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

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Main Card

Belal Muhammad (-175) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (+150)

Belal: DK: $8.7k | JDM: DK:$7.5k

Jack Della Maddalena only has a week to live. The diagnosis: Stage four Belal Muhammad, a terminal illness few fighters have survived, including none of the last ten identified cases. Upon receiving the grim news immediately after signing the contract, JDM adopted a shady alter ego, Maseo, an ode to the legendary Hip Hop group De La Soul, and began a low-key meth-cooking operation in the barren New Mexico desert with the intent of leaving behind a sizeable nest egg garnered from its sales for his family after his demise. Gassing out after only two rounds, third-degree mat burns, not letting your hands go, and short-term paralysis, being unable to get back to your feet after repeated takedowns are only a sample of the symptoms of BD, Belal Disease.   

Leading researchers have noted that the symptoms of BD are identical to Merab Disease (MD). A complete separation of consciousness is the only known cure for MD. Even the sport's elite athletes cannot withstand the heavy pace associated with MD. Eventually, those infected waste away, their flesh seeming to shrink on their bodies like scurvy victims until they look like a suit made of human skin hanging in Leatherface’s closet at the end of five rounds. It is considered impossible to beat Merab via decision. The same appears to be true for Belal. Since losing by decision to Geoff Neal in 2019, nobody has come close, and some would argue the current version of Belal has become more virulent and would have the current Geoff Neal serving him pancakes on Father’s Day. Many suspect Fort Detrick and Gain of Function research for the recent outbreak of Belal Disease.  

The prognosis remains grim for three-name Jack, AKA Jack Della “Soul” Maddalena. Don’t get me wrong, JDM can crack like butt cheeks. But he doesn’t really have a signature win. A year ago, he was on the verge of dropping a decision to what was left of Gilbert “Booo-urns” before pulling one out of the fire with a late TKO. Before that, I thought he lost to Kevin Holland, and you can argue Bassil Hafez (who?) beat him on short notice after landing three takedowns and nearly seven minutes of control time. JDM’s major malfunction is the Champ’s major construction. My man has first-period P.E. wrestling. Jack’s grappling looks like playing Twister with your sister, awkward. He rocks a respectable seventy percent takedown defense, but Bassil Hafez isn’t Belal Muhammad. Belal might make JDM look like Jazzy Jeff getting Uncle Phil’d out the front door.   

But the key for JDM won’t be takedown defense. He will end up on his back. It took Belal ten seconds to get Leon Edwards to the mat. And Leon is a better wrestler/grappler than JDM. The key will be getting back to his feet. He has to sell out – do anything possible to gain his feet. I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes. Even the oil check, a well-known old-school wrastlin’ trick, is in play. Yes, even the old d**k twist. “Grab his d**k and twist it! Twist that d**k!” ANYthing. If you ain’t d**k twistin’, you ain’t trying. If JDM gets taken down early, it won’t get better later. Belal doesn’t fade. Jack’s only hope is to stuff a couple early takedowns and force some exchanges on the feet. 

You can take one look at Jack’s nose and know he’s been throwing hands since Big Wheels and Mickey Mouse underoos. Jack has that Michael Jackson nose. That Mr. Potato Head nose. He has that Ash from the Evil Dead nose – it has a mind of its own. Jack’s nose has spent more time broke than Kenny’s parents. It stays broke like the 2nd and 16th. Scarface ain’t got shit on JDM. His entire face is scar tissue. Yo! Hit that Red Hot Chili Peppers “Scar Tissue!” His face looks like your grandpappy’s favorite Lazy Boy with the leather cracked and peeling, minus the fart smell. Unless Jack is into that sort of thing. Jack is a throwback boxer. I’m talking about a throwback to the 1920s when rounds were unlimited. He’s all hands like the onside kick team. His special move is the Roy Jones Jr. Gazelle Punch. It’s a short, leaping lead hook and catches you with your pants down like General Larry Platt on American Idol. Hit that shit! “Pants on the ground. Pants on the ground. Lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground!” Before you can pick them up, he hits you with another. JDM has hooks for days like Jelly Roll. 

But JDM’s specialty is his bodywork. He has that Bob Kraft bodywork. He puts hands on your body like you’re Deshaun Watson. Jack changes levels with his hands, starting combinations to the head and ending with the body, and vice versa. If you drop your hands, he goes to the head. If you cover up, he destroys your liver. If this was a boxing match, I would give JDM a slight edge on the feet. His volume would cause Belal problems. JDM averages nearly seven SLpM compared to Belal’s four and a half. 

But this isn’t a boxing match. From bell to bell, Belal Muhammad comes after u like the letter v. He is the man who Wayne Brady’d Sean Brady. Belal snatched the tat off Brady’s back like Canibus snatched the tat on LL Cool J’s arm on Second Round K.O. True Hip Hop heads know what I’m sizzlin'. That Brady TKO aged like Salma Hayek. It aged like wine in a Pharoah’s tomb. Brady just finished Leon, something Belal couldn’t do. Now I’ll bring it full circle: When Belal gets hold of you, he’s cancerous, and you wouldn’t want to diss him with a battle rap you wrote for... Canibus. The Terminal Man. Belal’s control in the clinch and from the top position is terminal. Belal is ill – Illmatic. He’s from Chi-Town, but he keeps a NY State of Mind. He’s a Larry Flynt Hustler, homies. And you’re just a customer, cronies. Belal is the kid who would run out a comebacker to the pitcher. He outworks you like he never leaves the office. He takes his work home with him.   

Belal wins fights with pressure and pace. You’ll be shining like three and a half carats after all the pressure he puts on you. He’s the iceberg, and you’re the Titanic. Belal doesn’t allow for a moment of rest; every second of every minute of every round is frantic, and eventually, they all break. Belal averages just over two takedowns per fifteen minutes, but it’s really the attempts that matter. Like Merab, securing the takedown isn’t the main objective. It’s to disrupt your timing and keep your mind constantly on defending and not on striking. Belal’s major malfunction is a lack of finishes. He’s 24-3 with only five TKO/KOs and one sub. But he did finish Sean Brady.   

The play for the (+190) dog JDM is a TKO/KO. He has to end the fight early by implementing old-school sprawl and brawl. The play for the (-230) favorite Belal is a decision. I could see him grinding out JDM to a late stoppage, but his fight history suggests a decision. The main event dub streak is now at six, and we’re closing in on our WKO best of noine main events picks in a row. I think JDM needed another fight or two. He needed a true number-one contender fight, at the least. This pick seems so clear that it scares me. Belal Muhammad via decision. Put it on wax.   

Props

Belal: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+800) Dec (-115) 

JDM: TKO/KO (+300) Sub (+2000) Dec (+550)

Winner: Belal Muhammad | Method: Decision

Valentina Shevchenko (+110) vs. Manon Fiorot (-130)

Shevchenko: DK: $7.7k | Fiorot: DK: $8.5k

Girl fight! From far and wide, they come; no end in sight. From the BFE trailers, the quad, the Senior parking lot: running, pushing, jostling for a better view. The goth kids, the jocks, the bandos, the dweebs, nerds, and dorks alike, even some of the teachers sneaking peeks. Lunch money anted up. Three bucks on the girl from second-period Chemistry. Nah, nah, the cheerleader is gonna get her. Kids on other kids' shoulders. Hair slangin’, acrylic nails snappin’, wardrobes... (Collective breaths held) ... malfunctioning! There’s nothing like a girl fight that brings all the boys to the yard. Outside of Weili Zhang vs. Shevchenko, this is the best female fight that can be made. There is no higher level of female fighters than these two ladies. These might be the two best technical strikers ever-ever in women’s MMA history. And they’re not shabby on the mat, either. This is a pasture-raised, certified organic fookin’ banger.   

“You wanna crown her ass, then crown her!” - Denny Green voice. I crowned Manon Fiorot before her debut right here on the WKO. Go check the records. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! Didn’t you pick Erin Blanchfield to beat her?” Always bringing up old shit. Future Champs lose fights on their way to the top. But not Manon Fiorot. From day one, I thought she looked like an Easter Holly Holm, a resurrected Holy Holm. Resurrected from Holly’s prime when she landed the Head Kick Heard Around the World before Leon even dreamt it. She’s a right-handed, lead-hand-dominant southpaw. Did you get all that? She’s a righty in a lefty stance and loves to use lead and check hooks. Fiorot’s best attribute is that she’s a Makaveli Seven Day Theory track one representative. She rewrote The Art of War, condensing it to one rule: Bomb First. Like Holly Holm, Fiorot operates out of a bladed Karate stance and punctuates quick, straight punches with side-kicks and rear-leg high kicks.   

Fiorot’s major malfunction is a lack of power. She has less power than the American people. Her hands come with a free Triple A membership and three free roadside jump starts. And her best weapon, her left hand, has commitment issues. No openings are good enough for it. The way she uses (or doesn’t use) her left hand is like having an AR but only stabbing fools with the bayonet instead of blasting their asses. Fiorot is mostly a point fighter who steals rounds late with timely step-in trips.  

The key for her will be her stellar nointey-three percent takedown defense. Shevchenko has relied heavily in recent years on her wrestling. When it comes to stuffing takedowns, she’s the female Jose Aldo or Merab. A bad day couldn’t get her down. The ending of The Sandlot and watching the boys leave the neighborhood one by one, and Benny the Jet run the bases alone, couldn’t get her down.   

Take me back, Valentina! Please! It only happened once; I swear! I picked against my MMA wifey for the first time in her last bout against Alexa Grasso. I lost faith after Valentina was out-struck on her feet in the first two fights. They call Valentina “The Bullet.” I call her the Magic Bullet, and I ain’t talking about commercial-quality smoothies with the push of a button. I’m talking about killing one bird and injuring another with one stone while remaining completely intact. Valentina, don’t you dare call her Tina, Shevchenko is the little girl in those Instagram videos who punches the shit out of trees in the forest because punching slabs of meat in a meat cooler like Rocky is for p**sies all grown up. To me, Valentina is the female GSP. She wasn’t a high school or collegiate wrestler but learned how to wrestle for MMA and became a dominant wrestler/grappler after being a dominant striker. She was left with third-degree mat burns on her knees and had to get skin grafts after the Grasso trilogy. But I don’t think wrestling will be an option this time.   

Valentina has gotten used to playing it safe like locksmiths. It nearly bit her in the ass in the Thaila Santos fight and eventually did in the first Grasso fight. Her plan A will be to take down Fiorot. But she can't rely on that. She will have to get dirty on her feet this time. She will have to walk out of that bish at the end, looking like a Costco butcher on the 4th of July weekend. Shevchenko has to commit to her striking first and let the takedowns materialize organically. The question is, is Valentina still in her prime? Because if she is, she’s the slightly better all-around fighter. Fiorot’s aggression plays to Valentina’s strength, counter-striking. But at the same time, Valentina has struggled against southpaws like Fiorot. This one will likely come down to the last round. I’d rather fight some ranked male fighters than fight these two ladies.   

Fiorot is the higher output striker, out-striking Valentina two to one. She averages six SLpM compared to Valentina’s three. But Valentina usually supplements her stand-up with over two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. She averages the same number of takedowns as Belal Muhammad. Fiorot will be the (-155) favorite, and Shevchenko will be the (+130) live-ass dog. Valentina is a far more experienced fighter and matches Fiorot skill for skill, attribute for attribute. The play for this one is a decision. Fiorot is riding five straight decisions, and I don’t see Valentina finishing Fiorot. Valentina will have to increase her output or risk getting outworked and losing close rounds. Dammit. I just begged her to take me back, and here I am... But I called my shot four years ago before Manon Fiorot’s debut. I think Fiorot’s output, speed, and takedown defense will win this fight. Manon Fiorot via decision. On wax.   

Props

Shevchenko: TKO/KO (+900) Sub (+800) Dec (+215) 

Fiorot: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+2200) Dec (+110)

Winner: Manon Fiorot | Method: Decision

Jose Aldo (-195) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+165)

Aldo: DK: $9k | Zahabi: DK:$7.2k

Yo! Hit that Dogg Pound “Dogg Food!” Montreal, Montreal, big city of dreams. And everything in Montreal ain’t always what it seems. Jose Aldo isn’t what a thirty-eight-year-old with over two decades in the game would appear to be at this stage of his career. He isn’t a washed ex-champ desperately holding on to a puncher’s chance at regaining his glory days. He’s the MMA Scarface rocking the Joker scar. But Jose ain’t smiling because ain’t a damn thing funny. There’s still plenty of dog in Jose Alpo, and he didn’t come out of retirement to fight for Milk Bones. He’s still fighting to be the top dog and to take his rightful spot under the dinner table, catching fallen scraps and children’s offerings while their parents aren’t looking. Aldo is 1-1 since returning, and don’t let the odds fool you; Aiemann Zahabi might be a tougher test than both Aldo’s previous opponents.   

If Jose Aldo could break a clinch, he might be the Champ again. His Kryptonite is the fence. Speaking of the Joker earlier, Aldo is like Joker in Next Friday, “I don’t like locked doors around here! I was locked up, essay! Pass the wire! Pass the wire! No, I don’t want no grilled cheese!” No more locked cages! Aldo's two most recent losses to Merab and Mario Bautista came because he couldn’t break the clinch and get his back off the cage. It’s nearly impossible to take down Aldo, but you can hold him against the cage and run out the clock without breaking a sweat. Merab is still trying to take Aldo down. Aldo’s takedown defense is like the flag on the moon. Gravity can’t hold Aldo down. He has to wear weighted shoes, or he would float away like a helium balloon. Albert Einstein once said the definition of insanity is trying to take down Jose Aldo. Most fighters can’t stand and bang with Aldo, and they can’t take him down, so the only option is to hold him against the cage for fifteen minutes.   

That’s because Aldo’s hands are still Bad Meets Evil like Royce and Em. His left hand is Bad, and his right hand is Evil. Even closing in on forty years old, Aldo still wants all the smoke like mufflers. His hand speed is still elite, and his boxing combinations are still Original Recipe crispy. Aldo’s best weapon are liver shots. Shots! Shots! Shots! Shots! Like Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz. Aldo hasn’t lost a step on the feet, but his major malfunction has always been his cardio. He’s so explosive that he always fades late in fights. Three rounds or five, it doesn't matter. Aldo slows down late in fights and leaves a negative impression in the judges' eyes. That’s the only reason he never won the bantamweight strap. Against Aeimann Zahabi, Aldo has to stay off the fookin’ cage and use the open mat to beat Aeimann with speed.  

But that won’t be easy. Aiemann Zahabi’s brother is the MMA Professor X. Firas Zahabi is the real-life Master Tanaka who trained the real-life Frank Dux, GSP. Aeimann Zahabi is a cerebral fighter who just finds ways to win. He’s like Homer eating donuts off a conveyor belt to try to gain enough weight to go on disability the way he feeds on my doubt. I pick this guy to lose every fight like I used to pick Dricus Du Plessis to lose every fight. And all they do is win, win, win, win no matter what. Zahabi is 6-2 in the UFC and currently riding a five-fight dub streak. His two career Ls came early in his UFC career to two part-time fighters. Back when Zahabi was a part-time lover of the game. Hit that Stevie Wonder “Part-Time Lover!” Fast forward six years since his last lost, and Zahabi is now married to the game, no prenup.  

Zahabi is a late bloomer. But he’s blooming like Dale’s now. Aeimann’s special power is that his style looks extra regular. He won’t wow you with flashy footwork and combinations. In fact, Aiemann has anti-footwork. He moves like he’s wearing clodhoppers. He moves like he has hooves. And he looks like the human portion of a centaur. Aiemann is Prince in the pick-up game. He’s the dude rocking the Walmart gear who rolls up and drops a triple-double at the Y on his way home from work. Zahabi is the last pick but always finishes first. Aiemann is a crafty pocket striker who punches his way into the pocket and knees his way out. Pay attention to Zahabi’s shoulders. They never remain level when he strikes. He changes the level of his shoulders, which changes the angles of his punches, and moves his head off the center line. You miss, and he lands. Zahabi punches over and around your punches and guard. And he has a Keak Da Sneak sneaky left high kick that he camouflages with his head/shoulder movements. This should be a duel at one pace on the feet. 

Zahabi is 12-2 with six TKO/KOs and two subs. He will be the slightly higher output fighter, averaging four SLpM compared to Aldo’s just over three and a half. Aldo will be the (-220) favorite, and Zahabi will be the (+180) live-ass dog. I’ll tell you right now: This is a toss-up. You could make a solid argument that Zahabi should be the favorite. This guy is on a roll and comes from a legendary gym/coach. Adlo will have to win the first two rounds because Aiemann will almost certainly win the third. He doesn’t fade like Aldo does. But Aldo’s speed will be hard to catch up to early. The play is a decision one way or the other. Aldo has only been finished once since 2017, and Zahabi has only been finished once in his career. If I had any huevos, I’d pick Zahabi. But I’m sure you’ll see his name again shortly. Jose Aldo via decision. Put it on wax.   

Props

Aldo: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+2500) Dec (-120) 

Zahabi: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+2800) Dec (+250)

Winner: Jose Aldo | Method: Decision

Alexa Grasso (+200) vs. Natalia Silva (-240)

Grasso: DK: $7.4k | Silva: DK: $8.8k

I can hear them calling in the air tonight, Oh Lord! And they’re saying, “Two girl fights on a main card, WTF!” Don’t sleep on these ladies. Natalia Silva is the female Wonderboy... so, Wondergirl? And it was just over a year ago that Alexa Grasso picked up the World and dropped it on our fookin’ heads like Lil Weezy and Em. Grasso choking out Valentina was Matt Serra vs. GSP (the biggest upset of all time), the women’s version. This is a fraud check like Bo Nickal got fraud-checked last weekend. How good is Natalia Silva? We’re about to find out. If she beats Alexa Grasso, Silva will be on the short list of title challengers for the winner of Shevchenko vs. Fiorot. 

Natalia Silva kicks so much ass that she needs a pedicure after every fight. They have to wear a welding mask as they chisel the brown nail polish off her toes. Her hands and feet are so fast that she can whoop your ass, then call the fight with Anik and DC. Whoop your ass, then livestream it on IG. Silva is a kick-dominant striker. She is the savior returned for a foot worshipper. Silva kicks so much that her feet look like weightlifters’ hands. She has to powder the calluses like Lebron James’ pregame ritual. Her feet look like Floyd Mayweather’s hands they're so fast. For all the Street Fighter heads, Silva is the real-life Chun Li. All she needs is a cheap little roundhouse foot sweep. She uses a bladed Karate stance and Lightning Kicks to disrupt opponents’ timing. Every time you come forward to attack, you catch that Shawn Michaels Sweet Chin Music. Side-kicks are Silva’s special weapon. Side-kicks, and I ain’t talking Fallout Boy.   

Speaking of Fallout Boy, hit that Fall Out Boy “Dance, Dance!” Natalia is gonna dance, dance on the outside while stepping in occasionally with some quick 1-2s. In & Out, and I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout Double Doubles, animal style. Natalia uses nifty in/out movement to get inside, land short two-punch combos, and get out without taking return fire. They say hips don’t lie, but Silva’s failed a polygraph. She has feints like the vapors. Feints like smelling salts. Silva uses the in/out movement to disguise and alter the timing of her strikes. Overall, she’s one of the more intricate strikers in the women’s game. The only thing she lacks is power. She had some finishes early in her UFC career, but as the competition has gotten better, she has had trouble finishing fights. She won her last three by decision.   

They’re watching, homies. I just type A-L-E-X-A, and she perks right up. S-H-U-T U-P A-L-E-X-A! The former Champ is back. Alexa Grasso is the one I had an MMA affair with when I picked her to beat Valentina in the rubber match. She out-struck Valentina in the first two fights. It was her takedown defense that betrayed her. In the first fight, Grasso escaped Valentina’s crucifix like the guy who escaped Jeffrey Dahmer’s lair, running down the street ass-neked only to be returned to the lair by a pair of cops. She was like the girl in the basement that Charles Ramsey saved. Yo! Hit that Shit! “I BBQed wit this dude. We ate ribs and whatnot and listened to Salsa music.” 

Nobody escapes that crucifix. But Grasso did. And a couple minutes later, she was the champion. And Valentina was left with a pale, bloodless stripe across her face where Grasso had strangled her. Alexa’s arm was like a tourniquet around Valentina’s face. Valentina was forced to wrestle in those fights because Grasso touched her up on the feet. She had Valentina hurt in the first two fights. If you look at her record, Grasso only loses to wrestlers/grapplers. Overall, Grasso’s style is rather plain. But she has Ken Jennings fight IQ and that Brandon Moreno dog in her. Grasso only uses basic boxing combinations, but she’s acutely technical. Her style is like the orange flavor in every variety pack. The orange is still bomb, but only when all the other flavors are gone. If Grasso was a day of the week, she would be Monday because she’s all business.   

Fantasy-wise, Silva will be the higher-output striker, averaging over five SLpM compared to Grasso’s four. There’s a chance that Grasso might try to wrestle. But it won’t be easy because Silva rocks a nointey-one percent takedown defense. Grasso’s last two finishes came on the mat. The play for this one is a decision. You might want to look at the split decision prop. Silva will be the (-225) favorite, and Grasso will be the (+185) live-ass dog. Grasso just fought the GOAT three times. She has that GOAT rub. She will have to use her jab to get inside of Silva’s kicking range. This is an impossible pick. I have no idea on this one. But I have to ride with speed and volume. Natalia Silva via decision. On wax.   

Props

Grasso: TKO/KO (+1800) Sub (+1400) Dec (+300)  

Silva: TKO/KO (+750) Sub (+1000) Dec (-160)

Winner: Natalia Silva | Method: Decision

Benoit St. Denis (-1100) vs. Kyle Prepolec (+650)

BSD: DK: $9.7k | Prepolec: DK: $6.5k

Shame! Shame! Shame! Those in attendance might pelt Benoit St. Denis with rotten vegetables and small livestock when he makes the walk this weekend. They might straight-up Cersei shame him after he turned down two legit late replacements for his original opponent, Joel Alvarez. BSD vs. Alvarez would have been an absolute banger. Alvarez is one of the best fighters you might not have heard of who comes out of Ilia Topuria’s camp. St. Denis was given the option of fighting one of two Mateusz’s, Mateusz Gamrot or Mateusz Rebecki. Either fight would have been dangerous for BSD, but he turned them down. Instead, Kyle Prepolec will be stepping in. Who? Prepolec had a brief two-fight UFC stint in 2019 and went 0-2. Make no mistake, this is a duck job by BSD. Duck, duck, no goose. Duck Dynasty and Benoit St. Denis is sitting on the Iron Throne. 

I don’t know much about Prepolec other than his name is Kyle, and you better hide your drywall. From what I’ve seen, Propelec is stiff like dirty laundry on the feet and built like a giant rectangle – like a huge eraser. And he will likely look like eraser shavings before you blow them off the page when BSD is done with him. Propelec has a respectable 18-8 record with a solid finishing rate, ten TKO/KOs, and four subs. But he has a loss to Austin “Old Mother” Hubbard in his first UFC stint. That’s not a good look going into a fight against the uber-aggressive BSD.   

This fight deserves to be the first fight on the prelims, but it somehow remained on the main card. St. Denis will be the (-1100) favorite, and Prepolec will be the (+650) euthanasia dog. Yo! Hit that Em and Lil Weezy “No Love!” BSD, you gets no Loooooooooove!” I should be fighting Kyle Prepolec, not you. Benoit St. Denis via rear-naked choke, round two. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

BSD: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )  

Prepolec: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )

Winner: Benoit St. Denis | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Valentina Shevchenko ($7.7k): This fight will be determined on the feet. I can’t see Valentina getting Manon Fiorot to the mat consistently for twenty-five minutes. Fiorot landed one hundred seventy-two strikes in a main event in her last bout. She is consistently in the 80-90 range in three-round fights. Valentina will have to dog this one out on the feet. Fiorot’s output will force Shevy to reciprocate or risk falling behind on the scorecards. Although I don’t like the chances of a finish in this fight, it should produce high striking stats for both fighters. The $7k range is loaded with solid options this week, and Valentina is a solid pick to put points on the board.   

Aiemann Zahabi ($7.2k): First off, I’m not so sure Zahabi won’t fook around and win this fight. In his most recent bout against Pedro Munhoz, Zahabi set a career-high and landed one hundred noine strikes. His striking looks better every time I see him. Aldo vs. Zahabi will be a stand-up banger. I think Zahabi will come out and try to push the pace against Aldo, who is famous for fading late in fights. I don’t see Zahabi finishing Aldo, but for the price tag, he should put up solid striking stats.   

Charlie Radtke ($7.3k): The first two picks are conservative picks. This one is a high risk/high reward. Ain’t shit pretty about Charlie Radtke. This guy has burned me like Kneehigh Park puppets more than once. Radtke is 3-1 in the UFC with two TKOs, and his lone loss came against Carlos Prates. This guy’s right hand is stupid. When it lands, fighters wake up looking like Steven Seagal in Hard to Kill, waking up from a seven-year coma with a beard in a hospital bed. This guy’s nickname is “Chuck Buffalo.” Maybe his right hand killed all the buffalo or some shit. Chuck Buffalo will be up against the Patrick Bateman of MMA, Mike Malott. Never forget the time Malott dominated Neil Magny for fourteen minutes, only to gas out in the last minute, roll over, and play dead while Magny beat on him. Nobody has hit a wall that hard since Dale. Radtke has some dog in him, and Malott doesn’t. Radtke has a big upside as a finishing threat but also a steep downside if he ends up on his back or Malott uses his more diverse striking.   

 $9k Dave & Buster

Jose Aldo (9k): There’s no Clearance Rack this week, so I have to switch shit up. The $9k Dave & Buster is a first-round draft pick that might be a Greg Oden bust. Sorry, Greg. I love me some Jose Aldo and picked him to beat Aeimann Zahabi. But this is a dangerous fight for Aldo, and historically, Aldo isn’t a high-output fighter. Without a finish, Aldo won’t cover his high cap hit. And Aldo hasn’t finished a fight since 2019 when he finished Money Moicano with a liver shot.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Aeimann Zahabi (+180): This guy is dropping fast. Word is getting out. Zahabi is just a crafty, sneaky, good fighter. It took me a while to reach that conclusion, but better late than never. This is a dangerous fight for Jose Aldo. Zahabi enters the pocket at angles and throws from unorthodox peripherals. Aldo is more of a straight-up-and-down boxer. And Zahabi has far fewer MMA miles on him. Also, Zahabi has his brother Firas in his corner. Firas is a legendary coach who has trained GOATs and legends for two decades. He will have a detailed game plan for Aeimann. And Aiemann will follow it. I reluctantly picked Aldo’s speed to edge out the first two roundswo rounds, but my money will be on Aeimann Zahabi. The value is in the upset.   

Valentina Shevchenko (+130): A GOAT and current Champ as a dog? You don’t see that every day. Shevchenko vs. Fiorot has a split decision written all over it. The biggest obstacle Valentina will have to overcome will be Fiorot’s volume. And I’m not sure Valentina will be able to rely on her ground game. But she’s still a dangerous striker with a very similar skillset as Manon Fiorot. Valentina will have to trust her striking again. She is one of the best counterstrikers in the game and can flip Fiorot’s aggression against her. I doubted Valentina in the rubber match against Grasso. But she looked like vintage Valentina that night for the Valenti first time in a while.   

Charlie Radtke (+190): Chuck Buffalo has fooked up my parlay a couple times. This guy has a shitty attitude, and shitty attitudes make for good fighters. This guy rubs you every which way except the right way. But I like that. Radtke is an irritant. And he has a helluva right hand. Like Nas only needs One Mic, Radtke only needs one punch, one punch. Mike Malott averages over two takedowns per fifteen minutes but rocks a fifteen percent takedown defense. Radtke’s takedown defense is one hunnid percent. Radtke might fook around and put Malott on his back. After Malott’s loss to Neil Magny, I wouldn’t trust him any more than I would trust ordering the chef’s special from a Calcutta street vendor.   

Pick ‘Em

Mike Malott (-180) vs. Charlie Radtke (+155)  

Winner: Charlie Radtke 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Jessica Andrade (+250) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (-300)  

Winner: Jasmine Jasudavicius 

Method: Decision 

Modestas Bukauskas (-105) vs. Ion Cutelaba (-115)  

Winner: Ion Cutelaba 

Method: Decision 

Navajo Sterling (-310) vs. Ivan Erslan (+255) 

Winner: Navajo Sterling 

Method: Decision 

Marc-Andre Barriault (-150) vs. Bruno Silva (+130) 

Winner: Bruno Silva 

Method: Decision 

Daniel Santos (+110) vs. Jeong Yeong Lee (-130) 

 Winner: Jeong Yeong Lee 

Method: Decision 

Brad Katona (+140) vs. Bekzat Almakhan (-165) 

Winner: Bekzat Almakhan 

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.