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

Top Pick’Em Offers 💸

Our editors found the top Pick’Em DFS deals so you don’t have to! Use Pick’Em Props to pick 2 or more UFC fighters to win big!

1. Sleeper DFS - Deposit Match up to $100

2. Underdog DFS - Up to $250 Bonus Cash when you make your first deposit

3. Chalkboard DFS - Deposit Match up to $100

4. Parlay Play - Free $5 Entry no Deposit Required

_{Terms: Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling, and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER. Using an affiliate offer will help support LineStar who may receive a commission fee from the referral. Other conditions may apply, please see link for full details.}

Main Card

Alex Pereira (-115) vs. Mogomed Ankalaev (-105)

Poatan: DK: $8.3k | Ankalaev: DK:$7.9k

The Father, the Son, the Alex Pereira – Amen. Every year, fight heads from across the world pilgrimage to the favelas of São Bernardo do Campo to walk in the footsteps of a young Alex Pereira, aka Alex Almighty, aka the Fist God. The man whose ass-whoopins have become a religious experience is quickly approaching ass-kicking sainthood. The Pope of MMA: The title awaits Pereira should he deliver another divine ass-whoopin', this time over the man considered to be the biggest threat to the ass-whoppin' kingdom he has built one ass at a time, Magomed Ankalaev. 

Three and a half years after making his UFC debut, Alex Pereira is already batting his eyelashes and blowing kisses at the moniker of GOAT. There’s something poetic about the way he kicks ass. Inside the arena, the lights dim, and everyone in attendance raises lighters into the air (cellphones if you want to be a new generation Richard about it) and waves them melodically back and forth, creating an eerie juxtaposition against the violence they are witnessing as Pereira kicks another ass. Ass-kicking ballads, that's the type of shit Poatan is on. Alex is officially the biggest rockstar in the UFC. If this was Woodstock ‘99, Alex would be taking the main stage after Korn, the raging fires the only suitable backdrop. Even with the world on fire, the show must go on. Who set the world on fire? Alex Pereira set the world on fire. Yo! Hit that Stick Figure “World on Fire!” 

And it don’t stop. The ass-whoopins never end when it comes to Poatan. This guy seems to fight every other week, the most active champion in UFC history. This guy lives under the cage like Bones Jones when USADA is around. Poatan is obsessed with kicking ass; his bedroom looks like Ray Finkles’. Instead of “LACES OUT!” graffiti and pictures of Dan Marino plastered like wallpaper, Poatan has pictures of asses he has yet to kick decorating his walls. He has a picture of Ankalaev’s ass with knives and needles sticking out of it with “YOUR NEXT!” (Being Brazilian, Alex doesn’t understand the nuance of “You’re and Your”) spray painted over it.   

“Ankalaev is a man!”  

Wait... Hold up... Heeeeey! He has pictures of dudes’ asses littering his walls? TF? And a little shrine to Chama like Jobu. Pereira goes through ass-kicking withdrawals if he goes too long without depositing a size fourteen (guessing) into one. A couple more weeks without kicking an ass, and Pereira would be looking like Delonte West or Scott Spezio. He turns into Alex Biggums real quick when he doesn’t get his ass-kicking fix. Luckily for him, Mogomed Ankalaev has been begging for the distinct honor of having his ass kicked by the Fist Gawd, Fist Gawd.  

Alex Pereira is about to turn UFC 313 into an old-school Woodshop class. He’s about to whittle a new pair of wooden legs for Magomed Ankalaev, complete with the Titanic Victorian staircase design etched into them. After the first round, Ankalaev will be calling the fookin’ Orkin man to fumigate his legs for termites. Homie will be hobbling around the Octagon, rocking blue tents over his legs. Ankalaev will leave those little red flags posted all over your lawn after he aerates it with his stumps after the fight. Never forget the time Jan Blachowicz left Ankalaev with mannequin legs. Jan destroyed both Ankalaev’s legs. Homie had to switch stances, then got that leg fooked up too. Now, when he walks around, it sounds like Ankalaev has hooves. That MF wakes everyone up at night, walking to the bathroom. Cobblestones, aka stone moguls for wooden legs, are Ankalaev’s kryptonite. You already know: Bust out the blue tents!    

Outside of a heavy dosage of low calf kicks, the key for Alex will be staying upright. IF (Big if) Ankalaev fights to his advantage/strengths, Alex won’t be able to sit back and hit cruise control on the feet. He will have to defend takedowns, and, more importantly, he’ll have to force scrambles back to his feet. Blachowicz almost stole the Pereira fight by dragging him to the mat repeatedly. Ankalaev’s wrestling, when he chooses to use it, is far better than Blachowicz’s. But the caveat is this: You can never count on Ankalaev to use his wrestling.   

That’s because, like Jerry Jones, Ankalaev doesn’t want to win the right way. He wants to win HIS way. And his way is usually striking because chicks did the KO. He’s forever chasing the KO like Randy Marsh chasing the dragon. “You don’t ever catch the dragon, Dad!” Don’t get it twisted like Keith Sweat (two weeks in a row), Ankalaev is no TLC scrub on the feet. But he’s a better wrestler in a division full of strikers. Ankalaev has to be pronounced dead on the feet before he resorts to wrestling. Against Blachowicz, he was a walking Buried Alive season finale. He woke up in a pine box and rang the little bell to alert the people on the surface before he decided to take down Blachowicz. From that moment on, Ankalaev dominated the fight. Magomed’s fight IQ is the equivalent of not getting the points for spelling your name correctly on the SAT scantron. He has that Miss America Q & A fight IQ. Ankalaev staunchly insists on taking the Mad Max: Fury Road path to victory with dudes with silver paint sprayed over their mouths catapulting on Olympic vaulting poles and lobbing Molotov cocktails through the moonroof (or is it a sunroof?). 

But even when Ankalaev does utilize his wrestling, his ground game lacks a huge element: Submissions. Ankalaev couldn’t submit you (yes, you) if he wore assless chaps, knee-high pleather boots, and wielded a whip with little tassels on the end. A 19-1 dominant grappler with zero career submissions is diabolical work. Everyone reading this has the same number of career subs as Ankalaev. Homie could at least bust out a Sharpshooter, a Rick Flair Figure Four ankle lock, or the Walls of Fookin’ Jericho. Something. The Volcan Death Grip. Anything.   

I say all that to say this: Don’t think for a single second Ankalaev can’t win this fight. He has solid technical kickboxing with sneaky high-round kicks and dominant top control. Ankalaev could easily make this look like the Jan vs. Alex fight and ground Alex for lengthy stretches. Time spent defending takedowns and scrambling back to his feet is time not landing leg kicks and unloading baptizing left hooks.   

The only number that matters is Pereira's seventy percent takedown defense. Ankalaev averages less than one takedown per fifteen minutes, and that tells you all you need to know about his commitment, or lack of, to wrestling/grappling. If Ankalaev relents to a kickboxing match, it’s only a matter of time until he gets got. The play for Pereira is, as always, a TKO/KO. And the play for Ankalaev is a decision. I think he will have to take the scenic route to victory and salt away rounds from the top position. I was shook to see Ankalaev opened as the (-115) favorite. Plus money Pereira, if only briefly, was a thing. Pereira has become the slight (-120) favorite, and Ankalaev is the (+100) live-ass dog. Again, he can win this fight. Alex is hittable and beatable. But although I’ve seen Poatan knocked out before, I’ve never seen him bleed.   

We’re main event streaking for the first time in 2025. The Starboy Manel Kape looked like a shooting star in that bish and brought one home for us. I have never picked against Poatan... And I don’t plan to start now. Alex Pereira via TKO, round four. Put that shit on wax.   

Props

Pereira: TKO/KO (+150) Sub (+1600) Dec (+550) 

Ankalaev: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+900) Dec (+275)

Winner: Alex Pereira | Method: TKO Rd.4

Justin Gaethje (+135) vs. Rafael Fiziev (-160)

Gaethje: DK: $7.8k | Fiziev: DK: $8.4k

Damn. I hate to think back on it. It was the greatest and simultaneously the worst scene I’ve ever witnessed inside the Octagon. Max Holloway cradling his Randy Marsh-sized huevos like “Kamikaze" Tanaka in Major League 2 while Justin Gaethje is face-down on the mat like he was doing rails off the Monster logo. That image is so cold I have to throw another log on the fire just thinking about it. Gaethje literally looked like a welcome mat. The only thing he was missing was a couple pairs of chanclas with dirty foot stains on his back. Homie’s face got athlete's foot from the canvas. It looked like Gaethje was trying to read the fine print written by the mat manufacturer. I hated it for Gaethje and loved it for Max. It was like a morbid Yin and Yang. Nothing so painful ever felt so good. Something so wrong never felt so right.   

What made that moment special wasn’t Max pointing to the mat; it was Gaethje accepting the invite. Gaethje was like Bodhi at the end of Point Break, swimming out to the once-in-a-lifetime Tsunami wave, knowing he wasn’t coming back. After all the damage Gaethje took during the fight, Gaethje obliged, fully aware of his fate. He didn’t rob the fans of an iconic moment. He accepted his role. But the question that begs to be asked is: Why you bringing up old shit? The former, yet always Bad Mother F**ker, is back. The only man who can kill a living room. The man who served as the best man at his own wedding. The man who has a live bear lying under his coffee table. The man whose hands guns carry for protection. Justin Fookin’ Gaethje. 

When Gaethje hits people, they unravel like red carpets on Hollywood Blvd. They fold like Olive Garden napkins. When Gaethje hits people, they crumble like time-lapsed ancient ruins. They collapse like Jenga towers. And when he kicks your legs, he leaves them looking like trees struck by lightning. He turns one of your legs into a widow. Gaethje leaves the Octagon looking like a crime scene and leaves the post-fight presser in a white Bronco. They make Gaethje try on a pair of fight gloves in court. “If the gloves don’t fit...” 

The first fight between Fiziev and Gaethje was a cult classic banger. It was a story of speed early and power late. Fiziev got out to a fast start, at times overwhelming Gaethje with his superior hand and foot speed. But Gaethje hung around, chipped away, and dominated late. In a lot of ways, Fiziev is a more dangerous striker than Gaethje’s original opponent, Dan Hooker. Hooker is an elite kickboxer, but he doesn’t have a dominant kicking game like Fiziev. Nobody in the division does. Fiziev is the result of feeding Mirko Cro Cop after midnight. Right leg: Hospital. Left Leg: Morgue. That’s how the legend Cro Cop once described his kicks. For Fiziev it's: Right leg: Closed casket. Left leg: Silver urn. Four death penalty states still have execution by firing squad. They blindfold the condemned, and Rafael Fiziev kicks them in the head.   

Some people are afraid of spiders, some of clowns, and others of heights. I’m afraid of Rafael Fizievs. IT’s final form should be Raphael Fiziev. This fookin’ guy wasn’t born; he was developed. In Fort Detrick. This guy isn’t a man, baby. He’s a fookin’ weapon. He has to carry CCWs for his hands. It’s a ten-year mandatory sentence to carry Fiziev’s hands in New York City. When he lands, it sounds like Lizzo Cannonballs off the Olympic platform. Perfect 0.0s. MF wets you like tsunamis. Side note: Rumor has it, Lizzo is on O-Lizzo and has shed one of herself already. That could be a devastating development for the WKO. Anywho, Fiziev’s specialty is making fundamentals look like flashy techniques. His technique is so flawless on the feet, everything he does looks like his special move. A simple cross looks like a Hadouken, and a regular round kick looks like a Guile Flash Kick. He hides kicks behind hands and hides hands behind kicks.   

But Fiziev has a major malfunction: Third rounds. Never forget when King Green nearly 10-8'd Fiziev in the third round and was subsequently robbed of a decision. Never forget the third round against Gaethje. Fiziev throws so fast and so heavy it’s impossible not to fade. Also, Fiziev hasn’t fought since 2023 after blowing out his ACL. Who knows if he’ll be rocking those Kenny Smith knees when he steps back into the cage? He could come out of that tunnel hobbling like Shannon Sharpe for all we know. But if Fiziev is fully healthy, we’re in for another classic banger.  

The numbers: Fiziev is 12-3 with eight TKO/KOs and one lonely-ass sub. Maybe that guy tapped to strikes. Yo! Hit that B.J. Penn! “If you tap to strikes, you’re a b**ch!” Gaethje is... ah, who gives a fook what his record is. Chances are he KO’d your favorite fighter somewhere along the way. Gaethje will be the higher output fighter, averaging over six SLpM to Fiziev’s just under five. The first fight was near even, with Gaethje barely out landing Fiziev one hundred three to noinety-seven.   

Fiziev was the (-240) favorite, and Gaethje was the (+190) dog in the first bout. This time, Fiziev is the favorite again, returning (-150). And Gaethje is the (+125) live-ass dog. Why? Because he already won this fight. But both fighters have question marks. What will Gaethje look like after the Max KO? And what will Fiziev look like after a long layoff? I like playing this one for another decision. Both guys can finish the other, but I think it will be rounds four, five, and six, a continuation of the first meeting. Dammit, I’m lost on this one. I picked Fiziev the first time. Rafael Fiziev via decision. On Wax. 

Props

Gaethje: TKO/KO (+350) Sub (+2500) Dec (+350) 

Fiziev: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+1800) Dec (+215)

Winner: Rafael Fiziev | Method: Decision

Jalin Turner (+110) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-130)

Turner: DK: $8k | Bahamondes: DK:$8.2k

The Night Stalker is back. And he’s peeping inside Jalin Turner’s window. Yo! Hit that Goodie Mobb “Cell Therapy!” Who’s that peeking in my window? It’s Ignacio Bahamondes, and he’s rocking the all-white Velcro Avilas with the red bottoms. Except, he’s been kicking so much ass lately that they’ve turned into brown bottoms, leaving behind mud-like tread prints for CSI to collect as evidence. But this time, Bahamondes won’t find an unassuming victim to sneak up on in the form of Jalin Turner’s ass. No, Jalin Turner’s ass is vigilant and organized a neighborhood watch. Should Bahamondes come creeping through an unlocked backdoor (No pun intended), Turner’s ass will be ready to put up a fight. This is a striker’s delight, pitting two of the longest strikers in the lightweight division against each other. This one has $50k bonus vibes written all over it.   

Ignacio Bahamondes looks like Richard Ramirez, the younger years. When it comes to striking, Baha is one of the best switch hitters in the division. He can piece you up from either side of the plate. Mid combination, defensive backward pivots, Bahamondes is a habitual stance-switcher. If he was in the MLB, he would be the first ambidextrous pitcher, rocking the Jim Abbott glove, switching from righty to lefty in the middle of at-bats. Switching stances frequently allows Baha to hide his attacks. It’s hard to keep track of his power hands as they are constantly changing. Baha is highly technical kickboxer with hands tight like jar lids – tight light compact parking spaces. Down the middle is where Baha beats you. Between your guard. Even when you think you’re safe, you’re not. Baha can fit his hands between a rock and a hard place. And he also has a special move. 

The wheel kick. If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. Like Roosevelt Roberts. Baha hit Roberts with a wheel kick and turned him into Teddy Roosevelt, tap dancing with the little clickity-clack Jimmy Valmer crutches. He left Roosevelt Roberts sprawled out on the canvas like a jumper at the Roosevelt Hotel. But don’t get it fooked up like Deion’s toes. Baha has a major malfunction. He often goes long stretches without letting his hands go. His striking inexplicably turns into a cold case. They send in Joe Kenda to solve the mystery in between rounds. This was the case when he ran into Dexter in the form of Ludovit Klein, who was the last man to beat Bahamondes. But when Baha is aggressive, leading the dance, he’s hard to beat. Baha is 16-5 with eleven TKO/KOs and one sub. He’s coming in off a devastating TKO dub over the uber-aggressive Manuel Torres. 

Jalin Turner is built like Kevin Durant. He’s the Durantula of MMA. If Jalin Turner can’t win by finish, he doesn’t want to win. He’s 14-8 with ten TKO/KOs and four subs. Turner has that Elon finishing rate. He has more finishes than Tyreke Hill in 2024. Jalin was one follow-up strike away from notching his fifteenth finish in his last bout against Money Moicano before he went full B. Rabbit. “Fook it! I don’t want to win; I’m outtie!” Turner threw the mic down and walked away from the dub after dropping Moicano with just seconds left in the first round. Jalin wined and dined the dub. He was a perfect gentleman, opening the car door for the dub and picking up the dinner tab only to fumble the bag at the goodnight kiss at the dub’s doorstep before the nightcap. Jalin’s shrink said it was self-sabotage because, deep down, he’s afraid of success. Homie lit the victory cigar before Lizzo was singing. Of course, Jalin went on to get finished on the mat in the second round.   

Like Bahamondes, Turner is a long kickboxer, and range is his special weapon. He’s longer than the list of excuses for not releasing the client list. Turner is longer than the rope Mavs fans are swinging from. This guy will hit you from last week while you were waiting in line for eggs at Costco. Homie’s arms are longer than the number pie and seem to go on to infinity... and beyond! On the feet, Turner is a walking mismatch for most fighters in the division. But on the mat is a different story.   

Jalin Turner’s major malfunction is his ground game. He’s lost on the mat with no GPS or Thomas Brothers map. My man is four left turns on the mat personified. Turner is “Why don’t you just pull over and ask someone for directions” on the mat. Against Moicano, the fight was over as soon as one cheek hit the mat. As soon as his ass hit the mat, the homies started crashing the boards, looking for a rebound. N’ah mean. The good news for Turner is that Bahamondes has never recorded a takedown in his career. But Turner’s grappling is so bad that it could turn anyone into Khamzat.   

Fantasy-wise, Bahamondes is the higher output striker, averaging over seven SLpM to Turner’s five and a half. Both strikers will put up solid striking stats, win or lose, barring an early finish. Of Turner’s eight career Ls, four came via TKO/KO. Baha has only been finished twice by submission. I like playing Bahamondes for a decision and Turner for a TKO/KO. Odd-wise, this one is basically a Vegas pick ‘em. Baha will return (-120), and Turner will return (-105). This one is tough to pick because Turner can’t be trusted any further than Lizzo can carry a plate of veggies. But I can't forget when Bahamondes got touched up against John Makdessi and Ludovit Klein, two guys below Turner’s level. Jalin Turner via TKO, round three.  Put it on wax.   

Props

Bahamondes: TKO/KO (+240) Sub (+1100) Dec (+275) 

Turner: TKO/KO (+250) Sub (+550) Dec (+550)

Winner: Jalin Turner | Method: TKO Rd.3

King Green (+350) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (-455)

King: DK: $6.8k | Ruffy: DK: $9.4k

If you’re new to the WKO, welcome. You should know that King Green, formerly Bobby Green, is my current favorite fighter. I affectionately call him Bobby Digital, an ode to the Wu-Tang Clan’s Rza. King is a walking 36 Chambers track, gritty and grimy and raw like Kobe beef. But lately, Bobby Digital has become Bobby Analog. I was in the Dino (San Bernadino) the other day, walking down the street, and walked right past King Green without recognizing him. Even dressed up like Jack Sparrow with all that jewelry on, rings on every finger, I just walked right past him. King had to flag me down before I realized it was him. He asked me what I was doing in the Dino, and I said, “Looking for your footwork, King.” I told him I hadn’t seen it since the second round of the Drew Dober fight.   

Lately, King has switched his style. His footwork used to be a first cousin to Dominick Cruz’s. But in recent fights, he has been standing oddly stationary in front of his opponents, trying to same-time counter on every exchange. The problem is, after twelve years of fighting inside the Octagon, King has lost a step. His reactions aren’t what they used to be, and he now takes heavy damage. King’s style has become trying to beat opponents to the punch with his hands down at his waist. And now his chin’s low tread warning is showing. Shit, it’s almost bald like Jada (Looks around for Will). Not too long ago, King’s hands used to draft off each other like NASCAR. The cross would slingshot around the jab on some Days of Thunder type-shit. King used to chess-box while everyone else was checkers-boxing. His footwork, hand speed, and low-hand position were a deadly medley. Go back and watch his fight with Raphael Fiziev. Bobby had Fiziev strolling around the mall on a pair of Healeys in the last round. And the judges rolled up on him like De Niro in Heat and robbed him of a dub. 

Can King get the Fighting Nerd, Mauricio Ruffy, to check out his Gravel Pit? If he brings da ruckus, brings da muhf**kin’ rukus he can. If he bounces, rocks, and rollerskates around the cage he can. He’ll get slept with a slick pull counter left cross if he doesn’t and continues to stand flatfooted directly in front of Ruffy. It was less than a year ago that King turned Jim Miller into Jim Carrie at the prom. King spirit cooked Jim Miller with special guest Marina Abramovic in the front row. Does he have one of those performances left in him? I don’t know. But Prime Bobby Digital would all but walk through Ruffy. Word is bond, homies.   

Mauricio Ruffy will sleep you like one. We should call him Mauricio Cosby. It’s the wrong time to be fighting a Fighting Nerd. These guys seem to ace every test. They all have ass-kicking Ph.Ds. The fighting nerds hold larping parties in the park where they dress up and pretend to be regular people. The Fighting Nerds consist of Jean Silva, Ciao Borralho, Carlos Prates, and Mauricio Ruffy (and others). Of those four, I think Ruffy is the weak link. He’s the Guerilla Black of MMA. Guerilla Black was a rapper who bit Biggie’s entire fookin’ style. As a matter of fact, hit that Guerilla Black with Nate Dogg “What We Gonna Do!” Like Guerilla Black bit Biggie’s style, Mauricio Ruffy bit Conor McGregor’s style. He’s the Brazilian McGregor, aka McGregorzinho.   

On the Contender Series, Ruffy looked like minor-league McGregor. His special weapon is the step-back left cross – the one that slept Jose Aldo. To a T, Ruffy’s step-back counter is identical to Conor’s. Homie copied everything about McGregor except McGregor’s Pepsi habit (Coke if you want to be a Richard about it). Ruffy might even fook around and break his leg. Ruffy thinks about book reports and science fair projects when you mention geeking. While McGregor thinks you’re talking about the slopes, black diamonds, if you know what I mean. Ruffy also has Conor’s little red gas tank – the one you carry on the side of the road.  In his last bout, Ruffy fought a far inferior opponent and gassed midway through the second round. He had to be pushed across the finish line like Lightning McQueen did The King. If he can’t get King Green out of there early, Ruffy will be in big trouble. Bobby doesn’t fade. Ruffy will be working within a strict ten-minute window. After that, the third round will be all King Green. 

The Key to beating Ruffy is feinting him out of position. He relies heavily on counterstriking. He loves the fade-away check hook and step-back cross. Those moves are usually initiated on the opponent’s first move. They’re timing counters. You have to double up punches and use feints to draw them out. If King Green comes out aggressive and swinging full steam ahead, he will get got early. If he fights patiently and uses his footwork, he can pull it off.  

I like playing this one for a finish. The play for Ruffy is an early finish, and the play for King is a late finish. Ruffy will be the (-470) favorite, and King will be the disrespectful (+360) live-ass dog. King can win this if he is willing to slow-play it and drag Ruffy into deep waters. I hate picking this fight. To quote Jim Mora, “You pick to win the fight.” This is a reverse psychology pick. The last time I picked against Bobby was before the Grant Dawson fight. And Bobby KO’d Dawson in thirty seconds. But (+360)! There’s a ton of value for King as a straight-up bet. Mauricio Ruffy via TKO, round two. Man, that shit hurt. Put it on wax.   

Props

King: TKO/KO (+1200) Sub (+2800) Dec (+600)  

Ruffy: TKO/KO (-125) Sub (+900) Dec (+250)

Winner: Mauricio Ruffy | Method: TKO Rd.2

Amanda Lemos (+120) vs. Iasmin Lucindo (-140)

Lemos: DK: $7.7k | Lucindo: DK: $8.5k

Amanda Lemos needs to go full Rick Vaughn and come out of the tunnel rocking the mohawk with arrowheads etched into the back. Lemos is the UFC Wild Thing, delivering from the stretch on the mound. “Just a little outside!” Lemos has a right hand like Henry Rowengartner from Rookie of the Year, throwing frozen rope no-hoppers from the stands to the catcher. She once threw a right hand and sniped a bird like a clay pigeon out of midflight on some Randy Johnson type-ish. This lady could knock the pinstripes off a Yankee. Lemos has so much power her feints are considered significant strikes. She might be the first fighter to record a feint KO. Lemos might have the most power in the women’s divisions. But I bet you can guess her major malfunction.   

Her ground game. When she’s on her back, she looks like Mason Rudolph with Myles Garrett on top of him. Why you bringing up old shit? Speaking of Myles Garret, where you at, Jerry? Lemos looks like a Pompei victim on the mat. You'd catch a manslaughter charge if you bought her a weighted blanket for Christmas. If she had to get back to her feet to save her life, there would be a Banksy R.I.P. mural of her on the side of an abandoned Bed Bath & Beyond the next day. Lemos has a dub over Mackenzie Dern, but that was because Dern has Dern takedowns and couldn’t get Lemos to the mat. Iasmin Lucindo has Amanda takedowns. As in Nunes. She won’t have any problems exposing Lemos’ sixty-one percent takedown defense.   

Iasmin Lucindo better be shooting double legs at the weigh-ins. Lucindo is no chump on her feet, but she needs to get this fight to the mat ASAP. I might even bust out a fake glove touch to get the drop on Lemos. Bush League? 

Lucindo gives off big Amanda Nunes vibes. She's not quite as good of a striker as Amanda was. But she has a heavy overhand right and excellent takedowns behind it. Lucindo looks like she grew up with older brothers. She has that rough vibe to her – like she grew up scrappin’. She looks like she used to cut the rubber bands in her brothers’ G.I. Joes – used to bend the corners on their trading cards. On the feet, Lucindo is all overhand rights. She has a Power Slap overhand that will leave you headbanging the podium on the way down. She tosses up the baby powder like Lebron when she steps into the cage.   

But Lucindo does her best work on the mat. Her top control is like Saran wrap. Lucindo will keep your ass fresh for weeks. She has Velcro top control. It makes that ripping sound when they peel her off you. She’s a human Breathe Right strip from the top. You have to rip her off fast like a fookin’ band-aid. But Lucindo’s special weapon is her fight IQ. She has that Ken Jennings fight IQ. She knows how to fight to her strength and never loses sight of the game plan, even when the fight isn’t going her way. Lucindo is 17-5 with eight TKO/KOs and three subs. Both fighters average around three and a half SLpM, but Lucindo averages two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes.   

Lucindo will be the (-150) favorite, and Lemos will be the (+125) live-ass dog. If Lucindo runs into a takedown wall and has to stand for long stretches, Lemos can catch her. Lemos will be the bigger finishing threat. But I think this one will go the distance. Without a finish, Lemos will be a Fantasy bust. Her highest striking total in a three-round bout since 2021 is fifty. Lucindo will have similar striking stats, but she has added top control time. I just can’t trust Lemos to get back to her feet. Iasmin Lucindo via decision. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Lemos: TKO/KO (+600) Sub (+800) Dec (+240)  

Lucindo: TKO/KO (+1200) Sub (+650) Dec (+120)

Winner: Iasmin Lucindo | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Justin Gaethje ($7.8k): Not only is Gaethje always a finishing threat, but he previously beat Rafael Fiziev, who is making his first appearance since blowing out his knee in a main event in 2023. Gaethje has fought twice since their first meeting, and being the more active fighter is always an advantage. Eclipsing the one hundred strikes mark is almost a given for both fighters, barring an early finish. Gaethje notched just over one hundred significant strikes in their first meeting. Win or lose, Gaethje will take more than a pound of flesh. This MFer’s hands are like a flesh-eating virus; he will have you walking away with chunks missing like Civil War vets. My reservation about Gaethje is how his chin will hold up after falling victim to the most iconic KO in UFC history.   

Brunno Ferreira ($7.6k): Brunno is the finishing threat in his matchup against Armen Petrosyan. He will be at a big technical disadvantage, but he will more than make up for it with stupid power. I’m talking short buses and half-days stupid power. Ferreira has a first-round KO of one of my favorite fighters, Brazilian Deebo Gregory Rodrigues. He also has first-round KOs of Phil Hawes and Dustin Stultzpus, I mean Stultzfus. This guy cracks like Cowboys fans’ psyches after thirty years of perpetual failure. Windmills like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are all Brunno knows. Windmills like on your way out to Palm Springs. The knock against Brunno is that the longer the fight goes, the more his chances to pull off the dub will diminish. He is heavily reliant on an early finish. Win or lose, Brunno has never heard a final bell. 

Rei Tsuruya ($7.4k): I rarely pick grapplers, and this one is a little bit of an all-or-nothing pick. I’m very high on Rei Tsuruya’s opponent, Joshua Van. Few have power like Van in the flyweight division. Van rocks an eighty percent takedown defense, and trust me when I tell you, everybody tries to take down Joshua Van. If Rei can’t get Van down and keep him down, this will turn into the club scene in Blade when the sprinklers come on. But this kid Rei Tsuruya is a damn wizard on the mat. This guy is the Thomas Edison of takedowns. He holds several patents for new takedown techniques. You can trust Rei won’t give up on his ground game because he has no other options. Once he gets you to the mat, he ties you up in Boy Scout knots and walks away with a cool little patch on his vest. Rei won’t light up the scoreboard with significant strikes, but he will rack up takedowns and top controltrol. Also, he finished eight of his ten career dubs, four of which came via sub.   

Clearance Rack

King Green ($6.8k): It’s a sad day when you see King Fookin’ Green on the Clearance Rack. But here we are. I have no faith in Green’s chin and footwork anymore. King used to move like Dominick Cruz with slick stance switches and boxing head movements. But I haven’t seen that in several fights now. Now Green likes to stand flat-footed directly in front of his opponents and try to pull-counter on every exchange. If he busts out the old Bobby Green footwork, he can beat Mauricio Ruffy. Prime Bobby Green murks Ruffy. Go back and watch Green vs. Rafael Fiziev. If King can get this fight to the halfway mark, he will take over. That’s a big if, though. Ruffy has a highly suspect gas tank. I’m talking researching currents and tides of the exact lake where the body was found type of highly suspect. There’s one thing King Green never does, fade. Also, for $6.8k, you’re getting a fighter who averages six and a half SLpM.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Brunno Ferreira (+130): The Twenty Twen-Twen Sleepers are currently on a historic run. They are six for six in the last two weeks. Yes, they went 3-0 for the second week in a row last week. Hopefully, some of you dropped an Andy Jackson here and there and paid off your mortgages. Anywho, this week will be an ugly week for the Sleepers. I know; I said that last week, too. Brunno is one of the biggest finishing threats on the entire card. His opponent, Armen Petrosyan, is coming in off a double backfist KO loss against the Fetty Wap of MMA, Shara Mogomedov. His chin is compromised. Also, Petrosyan has to out-kickbox Brunno for fifteen minutes while avoiding one of Brunno’s bombs. Petro couldn’t finish a book, much less a fight. He has six career TKOs/KOs, but none came within his six UFC bouts. The more dangerous striker is clearly Brunno Ferreira. 

Amanda Lemos (+110): I rarely show the ladies some love on the sleepers. But Amanda Lemos will have a significant striking edge against Iasmin Lucindo. Also, although her ground game is fairly weak, Lemos is generally tough to take down, especially consistently. If she can shake off a takedown or two and keep the fight standing, Lemos will win the fight. This is Lucindo’s introduction to the big dogs of the division. Is she ready for it? IDK. 

Justin Gaethje (+135): Plus money Justin Gaethje in a fight he has already won. Rafael Fiziev faded heavily in the third round of their previous meeting. He has a habit of fading late. One thing you can’t do against Justin Gaethje is fade.    

Pick ‘Em

Curtis Blaydes (-350) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+275)  

Winner: Curtis Blaydes  

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Joshua Van (-195) vs. Rei Tsuruya (+165)  

Winner: Rei Tsuruya 

Method: Decision  

Brunno Ferreira (+130) vs. Armen Petrosyan (-150)  

Winner: Brunno Ferreira 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Alex Morono (+550) vs. Carlos Leal (-850) 

Winner: Carlos Leal 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Marion Santos (-320) vs. Francis Marshall (+260) 

Winner: Marion Santos 

Method: Decision 

Djorden Santos (-190) vs. Osman Diaz (+165) 

Winner: Djorden Santos 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Chris Gutierrez (-110) vs. John Castaneda (-110) 

Winner: John Castaneda 

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.