and get boxed up on his feet. But his upside is a TKO/KO from the top position or a submission. Marquez and Brundage are two fighters who can’t be trusted, and there’s no telling which version of each will show up. They both have a killer version of themselves and a TLC scrub version. When the name of the game is gambling, Brundage is and always will be a true gamble.    

Nasrat Haqparast ($7.1k): This is a more conservative pick, a pick in which you can put some points up on the board even in a loss. There is zero chance of this fight hitting the mat, barring a knockdown. And barring an early finish, Ribovic vs. Haqparast will produce high striking totals for both sides. Nasrat averages over six SLpM and landed one hundred forty-six strikes against Jared Gordon in his most recent bout. For his career, Nasrat has landed over one hundred strikes four times, with a high of one hundred seventy-one. This will be a stand-up banger from bell to bell, a true striker’s delight, and Nasrat is almost guaranteed to take his pound of flesh.   

Sam Patterson (7k): I’m digging through the bottom of the crates now. Sam Patterson is another finishing threat. He will be up against the striker Danny Barlow, who looked very pedestrian in his last appearance. Patterson has seven career subs and is a choke specialist. Guillotines, rear-nakeds, and arm-triangles are his specialty. We have yet to see Barlow’s ground and takedown defense. If Patterson can relocate the fight to the mat, he’ll have a good shot at scoring a submission. He’s 2-1 in the UFC with two subs and a submission dub on the Contender Series. Patterson isn’t a complete wash on the feet but averages less than three SLpM. He will likely be at a big disadvantage if the fight stays standing for the duration. 

Clearance Rack

Ricardo Ramos (6.8k): This is more than an emergency pick if you mismanage your roster on some Jerry Jones type-shit. Ramos is a deadly striker with slick grappling. His major malfunction is consistency. There are times when he looks like a top-ten fighter and others when he just rolls over and calls it a night. Ricardo has a couple special moves, though. He has nasty guillotines and spinning back elbows on the feet. Ramos has a knack for drawing opponents forward while retreating and suddenly spinning into a back elbow. He lands it in nearly every fight. It is more than just a Hail Mary strike. His opponent, Chepe Mariscal, is an aggressive all-around fighter who won’t hesitate to put himself in dangerous positions for the sake of creating an exciting scrap. The downside for Ramos is that when he loses, he usually loses with the quickness. Five of his six career Ls came in the first round.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Nasrat Haqparast (+230): Last week, the Twenty Twen-Twen Sleepers showed up and showed all. All three came away with dubs, and your boy has been on some Scrooge McDuck-type shit, swimming in a pool filled with Andy Jacks. Unfortunately, it will be a quiet night for dogs this week. There are many heavy dogs on this one without clear paths to victory. But we’ll still take our shots. Haqparast has fast hands, and Ribovics is the perfect matchup for him. Nasrat won’t have to worry about defending takedowns and can let his hands go. Ribovics’ major malfunction is that he depends solely on his chin, like the first and fifteenth, to defend strikes. I don’t know how many Nasrat left hands he can take. I picked Ribovics to win, but the odds are a little off. This is much closer to a toss-up in my book.   

Cody Brundage (+115): Brundage vs. Marquez should be a complete clusterf**k. Who the hell knows what will happen in this one? But Brundage has underrated grappling, at least for a round or so. If he can get Marquez to the mat early, he could find a finish. After the five-minute mark, all bets are off. Brundage isn’t a chump on the feet, but he lacks technique and fundamentals. He just swings for the fences and hopes for the best. He’ll be at a disadvantage on the feet if he can’t work his wrestling. This is a real gambler’s card. This one isn’t for the faint of heart.  

Hyder Amil (+165): I struggled to find a third viable dog this week. Amil has the aggression to overwhelm most fighters on their feet. The problem is, what will he look like late in a fight when he can’t bulldoze through his opponent? William Gomis isn’t a killer, and he doesn’t crush a lot. He’s human NyQuil in the cage. There’s nothing dangerous about Gomis’ style. Amil should have little to no reservations about letting his hands fly. Gomis is the favorite because of his long frame and point style striking. If Amil can stay within himself and avoid tie-ups and takedowns, I’ll take a chance on his power and aggression on the feet.   

Pick ‘Em

Danny Barlow (-300) vs. Sam Patterson (+250)  

Winner: Danny Barlow 

Method: Decision 

Ricardo Ramos (+355) vs. Jose Mariscal (-490)  

Winner: Jose Mariscal 

Method: Decision  

Douglas Silva de Andrade (+250) vs. John Castaneda (-300)  

Winner: John Castaneda 

Method: Decision 

Andrea Lee (+175) vs. J.J. Aldrich (-205) 

Winner: J.J. Aldrich 

Method: Decision 

Danny Silva (-215) vs. Lucas Almeida (+180) 

Winner: Danny Silva 

Method: Decision 

Montana De La Rosa (+120) vs. Luana Carolina (-140) 

Winner: Luana Carolina 

Method: Decision 

Charles Johnson (-115) vs. Ramazonbek Temirov (-105) 

Winner: Charles Johnson 

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.