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

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Main Card

Charles Oliveira (-110) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (-110)

Oliveira: DK: $7.8k | Gamrot: DK:$8.4k

For decades, the government fought to keep its endeavors into mind control Top Secret. How can you manufacture the consent of the American public to usher in an ever-expanding surveillance/Police state without well-orchestrated psyops carried out by chemically engineered patsies and Manchurian Candidates the like? Charles Manson, The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski – two of the most infamous creations of the U.S. government’s diabolical MK-Ultra program. As outlined by the legendary journalist Gary Webb (who, according to police, mysteriously self-backspaced in 2004 with two self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the back of the head) in his book “Chaos: Charles Manson and the CIA,” the U.S. government set up “safe houses” in the San Francisco Bay Area, which they lured unwitting local college kids to what were believed to be brothels. Within these “safe houses,” the students were secretly dosed with LSD, while their behavior was observed and recorded by CIA operatives, using two-way mirrors.     

Unable to deny the existence of the program after countless FOIA requests and court rulings over the years, the government was forced to acknowledge its efforts to control the human mind. But such efforts were vehemently declared unsuccessful - nothing came of the MK-Ultra program and its subproject “Operation Midnight Climax.” So that’s where the story ends, right? The projects were just isolated actions of a few rogue scientists, nothing more than curious blips during the curious decade of the 1960s.    

Right? 

Such was the narrative until the cover was blown off a revamped project in October of 2020. The project code name: MK-Gamrot. Essentially, the government traded in LSD for repeated double leg takedowns. The objective: to study the effects of nonstop level changes on the human psyche, especially as they pertain to strikers. Using the UFC Octagon as a “safe house,” shadowy government agencies placed unsuspecting fighters in a cage with Mateusz Gamrot. From the comfort of their La-Z-Boy recliners, government operatives observed the fighters' reactions and the lasting effects of repeated Gamrot takedowns over the course of fifteen and sometimes twenty-five minutes. 

Mateusz will have you seeing takedowns around every corner. You’ll be sprawling in the middle of the road when someone bends over to tie their shoe. You’ll catch glimpses of takedowns in the brief darkness between blinks. Averaging five and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes, Mateusz Gamrot should officially change his nickname to MK-Gamrot. He’s like a subproject of MK-Merab. After fighting Gamrot, you see takedowns in your sleep. He’ll roll up on you while you’re walking the red carpet with Jessica Rabbit on your arm, pick you up, and suplex your ass with Mario Lopez from the E channel, shoving a microphone in your face, asking about your Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating. Ph-eye-zer is currently working on a vaccine for Gamrot’s takedowns. If you take it, you’ll still end up on your back, but you won’t get taken down as roughly. The CDC is adding it to the compulsory schedule after a recent outbreak of six Gamrot takedowns in his most recent bout against Ludovit Klein. This guy shoots double legs as if his life depends on it because it does.    

That’s because taking Tylenol is more dangerous (allegedly) than Gamrot’s striking. My man has hands like a porpoise – like wearing scuba flippers for gloves. Gamrot is a Stranger in a Strange Land on his feet. He’s completely out of his element, like he got kicked out of Earth, Wind & Fire. Like prime Phillip Rivers, Gamrot only throws wounded ducks when he throws hands. That could be because he usually doesn’t have to strike until late in the fight, after he’s gassed from wrestling for twelve minutes straight. Lately, Gamrot has been looking like the bobsled at the end of Cool Runnings, late in fights – he has to be carried across the finish line. Also, Gamrot has only scored one finish in his last seven fights, and that finish was a non-contact knee injury suffered by Rafael Fiziev.   

For a guy with elite wrestling/grappling, Gamrot only has five career subs with a record of 25-3. Question: Do you know who holds the record for most submissions in the UFC? Yes, of course you do. Cuz, you rock with the WKO. Charles “Do Brox” Oliveira. You know that Charles Oliviera had one of the greatest runs since Forrest Gump outran those bullies who were riding bikes. “Run, Charles! Run!” And that’s what he did. From the day he beat Clay Guida, if Charles was going somewhere, he was running. Eleven straight dubs, culminating in a world title and multiple defenses against Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje – all finishes. It was the best run since Frank Dux in the ‘87 Kumite.   

This could turn into a rare grappling firefight on the mat, at least early. Oliveira has that H.H. Holmes mansion guard with submissions lurking around every corner, behind every bookcase, and inside every armoire. Submissions from his guard are Oliveira’s specialty. Never forget when he nearly submitted Arman Tsarukyan with a guillotine in the closing seconds of their fight. Three more seconds and Oliveira wins that fight. But sometimes, Oliviera spends too much time on his back and can lose rounds when he can’t find a submission. On the mat, Oliveira can be the first to finish Gamrot. But his path to victory is on his feet. 

The biggest knock against Oliveira’s striking is his chin. Charles’ chin is always plotting against him. Yo! Hit that Bone Thugs “Creepin’ on Ah Come Up!” His chin is like the Bene Gesserit: plots within plots. Who needs enemies when you have Charles Oliveira’s chin? Homie has a hair-trigger chin – like Viet Cong trip wires in ‘Nam. Oliveira is coming in off a vicious KO loss to the little Brahman bull Ilia Topuria. Oliveira got gored and trampled by Topuria – not even Pennywise was trying to jump in that bish to save him. And Krusty was on his smoke break. Topuria turned Oliveira into literal bullshit. But Topuria does that to everyone. Oliveira is still dangerous on his feet, with long, up-the-middle attacks. And he won’t have to worry too much about his compromised chin against Gamrot. This is a better matchup for Oliveira than Oliveira’s original opponent, Rafael Fiziev.   

Gamrot is the slight (-115) early favorite, and Oliviera is the (-105) live-ass dog. This is Oliveira’s fight to lose. He’s more dangerous than Gamrot on the feet and the mat. Gamrot threatens to control Oliveira from the top position for long stretches. Oliveira is a submission threat from his back. Also, we’ve seen Gamrot fade late in fights as he did against Jalin Turner and Ludovit Klein. Gamrot has gone five rounds once, but that was against a less dangerous striker in Tsarukyan. The play for Gamrot is a decision. The play for Oliveira is a finish. The tricky part is: submission or TKO/KO?   

We got back in the dub column last week when Alex Pereira (Amen) did Alex Pereira shit. Ankalaev knew he had fooked up the second Alex came marching straight across the Octagon at the sound of the opening bell. The only thing that ever gives me pause when picking an Oliveira fight is Oliveira’s chin. But I don’t think it will be much of a factor against Gamrot. Charles Oliveira via guillotine, round four. Put it on wax.  

Props

Gamrot: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+700) Dec (+250)  

Oliveira: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+275) Dec (+600) 

Winner: Charles Oliveira | Method: Guillotine Rd.4

Deiveson Figueiredo (+240) vs. Montel Jackson (-290)

Figgy: DK: $7.2k | Jackson: DK: $9k

Yo! Quit playin’ and hit that Montel Jordan “This is How We Do It!” It’s impossible not to type “Jordan” after Montel. Montel Jackson might as well change his name because all we see is Montel Jordan. Or Williams. Montel Williams, on that stayed-home-sick-from-school starter pack. Jordan, Jackson, action, pack guns, ridiculous. You can call him what you want as long as you call Montel Jackson a winner. Homie is 9-2 in the UFC and currently riding a six-fight winning streak. But homie could win a gold medal in Pole Vault for the giant leap in competition he will be making against the former flyweight champ, Figueiredo. Grappler vs. grappler, striker vs. striker, or grappler vs. striker, this fight could turn into anything.   

I started taking Montel Jackson seriously when he slept Da’mon Blackshear in under a shot clock violation. Jackson knocked the apostrophe off Blackshear’s name. Jackson turned him into a Damon like Wyans or Matt. I hadn’t even finished closing out the pop-up ads, and the fight was over. Don't let Jackson’s looks fool you; he’s built like Jack Skellington, but he’s a nightmare before, during, and after Christmas. You would take one look at a guy who averages three and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes but only has one career submission and think shit’s sweet. Don’t get it twisted like South Dakota down to Texas; Jackson is still dangerous on the mat. He prefers to beat you like MPC drums. He drops elbows on you like Macho Man. He’ll stomp you out, then kick dirt on you like how dogs do their doodies. Jackson doesn’t play all that safety word submission shit. 

On his feet, Jackson is all speed everything. His boxing is sharp and technical, but his speed is the star of the show. His hands have that 5G speed. You can download his hands in under a blink. And his hands are straight like they’re dry-pressed. You won’t find a single wrinkle in his punches. But Jackson lacks elite-level footwork and head movement. He’s straight up and down, straitjacket. His advantage against Figgy will be on the mat, taking advantage of Figgy’s fifty-eight percent takedown defense and controlling the top position. Output-wise, Jackson averages just under three and a half SLpM, just like his takedown average; they’re identical.   

Lately, Figgy has been more like Figgy pudding than Figueiredo. Like Jordan took two years away from playing basketball to play baseball, Figueiredo took two years away from striking to wrestle. And he hasn’t been the same since. At least his striking hasn’t. Figgy lost faith in his striking, like Harvey Keitel lost his faith as a priest in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn. You know what he could use? Hit that George Michaels “Faith!” When he moved up to bantamweight, Figgy abandoned the CK1 cologne, frosted tips, and Quicksilver collar shirt that got him to the dance. He walked out on his striking for another discipline. But now it’s time to reconcile and get back to his roots.   

Figgy has to go full Fire Marshall Bill on his feet and set the Octagon on fire. He has to fall asleep with a cig in his mouth, not clean the lint trap for a year, or something. Somebody has to light a fire under his ass. Figgy needs a firefight. I’mtalking about turnout gear, sliding down giant poles (huh?), Dalmatians, and all that shit. At the end of the fight, he has to walk out that bish looking like the wiener you forgot on the grill. And if/when he ends up on his back, he has to show some urgency to get back to his feet. Figgy has the ground game of a pine box. He just lies there on his back like his parents tucked him in too tightly. It looks like he gets sleep paralysis on his back. TMZ sends out a RIP tweet as soon as his ass hits the mat. The one thing he can’t do is get lured into wrestling with Jackson. 

Jackson is the (-300) favorite, and Figgy is the (+250) live-ass dog. I went heavy with dogs last week and paid the price. Khalil Rountree was dominating, then... Needless to say, I’m a little gun-shy this week when it comes to picking dogs. I say all that to say this: Figgy can win this fight, and I almost dare say “should” win this fight. Old-school sprawl and brawl will lead to Figgy’s salvation. But I know he will try to expose Jackson’s sixty-eight percent takedown defense and get sucked into the least dangerous aspect of his game, his wrestling. I don’t see a finish in this one. One guy will control the top position longer than the other. Montel Jorda... Jackson via decision. On wax. 

Props

Figueiredo: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+1200) Dec (+450) 

Jackson: TKO/KO (+250) Sub (+900) Dec (+110)

Winner: Montel Jackson | Method: Decision

Vicente Luque (+430) vs. Joel Alvarez (-625)

Luque: DK: $6.7k | Alvarez: DK:$9.5k

This matchup came out of left field like a relief pitcher. Joel Alvarez will be making his welterweight debut after struggling to find opponents for several months. Nobody wants to fight this guy. They make up all sorts of reasons to drop a fight with Alvarez after signing on the dotted line. Homies have their mothers call in sick for them, “Um, Dana? Hi, I’m sorry, but my son won’t be able to fight tomorrow night. He woke up with a fever this morning.” Suddenly, Alvarez’s opponents remember they had a doctor's appointment or some other prior engagement and can’t make it to fight night. Why go through all the trouble? Because Alvarez is one of the best-kept secrets of the lightweight division, fighting out of Spain and training with Ilia Topuria. This guy is a modern-day conquistador whose sole ambition is to colonize the division. Before he can get back to lightweight, Alvarez will have to take care of a side quest and beat an OG of the welterweight division, Vicente Luque. 

You could take one look at Joel Alvarez’s striking and think he’s a kickboxing specialist. But this guy is 22-3 with seventeen career submissions and a one-hundred percent finishing rate. Joel’s specialty is elbows. Standing or on the mat, Alvarez will carve you up like topiary animals outside the Overlook Hotel. Alvarez brandishes elbows like ‘90s movie villains brandish butcher’s knives. This guy’s elbows are like spurs on a cock (rooster). If you want to know what Alvarez is all about, go back and watch what he did to Thiago Moises. He butchered Moises, hung him up on hooks to bleed out, and used him like the slab of beef Rocky punches in the meat cooler. This guy is the fourth Musketeer with his elbows, yelling, “Engard!” before he slices you up like Zoro. He even has the little mustache to match. And he accentuates his elbows with impaling standing knees. 

Now that I think about it, Alvarez reminds me of an evil Donald Cerrone. Cerrone had sharp Muay Thai and slick submissions from his back. That’s Alvarez. This guy looks like he’s starring in a Sleep Number commercial when he’s on his back. He’ll sub you in his sleep. Alvarez is one of those grapplers who make the guard a dominant position, like the mount or back control. This guy is the Count of Monte Cristo on a mission to exact revenge on a division that has been ducking him for years. Against Luque, Alvarez can beat Luque anywhere. The only question will be Alvarez’s size at welterweight. However, he can compensate for a size disadvantage with superior technical ability on his feet and the mat. 

Also, Alvarez is getting Luque at the right time. Luque once had a 14-2 stretch in the welterweight division, with his only losses coming against Wonderboy and Leon Edwards. Since that stretch, Luque has gone 2-4 with three of his four Ls coming via finish. Luque is down to the last sip of milk left in the carton that nobody wants to finish, so they don’t have to throw it away and subsequently have to take out the full trash. He’s the last bit of toothpaste in the tube after you roll it up like a poster. He’s the ring around the tub after the water drains out – just a residue of his former self. But Luque still has something for that ass. He still has his special move: the D’arce/Anaconda choke. And he’ll still decapitate your ankles like some poor bass turd in a Cartel movie. And his hooks are still catchy – still Billboard Top 100 ten years running since his debut in 2015.   

But Luque has developed a major malfunction after a decade of wars inside the Octagon: his chin. Luque has head movement like the Queen’s Guard, and as a result, his chin takes a beating. His chin is held on with bungee cords like a truck bed when you move. Homie’s chin is “Hanging by a Moment.” Yo! Hit that Lighthouse! Luque’s chin looks like it might jump. They blow up a huge air bag like the ones stuntmen/women use and send in The Negotiator to talk his chin down. His chin is up there talking about, “You ever dress up like a schoolgirl and get your ass spanked, Vicente?”  

And that’s why Luque is the heavy (+390) mangy dog in a division that he has been a staple in for ten years. Alvarez is the prohibitive (-550) favorite. Luque has to find a way to finish Alvarez. The last man to do that: Arman Tsarukyan. The play for Alvarez is a finish. TKO/KO or submission? Luque is coming in off a submission loss to Kevin Holland, and I like playing this one for a classic club and sub for Alvarez. I love me some Vicente Luque, but I just don’t see much of a path to victory for him. He has to hobble Alvarez, attacking the legs early. And refrain from lazy takedowns where Alvarez can snatch his neck. Joel Alvarez via Anaconda Choke, round two. Put it on wax.   

Props

Luque: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+1200) Dec (+1200)

Alvarez: TKO/KO (+140) Sub (+165) Dec (+550)

Winner: Joel Alvarez | Method: Anaconda Choke Rd.2

Jhonata Diniz (-130) vs. Mario Pinto (+110)

Diniz: DK: $7.9k | Pinto: DK: $8.3k

Hit that Bubba Sparxxx “Ugly!” BTW, triple x in your name is diabolical work. This fight is ugly like stag dates at the Prom - ugly like teachers when I was a kid versus teachers now. If you’re reading this, no offense, Ms. Bob. But that doesn’t mean this won’t be an undercover heavyweight banger. Both these guys crack like your butt cheeks at the colonoscopy wifey has been nagging you to schedule. "It's forty-five now, dear." Jhonata Diniz is an accomplished Glory kickboxer who once fought the legend, Rico Verhoeven. And Mario Pinto is cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. This guy looks like Homer in church when he fights – like he’s half asleep. His heart rate never elevates. You’d swear he was in REM sleep while he’s bouncing someone’s head off the canvas like the Professor in an And1 Mixtape. Don’t miss this one: they’re not going the distance; they’re not going for speed.   

Interesting fact: Jhonata Diniz and Mario Pinto are Peter-in-Laws. They both shared a special night with “Jane” Austen Lane. For the record, Pinto got Diniz’s sloppy seconds. Diniz turned Austen Lane into a bowling lane. Because Diniz has bowling balls for hands. Homie bowls from the stretch. Diniz’s best punch is his left hook. It looks like a third cousin of Alex Pereira’s left hook. Even though he has a kickboxing background, Diniz is mostly all boxing. He has sharp hands with slick slip n’ rips and decent power. He won’t sleep you with one punch as much as he’ll rock you and put you away with successive blows. Overall, Diniz is good at staying busy like at the office when the boss is around. He has good output (four and a half SLpM) and pace for a guy his size; Dinis is built like he has an above ground pool. Think about it. 

But Diniz hasn’t fought anybody. He fought a full time Pop Warner coach in his previous fight. And he damn near gassed out stomping on that tomato can. Also, Diniz’s ground game is sus. He rocks a solid seventy-eight percent takedown defense, but he has the ground game of a Swift. The fook is that? Swifts can remain airborne for ten months at a time and rarely touch ground. They even sleep in the air. If Dinis ends up on his back, he probably won’t get back up. But I don’t see Mario Pinto throwing on a singlet and Princess Leia earmuffs for this fight. Dinis will have to extend combos in the pocket and not let Pinto dance round the outside, round the outside.  

Although Mario Pinto is built like an actual Ford Pinto, he drives like a Caddy. This guy had a Bruce Lee one-inch-punch KO on the Contender Series. It was the shortest check hook ever. It was so short it looked like Pinto didn’t even move. It looked like some kind of Jedi Mind Trick. Yo! Hit that “Violent by Design!” Pinto’s style is effortlessly violent. He doesn’t look like he’s trying at all. Like his parents made him sign up. This guy wouldn’t break a Sweat while under fire if he were Keith. You already know; hit that “Get up on it!” In his debut, Pinto beat the brakes, Hula girl bobble head, and Mexican blanket on the backseat off Austen Lane. He turned Austen into Austin, Texas. Turned him into Memory Lane. Not even Pharell and the Clipse know what happened to that boy.   

Pinto has a classic father figure, but don’t let that fool you. He has weird power. His hands are slow and kind of clumsy-looking, but people fall when he hits them. His special power is a Lady Gaga Poker Face. His expression never changes, whether kicking ass or getting his ass kicked. He makes you feel self-conscious in that bish, like you’re not doing a good job. Like he’s comparing you to other fights he’s had, making you feel inadequate. Pinto is undefeated at 10-0 with six TKO/KOs and one sub. Diniz is 9-1 with seven TKO/KOs. These guys finish fights. 

This fight is a (-110) pick ‘em. These guys are very even on their feet. Diniz is the higher output striker, but Pinto is a little slicker. Pinto hits you with savvy sneaky shit that you don’t see coming. Diniz just throws powerful hooks and overhands. Initially, I liked the chances of an early finish, but now I can see it going the distance. Both guys are technically sound with no major defensive holes. And I think they’ll show each other a lot of respect, each being the other’s best competition. Damn, I’mstuck on this one. Give me Jhonata Diniz via decision. And put it on wax.   

Props

Diniz: TKO/KO (+175) Sub (+2800) Dec (+330)  

Pinto: TKO/KO (+5000) Sub (+1400) Dec (+300)

Winner: Jhonata Diniz | Method: Decision

Ricardo Ramos (-185) vs. Kaan Ofli (+160)

Ramos: DK: $8.8k | Ofli: DK: $7.4k

Ricardo Ramos... I don’t know what to make of this guy. He’s the equivalent of how a burger looks on the menu versus when you unwrap it. Ramos should be sponsored by Bass Pro Shop because he’s a catfisher. He rolls up to the Octagon carrying a tackle box and a fly-fishing pole like he’s Huck Fin. Homie steps into the cage fully prepared to catfish your ass, knowing you dropped a Hamilton on him. Best believe Ramos will look like the second coming of Do Bronx, then get caught in a Gilly before Bruce Buffer can even step out of the cage. This guy gets caught in more guillotines than aristocrats during the French Revolution. But he also has the best Fatality in the game: the spinning back elbow.  

Lerone Murphy and Diego Lopes pay this guy royalties. Ramos invented the counter-spinning back elbow. It’s all in the setup. He hoodwinks, flimflams, bamboozles, hornswoggles, pulls the wool chonies over your eyes, making you think you got the drop on him before you wake up, wondering if Matt Vasgersian is Jon Anik’s dad. Ramos retreats, drawing you forward, then stops on a dime and drops the whammy like a Jimi Hendrix solo. It’s not a Hail Mary, shot-in-the-dark strike for Ramos. He can land it at will. Ramos looks like an elite fighter on the feet and on the mat. But he can’t put it all together. He can’t seem to get out of his own way. Five of his seven career losses came in the first round.   

Ramos’s problem is that he doesn’t have a coherent flow. He’s like playing Madden against someone who only runs trick plays. Homie comes out on first down and throws from the punt formation. A traditionally paced kickboxing match is Ramos’s kryptonite. For his career, Ramos is 17-7 with four TKO/KOs and seven subs. The bad news: He has lost three of his last four, two by guillotine. The good news: He’s fighting Kann Ofli.    

Kaan Ofli is like the position player coming in to pitch in a blowout, lobbing overhand meatballs over the heart of the plate. My man is built like Mugsy Bogues. He looks like his mammy still buys his clothes at Carter’s. Ofli can still wear zip-up feety pajamas. When he’s in Vegas, Ofli needs an adult chaperone to walk through the casino. Hit that Jidenna “Classic Man!” Except that Ofli is an Average Man. He’s like the Smarties and Dum-Dums and those hard candies that are wrapped to look like strawberries that are left over after all the bomb shit is gone from your Trick-or-Treat bag. Smarties and Dum-Dums are still good, but they can’t compete with Butterfingers, Nerds, and Baby Ruth.   

I’ll say this for Kaan Ofli: he made it to the finale of the Ultimate Fighter last year, and that’s not easy to do. He has a well-rounded game, but he’s mostly a wrestler-striker without the big right hand. There’s nothing threatening or dangerous about Ofli. Ricardo Ramos is very dangerous, not only to his opponents but also to himself. If anybody can find a way to lose this fight, it’s Ricardo Ramos. Ramos is the (-190) favorite, and Ofli is the (+165) dog. What type of dog? If I had to pick, I’d say a Corgi. Play this one for a finish. Ramos will either finish Ofli or find a way to finish himself. Ricardo Ramos via TKO, round three. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Ramos: TKO/KO (+450) Sub (+350) Dec (+165)  

Ofli: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+450) Dec (+400)

Winner: Ricardo Ramos | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Jhonata Diniz ($7.9k): The Value Menu is filled with unfavorable matchups this week. Diniz is one of the few finishing threats. Pinto vs. Diniz will likely be a low-output affair barring a finish. But Diniz has high-level kickboxing experience. He will have a good chance of not only being the first to beat Pinto, but also of finishing him. Pinto had some sketchy moments in the first round of his debut against Austen Lane. Lane dropped Pinto and nearly notched the big upset. Pinto came back to win in the second round, but he can’t afford to make that kind of mistake against a far better striker in Johnata Diniz. 

Charles Oliveira ($7.8k): The GOAT submission Banksy in the UFC. If anybody can snatch one of Gamrot’s limbs and mount it over his fireplace, it’s “Do Bronx.” Gamrot’s neck is just waiting to be snatched. Charles will likely spend the early minutes on his back. But that’s okay because Oliveira, on his back, is in a dominant position. Gamrot tends to fade late. If the takedown well dries up, Oliviera will finish him on the feet. And if Gamrot’s takedowns get lazy, Oliveira will submit him. Oliveira will have to throw winning rounds out the window and bide his time for a late comeback. The stand-up will be all Charles; he is the far more dangerous striker, even if his chin is compromised like Washington, D.C. 

Deiveson Figueiredo ($7.2k): If Figgy comes out level changing and clinching, you can tear up your Figgy ticket. He can win this fight. But he has to do it on his feet. He doesn’t want to get into a grappling match with Montel Jackson. Figgy’s grappling isn’t dangerous. His striking is dangerous. Jackson will have a speed advantage, but Figgy is more powerful and is the all-around better striker. Not only can Figgy win this fight, but he can also finish it if he stays committed to his striking. Jackson has never fought anyone on Figgy’s level, but Figgy has fought better competition than Jackson. 

 $6k Clearance Rack

Karolina Kowalkiewicz ($6.8k): This lady is a volunteer firefighter in the pocket. Phonebooth? This lady will fight you in a Port-O-John. Karolina averages five and a half SLpM, and so does her opponent, Julia Polastri. This is a banger women’s scrap. Trust me. These ladies will stand in front of each other and exchange like the last ten seconds of Max vs. Gaethje for the entire fifteen minutes. Against fellow strikers like Polastri, Karolina is almost guaranteed to eclipse the one-hundred-strikes mark, win or lose. She fought two grapplers in her two most recent fights, but before that, she landed one hundred forty-one and one hundred thirty-noine strikes back-to-back. This is a good Fantasy matchup to target.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+345): Karolina can out-dog Julia Polastri. Karolina’s UFC experience dwarfs Polastri’s. She once fought Joanna for the strawweight title. There isn’t a big name in the division that Karolina hasn’t fought. And she’s a dog. She will get in Polastri’s face and push the pace. Polastri is the savvier striker, but Karolina can make this a dogfight in the clinch and take away Polastri’s ability to use her superior footwork. At the very least, these odds are way too wide. I’m picking Polastri to edge this one out (Karolina is too easy to hit), but Karolina will make me sweat.  

Deiveson Figueiredo (+240): Good luck finding dogs this week. It’s hard out here for a dog catcher. I should be more confident in Figgy. This is a good matchup for him. And even though Montel Jackson is a solid fighter with a high upside, he’s a slight step down in competition from who Figgy has been fighting since his days as the flyweight champ. I love this fight for Figgy if he commits to striking and abandons his offensive wrestling game plan. He can hurt Jackson on the feet, but Jackson is slicker on the mat. If Figgy can shake off one or two takedowns or scramble back to his feet, the fight will be his to lose on the feet.  

Lucas Almeida (+130): At one time, Lucas Almeida was a highly touted fighter. Then his ground game got exposed like Black’s Beach in San Diego, CA. But he’s still a sleeper on his feet. Almeida has tight, technical kickboxing. A loser of three out of his last four, Almeida impressed me in a losing effort in his most recent bout against Danny Silva. That was a dogfight that Almeida fell behind in early. He then closed the gap late with crispy combinations. This time around, Almeida will be fighting Michael Aswell who will be making only his second UFC appearance. Aswell held his own on short notice in his debut against Bolaji Oki, but I didn’t see anything special about this guy. IDK if Aswell has a strong ground game, but if Almeida can stay upright, I like his chances of winning a kickboxing match.  

Pick ‘Em

Lucas Almeida (+125) vs. Michael Aswell (-145) 

Winner: Michael Aswell 

Method: Decision 

Jafel Filho (+105) vs. Clayton Carpenter (-120)  

Winner: Clayton Carpenter 

Method: Decision 

Vitor Petrino (-310) vs. Thomas Petersen (+255)  

 Winner: Vitor Petrino 

Method: Decision 

Beatriz Mesquita (-585) vs. Irina Alekseeva (+410) 

Winner: Beatriz Mesquita 

Method: Decision 

Lucas Rocha (-125) vs. Stewart Nicoll (+105)  

 Winner: Lucas Rocha 

Method: Decision 

Valter Walker (-320) vs. Mohammed Usman (+260)  

 Winner: Valter Walker 

Method: Heel Hook Rd.1 

Julia Polastri (-470) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (+345) 

 Winner: Julia Polastri 

Method: Decision 

Luan Lacerda (-250) vs. Saimon Oliveira (+210) 

 Winner: Luan Lacerda 

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.