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

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Main Card

Brandon Moreno (-220) vs. Loner’er Kavanagh (+180)

Moreno: DK: $8.7k | Kavanagh: DK:$7.5k

There was a light knock on the door.  

“Come in.” 

“Hello, Mr. Hansen. You asked to see me?” 

“Go ahead and have a seat.” 

The young man’s eyes grew wide. Instinctively, he knew it was never a good thing when someone named Hansen asked you to take a seat. Left with no other choice, he pulled out the crude metal banquet chair, its unforgiving metal legs scratching against the linoleum, and sat down. Moving only his eyes, he surveyed the room —left, right, then finally up, looking for any signs of an impending ambush. He didn’t see any and relaxed a little.  

“Hello, Mr. Kavanagh. It's time for your annual performance review. 

Oh, shit. 

The man whose coworkers affectionately called “Boy Meets World” began to squirm, “Uh, okay, Sir.” 

Mr. Hansen looked down at a file folder on his desk and began to shuffle through the papers inside. The 50k-watt LED lighting reflected off the old man’s pale pate, forcing the zero-time salesman of the month to turn his head against the glare. “It says here that you were late thirty-two times last year. That’s more than an entire month...” Mr. Hansen shook his head and rifled through more papers, “...fifteen customer complaints... And it says here you haven’t sold a vehicle in the last twelve months...” The old man sat back in his chair, a dazed look dominating his face, almost as if he’d just been told his dog was killed by a pack of wild (as opposed to domestic) chupacabra. “I mean, you should have accidentally sold a car by now...” He took a deep breath and rubbed his bald dome. “Well, there’s only one option,” he said, his cloudy eyes like foggy windshields, focusing on the young salesman. 

Mom’s gonna be pissed. 

“I think a promotion is in order,” Mr. Hansen said, a toothless smile illuminating his dull face. 

Now it was the salesman's turn to look surprised, “A what?” 

“A promotion. To sales floor manager.” 

“But Geoff is already the salesfloor manager...” 

“That’s okay. He can take your spot. How does double the pay sound for compensation?” 

“Um, it sounds...” 

“Great! You can start immediately.” The usually ornery old man labored to his feet and offered a gnarled, arthritis-stricken hand. 

Loner’er Kavanagh nearly pulled the old man’s arm from its socket, shaking it vigorously.

There’s nothing like failing upward. When it comes to leadership in the United States, there’s nothing more American. Although Loner’er Kavanagh is English, he had no problem taking advantage of our customs. After getting KO’d in his previousfight by Charles Johnson and posting only a 2-1 UFC record, Kavanagh finds himself in the main event against a former two-time champion and one of the most decorated flyweights in the promotion’s history, Brandon Moreno.  

This just in: Loner’er Kavanagh would like to apologize... to absolutely nobody! Kavanagh is replacing Asu Almabayev, who dropped out of the fight several weeks ago. A fortunate turn of events occurred after the young, highly touted prospect was recently exposed as if his name was in the files—THE files. After the drubbing Fluffy Hernandez took last week, I’m in no position to write off any fighter in flowing, elegant medieval script. But here we are. Loner’er is the perfect name for Kavanagh because he’s about to be left alone in these streets, cousin. You’re minor, Moreno is major. You’re all up in the game and don’t deserve to be a player. Quit playing and hit that Kid Cudi “Day ‘n’ Nite! The lonely Loner’er stays awake at night, wondering how he’s going to beat a man with infinitely more big fight experience than himself.  

But Kavanagh is no TLC scrub, although his ‘90s sitcom child star looks might suggest otherwise. My man looks like Shawn Hunter in Boy Meets World. Boy Meets Octagon. Boy Met Ass-Whoopin in his third UFC bout. Kavanagh doesn’t look old enough to drive himself to the arena. Homie looks like he still has baby teeth. But none of that matters because Kavanagh has some of the fastest hands in the division. His hands are quicker than the first time you rounded third base. Loner’er is too fast, too furious. Hit that Dr. Dre “Light Speed!” Kavanagh’s hands are lightning before the thunder. He has that Days of Thunder hand speed—those Ricky Bobby hands. Stand-up-wise, Kavanagh looks like he has the makings of a future contender in the division. The question is, is he ready to fight the elite of the division right now? 

Kavanagh’s major malfunction is that he’s too pretty. He needs a birthmark on his face—some blemishes or acne scars or something. Homie needs to walk into that bish looking like Edward James Olmos (Almost if you want to be a Richardabout it). When Charles Johnson made the fight ugly, Kavanagh quickly faded. Kavanagh’s defense got lazy, and he got caught exiting the pocket with his hands at his waist. Unfortunately for him, making fights ugly is Brandon Moreno’s special power.  

“Brandon Moreno needs no introduction” is the only introduction he needs. He’s the man they call “The Assassin Baby.” He was one grammatical error away from being “The Baby Assassin.” That would have been catastrophic for his career. He would have found himself sitting in front of Congress talking about, “I’ve never been to the island! I’ve never been to any island! I’ve never been surrounded by water in my entire life! I’ve never even been to the restaurant Islands. Thousand Island dressing, I hate that shit! To avoid such mistakes, I call Moreno “El Mariachi.” Because he’s a MexiCan on a never-ending quest for revenge against those who stole his flyweight crown.   

This is Moreno’s fight to lose. I hope Kavanagh can Swim Good like Frank Ocean because the Moreno rip current is going to drag him into deep waters. Never you mind about Moreno’s previous bout against the Max Holloway of grappling, Tatsuro Taira. Taira had golden rings flying out of Moreno’s ass as soon as he got Moreno to the mat. But Taira is a future champion and a generational talent on the mat. Kavanagh is far from that. Moreno can put Kavanagh on his back or use his jab to control the stand-up from the outside. Most importantly, Moreno has more dog in him than Daz and Kurupt. He has so much dog  in him that Michael Vick tried to adopt him. I think I can safely say, Kavanagh doesn’t have that level of dog in him.  

Fantasy-wise, these guys will both land near the one-hundred-strikes mark. Although Moreno is the far more seasoned and well-rounded fighter, I see this fight going the distance. Moreno is the (-240) favorite, and Kavanagh is the (+200) stray dog. Kavanagh has serious hand speed and solid boxing. He will be a name to reckon with in the future. I just think this matchup—forced by fate—might be a little too soon for him. Like mammy’s pot roast, Kavanagh needs a little more seasoning. This is a tough task for a young buck with only three UFC bouts to his name.   

The main event dub streak never got to streaking. If only I knew Fluffy Hernandez’s game plan was to stand and box with Strickland... Anywho, this week's pick feels like a gimme—a classic trap pick. Kavanagh is a good prospect, but I can’t see him beating Brandon Moreno in Mexico Fookin’ City. Brandon Moreno via decision... Now that I think about it, I like a late Moreno finish. Brandon Moreno via rear-naked choke, round four. Put that shit on wax.  

Props

Moreno: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+330) Dec (+175)  

Kavanagh: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+3000) Dec (+350) 

Winner: Brandon Moreno | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.4

Chito Vera (+245) vs. David Martinez (-305)

Chito: DK: $7.3k | Martinez: DK: $8.9k

Chito is back, and we ain’t talking about Chester Cheetah. Chito Vera will straight up murder your ass. Or not. Maybe if he gets around to it. Chito is the biggest ass-kicking procrastinator in the game. This guy waits until the day the project is due to start kicking ass. It’s like Chito is always fourteen minutes late for every fight. This guy would be too late to cash a winning lottery ticket. But as the saying goes, “Better Chito than never.” If he fought every minute the way he fights the final minutes, Chito might be the champion right meow. For some reason, Chito has to be down 0-2 in the count before he starts swinging the bat. Rooting for Chito is the definition of insanity. You slowly lose your mind watching Chito waste time just following his opponents around the cage with little activity. Never forget when he nearly stole the Sean O’Malley title fight with a body shot in the closing seconds. Had he gone after O’Malley like that from the jump... 

We’ll never know. Chito has now lost three in a row and four of his last five. Every one of those fights was winnable. Last week, I said finishing Dan Ige was impossible. Of course, Ige went on to get TKO’d for the first time in his career in the first round. Let’s try this again: Impossible is finishing Chito Vera. If you went to a Chito fight in a dream, and he got knocked out, you had better wake up and apologize for bearing witness. I have a hard time recalling a time when Chito was even wobbled. Taking a football to the groin like Hans Moleman wouldn’t even hurt this guy. No matter how much damage he takes, he keeps marching forward like the T-1000. You can empty the clip, and Chito will still be on that ass.   

Chito will be taking a step down in competition against David Martinez. Like in the main event, Chito’s UFC and big fight experience dwarfs Martinez’s. Martinez is only 2-0 in the UFC since earning a contract on the Contender Series in 2024. This is a fight that Chito should not only win but also dominate. If there’s still any pink left in Chito, and he’s not completely cooked, this fight should be a dub. I like my Chito’s medium rare. Pressure and volume; those are the keys for Chito. It says Chito averages nearly four and a half SLpM, but it feels more like two SLpM when you watch him fight. Especially when you bet on him.    

In his debut against Saimon Oliveira, Martinez came out looking extra ordinary, not extraordinary. Then, toward the end of the first round, Martinez hit a switch and turned into Yair Rodriguez, throwing wheel kicks and scissor kicks. In the first four minutes, Martinez looked like he was warming up backstage. In the last minute, he looked like the DJ was playing his song. He came out looking like Dave Chappelle walking in slow motion through the club, then looked like he played the lead role in his school Christmas play, “The Ass Cracker.” In his next bout, he wasted no time taking foot to ass against Rob Font. Homie came out side-kicking, wheel kicking, and shit kicking up a storm on his way to a clear decision dub.  

Stand-up-wise, Martinez has a boxing and Karate style. But he doesn’t blend the different techniques very well. He’s either doing some Karate shit or boxing. It’s almost like he has an identity crisis, a Ralph Macchio on one shoulder and a Canelo on the other. He reminds me of a Cringy Cejudo without the speed or wrestling. So not like Henry Cejudo at all? It’s like he ordered a Cejudo starter’s kit. He looks like Cejudo in the way your shepherd’s pie looks like the picture in the recipe book—not quite the same, but close enough. He can beat Chito by being a more active fighter. As long as he can withstand Chito’s late third-round heroics, he can steal this fight with superior volume.  

Odds-wise, I had no idea what to expect. I definitely didn’t see David Martinez as the (-240) favorite, and Chito the (+215) live-ass dog. This is a coin flip. If Chito shows up in the first round, he will dominate this young killer. The only person who can beat Chito is Chito. Chito is the bigger finishing threat because nobody can finish Chito. But it’s nearly impossible for him not to get out-worked for fifteen minutes. The play for Chito is a late TKO/KO, and the play for Martinez is a decision. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, when the chips have all fallen, I think Chito will run out of time. Yo! Hit that Denzel Man on Fire! “I wish... you had more time.” David Martinez via decision. On wax.   

Props

Chito: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+3000) Dec (-225) 

Martinez: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+1400) Dec (+500)

Winner: David Martinez | Method: Decision

King Green (+380) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (-500)

Green: DK: $6.8k | Zellhuber: DK:$9.4k

My current favorite fighter is back, King Green. But lately, it’s been harder and harder to watch him fight. I wish all the newer fans could see King Green in his prime. Go back and watch King Green vs. Rafael Fiziev. I dare you to tell me King Green didn’t win that fight. Green had Fiziev looking like a drunk figure skater, arms pinwheeling and struggling to stay on his feet, in the final round. Check out King Green’s Gravel Pit. It’s filled with more bodies than Gacey’s walls. Bobby used to chessbox while everyone else was checkersboxing. His footwork was the closest we’ve seen to prime Dominick Cruz’s footwork. Unfortunately, you can sense what word is coming next: BUT... 

But King isn’t in his prime anymore. Yo, DJ! Hit that Lupe Fiasco “Hurt Me Soul!” It hurt me soul to watch what Mauricio Ruffy did to King Green. A spinning wheel kick left King Green swimming on the canvas. Homie looked like Michael Phelps doing the breaststroke in that bish. It was some shit I thought I would never see, like a group of Cholos having a pool party. King’s major malfunction at this late stage in his career is his chin. My man has that Rudy Tomjanovich chin (IYKYK). Nowadays, King can’t shave without nearly knocking himself out. And as King’s footwork and hand speed have diminished, he has had to rely on his chin far too often. King was one of the original lowriders. He throws every punch from waist level while relying on footwork to evade counterattacks. And his hands used to draft off each other like NASCARs.   

That’s a lot of past tense. But guess what, I’m still standing here screaming, “Fook the Free World! 909 Fook Free World! 909 Fook Free World!” Bobby rebounded after the Ruffy fight to win a split decision in his most recent bout. Yeah, it was against a debuting fighter who took the fight on short notice, but a dub is a fookin’ dub. There might be a little bit left of the UFC 300 version of King Green, who spirit cooked Jim Miller like Marina Abramovic was in the front row. Or maybe that’swishful thinking. Against Daniel Zellhuber, King has to conjure his old footwork and make Zellhuber miss. Then make Zellhuber pay when he misses. If he stands stationary out at range with his hands down at his side, trying to counter every strike, Zellhuber will pick him apart. He has to move at angles and stay in perpetual motion.   

I call Daniel Zellhuber a private school striker. He should make the walk to the Octagon wearing a plaid uniform and some shiny Doc Martins. My man graduated with Poppa Doc (Clarence, if you want to be a Richard about it) from Cranbrook High. And Zellhuber’s parents have a real good marriage. On his feet, Zellhuber is like some iron-pressed clothes – no wrinkles. He never breaks any of the fundamental rules. He always colors between the lines and never forgets to put the cap on his glue stick. His hands are tight like jar lids and arthritis. There isn’t a degree of curve to his strikes. His hands have tunnel vision. Zellhuber will have a massive advantage down the middle, attacking King Green between his shoulders while keeping Green stuck in purgatory at the end of Zellhuber’s superior reach.  

Zellhuber’s major malfunction is that he has a passive-aggressive defense. He ignores punches, pretends they aren’t in the room, and addresses them indirectly through a third party. Head movement and footwork don’t live here. Prime King Green would dance rhombuses around Zellhuber. Straight lines, that’s how Zellhuber moves—like a damn Etch-a-Sketch. He’s a square like dweebs in the ‘50s. Zellhuber has lost two in a row after winning three of his first four UFC bouts. 

Fanstasy-wise, this is a fight you want to target. Barring an early finish, this will be a high-scoring affair. King Green averages nearly six and a half SLpM compared to Zellhuber’s just below six. Daaaaaaaaamn! Hit that Craig and Smokey meme! Zellhuber is the (-500) favorite, and King Green is the disrespected (+360) live-ish dog. Even in a diminished capacity, Green is a bigger threat than the odds suggest. But that chin... The play for King is a decision, and the play for Zellhuber is a TKO/KO. When King Green gets caught, it’s usually early. If he can get out of the first round with all his faculties, he can win this fight. I used to feel like a kid on Christmas morning before a King Green fight. Now I get major anxiety. This one hurts... Daniel Zellhuber via TKO, round two. Dammit. I hope I’m wrong. I’m rooting against my pick. Now put it on wax.  

Props

King: TKO/KO (+1200) Sub (+3000) Dec (+650)

Zellhuber: TKO/KO (+150) Sub (+600) Dec (+140)

Winner: Daniel Zellhuber | Method: TKO Rd.2

Edgar Chairez (-325) vs. Felipe Bunes (+260)

Chairez: DK: $9k | Bunes: DK: $7.2k

Joshua Van claims both these guys as dependents on his taxes. This is the unofficial Joshua Van Bowl. Unlike Felipe Bunes, Edgar Chairez went the distance with the current champ. That’s like scoring a point against Giannis in a game of Twenty-One. Chairez even had the audacity to drop Van early in the fight. I like comparing fighters’ styles, and Edgar Chairez reminds me of a brown Jack Hermansson. He’s southern hemisphere Jack—Spicy Jack, and we ain’t talking about Jack in the Box. Chairez is long and lean and better than he looks. The same can be said of Felipe Bunes. Bunes looks like Mauricio Ruffy if you had to sponsor Ruffy for ten cents a day. Bunes lost two of his three UFC bouts, but his strength of schedule would put the Patriots' strength of schedule to shame. This should be a filthy little scrap.  

Chairez’s best weapon is his jab; it’s like a grappling hook. This guy can hit you from the green room. He’ll post a memory on Facebook from last week of him punching you in the face. His jab is like Spiderman’s web. And he spins a web of deceit with all his feinting. Chairez’s style is like getting in the shower, and the water is too hot. I can’t explain it, but he’s in and out and just kind of dances around while he gets used to the temperature. Oddly, I catch whiffs of Tony Ferguson when I see Chairez’s stand-up. Chairez is a scavenger striker; he just picks at you from the outside until you're just a sun-bleached rib cage sitting in the desert sand.  Overall, Chairez has more heart than a cardiologist. He took a beating in the second round against Van and still made it to the final bell.   

Looking at Chairez’s record, he also went the distance with Tatsuro Taira. Going the distance with Van and Taira is like surviving World War I and II. That’s like hitting the lottery twice. The key against Bunes will be leg kicks. Chairez had Van stepping off curbs in the first round after destroying Van’s legs with low kicks. Chairez even won the first round because of them. Also, Chairez has a special move: The Gilly. Felip Bunes, Protect Ya Neck, son! 

There is an argument to be made that Felipe Bunes also won the first round against Joshua Van. If I won a round against Joshua Van, I would hang a banner in the rafters of the Thunderdome (my one-car garage if you want to be a Richard about it) and invite the neighbors to the ceremony. But Van was dribbling Bunes head off the canvas like an old-school And1 mixtape by the end of the second round. Homie caught the speed wobbles after the first round. Word to the wise: Never jump off when you get the speed wobbles. Just ride it out. Your legs aren’t fast enough to keep you upright. 

Bunes’s special power is that he has long-ass limbs. No balls or frisbees or cats got stuck in any trees back in the day when this kid was around. Homie has more range than Top Golf. His arms are like fairways. And he has some slick Jiu-Jitsu with noine career subs to prove it. If he can avoid Chairez’s Gilly, he will have an advantage on the mat. He was able to get Van down twice in the opening round. And that ain’t easy to do. 

Fantasy-wise, this will be a low-scoring affair without a finish. Chairez averages just under three and a half SLpM compared to Bunes’ just below three. But the good news is that I see a finish on the horizon. One of these guys will get got. Chairez is a double threat; he can finish Bunes on the feet and with a submission. And Bunes is a submission threat. Chairez has been finished twice in his career, and both came via submission. Chairez will be the (-320) favorite, and Bunes will be the (+260) mangy dog. I’ll say this for Bunes: I think the odds are a little wide. Bunes’ reach and his grappling will cause Chairez early problems. But I have to go with the guy who fought Joshua Van and Tatsura Taira and lived to talk about it. Edgar Chairez via rear-naked choke (club n’ sub), round three. On wax.   

Props

Chairez: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+275) Dec (+250)  

Bunes: TKO/KO (1600) Sub (+700) Dec (+600)

Winner: Edgar Chairez | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Imanol Rodriguez (-455) vs. Kevin Borjas (+350)

Rodriguez: DK: $9.2k | Borjas: DK: $7k

Kevin Borjas is a copy-and-paste Edgar Chairez. Straight out of Apocalypto, a crazy MF named Borjas. Guess who this guy debuted against... Joshua Van. Mr. Van will be a proud pops watching his sons fight on Saturday night. He will be like the Watt parents when J.J. and T.J. played each other. You've got to have huevos grandes to debut against Joshua Van. But Borjas knew the job was dangerous when he took it. Shit, a homie didn’t even overlook it. Homie got on his Tom Cruise Mission Impossible shit. Like Tom, Borjas does his own stunts. Stunts like dropping Van with a jab in the first round. And like Chairez, Borjas went the distance with Van. It seems that only people from South America can survive Joshua Van. The debuting Imanol Rodriguez is no crumb bum, but going from fighting Van to fighting Rodriguez is like going from reading the Ep$t3in files to reading Dr. Seuss.  

Borjas fights like a Mexican, but he’s from Peru. Let me tell you something: You don’t want to fook with homies from Peru. Borjas is the Takanakuy fighting festival champion five years running. Borjas will come out rocking face paint, leather chaps (ass intact), with nothing but a pair of socks over his hands, ready to do battle. In a previous life, Borjas fought for the severed heads in the crowd when they rolled down the pyramid like present-day people fight for home run balls in the stands. My man has a primitive style. Like his hermano from another madre, Chairez, Borjas’s best weapon is his jab. It’s like Scorpion’s spear, “Get over here!” Borjas can beat the far more athletic Rodriguez by making this fight grimy. He has to dwell in the pocket and pressure the far less experienced fighter. Like a compactor, Borjas has to shrink the cage and box in Rodriguez and not let him off the hook.   

After a first-round TKO on the Contender Series, Imanol Rodriguez will be making his debut. This guy is raw like Kobe beef. He doesn’t even have a light sear on the outside. Rodriguez has impressive physical attributes, but he only has six career fights. Overall, he looks slightly unpolished. His style is brawn over technique. As soon as the bell rings, I-Rod wastes no time taking belt to ass. He looks like he’s fighting in the school hallway between classes, trying to get the KO before the yard duty breaks it up. Imanol was on the Ultimate Fighter (Team Daniel Cormier) and on the Contender Series. His fights are like driving a car with only one pedal. At 6-0 with five TKO/KOs and one sub, this kid cracks more ass than wedgies. He vaguely reminds me of a Play It Again Urijah Faber. But overall, Rodriguez is untested like the first day of school. And Borjas will be rolling into the Octagon on some proctor shit, brandishing a Scantron and a number two pencil. 

Hit that Black Rob “Whoa!” Like Whoa! Rodriguez is the (-435) favorite, and Borjas is the rare (+325) live-ass dog. Four of Rodriguez’s six career fights ended in the first round. If Joshua Van couldn’t finish Borjas, what will Rodriguez look like in rounds two and three if he can’t get an early finish? Does Rodriguez have that dog in him? The unknowns outweigh the knowns right meow. The odds reflect the difference in athletic ability. Rodriguez looks like he could play any sport he chooses, while Borjas looks like he played right field on his little league team. The play for Imanol is a TKO/KO, and the play for Borjas is out-dogging Rodriguez to a decision. I want to take a dog, but I’m not sure Borjas can withstand the early storm. Imanol Rodriguez via TKO, roud two. Wax on, wax off. 

Props

Rodriguez: TKO/KO (+100) Sub (+550) Dec (+225)  

Borjas: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+3000) Dec (+900)

Winner: Imanol Rodriguez | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Douglas de Andrade ($7.6k): Straight out of Breaking Bad, a crazy MF named Tuco. Douglas de Andrade looks like the head enforcer for the Salamanca family. And just like the fictional Tuco, Andrade fights like he’s a little off his rocker. Check out Andrade’s strength of schedule over his ten-year UFC career: Petr Yan, Rob Font, Chito Vera, Renan Barao (former bantamweight champ), Lerone Murphy, and Said Nurmagomedov. Yeah, he lost all those fights except the Chito fight, but Andrade has shared the Octagon with the best fighters of his generation. This weekend, he will be up against a debuting fighter fresh off the Contender Series. Tuco has twenty-noine career dubs and twenty-two career finishes, including twenty TKOs/KOs. He’seither going to knock out Javier Reyes or lose a close decision. But this guy’s upside is as good as anyone’s on the Value Menu this week. 

Chito Vera ($7.3k): Feast or famine. Chito is the ultimate “all or nothing” Fantasy option. His upside is always a TKO/KO finish. The problem is, he takes too long to warm up. He’s like an MLB closer who only comes into the game in the nointh inning. Chito only likes to fight in the third or fifth rounds. In the other rounds, he just takes studious notes and bides his time. Lately, he’s been running out of time. But make no mistake, he can finish David Martinez if he shows even an ounce of urgency from the opening bell. Chito’s experience dwarfs Martinez’s experience like Tyrion Lannister. Chito can eclipse the one hundred strikes mark, but he needs the right dance partner who will push the action. David Martinez is the guy to do it. With a shallow Value Menu this week, Chito is one of the few, if not only, finishing threats. 

Kevin Borjas ($7k): Borjas could play the role of a flipper against the debuting Imanol Rodriguez. I-Rod has only six career scraps. And four of those ended in the first round. The other two ended in the second. What will Rodriguez look like if Borjas can extend him deep into the fight? Rodriguez is all physical attributes; he’s the superior athlete every time he steps into the cage. But does he have that dog? Does he have that Apocalypto savage in him like Borjas? Borjas has had a rough go in the UFC, going 1-3, but his level of competition has been impressive. If he can survive the early onslaught, Borjas can turn the tide when Rodriguez starts to gas. And I have a feeling Rodriguez will gas if Borjas can get this fight to the late second and third rounds. Borjas has solid, underrated stand-up with a boxer’s jab. He has to make this a grimy fight and drag Rodriguez into deep waters.  

 $6k Clearance Rack  

King Green ($6.8k): I’ve never seen so many Clearance Rack options before. There are five options this week. If his chin can hold up, King Green can at least put up respectable striking stats. King averages nearly six and a half SLpM, while his UFC career spans over fifteen years. If he can conjure his old footwork and doesn’t stand flatfooted in front of Daniel Zellhuber, he can make Zellhuber look silly on his feet. Prime King Green would walk through Zellhuber like automatic doors. When he’s not getting KOd in the opening minutes, King is a walking one hundred significant strikes landed. Zellhuber is far from a power striker. He is volume and technique over power and only has one TKO in his six-fight UFC career. King Green can win this fight if he stays elusive and can make Zellhuber miss.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Douglas Silva de Andrade (+190): I wasn’t much impressed with Javier Reyes’ Contender Series fight. He got a TKO finish, but his level of competition was lacking. Douglas de Andrade will be a big leap up in competition. Andrade has seen ‘em come, andwatched ‘em go on some Dr. Dre type-ish. He has faced the best the division has had to offer over a span of a decade. De Andrade has twenty-two career finishes. This little Tuco-looking dude is Xxplosive like track six of Chronic 2001. If anything, these odds are a little wide. This is much closer to a coin flip in my book. Andrade has only been finished twice in thirty-four career fights, while fighting one of the toughest strength of schedules in the bantamweight division.   

Chito Vera (+230): If you want to feel alive again, try betting on Chito fights. This guy will put you through the wringer. He’ll stand around for thirteen minutes, then explode and steal the fight with a single strike. He likes to let the opponent empty their clips before he starts returning fire. Maybe Chito has reached his expiration date. But if there is even a sip left in the carton, Chito can beat David Martinez. Chito is the finishing threat in the equation. If Chito loses, it will be because he got out-worked, which is the story of his career. But if he wants to make one final run at a title shot, it must start now. It has to start in the first round and not with two minutes remaining. After fighting nothing but former and current champs over the past couple of years, this will be a step down in competition for Chito.  

King Green (+360): Is this a homer pick? Yes and no. Yes, King Green is my current favorite fighter, but I’m not picking him to win this fight. I don’t trust his chin. But he can definitely win this fight. Also, this card is filled with massive underdogs. If you like betting on dogs, you will have to take a shot or two on some sizeable ones this weekend. The good news is that King Green is coming in off a dub after getting sparked by a spinning wheel kick against Mauricio Ruffy. Green’s fighting temperament alone gives him an edge over Daniel Zellhuber. This will be a classic private vs. public school scrap. Green is the grimy street brawler in the equation. If he can make this fight ugly and push the pace, he can win it. War King Green! 

Pick ‘Em

Santiago Luna (-600) vs. Angel Pacheco (+425) 

 Winner: Santiago Luna 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Ryan Gandra (-750) vs. Jose Medina (+500)  

 Winner: Ryan Gandra 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Macy Chiasson (+165) vs. Ailin Perez (-195)  

 Winner: Ailin Perez 

Method: Decision 

Cristian Quinonez (-800) vs. Kris Moutinho (+525) 

 Winner: Cristian Quinonez 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Douglas de Andrade (+190) vs. Javier Reyes (-230)   

 Winner: Douglas de Andrade 

Method: Decision 

Regina Terin (+160) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (-185)   

 Winner: Ernesta Kareckaite 

Method: Decision 

Erik Silva (+575) vs. Francis Marshall (-900)  

 Winner: Francis Marshall 

Method: Decision 

Damian Pinas (-260) vs. Wesley Schultz (+215)   

 Winner: Damian Pinas 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Thanks for reading LineStar Weekly Knockout! We'll be back next Thursday with another one. Until then, good luck and support your local MMA Gym.

About Me

My name is Chris Guy, and I’m an avid combat sports enthusiast and practitioner. I’ve been a fan of MMA since the early 2000s when Limewire was still around, and I downloaded Bas Rutten’s Big Book of Combat. In 2004, I started training Muay Thai at City Boxing in San Diego, CA. I competed as an amateur for many years, and I've also dabbled in Jiu-Jitsu. I follow many different disciplines, such as Combat Ji-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Glory Kickboxing, Boxing, and MMA.

I’m equally as enthusiastic about the craft of writing, and in addition to writing about combat sports, I also write short fiction and music. I hope to bring unique prose to sports writing, and along the way, encourage people to not only become Martial Arts fans but to also become Martial Artists themselves.

In the future, you may see me refer to the Thunderdome; it's an ode to the old Mad Max movie and refers to the world-class training facility I built in my one-car garage. It's complete with throw dummies, wrestling mats, heavy bags, and six months' worth of Chef Boyardee cans from when I thought the world was going to end back in March.

I hope you enjoy my work, and if you don’t, the Thunderdome has an open door policy.