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

Real quick, if you've never deposited to UnderDog Fantasy, use promo code LINESTAR to get a $100 1st deposit match.

Choose their 'Pick 'Em' mode, and you can legally bet on props in almost every state. Fast payouts and their depositing system are one of the fastest, most flexible out there.

In 2022, I took my first trip to Arrakis. I was a representative of the Spacing Guild and the honored guest of House Atreides. An inquiry into the sustainability of the production of the precious Spice Melange was the official capacity of my visit, but my personal motives were selfish in nature; I wanted to snort, smoke, eat, and generally consume copious amounts of the Melange. Strict rationing, enough to pacify the rebellious and galvanize the apathetic, was strictly adhered to among every civilization within the known galaxies. The fear was becoming that the mysterious sandworms would stop shitting the stuff out; hence the purpose of my visit (and cheesing tf out). Should the production of the Melange ever be interrupted or halted altogether for any reason, humanity’s presence among the cosmos would cease to exist, for Spice withdrawal is fatal.  

I was greeted on Arrakis by the God Emperor Leto II himself, the man who had consumed so much spice he became a giant sandworm (spoiler alert). I was quickly transported via ornithopter and placed on a small island of rock surrounded by sand that stretched beyond the limits of my vision. Soon, a train of shambling, cantering figures appeared on the horizon. The Fremen. They explained the “sandwalk,” a gait used to disguise the presence of humans so as not to alert the sandworms, and directed me to mimic them exactly. Soon we were at the base of the Sietch and traversing the catacombs within. 

That night, I was welcomed with a feast of which the ingredients were foreign and impossible to describe other than to say that shit slapped. After a second helping, I nudged the jolly fellow sitting next to me and asked when they would start packing Spice bowls and passing the Spice blunts. He laughed uproariously. Quickly, my question made its way around the giant stone table, and soon I was the only one not worked into a rich lather. Then the guy next to me returned the nudge and said, “You just ate the Spice... a lot.” 

Sure enough, seconds later, I was tripping balls. I saw fourth, fifth, and sixth dimensions, dimensions that nearly drove my mind to insanity. I saw the past, present, and future as living entities existing simultaneously. I saw the end of ancient Western hegemony and the subsequent blossoming of world peace. I saw Dak Prescott leading the Cowboys on a game-winning drive in a Super Bowl. I saw man’s first trip to the moon in the year 2050. And I saw the undefeated Tom Aspinall getting knocked out by a crushing Curtis Blaydes right hand in the opening seconds of a contest of hand-to-hand prowess in the year 2022. 

When I finally stopped tripping, days, weeks, months later, I don’t know, I had a new name, “Kwisatz Haderach," the prescient being their scripture foretold would show them “The Golden Path.” More importantly, I had as much of the precious Melange as I could possibly want to snort, smoke, eat, or generally consume. 

Main Card

Marcin Tybura (+350) vs. Tom Aspinall (-450)

Tybura: DK: $6.5k | Aspinall: DK:$9.7k

I was stricken with a precognitive vision of Tom Aspinall’s all but likely demise against Curtis Blaydes before fate so deftly intervened, sparing Aspinall from a sure KO loss. Tom came out trading naked leg kicks with Blaydes right hands and showed no reactions as the punches whizzed by his face. My mind jumped ahead and foresaw a fight-ender an exchange or two away as Aspinall was not moving his head off the centerline as he was throwing the leg kicks. Before Blaydes could find the mark, Aspinall’s knee mutinied, sacrificing itself to ensure continued consciousness. To this day, I wonder how accurate those visions were. Could Aspinall have righted the ship by abandoning the approach of trading leg kicks with punches? Or was the exposure of a highly touted hype train imminent? 

Tom Aspinall has championship-level physical attributes: speed, power, quickness, and athletic ability to burn. He’s a well-balanced fusion of dominant wrestling/grappling/submissions and slick striking with a classic boxing base. Aspinall is Paul Wall with diamond fronts, tippin’ on Vogues, all the bling, and all the show. An opponent’s demise usually begins with Aspinall’s James-Dean-on-an-open-country-highway-hand-speed, which usually ends in a flaming heap of mangled body parts. An Aspinall three-punch combo sounds like a three-round AR burst. Like Ciryl Gane, Aspinall is light on the feet with precise in/out movement to set up counters and attacks. But instead of an arsenal of kicks like Gane, Aspinall relies more on his hands. He uses intricate boxing techniques like shoulder rolls, stepping off at angles, and brief stance switches to close the distance.  

Transitions. Transitions are the difference between good fighters and elite fighters. You often see fighters with a specialty who have trouble implementing it, like wrestlers who can’t set up takedowns. Setting up takedowns is more than just putting strikes in front of a level change. You have to illicit reactions by using cadence, timing, and baiting to draw the opponent forward or put them on their heels. Aspinall will slip to the outside of a punch and level change into power double-legs; he draws you forward with quick prodding combinations, makes you miss, and in your moment of vulnerability, takes you down. It’s like Aspinall doesn’t specifically look for takedowns; he senses when they are available. 

And when Aspinall gets the fight to the mat, he is a real-life Sid from Toy Story. He turns opponents into life-size G.I. Joe action figures, twisting their limbs to impossible angles until they snap and fall off. But that’s the easy way out; his temperament on the mat is submission over position but ground and pound over everything. He can stop you with strikes from the top or snatch a limb.  

But Aspinall is beatable because he is hittable. His defense on the feet is leaky and, at times, too nonchalant. It looks flashy with slick head movement, but Aspinall tends to use a half-assed Philly Shell that can be penetrated with extended combinations. If you stop throwing after one or two strikes, Aspinall will make you miss and make you pay. The key for Aspinall against Marcin Tybura is using his far superior physical gifts and using his speed to set up his power. Tybura has deceptively good footwork, Aspinall will have to touch Tybura with the jab to freeze his feet and get the reads for takedowns and power shots. 

Marcin Tybura looks like the deformed evil brother of Rafael Fiziev, who’s locked away in the attic and fed buckets of raw fish heads. He’s a real-life Treehouse of Horror Hugo. Nothing about him is pretty. He looks like a retired platform diver. But don’t let any of that fool you; Tybura is actually... pretty okay. Tybura changes styles between exchanges and will go from a drunken herky-jerky cadence, using WWE canvas stomp feints, to a smooth switch-stepping garage sale Dominick Cruz flow, using forward/backward pivots to close the distance or retreat while remaining in the pocket. But Tybrua lacks power and mostly throws wobbling Tim Wakefield knuckleballs that are meant more to pop you up than strike you out. 

The underrated part of Tybura’s game is his top control but not necessarily his submission game. Although Tybura has six career submissions, they all came before his UFC career, which is eighteen fights and counting. Overall, Tybura ain’t wack, but he ain’t great either. I don’t know; a spork is more dangerous than Tybura. He doesn’t have the power to bang with the elite or the dominant wrestling to grapple with them, either. The last time he really cracked an ass, his finger slipped through the toilet paper. Homie had to start selling pictures of his feet as a side hustle because I don’t think he’s ever won a post-fight bonus (don’t quote me on that). 

How can Tybura win the fight? IDK. Every path to victory is fortified with landmines and sniper towers. The one thing going for him: Twelve of Aspinall’s fifteen career fights ended in the first round, including his last three. If Tybura can survive to rounds three and beyond, that is when even the sharpest, expertly forged weapons start to dull. If I were in his corner, we would test our ability to get Aspinall to the mat early and strike as a plan b. The goal is to wear down Aspinall and take some speed off his hands and feets to give us a chance on the feet in the latter rounds.  

Tom Aspinall is the prohibited (-450) favorite, and if you’re hellbent on placing a wager on him, you’ll have to play a submission at (+275) or a TKO/KO at (-165) or both. I haven’t had any luck betting on club-and-subs lately, but with Aspinall’s speed, knockdowns are usually automatic. Tybura will be the (+350) dog—the return on a Mayra Bueno Silva submission last week. But don’t get it twisted, Tybura isn’t nearly as live a dog as Bueno Silva was. Speaking of the female Chito Vera, the main event picks are streaking again after Bueno Silva’s muy bueno domination of the former champ, Holly Holm. I’d be shocked if the streak isn’t sitting at three at this time next week. Tom Aspinall via TKO, round two. Wax on, wax off. 

Winner: Tom Aspinall | Method: TKO Rd.2

Julija Stoliarenko (+185) vs. Molly McCann (-225)

Stoliarenko: DK: $6.8k | Meatball: DK: $9.4k

In an NCAA March Madness-style tournament to determine the worst co-main event of all time, this one would be a number-one seed. This one is for all the homies who have been saying they would rather watch ANYthing other than Power Slap. Well, I present you with anything. Julija Stoliarenko is 1-4 in the UFC and is coming off a first-round drubbing at the hands of the Diaz sister and newly crowned women’s one-meter sprint Champion, Chelsea Chandler (who fought more like Chelsea Handler last week). And Molly McCann will be a Molly Maid by this time next week if she finds a way to lose this one.  

Molly Mccann will have to go full Laura Croft Tomb Raider and excavate the catacombs of Machu Picchu to find a way to lose this fight. She is the far better striker, and Julija is an armbar specialist, a Payless Ronda Rousey, on the mat. Without the threat of the armbar, Stoliarenko has no path to victory; they all lead off the face of the earth like the Antarctic ice wall. Molly is coming off a Molly whopping at the hands of the dark horse of all dark horses, Erin Blanchfield, and grappling Stoliarenko after grappling Blanchfield is like taking an eye exam after the BAR exam. 

McCann is a Shelby, Thomas Shelby’s second cousin and current member of the ruthless Peaky Blinders. She’s more violent than an episode of Itchy & Scratchy, using wild flurries of overhands, hooks, and spinning elbows to bully opponents on the feet. McCann isn’t the most tactful striker and doesn’t have any intricate bells and whistles like bobbing and weaving, but she makes up for all that with all-out aggression. From the moment the bell rings, McCann redlines that bish all the way to Vegas in a red ‘71 Chevy Impala convertible. Her path to victory is on the feet, creating chaos and avoiding Stoliarenko’s guard. If McCann does end up in the top position, she has to focus on passing the full guard. A simple pass to the half-guard will basically completely eliminate any chance Stoliarenko has to win. 

Julija Stoliarenko is the female PC Principal, Chase Sherman. On the feet, Julija is a VR kickboxer in an antique store; expect disaster at any moment. If she can’t find a way to pull guard or score a takedown and sweep herself to her back, we might see her try to break Chelsea Chandler’s Octagon 40-yard dash record. But check it: Stoliarenko is 10-7 for her career, and noine of those dubs were submissions. And-and all noine were armbars. All of em. She’s the definition of a specialist, and specialists always have some Fantasy value. If they can achieve the position they specialize in, they can finish any fight. Of McCann’s five career L’s, she was finished by sub twice. I just don’t know how she will get McCann in her guard. 

McCann is the (-260) favorite, and Stoliarenko is the (+210) dog. I thought the odds would be a lot worse. A Stoliarenko sub will return (+350), and a sub is literally her only path to victory. A McCann TKO/KO will return (+140). Also, always keep in mind when I completely write off someone in flowing medieval script, they almost always win. Almost. Molly McCann via TKO, round three. On wax. 

Winner: Molly McCann | Method: TKO Rd.3

Nathaniel Wood (-205) vs. Andre Fili (+170)

Wood: DK: $9.2k | Fili: DK:$7k

Andre Fili is on the MMA nickname Mt. Rushmore: “Touchy” Fili. Flame emojis. One day he may end up on the MMA Gatekeepers Mt. Rushmore as well. When it comes to fighting, Andre Fili is suit and tie, penny loafers, and a Samsonite briefcase; all business. You ain’t getting out of a scrap with Andre Fili without getting some portion of your ass kicked. And “Natty Ice” Nathaniel Wood is the leader of the Nerd Resistance Freedom Fighters who seeks retribution and revenge on behalf of all marginalized Nerds around the world. But don’t let the Velcro shoes and tie-dye Marvel shirts fool you; parents only call you by your full name when you’re a bad mf’er. And Nathaniel Wood is an undercover bad mf’er. 

Here is your real co-main event. #Notmycomain. Nathaniel Wood’s striking style reminds me of Damien Trainor. Trainor was one of the UK’s OG Muay Thai fighters and current living legend. Wood has tight, technical kickboxing with crispy hand/kick combinations. Like Trainor, Wood is so good at fundamental combinations that he makes them look like intricate flashy techniques. Kicks follow hands and hands follow kicks; that’s the basic day-one fundamentals of kickboxing. And if all you ever did was become proficient in basic combinations, you could go a long way. Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times.” Wood practiced a handful of basic combos ten thousand times.  

Wood also has same-day delivery hand speed, delivered before your ass even hits the toilet seat and you open the app. Defensively, Wood’s slips and rolls are calculated precisely to not generate any wasted motion and remain in a position to counter. Wood always remains defensively responsible and avoids firefights. When shit gets a little too hot in the pocket, Wood will level change and sneak in some takedowns. But Wood’s best weapon is his unassuming looks. He looks like a summer camp counselor at Lake Titicaca. I always wanted to type Titicaca, and it only took one hundred and thirty Weekly KO’s editions to do it. Against Fili, Wood will have to mix up his attacks and use takedown attempts to keep Fili from wildin’ the fook out on the feet. And Wood’s path in the striking is down the middle, between Fili’s wide hooks and overhands. 

Andre Fili is a beach bum striker; he’ll piece you up in a pair of flip flops and board shorts and treat your Betty to a California burrito after. Fili is a habitual stance switcher and fights like a natural out of both stances. He’s not a Jared Cannonier southpaw Milli Vanilli who looks like a right-handed striker masquerading as a goofy-footed striker. Forward and back pivots as he engages/retreats are his bread and butter. Also, watch Fili as he extends combos in the pocket, usually when he can trap someone and freeze their feet, he will switch stances in the middle of combinations, creating a new offensive orientation that defenders have to adjust to on the fly. Fili’s punches and kicks are long and wide and generate sneaky power as they travel halfway across the Octagon.  

I’m thinking of this one as a rap battle. Nathaniel Wood will be the MC kicking some slick written shit he has memorized, and Andre Fili will be kicking shit off the top of the dome, freestyling like he’s on Rap City's “The Basement.” Wood adheres to strict fundamentals, and Fili breaks all the rules and poses a unique danger because he throws at varying angles. The key for Fili will be defending takedowns. Wood has a sneaky wrestling game, and Fili has to be ready for old-school sprawl-and-brawl, dig under hooks, and keep his back off the cage. 

Nathaniel Wood will be the (-185) favorite, and Andre Fili will be a live (+155) dog. Fili has cage time with the very best the division has ever seen. He has big wins and devastating losses, but such is life and the fight game. Win or lose, Andre “Touchy” Fili shows up to scrap and has that Belgian Malinois SWAT dog in him. But so does Wood. Fantasy-wise, you will have to earn your points the hard way with moderate significant strikes over a full fifteen minutes. Wood’s output almost doubles Fili’s at nearly six and a half significant strikes per minute. But I would be surprised if this one ended one way or the other before the final bell. I’m gonna pick with my head and not with my heart: Nathaniel Wood via decision. On wax. 

Winner: Nathaniel Wood | Method: Decision

Paul Craig (+185) vs. Andre Muniz (-225)

Craig: DK: $6.9k | Muniz: DK: $9.3k

You ain’t a real adrenaline junky until you’ve bet on a Paul Craig fight. This guy will submit the Champion’s favorite Champion or lose to a fringe top fifteen fighter. Craig has submission dubs over Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill, and Nikita Krylov but was finished by Jimmy Crute, Khalil Rountree, and Alonzo Menifield—not bad fighters but not great either. But one thing you can count on, Paul Craig is allergic to decisions; he is 16-6 for his career, and only one fight went the distance. In this grappler vs. grappler matchup, Craig will be the more diverse/creative submission artist. Andre Muniz has fifteen career submissions, but his game is more power based and doesn’t have the repertoire of subs that Craig does. But when two elite grapplers face-off, a tepid kickboxing match usually ensues.

Paul Craig was the reason grave diggers put little bells in coffins. You can never be sure that he’s actually dead. As long as there is a faint pulse, Paul Craig can still win any fight. Craig's special move is getting his ass kicked like Homer and striking when the opponent gets tired from whooping his ass. “Gotcha, b**ch!” This dude asked medical examiners to turn up the heat during his own autopsy. On the mat, Craig is a human finger trap. If he gets hold of you, there’s no escape. Craig is one of the best at pulling guard and generally doing whatever it takes to get the fight to the mat. Then he starts throwing up submission combinations, misdirections, and all kinds of smoke and mirrors. Watch the Jamahal Hill fight. Craig baited Hill into his guard and allowed Hill to pass to the half-guard twice. He made Hill think he could pass Craig’s guard with no worries, and Craig quickly attacked a shoulder crank to set up a triangle choke. 

But Craig’s striking ain’t it, homie. I ain’t your homie, buddy. I ain’t your buddy, guy. Craig is one of the rare fighters with better kicks than hands. He has porpoise hands, flippers. Hands like JPP. Craig will often display some of the worst optics in the cage, flopping to his back, crab walking on all fours, and straight lying down on some Nick Diaz type-ish. Craig might be able to cause Muniz—who is also far from a great striker—problems with his long-range kicks, but Craig’s chances to win depend far more heavily on getting the fight to the mat. Fantasy-wise, it’s submission or bust. Craig has a one hundred percent finishing rate with three TKO/KOs and thirteen subs. But if he can’t pull guard or secure the top position, Craig has close to a zero percent chance to win a kickboxing match.  

Muniz will represent the better striker in this matchup, which isn’t saying a whole lot. His striking is slightly amateurish, but he has big power you have to respect. In his last bout against Brendan Allen, Muniz actually held his own on the feet. When you don’t have speed, you have to develop timing, and Muniz has excellent same-time counters. Sometimes, the easiest way to close the distance is to let the opponent do it for you. Muniz waits for you to engage, then throws three to four-punch alternating left-rights. When he engages on his own terms, he uses short Dricus Du Plessis blitzes and tries to avoid hanging out in the pocket. Muniz is a grappler first and foremost, but he will have a clear advantage in the stand-up, but he will have to lead the dance more than he is used to. 

On the mat, Muniz is brawn over brains. He values position more than Craig and establishes it before hunting for subs. Craig likes to set up okie-dokes and Muniz is more straightforward with no pussyfootin' around. But like Craig, without a finish, Muniz won’t put up impressive Fantasy numbers. Somehow, he averages fewer significant strikes landed per minute than Craig. Craig averages just under two and a half, and Muniz averages just over two. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.  

Muniz will be the (-215) favorite, and Craig will be the (+175) dog. I just don’t see Craig submitting Muniz, a fellow Jiu-Jitsu Ace. And I don’t see Craig doing enough on the feet to win a decision. Muniz will likely touch Craig just enough to win the rounds and take home a decision. In fact, I would play the decision here at ( +330) for Muniz. A Craig sub will return (+350), and a Muniz sub will return (+150). But I don’t know if either can score a finish. Fantasy-wise, I’d try to avoid these guys. Andre Muniz via decision.  

Winner: Andre Muniz | Method: Decision

Jai Herbert (+130) vs. Fares Ziam (-155)

Herb: DK: $7.5k | Ziam: DK:$8.7k

I get PTSD whenever I see the name Herbert. I automatically think of the worst cardio in the sport and Herbert Burns, the human Fruit Stripe gum. This should be a dope little kickboxing match. If you added up all the lightweights and divided it by the total number of lightweights, you would have these two; average. These two couldn’t stand out if they were wearing a green hat with an orange bill. But Fares Ziam gets better every time I see him, and Jai Herbert was once a follow-up punch away from finishing the Brahman Bull Ilia Topuria. But homie couldn’t get his ass over the safety fence quick enough before he got shish kebab’d, if you know what I’m sayin’. But old shit is the intoxicant of losers, and this fight is all that matters now.  

Yep, Herbert pulled the ol’ Denny Greene and “let ‘em off the hook!” Herbie caught Ilia slipping in the opening minutes with a head kick before Topuria could figure out the range. Herbert fights long, using every inch of his jab, and has overall technical kickboxing. The problem is, if you’ve seen one Herbert, you’ve seen them all. Jai does nothing above average, and the biggest hole in his game is his takedown defense. He has public defender takedown defense. They tell you to sign here and hand you an orange jumpsuit. Takedown defense so bad you have legal grounds for a retrial. Ziam likes to implement heavy wrestling game plans after the opening minutes on the feet. The difference in the fight for Herbert will be staying upright. Choose one: 1) Stick near the cage so he can use it to get back up, or 2) dominate the center of the Octagon and force Ziam to take him down in the open mat. 

Then we have Fares Ziam, aka Darth Fader. This guy starts every fight looking crispy and clean, like military fatigues. This might sound like a conspiracy theory, but sometimes I see a little Leon Edwards in his striking early in fights. But then he slowly starts to fade, his defense starts to spring leaks, and he becomes reliant on takedowns. In the first round, Ziam has a Mayweather quick lead hook, nasty calf kicks, and straight Leon punches down the middle. This will be an FX Sean McNamara and Christian Troy Nip/Tuck affair on the feet. The difference could come down to who has the least bad takedown defense. Like Herbert, Ziam’s takedown defense ain’t it, boss. I ain’t your boss, chief. I ain’t your chief, pawtna.  

If you’re playing the Fantasy game, this week features some ugly striking stats. Bofa deez guys average just two and a half significant strikes per minute. They’re both tacticians who prefer a controlled traditional kickboxing match. Neither one thrives in the darkness that chaos brings. Finishing threat? Both have a distant shot at a finish and are good career finishers. Jai Herbert is 12-4 with noine TKO/KOs and one sub. And Fares Ziam is 13-4 with five TKO/KOs and four subs. Ziam gives you a two-prong finishing threat on the feet and mat, and Herbert is strictly a striking finisher. Ziam is the (-145) favorite, and Herbert is another live dog at (+120). Fres Ziam via decision. On wax.  

Winner: Fares Ziam | Method: Decision

Lerone Murphy (-145) vs. Joshua Culibao (+120)

Murphy: DK: $8.8k | Culibao: DK:$7.4k

I’m typing this from my vacation home on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Such luxury was made possible by betting on Joshua Culibao the last couple of years. He’s been one of my best-kept secrets, and now I’m letting the proverbial cat out of the bag. Culibao has been one of the most slept-on in the featherweight division since Rip Van Wink. Although his full potential might never result in title shots or even top-ten rankings, Culibao has all the skills necessary to hang around for a while and play spoiler. Lerone Murphy looks more the part of a possible top-ten fighter; he has all the eye-pleasing physical attributes that perpetuate such lofty expectations. Murphy also has some big names tallied in his win column, but he has yet to fight a true free spirit such as Joshua Culibao. This fight right here might be the best fight on the main card.  

Joshua Culibao is slicker than a duck’s ass. He’s cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. Oh hell, there he goes again. Anywhere the fight goes, Culibao poses a threat. Brandon Vera (my first Muay Thai coach and second favorite fighter of all time) was one of the first Filipino fighters to make waves in the UFC. He was also one of the first fighters to use both stances and flow between them fluidly. Culibao often reminds me of “The Truth” Brandon Vera in the way he floats between stances to close the distance, change angles, and retreat tactically. Culibao will poke and prod with punches, then back pivot when the opponent responds with offense. It almost looks like homie is Moon Walking backward and even gives a little high-pitched “heee heee” and crotch grab on his way out. 

When it comes to grappling, I see a little Brandon Royval in Culibao. He’s a tumbleweed on the mat propelled all over the cage by gusting winds. He never stops scrambling, never accepts a bad position, and never plays it safe from the top. In his last bout against Melsik Baghdasaryan, Culibao took advantage of a minute Baghdasaryan mistake and took his back and locked in the rear-naked choke with the quickness all in one smooth motion. Culibao’s game plan against Murphy should be to make this an MMA bout, mixing intermittent grappling exchanges with no dead air between transitions. Dawn the tinfoil helmet and unleash Dr. Chaos, pushing a high pace for the entire fifteen minutes.  

I could be wrong, but I think Lerone Murphy might be a little bit overrated. His 12-0-1 career record, including 4-0-1 in the UFC, might suggest I’m full of shit. Wins over Ricardo Ramos and Douglas Silva de Andrade certainly don’t help my case, but when I see his striking, I see stiffness. Like the little dweeb on the Sixth Sense sees dead people, I see holes. Murphy lacks upper body movement and movement in general when he strikes. His hands always fire from the same place, and he’s not nearly as fast as you would think he is from looking at his athletic frame. He also likes to use both stances but looks like a discount version of himself when he's southpaw.  

But this isn’t a shit on Lerone Murphy post. Dude is a white-collar professional scraper with tight, technical kickboxing and keep-you-honest takedowns that he times perfectly to steal close rounds. Murphy has a big frame and usually has a decided strength advantage over opponents that allows him to power out of bad positions. He will have that same advantage against Culibao. The key against Culibao and moving forward will be committing to combinations and increasing his output. He is the higher output fighter in this matchup at three and half significant strikes per minute to Culibao’s three, but he is in a lot of close rounds that wouldn’t be so close if he just opened up more. 

Lerone Murphy will be the (-145) favorite, and Culibao will be in the familiar dog role, returning (+120). Bring ‘em out! Bring ‘em out! Bust out the Piso Mojado signs. Joshua Culibao will be a severed hydrant spewing value into the street for the local kids to splash and play in. Somehow, some way, Joshua Culibao finds ways to win. He is 3-1-1 in the UFC, and his only loss was to Jalin Turner up at lightweight. He got caught in the first round and almost finished against Charles Jourdain, then fought his way back to win the next two rounds to force a draw (or was it the other way around?). Now he’s riding a three-fight dub streak. I think a finish is unlikely, but Murphy has more natural power and will be a slightly better finishing threat, BUT (big but) Culibao can mix things up on the mat and is more of a two-prong finishing threat than Murphy. I came here to talk shit and pick Joshua Culibao... And I’m all out of shit to talk (this week). Joshua Culibao via decision. Put that ish on wax. 

Winner: Joshua Culibao | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Daniel Barez ($7.9k): This dude is a little ball of ass-whoop. He’s making his debut, and his only loss in his last twelve fights was a split decision loss on the Contender Series to the tough Carlos Hernandez. Barez has dangerous wrestler striking with low inflation hand speed, a surplus of hand speed. For his career, Barez is 16-5 with thirteen finishes, seven TKO/KOs, and six subs. He’s a dual-finishing threat who can finish the fight standing or on the mat. His opponent is Jafel Filho, who debuted against Muhammad Mokaev and was submitted in the third round. Filho is also a double threat, but I think Barez’s physical attributes may cause Filho trouble. 

“Wavey” Davey Grant ($7.7k): Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos could be the fight of the night; don’t miss it. Grant is your favorite underdog’s favorite underdog. I bought my first vacation home in Ibiza by betting on Davey Grant. If you didn’t see his last fight against Raphael Assuncao, stop now and Duck Duck Go that ish. Grant pulled off a last-second inverted triangle. Grant came into the UFC as a touted grappler but has since become an awkward devastating striker. He set up the finishing sequence against Assuncao by dropping Assuncao with a spinning backfist. Grant throws punches at odd angles and has the output (just under five sig. strikes/min) to close in on the one hundred significant strikes mark in what should be a nasty little kickboxing match with four-ounce gloves. 

Michael Parkin ($7.3k): This guy is scary. Michael Parkin is a massive galoot with the slowest, most dangerous hands I’ve seen in a while. He is debuting against Jamal Pogues, and I’ve only seen minor league promotion fight footage and a two-minute fight on the Contender Series, but Parkins is a huge finishing threat against Pogues. Pogues has fast, dangerous boxing, but he doesn’t throw enough. Pogues plays it safe and fights more like Holly Holm than the savage he could be. Parkins is 6-0 with five TKO/KOs and one sub, and I think he’s the bigger finishing threat against Pogues. This guy could turn out to be a steal if he has any wrestling defense. 

90% Off Consume Within 24 Hrs. $6k Clearance Rack 

Paul Craig ($6.9k): A one hundred percent finishing rate with sixteen career dubs, including thirteen subs sitting on the clearance rack about to be tossed in the dumpster out back. It won’t be easy pulling off a submission against a fellow Jitz wizard, but if anyone can do it, the guy who submitted Magomed Ankalaev with one second left on the clock can. It’s sub or bust for Craig, but you can't ask for a better finisher when you’re on your tiptoes, checking the top shelf of the clearance rack by the restrooms. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Michael Parkin (+130): This could turn out to be a dud like my Chelsea Handler, I mean, Chelsea Chandler pick last week, but Parkin looks to be the more dangerous fighter in his matchup with Jamal Pogues. Pogues had to win two bouts on the Contender Series to earn a contract because his performances were lackluster at best. Pogues does just enough to win rounds, and I don’t know if he can get away with that against Parkin. Parkin looks like an aggressive killer, and the questions will be Parkin’s cardio and overall experience. In only six career fights, Parkin has never seen a third round. 

Yanal Ashmoz (+125): Ashmoz is 7-0 and is coming off a one-minute KO dub in his debut. Yanal is the prototypical wrestler striker with an explosive fight-ending power hand. Like Michael Chandler or Chad Mendez, Ashmoz has the power and speed to cover a lot of distance with his rear hand. After seeing his regional footage, I wasn’t much impressed with Ashmoz; he looks to be a position-over-submission wrestler, but once you get a taste for a big-league KO, you need more. His opponent, Chris Duncan, is a solid all-around fighter coming off a debut win against Omar Morales, but he doesn’t have a singular deadly weapon like Ashmoz’s right hand. 

Pick 'Em

Davey Grant (+120) vs. Daniel Marcos (-140)

Winner: Daniel Marcos

 Method: Decision

Danny Roberts (-110) vs. Jonny Parsons (-110)

Winner: Jonny Parsons

 Method: Decision

Marc Diakiese (+160) vs. Joel Alvarez (-190)

Winner: Joel Alvarez

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Michael Parkin (+125) vs. Jamal Pogues (-145)  

Winner: Michael Parkin

 Method: TKO Rd.2

Makhmud Muradov (-315) vs. Bryan Barberena (+245)

Winner: Makhmud Muradov

 Method: Decision

Ketlen Vieira (-165) vs. Pannie Kianzad (+140)

Winner: Ketlen Vieira

Method: Decision

Chris Duncan (-150) vs. Yanal Ashmoz (+130)

Winner: Yanal Ashmoz

Method: Decision

Shauna Bannon (+130) vs. Bruna Brasil (-150)

Winner: Bruna Brasil

Method: Decision

Jafel Filho (-125) vs. Daniel Barez (+105)

Winner: Daniel Barez

Method: TKO Rd.3

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.