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

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Main Card

Jon Jones (-675) vs. Stipe Miocic (+460)

Bones: DK: $9.5k | Miocic: DK:$6.7k

Since 2020, the year of the great toilet paper famine in which Kings sat atop double-ply thrones of Charmin, declaring war without congressional approval on retail giants such as CVS, Rite-Aid, Target, and Walmart to exact their divine imperialist rights, a Manifest Destiny, to control the world’s TP supply, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have combined for just two Octagon appearances. The man they call Bones Jones fought only once since winning the heavyweight belt with a two-minute submission of Ciryl Gane in March of ‘23. And Stipe Miocic hasn’t fought in four years since being knocked out by a Francis Ngannou left hook and follow-up hammerfist that fell with the finality of a judge’s gavel condemning a man to death.  

*Readers added context 

It has only been three years, four months, and seventeen days since Stipe Miocic’s last UFC appearance. Four years, as the author has stated, is hyperbolic, misleading, and lacks proper context. 

The last time we saw Stipe, he was knocked into limbo; he could have cleared a storm drain. He could have cleared the bar set by the moral standards of the US government. And he hasn’t been seen since. There have only been random Stipe sightings like Elvis near Graceland. My man went straight into witness protection after the second Ngannou fight. Rumors surfaced saying Stipe was in Jamaica, sipping daiquiris with Tupac. Maybe Stipe is just a procrastinator, putting off fighting for four years like mowing the lawn. MFer’s front yard probably looks like the Amazon. The Ents, aka the tree people from Lord of the Rings, moved in. But all that is ancient shit, shit turning white from oxidation in the extremities of the yard type of old shit. When Stipe left, he was considered the heavyweight GOAT, and the UFC brass has gone to extreme lengths to keep this fight together because it is a true legacy fight.   

But it’s hard not to consider Stipe as Mr. Irrelevant like the last pick in the draft at this point. He’s a Brock Purdy-ass muhf**ker after such a lengthy layoff. Not to mention he looked terrible in his last fight against Ngannou. How do you get a title fight after a performance like that? Yo! Hit the Tony Ferguson! “He has that Dana White privilege.” I’ll give Stipe this: It takes Epcot Center-sized huevos to step into a cage with Francis Ngannou, not once, but twice. That’s like being attacked by a shark, being pulled to safety, and jumping right back in to look for your leg. In the second Ngannou fight, Stipe’s wrestling was rendered obsolete. Francis stuffed the first one, and the rest was history.   

Stipe is at his best when he has the wrestling threat. Without it, he’s fairly vanilla on the feet. He has good power, but defensively, he drops his hands and doesn’t move his head. That’s a Deadly Combination like Big L and Pac. Hit that shit! The biggest obstacle he will have to overcome against Bones is Bone’s reach. Stipe doesn’t have a jab or explosive right hand that he can use to close the distance and get inside. Wrestling will be out of the question. I’ll say it: Bones Jones is a better wrestler/grappler than Stipe Miocic. If this fight goes to the mat, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it will likely be Bones in the top position. Miocic has to beat Bones on the feet, and that hasn’t worked out for twenty-eight fighters. 

Yes, Jon Jones is undefeated. If what he did to Matt Hamill (his only official loss, a no-contest) is a loss, who the fook wants to win? He had Hamill’s head bouncing off the canvas like Dre and Snoop in a lo-lo. Even Matt Hamill could hear those bells ringing. Yo isn’t Matt Hamill... never mind. In 2020, Bones Jones left his shadow in the Octagon on some Peter Pan type-ish, and the two reunited in early 2023 to beat Ciryl Gane. Bones showed up at a new weight class, looking like he was due in the Summer. And, yes, Bones is the GOAT. Un pico, pico de gallo, picograms, IDGAF. Picograms sound like a General Mills cereal, loaded with yellow-5 and trisodium phosphate (don’t Google that shit. It’s horrifying). Bones is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.   

The key to Jon’s dominance isn’t his offensive diversity. He’s an all-around striker with a dominant ground game, but his special weapon is his D. If I had Bones’s D, I’d get all the Bettys because I’d be a world champion. D wins championships, and Bone’s is impenetrable. Bones is longer than the arm of the law – the ‘94 Crime Bill, stop-and-frisk, and all that. He is a master at using the long guard and variations like the Dracula guard and frames to deflect strikes before they can reach the target. And his reactions are prescient. He knows what’s coming like Bill Belichick filming the opposing team’s practice – like he’s looking at your controller while you pick your plays. It’s hard to create sustained offense against Bones. In their first fight, Alexander Gustafsson inflicted the most damage on Bones compared to all of Bone’s fights combined.   

Bones rocks a nointey-five percent takedown defense, so all opponents have no choice but to beat him on the feet. Jones uses every inch of his reach and blends kicks, punches, and elbows in seamless attacks. He was the guy who trademarked the street stomp side-kick to the knee, aka the Joe Theismann kick. But his major malfunction is that he sometimes fights too cerebrally. He takes rounds to download your personal data like apps. Bones is used to five-round fights and is comfortable with giving up the early rounds due to getting outworked. You can say Bones should have three losses on his record. I thought he lost the first Gus fight, the Thiago Santos fight and the Dominick Reyes fight. Yo! Hit that Rock shit! “It doesn’t matter what you thought!”   

Bones can win this fight wherever and however he wants. To me, this fight is three years too late. And at forty-two years old, Stipe’s age, you don’t get better by not fighting. Jon fights for feathers in his cap. He doesn’t choose the easiest path to victory. Bones wants to beat you at your own game. He wants to take down the wrestler Daniel Cormier while stuffing all Cormier’s attempts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bones tries to win this fight on the mat, taking Stipe down and dropping the best elbows in the game. F**k the Fantasy stats, this one isn’t going the distance. If Stipe can pull it off, he’ll have to do the impossible and separate Bones from his consciousness.    

Bones is the (-750) massive favorite, and Stipe is the (+500) mangy-ass dog. I don’t know how Stipe can win this fight. He isn’t the better striker or wrestler. And homie has been on the shelf gathering dust for four years - fook the community notes! The play is a finish one way or another. But I’ll say this: I think there’s a distant shot at a Bones decision. I could see Bones showing Stipe respect and allowing him to make it to the end, using top control to kill minutes.  

We’re streaking again! The main event dub streak sits at two after another Carlos Prates left hand left another poor soul face down on the mat. This one almost feels like a gimme. But I know better than to bust out the calligraphy pen and completely write off Stipe. Bones Jones via TKO, round three. Put it on wax.   

Props

Bones: TKO/KO (+120) Sub (+200) Dec (+400) 

Miocic: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+3500) Dec (+1400)

Winner: Jon Jones | Method: TKO Rd.3

Charles Oliveira (-245) vs. Michael Chandler (+205)

Oliveira: DK: $9k | Chandler: DK: $7.2k

“I wish I knew how to quit you, Conor!” 

Speaking of a hiatus, Michael Chandler, the wrestling striker final boss, is back. My man got friend-zoned by Conor McGregor. Chandler spent two years carrying McGregor’s books and providing a shoulder to cry on after McGregor broke his leg, only for McGregor to go and choose Coke, not Pepsi, over fighting him. Chandler pulled up a stool in the corner of a Snooty Fox single bed hotel room while Conor got down on that Snow White. Chandler was Screech chasing Kelly Kapowski for four years while watching A.C. Slater and Zack Morris get all the glory. Chandler had the venue and the bridesmaid dresses, a canary yellow, already picked out. And McGregor left him at the alter red panty-less.   

But, as you know, I tend to get bogged down with old shit. And this here WKO is about that new-new. And that would be a rematch. Isn’t that technically old shit too? Touche. But here we are with a do-over of a classic banger. Chandler nearly KO’d Oliveira in the first round, only to get KO’d in the second. Since coming to the UFC, Chandler has decided to engage in nothing but fan-friendly firefights. He wants all the smoke like Doc Holiday with cancer, puffing on cancer sticks. On the feet or the mat, Michael Chandler hands out election night ass whoopins. Five hundred thirty-eight electoral vote ass whoopins. Even if you beat Michael Chandler, you can count on getting your ass kicked. 

#NeverForget what he did to Tony. He melted Tony’s face with a Ray Guy (relation) punt like someone fooked with the thermostat in a wax museum. Tony was asleep longer than the fight lasted. Laying on the mat, Tony looked like a marlin pulled from the ocean and displayed on the deck. They took pictures with Tony hanging upside down by his ankles next to a measuring tape stretched out from head to toe. But usually, it’s Chandler’s right hand putting people to sleep. His right hand looks like twelve-year-old Andy Reid in the Punt, Pass, and Kick tournament. Chandler is a rare fighter who doesn’t need a jab to close the distance. He throws the right hand with the same explosion as shooting double-legs. The 2-3 (cross-hook) is Chandler’s sole need in this life of sin. And he can take you down if shit gets too hairy on the feet. 

The key to beating Charles Oliveira on the mat is heavy ground and pound. Chandler has the ground striking to nullify Oliveira’s slippery guard. Chandler has options, but I like his chances on the feet more than on the mat. He was one follow-up away from winning the belt in the first round of the first matchup. Even with limited variety, Chandler averages nearly five SLpM and is a relatively high-output striker, especially if he can instigate a firefight.   

Charles Oliveira is a walking ghost track – a walking encore. Just when you think the fight is over, it’s not. Oliveira nearly loses every fight he wins. Homie is the extra scene in Marvel movies after the credits. He’s like bad guys in 90s flicks. You can shoot him, burn him, throw him off a cliff, and he still comes back. But nearly getting KOd in a lot of your fights isn’t always a good look. My man’s chin is on its last leg. Even grazing shots seem to wobble Do Bronx. Oliveira’s major malfunction on the feet is that he doesn’t move his head. His posture is tall, and his chin is high. But his standing knees and straight punches are deadly. Charles destroys wide punchers because his hands beat them down the middle. 

But fook his striking, Charles Oliveira is the submission Leonardo da Vinci: submitting Dustin Poirier was his self-portrait, and subbing Justin Gaethje was his Last Supper. After his UFC career, Charles should open a submission gallery in New York City. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has more UFC submissions than Charles Oliveira, who holds the record with sixteen. Oliveira’s M.O. is taking your back along the cage and sinking in a choke. He’s also deadly from his back and has a nasty guillotine that nearly stole the Tsarukyan fight in the closing seconds. I think Oliveira should try to pressure Chandler against the cage and work from the clinch – try to take Chandler’s back early as he did in the first fight. He can beat Chandler again on the feet, but it’s only a matter of time until Chandler lands a nuke.   

Oliveira will be the (-260) favorite, and Chandler will be the (+215) live-ass dog. Chandler’s right hand + Oliveira’s chin = Zzz’s. That’s the only equation I remember from algebra. Oliveira is a sizeable favorite because he has been active, fighting nothing but killers like Dexter. The club n’ sub is in play for Oliveira. And the play for Chandler is a TKO/KO. Four of his five UFC bouts ended before the final bell. This one is tough. The odds are wild; they’re howling at the moon. I think this is closer to a toss-up. There’s a ton of value in Michael Chandler and his right hand. The put-my-money-where-my-mouf-isn't might be in play for this one. Charles Oliveira via rear-naked choke, round two. On wax. 

Props

Oliveira: TKO/KO (+215) Sub (+130) Dec (+1200) 

Chandler: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+900) Dec (+1100)

Winner: Charles Oliveira | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Bo Nickal (-1400) vs. Paul Craig (+750)

Nickal: DK: $9.8k | Craig: DK:$6.4k

Bo knows wrastlin’. Bo Nickal will run through you like a tunnel on Monday Night Football. If I had a Nickal every time I heard Bo Nickal is a future champ, Elon would have to move over because I’d be taking that number-one spot like Ludacris. But I have to say, I don’t see it like sitting in a skybox with Stevie Wonder, watching Saquan Barkley do a backward hurdle over an opposing player, “Did you see that shit, Stevie!?” Nickal will likely beat Paul Craig, maybe even in a dominant fashion. But I’m going on record saying I don't see Nickal developing into a title threat. I’m canceling after the seven-day trial period; I’m not buying it. And if Bo gets to thinking shit’s sweet, Paul Craig might fook around and take one of his arms home with him and mount it over his mantle next to Jamahal Hill’s arm and Magomed Ankalaev’s head. This shit right here is a grappler’s delight matchup. And you already know, a tepid kickboxing match could be in the cards if the ground games cancel each other out.   

To date, this will be Bo Nickal’s toughest test in MMA. So far, he has fought nothing but blank profile pictures – spam bots - nothing but create-a-fighters. All six of his pro fights have come against part-time fighters – fifteen hours a week with no benefits type of fighters. Seasonal fighters. And from the four minutes of fight footage on this guy, I liken him to the dude from UFC 1 who stepped into the Octagon with one boxing glove on his right hand. That’s Bo Nickal on the feet, except the boxing glove is on his left hand. He’s a one-arm fighter. He’s the MMA Jim Abbott. Bo is a Ned Flanders Leftorium striker: All left everything. All he has on the feet are day-one strikes, naked left hands, and naked left round kicks. Besides that, my man will be S.O.L. the day he runs into a fighter he can’t dominate on the mat.   

But on the mat, this guy is Shai Hulud. He’s a giant sandworm who swallows people whole from the ground they walk upon. Bo’s fights look like Tremors, people clinging to the fence, trying to escape him. One of the most decorated collegiate wrastlers to ever step into the cage, Bo has Brock Lesnar power doubles and nifty single-leg finishes. He’s an almanac of takedowns with nasty chokes. But he’ll have to mind his P’s & Q’s when he gets Paul Craig to the mat. 

If anybody can submit Bo Nickal, it’s Paul Craig. Also, if anybody could get run over like Dwayne Haskins in thirty seconds, it’s Paul Craig. Betting on Craig is like going on blind dates: you have no idea what he will look like when he shows up. But when he’s on his game, Paul Craig has the deadliest guard in the division. This dude wrote the Submission New Testament. There’s one under every motel room mattress. Against Magomed Anakalaev, he hit a walk-off submission with one second left in the bottom of the third round and hobbled around the Octagon in celebration like Kirk Gibson in game one of the World Series. For fourteen minutes and fifty-five seconds, Ankalaev dominated Craig – left only one freckle on Craig’s ass unkicked. But Craig still flipped the script like reciprocal fractions. And he snapped Jamahal Hill’s forearm with a shoulder crank just before Hill went on his championship run.   

Craig has a solid top game and ground and pound, but he’s one of the few fighters, like Charles Oliveira, who are more dangerous from their back. Craig sets traps like Kevin McCallister. “Kevin!” He creates illusions - sleight of hands like street magicians. But Craig’s special move is the Kim Basinger leg cross in a Scottish kilt on the stool between rounds. Mental warfare. He throws you off your game, then submits you. This dude could submit a glutton for punishment. Craig has seventeen career dubs and a one-hunnid-percent finishing rate, including thirteen subs and four TKO/KOs. 

If the fight stays standing, it’s anybody’s guess who will have the edge. Craig is all kicks on the feet. “Look, Ma! No hands!” My man has arthritic hands and mostly only uses long-range kicks to chip away from the outside. This is another fight where you can throw the Fantasy stats out the window. One of these guys will get got before the final bell.  

Check it: Bo Nickal is the disrespectful (-1500) favorite, and Craig is the (+750) live-ass dog. Live-ass? Yes. The dogs got shut out last weekend. Not a single underdog won. So, the last thing anyone is going to do is take Paul Craig at (+750)... Right? IF (big if) Paul Craig can withstand the first five minutes and not sustain heavy damage, he can pull this shit off from his back or reverse and take over from the top position. Paul Craig has lost two in a row and four of his last five, but I still think this fight is much closer than the odds suggest. Surely you’re not gonna do it. Bet I won’t. Please don’t do it. Paul Craig, via triangle choke, round three. Put that shit on wax! 

Props

Nickal: TKO/KO (-150) Sub (+180) Dec (+750) 

Craig: TKO/KO (+2800) Sub (+1200) Dec (+2500)

Winner: Paul Craig | Method: Triangle Choke Rd.3

Karine Silva (-260) vs. Viviane Araujo (+215)

Silva: DK: $9.2k | Araujo: DK: $7k

Afro Samurai is back. Amanda Nunes’ term never ended; she’s pulling Karine Silva’s strings behind the scenes. Every time Silva steps into the cage, it’s like a third Amanda Nunes term. If Todo tugged open the green curtain, Amanda Nunes would be the Great Oz, pulling all the levers. How do you want it? How do you feel? On the feet or on the mat. One way or the other, Karine’s gonna getcha getcha getcha. When Karine steps into the cage, just know that she’s coming to Break You Off like the Roots. Yo! Hit that shit! Karine is riding a noine-fight dub streak dating back to 2019 and is 4-0 in the UFC with three submissions. Viviane Araujo will be Karine’s toughest test to date, and a dub will put Karine on the short list of title challengers.   

Karine hands out nothing but sensual ass-whoopin's. Marvin Gaye comes on the arena’s speakers, the lights dim, and parents cover their children's eyes when Karine fights. What makes Karine special is that she blends the two elements, striking and grappling, effortlessly. She sets up her takedowns with her striking and vice versa. There are no unsightly seams between her striking and grappling. She has that name-brand craftsmanship. I’m talking Rodeo Drive type-shit – armed security at the door type-shit. Silva has transitions like Final Cut Pro. Her striking is smooth like she’s lathered in Johnson’s baby oil. Yes, her striking is Diddy smooth. And she punctuates stifling top control with slick submissions. Silva is 18-4 with a near one-hunnid percent finishing rate, including noine TKO/KOs and eight subs. Like I said with Manon Fiorot before her debut, Karine Silva is future Champ material. Don’t put your money on Bo Nickal being a champ; put it on Karine Silva.   

Araujo and Silva’s mix like pink hair and red hats. Beating a Silva is Araujo’s white whale. She’s Captain Ahab in this bish, obsessed with beating a woman with the last name Silva. This will be Araujo’s second fight in a row fighting a Silva.  Araujo is coming off a dominant L to the female Wonderboy, aka Wondergirl, Natalia Silva. This Silva might be an even worse matchup for Araujo. She likes to use her superior strength and athletic ability to dominate rounds from the top position. But her major malfunction is scoring takedowns consistently. If she can’t maintain the top position, she’s very limited on the feet. 

All Araujo throws is one hundred four MPH Ben Joyce fastballs. She’s a closer on the feet – only good for one inning of work. Maybe two if it’s the playoffs. Yo! Hit that Trevor Hoffman “Hells Bells!” ABC’s: Always Be Closing. That's Araujo, a Glengarry Glen Ross closer, brought in to close the deal. There are no wrinkles to Araujo’s striking; she's all four and two-seam fastballs with an occasional changeup - takedowns. If she can close the distance and get hold of you, she’ll carry your ass across the threshold. She’ll take the garter off your leg, homies. “We ain’t your homies, pal. And don’t threaten us with a good time.” But Araujo’s takedown arsenal is limited to Bobby Boucher blast double-legs. If you can defend her initial attempt, she will abandon her wrestling. She can’t chain wrestle and string together different techniques. 

Araujo is 12-6 with three TKO/KOs and four subs. Fantasy-wise, Araujo will be the higher-output striker, averaging four SLpM compared to Silva’s two and a half. But Silva averages over three and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes compared to Araujo’s just over one and a half. The key for Araujo will be her seventy-eight percent takedown defense. Her path to victory will be trying to land a bomb. Silva is the better grappler, and it’s not even close. And anybody can get got on their feet. Silva will be the (-270) favorite, and Araujo will be the (+220) dog, shitting in your bed of petunias. There is a ton of value in playing Silva for a submission. Araujo has never been submitted, but there’s a first time for everything. But a decision is also in the mix. I can see Silva dominating top control until the final bell. I don’t see Araujo finishing Silva. The play for Araujo is a decision. Karine Silva via decision. Put it on wax.   

Props

Silva: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+330) Dec (+100)  

Araujo: TKO/KO (+1600) Sub (+1600) Dec (+300)

Winner: Karine Silva | Method: Decision

Mauricio Ruffy (-850) vs. James Llontop (+550)

Ruffy: DK: $9.6k | Llontop: DK: $6.6k

Shout out to James Llontop for taking a guaranteed L on short notice. I’m sure there aren’t too many fighters willing to sign on the dotted line to face the Brazilian Conor McGregor, aka McGregozinho, Mauricio Ruffy. Ruffy is a member of the Fighting Nerds, who are slowly taking over the UFC. Jean Silva, Ciao Borralho, Carlos Prates, and Mauricio Ruffy – if these guys roll up on ya, just hand over your book report and science fair project and walk away. These guys are like Prince and his crew when it comes to kicking ass, minus the pancakes afterward. My 2024 New Year’s resolution was to not bust out the feather quill and ink blotter and write off any fighters in elegant medieval script. But I got that muhf**ker in my hand dripping ink all over my freshly Swiffer’d floor.

Who needs Conor McGregor when you have Mauricio Ruffy. They call him Ruffy because he sleeps you like one. I saw this guy on the Contender Series and thought Conor got sent down for a minor-league stint. My man looked like G-League McGregor, complete with the step-back left hand that left Jose Aldo face down. What makes a striker special is the ability to counter. There are plenty of great offensive strikers, but defensive strikers are hard to come by. This guy anticipates your attack and beats you to the punch, using angles like vintage featherweight McGregor, the best version of McGregor. Ruffy was originally set to fight Charlie Campbell who is a nifty little striker in his own right. But that fight fell through. 

Unfortunately for James Llontop, this song is about Mauricio Ruffy. This will serve as a showcase fight on the opener of the main card. I will say this about Llontop: he isn’t a TLC scrub. He fought the little kickboxing dynamo, Viacheslav Borschev, to a close split decision in his last fight. But he’s 0-2 since coming off the Contender Series. There's nothing special about Llontop’s striking, but he’s technical and aggressive and won’t take a dive against Ruffy. I can see Llontop hanging around for a round or so, but, eventually, Ruffy will catch him.   

Ruffy is 10-1, and all ten of Ruffy’s dubs came via TKO/KO. I want to pack a bowl for the man who KO’d Ruffy. And Llontop is 14-4 with seven TKO/KOs and one sub. Ruffy is the (-850) favorite, and Llontop is the (+550) ASPCA stray commercial dog that makes you turn the channel as soon as it comes on lest you start crying. Mauricio Ruffy via TKO, round two. Wax on, wax off. 

Props

Ruffy: TKO/KO (-150) Sub (+800) Dec (+200)  

Llontop: TKO/KO (+1800) Sub (+3500) Dec (+900)

Winner: Mauricio Ruffy | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Michael Chandler ($7.2k): He was one follow-up punch away from beating Charles Oliveira the first time they met. Chandler’s right hand makes him a valuable Fantasy option and a live-ass dog whenever he steps into the cage. He was up on Dustin Poirier two rounds to none going into the final round before he was submitted. Chandler can beat anyone in the division on any given night. This is a five-round co-main event, but I don’t see it making it to the championship rounds. One of these guys will get got before then. The red flag for Chandler is the lengthy layoff while courting a McGregor red panty night. Chandler hasn’t fought in two years, while Oliveira has fought twice against top competition. But Chandler always has the ability to be a flipper on any given Saturday night.   

Jonathan Martinez ($7.8k): J-Mart represents a more consistent Fantasy option. He will be up against the undercover savage Marcus McGhee, who has jumped out to a 3-0 UFC record with three finishes. But he has yet to fight a guy at J-Mart's level. Martinez is coming off a tough loss to the legend Jose Aldo. But the fact that he even shared the cage with such a legend tells you how good J-Mart is. His specialty is decapitating ankles. He’s one of the best leg-kickers in the game. But his weakness is his hands. He needs his leg kicks to open up six-lane highways for his hands to land. J-Mart has two leg-kick TKOs in the Octagon, including one over the super OG Cub Swanson. This will be a kickboxing match with four-ounce gloves, and J-Mart averages over four and a half SLpM. Barring an early finish, you can expect J-Mart to land between seventy to eighty significant strikes with a good shot at a finish.   

Chris Weidman ($7.7k): I didn’t anticipate Chris Weidman being on the Value Menu. But he’s coming off a triple eye poke technical decision against Bruno Silva, a fight in which Weidman landed nearly eighty significant strikes. He may only have one good leg these days, but never doubt Weidman’s savageness. This guy still has the mentality and heart of a champion. He just goes for it. Probably because he knows he doesn’t have much time to waste in his career. This is a very winnable fight for Weidman against Eryk Anders. There’s nothing scary about the former Nick Saban, Alabama National Champion. He has a powerful left hand that you have to respect, but outside of that, he doesn’t have much. Anders’s wrestling will be negated by Weidman’s. This should turn out to be a kickboxing match. Weidman is far from a high-output striker. But this matchup should provide plenty of opportunities to land solid striking stats and a possible dub on the scorecards. 

$6k Bathroom Clearance Rack

Paul Craig ($6.4): Paul Craig can submit anybody. Paul Craig can submit Bo Nickal. If Craig can avoid being submitted early, he can win late. Plus, Bo Nickal’s style plays right into Craig’s specialty, his guard game. Bo wants to be in the top position, and Craig doesn’t mind playing the Meek Mill bottom role. In fact, that’s where Paul Craig prefers to be. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled guard on Bo Nickal. Craig has a submission over the former Champ, Jamahal Hill, and one over the likely next title challenger, Magomed Ankalaev. We know very little about Bo Nickal. What’s his gas tank like? Can his striking hold up if the takedown well dries up? If Craig can avoid taking heavy damage from the bottom, he can steal this fight and turn the Fantasy upside down like a sore loser.  

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Michael Chandler (+210): His right hand is an Arnold Schwarzenegger Eraser. This muhf**ker cracks like Meek’s cheeks – cracks like the Liberty Bell – cracks like single-ply Parks & Rec TP. Chandler nearly wins every fight he loses. But Chandler also has a stifling top game with nasty ground and pound. The key to beating Oliveira on the mat is ground and pound. Go way back to the Paul Felder fight. Felder dominated Oliveira from the top with elbows and heavy punches. It seems counterintuitive to fight Oliveira in his area of expertise. But there is a path to victory on the mat if Do Bronx starts getting the best of the stand-up. This is a complete toss-up to me. 

Jim Miller (+140): “Earthworm” Jim Miller is back. Nobody has more UFC appearances and dubs than Jim Miller. He will be up against Damon Jackson, who is a grappling specialist. Miller has excellent grappling, too. This could turn into a stalemate on the mat and turn into a kickboxing match. If that is the case, Jim Miller will have the edge on the feet. The red flag for Jim Miller is his takedown defense. He rocks a forty-seven percent takedown defense only to be outdone by Jackson’s thirty-seven percent. This could come down to whoever can get the top position first. Also, Miller is entering after a complete drubbing at the hands of my favorite fighter, King Green. Miller took a lot of damage in that fight. But Damon Jackson’s striking is nowhere near King Greens.   

Paul Craig (+750): Yo! Hit that Luniz “I Got Five On It!” This is a hell of a pick after the dogs got shut out last weekend. This is a looooong shot pick, aka a “just in case” pick. But there is a path to victory for Craig. And that path is on his back where Bo likes to take the fight. The late triangle choke is in play if Craig can avoid damage and being finished early. Craig only knows finishes. He has never won a fight by decision. It’s sub or bust for Craig. But Bo Nickal has never ever been tested. Not even a little bit. Homie completely skipped the quality control department. If Bo can’t score an early finish, how will he look late in the second and third rounds? 

Pick ‘Em

Jonathan Martinez (+115) vs. Marcus McGhee (-135)  

Winner: Marcus McGhee 

Method: Decision 

Chris Weidman (Even) vs. Eryk Anders (-120) 

Winner: Chris Weidman 

Method: Decision 

Jim Miller (+140) vs. Damon Jackson (-165)  

Winner: Jim Miller 

Method: Decision 

David Onama ( ) vs. Roberto Romero ( ) 

Winner:  David Onama

Method:  Decision

Marcin Tybura (-145) vs. Jhonata Diniz (+125) 

Winner: Marcin Tybura 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Mickey Gall (-140) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (+120) 

Winner: Mickey Gall 

Method: Decision 

Bassil Hafez (+205) vs. Oban Elliott (-245) 

Winner: Oban Elliott 

Method: Decision 

Veronica Hardy (-145) vs. Eduarda Moura (+125) 

Winner: Veronica Hardy 

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.