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.

Main Card

Abusupiyan Magomedov (+120) vs. Sean Strickland (-150)

Abus: DK: $7.7k | Emmett: DK:$8.5k

Say his name five times in a mirror, and he appears.  

Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan.  

Many say his legend is only a mechanism to manifest and confront a physical representation of one's own fears. But others insist he is real. A man externally covered in bees, a bat-winged fiend who can take flight, a mere man, the ass-kicker of all ass-kickers, the legend takes many forms. The ones who claim to have survived an encounter with Abusupiyan say he only wants one thing, belief. Belief in his existence and supplication to his retribution for those who have denied him of such.  

Skeptics say he preys on the inferior competition of less fortunate promotions, his only venture into the mainstream lasting all of nineteen seconds. And no sign of him since. Proof, the naysayers claim, that he is but a figment of over-excited imaginations, those longing for a new boogeyman, and preconditioned to accept well-orchestrated psyops. Simply put, they don’t believe. But they will. And his message will remain the same: Tell... Everyone. 

This weekend, one man will bust out a bottle of Windex and dare to resurrect the legend of Abusupiyan once again. Bat shit crazy, whacked out of his skull, deranged; Sean Strickland has heard it all before, and to that, he says, “Thank you.” If Abusupiyan is a monster as touted, then Sean Strickland is a Witcher, a man whose trade is hunting and poaching the hides of such creatures. And if you are among the congregation of nonbelievers, by all means, look in the mirror and say: 

Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. Abusupiyan. 

This may be one of the most perplexing main events in a while. A man with eighteen UFC bouts and hours of Octagon experience versus a guy with one bout and noineteen seconds of Octagon experience. Finding recent fight footage for Abus Magomedov is like trying to dig up dirt on Mr. Rogers; there isn’t much. He has had thirty professional fights and fought five times for the PFL in 2018 but only three times since, and only once since 2020, the year of toilet paper totalitarianism. Abus made it to the PFL finals in 2018 and got KTFO by a substitute teacher who hasn’t fought since. However, to earn his spot in the finals, he dominated Sadibou Sy, the guy who scored that nasty spinning wheel kick KO that was all over your feed this past weekend. Abus held his own in the striking but dominated the fight on the mat. Since that fight, Abus has only fought four times, and only one went longer than a minute.  

If I had to guess, it’s probably hard finding willing opponents for Abus. Monetary compensation doesn’t seem to be sufficient to agree to fight this guy. Fighting Abus is like falling in the gorilla exhibit at the zoo. Dude will tear you limb from limb, consume you, then throw you in the form of doodie in his hand at the onlookers watching in horror with upraised iPhones. Abus is the missing link. He represents a fusion of striking and grappling as a singular flowing concept. From what I’ve seen, Abus could possibly be a better Magomed Ankalaev. That noineteen seconds I’ve mentioned; Abus came out and punted Dustin Stoltzfus in the face and melted him with follow-ups against the cage.  

On the feet, Abus is wild; he howls at the moon. He likes to close the distance with Zlatan leaping switch kicks and flying knees. His overall style is that of a traditional Lumpini Stadium Muay Thai fighter with long punches that curve naturally like the blade of a scythe. As he marches down opponents, Abus alternates feinting teeps, left/right. Off the feints, Abus can snap or teep kick, defensively shield, or use the leg motion as a sort of crow hop into his hand strikes. Up-the-middle attacks are Magomedov’s specialty, and he uses them often in the forms of standing knees and soccer kicks between the guard. When it comes to his hands, Abus hits like one. He fights long and has excellent range management. Sean Strickland struggled with Alex Pereira’s length when the two fought, and Strickland will have a similar problem against Abus.  

Nobody in the history of the world with the name Magomedov couldn’t wrestle. Abus is no different. He has excellent entries and chain wrestles, stringing together techniques to keep opponents off balance to finish takedowns. From the top position, Abus has heavy top control and punishing ground and pound. For his career, Abus is 25-4 with fourteen TKO/KOs and six subs. Although he has a far more diverse stand-up arsenal than Strickland, Abus’s path to victory will be on the mat. Strickland has a career eighty-five percent takedown defense and hasn’t been taken down since he fought Kamaru Usman in 2017, but he also hasn’t fought a guy with elite grappling chops since then. Strickland’s only chance to win is on the feet, so why give him that chance? I expect Abus to come out with the same game plan he used against Sadibou Sy, close the distance with heavy strikes, push him against the cage, and drag him to the mat.  

Sean Strickland is an Inglorious Bastard. He’s the type to get into a fight at Denny’s after a five-round main event. He’s a fight glutton; too much is never enough. Strickland is a boxer built like Bert Reynolds with a style straight out of the 1920s. He’s from a time period when there was no round limit, and they wore oven mitts for gloves. During the Great Depression, Strickland would be scrapping in the soup line for an extra ladle. Be wary of any man who welcomes the company of his own mortality. Strickland often breaks bread with his and isn’t beholden to the limitations some fighters take upon themselves to achieve a singular outcome. This guy fights because he loves kicking ass, and when that’s your only motivation, taking risks comes without any reservations. 

Strickland is an organic fighter; his style is comprised of only one ingredient, boxing. While Abus is a home run hitter on the feet, Strickland is a singles and doubles hitter. Strickland plays Moneyball, builds his offense around on-base percentage. Strickland focuses on volume and touching you constantly instead of power. Accumulative damage and a slow breaking down of your will are how Strickland wins fights. And he has the cardio to push a pace that few can keep up with for twenty-five minutes. Four of his last fights were five-round main events that all went the distance, and in each one, Strickland was closer to two hundred significant strikes landed than one hundred. He uses a high hand position and whips strikes from the shoulders from protractor angles.  

Stricky is the Floyd Mayweather of MMA. Are you still with me? Let me explain. Dude is one of the best, if not the best, at using the shoulder roll to deflect punches. A lot of punches that look like they landed merely graze off his shoulders and leave him in perfect position to fire back short two to three-punch combos. He also extends his hands and deflects shots out in front of them, never giving them a chance to reach his head. That defense works well against straight punches but can be penetrated by round hooks and overhands.  

While Abus’ path to victory is a highway with six lanes, all leading in different directions, Strickland’s is a treacherous one-way dirt road forged on the side of a Tibetan cliff. This will be a battle of range and who can control it. Strickland will have to get inside of Magomedov’s long strikes while being careful not to over-pursue and walk into takedowns. Survive and advance; Strickland needs to get the fight into the championship rounds, a territory unfamiliar to Abus. Don't let the Magnum P.I. frame fool you; I would put Strickland’s cardio up against anyone’s in the division. Provided he can force long stretches of stand-up, Strickland can out-work/out-point Abus to a victory, with a distant shot at a late finish if Abus’s cardio proves not to be up to snuff.  

Strickland is the (-150) favorite, and Abus is the (+120) dog. This could be one of those fights that we look back on and laugh that Abus was ever a dog against Strickland. Or Strickland will prove the oddsmakers right and outlast Abus’s early storm and take over. Fantasy-wise, Abus is all upside. He has the skills to finish the fight on the feet or on the mat. But he will likely be fighting within a window and have a limited time to score a finish. Strickland has the benefit of knowing he can go five hard rounds and still have enough left in the tank in the fifth round to finish Abus. An Abus TKO/KO will return (+300) and a sub (+650). A Strickland TKO/KO will return (+275), and a decision will return (+165). 

I took a chance on Josh Emmett last week and got thoroughly pummeled. But I didn’t underestimate the lil’ Brahma bull, Ilia Topuria; I just overestimated Emmett. The speed and power differences were glaring within the opening minutes, and I foresaw my fate lingering on the horizon well before its arrival. This week... well, it feels like I’ll be taking a chance either way. I have no idea what to expect from Abus. I could see him walking through Strickland, grinding Strickland out on the mat for the duration, or getting pieced up for the majority of the fight if his wrestling isn’t effective. Sean Strickland via decision.

Winner: Sean Strickland | Method: Decision

Grant Dawson (-105) vs. Damir Ismagulov (-115)

Dawson: DK: $8k | Ismagulov: DK: $8.2k

He’s back like Jordan rocking the 4-5 after a two-year hiatus from the NBA to play minor league baseball. But Damir Ismagulov’s “retirement” lasted only two months. “And I took that personally,” Damir said after his noineteen-fight dub streak ended in his last bout against Arman Tsarukyan. Now he’s back like Brady, fresh off a divorce and looking to write the wrongs of yesterday in hieroglyphics only he can understand. Damir Ismagulov is the latest to be freed from the mental confines of a meaningless “streak.” At some point, it becomes more about the “streak” and doing whatever it takes to preserve it than the love of the game. Ismagulov is one of the best fighters in the world, an instant champion in any other promotion, and now he’s back with a new perspective that only a loss can provide. 

I have a whole stable of dark horses, thoroughbreds who emerge from the middle of the pack once they hit the home stretch. Ismagulov is one of them. Damir Ismagulov is a cerebral fighter with Stephen Hawking fight IQ. He’s a precision striker with strikes perfectly calibrated so as not to waste any motion. The Ismagulov jab is among the best in the promotion and is the key to his distance management. It’s like Damir has an onboard computer making real-time calculations to influence the exact amount of movement needed to avoid a strike and remain in attacking position. His hands are straight and long, and his secret weapon is his right round kick to the body. If this fight with Grant Dawson were a kickboxing match, you’d have to go to a tribal Rez to get it sanctioned. 

Ismagulov lost to Tsarukyan in the clinch. Tsarukyan took Damir down seven times in that bout, but Damir successfully defended fourteen and fought back from his feet from all except the final takedown at the final buzzer. Ismagulov struggled to break the bodylock and create separation when he got to his feet and allowed Tsarukyan to control him for long stretches in the clinch. That’s where he lost the fight. It could be déjà vu against Grant Dawson if Damir can’t create separation. Dawson’s game plan will be a mystery to no one; he will try to stay glued to Damir for the entire fifteen minutes and drag him to the mat and keep him there. Damir has to control range with his jab and show more urgency in the clinch. 

Ismagulov is 24-2 for his career with twelve TKO/KOs and one sub and is 5-1 in the UFC but has yet to finish a fight. That could change against Grant. Damir can grapple with Grant, but Grant can’t stand with Damir. On the feet, Damir can drag Grant into Titan submarine deep waters until Grant’s takedowns become desperate, his hull springs a leak, and he implodes on the feet. Grant flirted with disaster against Ricky Glenn and Leo Santos and was lucky to get a draw and win, respectively, in those fights. But Fantasy-wise, Ismagulov isn’t a world-beater. He’s a moderate striker, averaging just over three and a half significant strikes per minute. But there will be value in a late finish when Grant tends to slow down. 

On the mat, Grant Dawson is a strangler, a rogue dominatrix without a safety word. But on the feet, he goes from Grant Dawson to Dawson’s Creek. This guy’s a gangster? His real name is Pacey. He has Morgan Freeman Cosmos blackholes in his striking, but he’s Shai-Hulud, a monster, on the ground. Grant is coming off the most impressive dub of his career, a third-round submission of Mark O. Madsen, an Olympic silver medalist. Grant out-wrestled Madsen from the jump and looked like the real Olympian. If Grant gets hold of anything, a pinkie toe, a hair on your body, anything, you’re gonna have a bad time. He has a PHD in single-leg takedowns, and finishing single-legs at this level is a specialty.  

It’s wrestle or bust for Dawson against Ismagulov. Damir is too technical and fast for Dawson to spend any length of time standing and trading with him. I don’t know if Grant can finish Damir on the mat, but Damir can finish Dawson on the feet. For his career, Dawson is 19-1-1 with four TKO/KOs and thirteen subs, and he’s coming off back-to-back submission dubs against two solid grapplers in Jared Gordon and Mark O. Fantasy-wise, Dawson’s value will be nearly four takedowns per fifteen minutes and top control. A finish is never impossible, but I think it will be a long shot; Damir was able to hold his own against Tsarukyan for the majority of that fight. 

Ismagulov will be the (-130) favorite, and Dawson will be the (+110) dog, possibly for the first time in the UFC. Bust out the Piso Mojado signs; Grant Dawson will be dripping value all over your freshly Swiffered floor. There’s a solid chance this fight could look a lot like the Tsarukan vs. Ismagulov fight, and Grant could salt away the clock with takedowns and top control. If Damir can’t defeat the bodylock and the clinch and create separation, he’ll be playing catch-up most of the fight. A Damir TKO/KO will return (+550) and a decision (+140). A Grant sub will return (+550), and a Grant decision will return (+240). But I came here to chew bubble gum and pick Damir Ismagulov. And I’m all outta bubble gum. Damir Ismagulov via TKO, round three. On wax. 

Winner: Damir Ismagulov | Method: TKO Rd.3

Max Griffin (+205) vs. Michael Morales (-250)

Griff: DK: $7.2k | Morales: DK:$9k

This is Hollywood Blvd. Michael B. Jordan vs. Mini Rumble Johnson and Mini Rumble is coming to run Michael B. off the spot and steal his donation coffee can and his ham sammich. “Eat your sandwich, Dave... Give me your sandwich, Dave.” Michael Morales is a Wayne Brady bully with a perfect 14-0 record and twelve finishes. And Max Griffin is a savvy veteran and winner of four of his last five bouts. So far, Morales has looked a lot like Abus Magomedov, a serial killer who has yet to meet a Joe Kenda. Max Griffin will survive where other fighters couldn’t and make this fight ugly, and Max will become Payne Brady, and the bully will become bullied. 

Michael Morales fights like a professional street fighter; he’s a cul-de-sac scrapper with a menacing cadence on the feet. He has an intimidating poster/stature and lacks the perfect amount of fundamentals. Huh? Yeah, sometimes the strict adherence to textbook fundamentals can be detrimental; it stifles creativity and doesn’t provide a unique look for an opponent. Imagine putting Chuck Liddell’s hands at his face in the perfect defensive position. He would have been half the fighter. Chuck was dangerous because his lack of traditional fundamentals allowed him to discover a unique power and angles throwing from the waist. Morales is the same. He fights with his hands down and his chin high up in the air. It’s the perfect storm; at any moment, disaster can strike. Morales plays with fire like Ghost Rider and engages in nothing but dangerous back-and-forth coin flip exchanges. So far, the coin has landed on heads fourteen straight times. 

My favorite fighter of ALL TIME is Bas Rutten. Bas fought out of a squared stance, taking away a traditional jab and replacing it with a second cross. Morales fights squared and essentially has two crosses, two power hands, instead of a range-finding hand and a power hand. He throws wide hooks and three-quarters shovel hooks and puts one hundred percent into every strike. That’s a recipe for gassing, and he has yet to be in a grueling fight where that was a factor. That will change against Griffin. Defensively, he is the anti-Floyd Mayweather. Morales parries punches with his face; he’s Pacman in that bish, eating all the damn punches. One day, he will get knocked out; I just don’t know if Saturday will be that day. His value will be in a TKO/KO finish, which would be his third in a row in the UFC. 

The big question is, which Max Griffin will show up? Sometimes Peter Griffin shows up, and Max looks like a Swap Meet Neil Magny, the threads unraveling after one wear. Max is good everywhere and great nowhere. He has just enough awkwardness on the feet to cause most fighters problems and enough grappling to take advantage of against better strikers. Griffin has student driver striking, a herky-jerky, stop-and-go cadence with respectable power and excellent distance management. He uses perpetual lateral movement, which will be key against Morales. Morales attacks in straight lines, and Griffin will need to keep Morales’ feet moving and not allow him to sit down on his strikes. But overall, Max is missing something. IDK, but I can’t remember a single Max Griffin fight, and I’ve seen them all. It’s like getting hit with the MIB memory stick. His style is like dying in my sleep; I don’t feel it. 

Max is the (+190) dog, but he can win this fight. He has to excel in all the gray areas, in the clinch, against the cage, in transitions, and on the mat. Striking off the breaks, dirty boxing in the tie-ups, dragging Morales to the mat, and making this fight ugly will be Max’s paths to victory. He has to bust out the Logitech PlayStation controller and navigate Morales into deep waters. Morales is the higher output striker at nearly five and a half strikes landed per minute to Max’s nearly four and a half, but Max can make up the difference in the clinch and with top control. I think Morales will get out to an early lead and have to hold on late. Griffin has only been finished once in his career, but Morales will be the better finishing threat, and a TKO/KO will return (+175). A Griffin TKO/KO will return (+650). To quote myself: “One day, he (Morales) will get knocked out; I just don’t know if Saturday will be that day.” Michael Morales via TKO, round two. 

Winner: Michael Morales | Method: TKO Rd.2

Ariane Lipski (+170) vs. Melissa Gatto (-210)

Lipski: DK: $7.5k | Gatto: DK: $8.7k

This could turn into a Black Mamba vs. Cottonmouth scrap, on some Kill Bill type-ish. These ladies are two savage strikers. Ariane Lipski is one of the heaviest power punchers in the women's divisions, and Melissa Gatto, well, she’s the rare occasion when it’s good to find out your dog is a Gatto. This fight could look a lot like Ribas vs. Barber looked last weekend, when third-round Maycee Barber showed up in the first round, and the mat was covered in crimson by the end of the first five minutes. I’m telling you now, get the official doobie break, the trip to the garage, outta the way before this scrap. 

The knock against Ariane Lipski has always been her lack of takedown defense. She has that Alex Jones tweet takedown defense. But in her last bout against J.J. Aldrich, Lipski looked like her wrestling might be turning over a new leaf. Takedown defense Ariane Lipski could be a problem. As is, Lipski is a classic Brazilian Muay Thai striker with heavy hands and round kicks. Lipski has been training with the Bah-Bah-Bah, the GOAT, Amanda Nunes, and Lipski is starting to resemble her mentor on the feet. For better or worse, every exchange is a head-on car crash for Lipski. She’s all straight lines, full steam ahead, with no head movement or deviation from the centerline. She has that Worker’s Comp, investigator-hiding-in-the-bushes, head movement. She tends to take as much as she gives, but sixty percent of the time, her power wins every time. 

Lipski is 15-8 for her career with six TKO/KOs and three subs. Usually, when Lipski loses, it’s because she couldn’t stay on her feet. Fantasy-wise, Lipski is a moderate striker, averaging just under four significant strikes per minute, and she hit the one-hundred-strikes mark for the first time in her last bout. Gatto will try to test Lipski’s wrestling early, but she’ll abandon it real quick if Lipski can shake a couple off early. That will favor a higher output for both ladies, as a crunchy lil’ stand-up banger will ensue. 

Melissa Gatto is an Ariane Lipski with less power and a better ground game. Stand-up-wise, Gatto is a Gucci Amanda Ribas with a similar cadence but better technical prowess. In her last bout, Gatto pieced up Tracy Cortez on the feet and even had some good moments on the mat. She dominated the grappling in the second round, and Cortez is one of the best wrestlers in the division. She has four career subs to two career TKO/KOs, but I think she might be more dangerous on the feet. Gatto has Bride of Chucky 90s slasher striking. Reek! Reek! Reek! She marches you down, and no matter how fast you run, she manages to stay just a step behind you without ever breaking stride. Her style is pressure with alternating lefts/rights and occasional round kicks to punctuate. Her kicks travel along that Giga Kick spectrum and are perfect for landing a pant-shitter to the liver.  

Gatto’s path to victory will be on the mat and grinding out Lipski from the top position. But if that isn’t an option, this will be two nearly identical strikers exchanging bones back and forth. This will be Castor Troy vs. Sean Archer. Or is it Sean Archer vs. Castor Troy? Who is who? Gatto will be the (-210) favorite, and Lipski will be the (+170) dog. Gatto’s return is a direct reflection of her wrestling advantage. On the feet, this is a toss-up. Lipski’s last three losses all came via TKO/KO, including a one-minute TKO to Priscilla Cachoeira. Gatto has less experience but has yet to be finished in noine career scraps. Melissa Gatto via TKO, round two. 

Winner: Melissa Gatto | Method: TKO Rd.2

Ismael Bonfim (-340) vs. Benoit St. Denis (+250)

Bonfim: DK: $9.2k | St. Denis: DK:$7k

Benoit St. Dennis once got his ass kicked so bad the ref got fired immediately after. In fact, conspiracy theorists suggest the real St. Denis never left the arena that night and was the inspiration for a T.I. and Justin Timberlake track. I know what you’re thinking: Leading off with old shit, huh? I like to address the elephant in the room and establish my dominance. If this fight stays standing, it could turn into another Apocalypto sacrifice real quick. That Elizeu Dos Santos beating; you ain’t seen nothing yet. Ismael Bonfim is one half of the infamous Bonfim Brothers, a dynamic sibling duo the likes of which haven’t been seen since Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ismael is an Outkast B.O.B. striker who leaves in his wake three-eyed fish, deer with two heads, and people with cancerous legions growing all over their bodies from the radiation left behind. 

It’s no secret Benoit St. Denis is a grappler. He is 10-1 for his career, with eight subs and two TKO/KOs. Benoit has solid wrestling and submission over position top control. He takes the fight to the mat with a purpose, to finish. His bodylock is tight like hallways, and he’s excellent at using the Dagestani Leg Irons against the cage to pass into dominant positions. His game plan is simple: Go full Merab. Always go full Merab. Ismael Bonfim is 19-3 for his career, and all three losses came via submission, St. Denis’ specialty. The path to victory is clear. 

The problem is St. Denis has just enough power in his left hand that he likes to stand longer than he should. Then he quickly finds himself in a firefight, surrounded on all sides with no way out like Puffy. Other than a stray overhand left, St. Denis has Red Coat striking; stand directly in front of you and trade back and forth. He needs to implement some Minutemen tactics like head movement and lateral footwork to avoid return fire. Overall, St. Denis is a swinger and not a striker, and I ain’t talking Brad and Angelina. His striking held up in his last bout, but he won’t be fighting a Spirit Halloween Doc Holiday this time. St. Denis’ value will be nearly three and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes and a submission finish if he can consistently get Bonfim to the mat.  

No baseball cards got traded in the neighborhood without the Bonfim Brothers’ explicit permission. These guys have been running shit since pull-ups and Baby Einstein. Ismael fights like a mini-Vitor Belfort. He is small in stature but has compact power, and his only reaction is overreaction. He has Mt. Vesuvius turn-you-to-an-ash-cast-in-your-final-resting-position-for-eternity power. His best tactic is siege warfare and waiting you out, so he can same-time counter. He’s a riverboat gambler who waits for you to engage and bets on himself to beat you to the punch. Bonfim is a JPP M-80 waiting to detonate that will blow off more than a couple fingers.  

Bonfim is coming off a flying knee KO in his debut against Terrance McKinney. Rigor mortis instantly set in, and McKinney looked like a mob hit tossed in the Hudson. On the feet, he will hurt St. Denis quick, but the question is his ground game. I haven’t seen enough to know if he can keep the fight standing against a grappling specialist like St. Denis. For his career, Bonfim has noine TKO/KOs and four subs, and his Fantasy value will be nearly five and a half significant strikes per minute and a TKO/KO finish.  

Bonfim is a massive (-325) favorite, and St. Denis is the (+250) mangy dog. I guess Vegas isn’t worried about Bonfim’s takedown defense. I think St. Denis's only path to victory will be a submission. I don’t see him controlling Bonfim on the mat for fifteen minutes. A St. Denis submission will return (+800), and a Bonfim TKO/KO will return (+165). Ismael Bonfim via TKO, round two. It’s like this and like wax, and uh. 

Winner: Ismael Bonfim | Method: TKO Rd.2

Nursulton Ruziboev (+170) vs. Brunno Ferreira (-210)

Ruziboev: DK: $7.8k | Ferreira: DK:$8.4k

Nursulton “Of Swat” Ruziboev is a late replacement for Abdul Razak Alhassan and a far more dangerous matchup for Brunno Ferreira. Like Abusupiyan, Nursulton also has a blue vs. red cult-like following. Check out these numbers: Ruziboev is 34-8 with twelve TKO/KOs and twenty subs; that’s thirty-two finishes out of thirty-four career dubs. And ten of those twenty career subs are armbars and Kimuras. Nursulton has formidable striking, but his specialty is on the mat. Duck Duck Go his fight against a fighter named Ibrahima Mane, Gucci Mane’s third cousin. Ruziboev power bombed his way out of a triangle choke like Rampage Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona and left Mane DOA. 

I grow more convinced with each passing day that these “ev/ov” fighters are bred within incubators in massive Biolabs at a secret location in Antartica. The interesting thing is they all seem to have a unique specialty, a special move or obscure technique that is unique to their physical makeup. Ruziboev’s is the Kimura or hammerlock (for all my Bas Rutten heads). Ruziboev often ends up on his back but uses the Kimura to sweep and end up in the top position. It’s like a reverse Uno card. This guy’s best takedown is being taken down and using a Kimura sweep to end up in the dominant position. Nursulton has a long frame and is excellent at creating space on the bottom and attacking arm locks. And from the top position, forgetaboutit. Dude has out-of-code rotten ground and pound. 

My only apprehension about this guy is his striking. I don’t know how good it is/isn’t. He’s the definition of a one-punch striker and lacks the cadence/flow of a seasoned striker. But he’s long and uses his reach well. His path to victory will clearly be on the mat and avoiding Brunno Ferreira’s wild haymakers on the feet. Fantasy-wise, there isn’t a better finisher on the card than this guy, and his likely means of victory is a sub. 

Brunno Ferreira takes nothing but batting practice home run hacks inside the Octagon. No matter the count or game situation, homie points to the centerfield wall and calls his shot. From the spelling of his name to his lack of fundamentals, Brunno breaks all the rules. He’s often off balance and out of position and over throws every punch. But those type of guys are unpredictable and hard to fight. Most fighters operate within a set of well-defined technical rules and expect to engage with others who adhere to similar rules. The kryptonite to such fighters is a guy who doesn’t follow those rules. Fighters like Brunno create a paradigm shift that the more traditional fighter can’t quickly adapt to.  

Ferreira is an undefeated 10-0 fighter with seven TKO/KOs and three subs. He has a one-minute TKO win on the Contender Series and a first-round TKO dub in his debut against one of my favorite fighters, Brazilian Deebo Gregory Rodrigues. Gregory was looking crispy, piecing up Ferreira early, but Bruno only needed one punch to complete a one-round comeback. The key against Nursulton will be Brunno’s ground game. I haven’t seen Brunno’s grappling, but he’s Brazilian, and Brazilians score their first career submission against the doctor who delivers them. Brunno will have to cause chaos on the feet and hope to lure Nursulton into 50/50 exchanges.  

Bring ‘em out! Bring ‘em out! Bust out the Piso Mojado signs. Nursulton Ruziboev will be dripping with value as the (+150) dog. He's a monster on the ground, and for Brunno, anyone who doesn’t value fundamentals on the feet likely doesn’t on the mat, either. I expect Ruziboev to have a decided advantage in the grappling, but he has to close the distance while navigating around Ferreira’s wild haymakers. Have one of these guys on your Fantasy roster because a finish is all but certain. A Brunno Ferreira TKO/KO will return (-135). A Ruziboev TKO/KO will return (+600) and a sub (+450). I came here to smoke bowls and pick Nursulton Ruziboev, and I’m all out of bowls (not really). Nursulton Ruziboev via rear-naked choke, round two.

Winner: Nursulton Ruziboev | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Blagoy Ivanov ($7.9k): Blagoy Ivanov is built like a wrecking ball. In twenty-four career bouts, including appearances in the PFL, Bellator, and The World Series of Fighting, Blagoy has never been finished. His opponent this Saturday night, Alexander Romanov, is the definition of a Missy Elliott One-Minute Man. Romanov is good for about one minute of slams and ground and pounding before he rolls over and grabs a cig. Once the clock strikes two minutes, the glass slippers turn into well-thrown chonclas, and homie becomes completely worthless. All Blagoy has to do is survive the opening minutes, and a finish is all but certain. And since he has never been finished, I think there’s a good chance that happens. Also, get Blagoy for plus money while you still can. 

Nursulton Ruziboev ($7.8k): Ruziboev has the ground game to neutralize Brunno Ferreira’s nuclear power on the feet. Where Ferreira has a singular path to victory in the stand-up, Ruziboev can stand and strike or take the fight to the mat and finish with subs or ground and pound. Ruziboev has to slow play this fight and look to drag Ferreira into the latter rounds. Ferreira is 10-0 but has only been outside of the first round twice, and both instances ended in the opening minute of the second. Ferrerira’s level map is almost completely shaded, unexplored, the unknowns more numerous than the knowns. Nursulton’s upside is massive, with a good shot at a middle-to-late submission. Remember, he has thirty-four career dubs, and thirty-two were finishes, including twenty subs. 

Kevin Lee ($7.4k): He’s back. The veteran who was once on his way to beating Tony Ferguson for the lightweight title before catching the speed wobbles in the second round and getting submitted, is back after a brief one-fight stint outside the UFC. The big question about Lee has always been his defensive wrestling/grappling. When he can initiate the takedown and maintain the top position, he’s a killer, but when he ends up on his back, he’s a victim. He’ll be behind the eight ball early against the wrestling dynamo, Rinat Fakhretdinov, but if Lee can force scrambles and get back to his feet, he can create damage. The mind-fook would be if Lee comes out and puts Rinat on his back early. Either way, Lee will have a chance to win this fight on the feet if he can keep it there and dictate the wrestling on his own terms. 

6k Clearance Rack 

Elves Brener ($6.8k): If you find yourself digging around in the $6k bargain crates, Brener is the only option. You got a better chance of dropping a doodie and not looking at it before you flush than Elves Brener does of beating Guram Kutateladze, but at least he averages over four and a half significant strikes per minute and was highly competitive in his debut against Zubaira Tukhugov. At least you can score some middle-tier striking stats with Brener on his way to an L. His opponent Guram Kutateladze is a cult hero and was thrown to the wolves in his first two UFC bouts, facing Mateusz Gamrot and Damir Ismagulov. That tells you all you need to know about Guram’s skill level.  

Plays of the Night

Sean Strickland via Decision (+165): Strickland hasn’t finished a fight in his last six bouts. He’s a volume-over-power striker and relies on accumulative damage more than one-punch KO power. His path to victory is staying on his feet and using combinations to get ahead on the scorecards.

Blagoy Ivanov via TKO (+450): This is my long-shot pick of the week. Blagoy will be in serious danger in the first two to three minutes of this fight. Alexander Romanov was a backup dancer in Missy Elliott’s “One Minute Man” video back in the day and was the inspiration for the song. After a handful of seconds of suplexes and vicious slams, Romanov becomes almost completely worthless. In seven UFC bouts, Blagoy has yet to finish a fight, but he’ll have an excellent shot to get his first in the second and third rounds. Also, Romanov is coming off back-to-back L’s, including a first-round TKO loss in his last bout against Alexander Volkov.

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Blagoy Ivanov (+115): The fight will be all Blagoy after the opening minutes against Alexander Romanov. I expect Ivanov to close into negative money by the time the two make the walk to the Octagon. The biggest knock against him is his low output and periods of little to no engagement. He only loses fights by getting outworked but rarely, if ever, gets out-classed. By the second round, Romanov will look like he beat out an infield single in a beer league with his hands on his knees and head between his legs, and the fight will be Ivanov’s to lose.  

Max Griffin (+205): Michael Morales is a killer but a relatively untested one. Morales is also very hittable and lacks basic defensive tactics on the feet. Morales’s only defense is offense. Max Griffin can draw this fight out and make it ugly in the clinch, against the cage, and on the mat if he can wear down Morales and drag him to the mat. Griffin will be a solid test for Morales, and in nearly thirty career fights, Griffin has only been finished once. This one should go down to the wire, and Max will have opportunities to win it. 

Abusupiyan Magomedov (+120): The great unknown. I wouldn’t be surprised by any result in the main event. Abus could walk through Sean Strickland, get walked through by Strickland, grind his way to a victory, or get ground out to an L. No one has seen this guy against elite competition, and his only UFC bout lasted noineteen seconds. He has legit skills on the feet and on the mat, and he’ll have more paths to victory than Strickland. But Strickland has shared the Octagon with the best of the best, and Abus was once KO’d by Thurgood from Half Baked with one punch. Abus is a true gamble, but he’s the most valuable dog among an otherwise mangy pack of underdogs on this card.  

Pick 'Em

Kevin Lee (+170) vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov (-200)

Winner: Rinat Fakhretdinov

 Method: Decision

Joanderson Brito (-1200) vs. Westin Wilson (+750)

Winner: Joanderson Brito

 Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Yana Santos (+140) vs. Karol Rosa (-175)

Winner: Karol Rossa

 Method: Decision

Guram Kutateladze (-650) vs. Elves Brener (+450)  

Winner: Guram Kutateladze

 Method: Decision

Ivana Siric Petrovic (-220) vs. Luana Carolina (+180)

Winner: Ivana Petrovic

 Method: Decision

Alexander Romanov (+115) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (-155)

Winner: Blagoy Ivanov

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.