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

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Main Card

Jack Della Maddalena (+230) vs. Islam Makhachev (-285)

Della Soul: DK: $7k | Makhachev: DK:$9.2k

“Um, excuse me, Sir...” 

“No, wait. Hear me out.” 

“But, Sir. There’s a lin—” 

“I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But just listen for a second. I get it. Jack gave up ten takedowns in his previous two fights. Seven to Gil ‘Boo-urns.’ But Belal didn’t get him down until late in the third round and only clocked three minutes of control time...” 

“Sir...” I could tell from the fatigue in his voice that I was running out of time.  

“Hold up,” I gave a quick look over my shoulder. “Look at Mackhachev’s record. Who has he beaten? His best win is against a featherweight. His last fight was against the eleventh-ranked fighter in the division. And what happens when he hits the takedown wall against Jack like he did against Poirier? Yeah, he landed five takedowns but went five of sixteen and didn’t land one after the second round.” I could hear distant honking now. I quickened my pace, “If he gets stranded on his feet against Jack, it won’t be long before he’s talking to a fookin’ volleyball and rocking palm leaf chonies. Poirier busted Makhachev up; what do you think a bigger Poirier will do to him? 

“That’s great, Sir, but—” 

“And speaking of featherweights, he just ran away from one. I mean, name a bigger fight than Makhachev vs. Topuria? I’ll wait.” I was bluffing. I really couldn’t wait, “And those odds—A (-285) favorite while moving up a weight class against a guy who just beat the best wrestler in the division. C’mon, you don’t gotta be Ohtani’s interpreter to drop an Andy Jackson on three-name Jack.” That was it; I was all out of ammo. 

There was a reluctant silence. Then, the box emitted a static chirp, and the voice said, “Sir, this is Wendy’s. Would you like to try our new Italian mozzarella cheeseburger and peppermint Frosty? 

“Man, quit playing,” I said, almost offended. “You know damn well I want to try your new Italian mozzarella cheeseburger. And make that two peppermint Frostys.”  

I’ve been trying to tell anyone who will listen that Jack Della “Soul” Maddalena is a live-ass dog. We know one thing: Islam Makhachev isn’t unbeatable. He has one loss on his record, and it came under the UFC banner. If you’re a WKO OG, you know by heart the name of the man who knocked out Islam Makhachev: Adriano Martins. Fun fact: Martins went winless for six years (0-5-1) after beating Makhachev, not earning his first dub until last year. But Adriano will always be a made man.  

If I KO’d Islam Makhachev in a dream, I would wake up every morning like Eddie Murphy in Coming to America. With an orchestral band playing an uplifting movie score ballad while a trio of fine honeys file into the room, “Good morning, your highness,” they would say before presenting me with a pair of Gucci slippers and a matching robe. And of course, I would take my morning shit on an elevated porcelain throne while an enclave of servants offered me advice like cornermen. 

“Whoa! Don’t push too hard, buddy! You need more fiber.” 

“Hey! I ain’t your buddy, peasant!” 

And of course, a courtesy flush wouldn’t be necessary because my shit would smell like sandalwood and lavender Yankee candles. Beating Makhachev is a lifetime achievement. Homie was born on a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl year during an earthquake while Halley’s comet was in the inner solar system and visible to the naked eye. Since his only loss in 2015, Makhachev has been evolving like zombies that aren’t afraid of water—they just walk along the sea floor. You can’t post up like Antonio Brown in the shallow end and wait out Makhachev anymore. The best grappler of his generation has become an elite striker. 

On his feet, Makhachev reminds me of a souped-up Leon Edwards. He won’t “wow” you with fancy footwork and crispy extended combinations. Makhachev is a man of few punches; he Snipes you like Wesley. All you will see is a little orange starburst off in the distance, then fade to black. His left hand and left leg are calibrated precisely to the specifications of your ass, taking into account the wind speed, elevation, and curvature of the earth. But if Makhachev is vulnerable anywhere, it’son his feet. Poirier had success attacking Makhachev’s body. And attacking the body is the new welterweight Champ’s specialty.  

Jack D will hit you like a handle of it. And if he beats Makhachev, the world will be riding Jack’s D. I call him Della “Soul” Maddalena because the ass whoopin’s he delivers are soulful. They’re food for the soul. Call me a glutton; I can’t get enough like Homer at the All-U-Can-Eat buffet. “’Tis no man. ‘Tis a remorseless eating machine.” What makes Jack’s striking special is his bodywork. He has that Bob Kraft at the local massage parlor body work. You’ll wind up out of the league like Deshaun Watson after Jack puts hands on you. Level changes, but we ain’t talking wrastlin’. JDM changes levels with his strikes, starting combinations to the body and ending at the head, and vice versa. Della Soul’s boxing is better than Makhachev’skickboxing. JDM averages nearly seven SLpM compared to Makhavchev’s two and a half. If JDM can stay on his feet, he can win rounds with volume. 

I know; that’s a big if. But against Belal, JDM’s takedown defense looked like it grew up overnight. One second, it was in diapers; the next, it was heading off to college. Against Belal, Jack’s takedown defense was like my neighbor’s Halloween decorations. I’m still getting chased by a Spirit Halloween Leatherface every time I check the mail. Let me quote myself from before the Belal fight: “Jack’s grappling looks like playing Twister with your sister, awkward.” That aged like Gary Busey. “Belal might make JDM look like Jazzy Jeff getting Uncle Phil’d out the front door.” That Aged like Mickey Rourke. In that fight, Jack hit a wrestling power-up: (+25) to takedown defense. He put on some enchanted chonies or some shit. Belal went three of noine and didn’t really control the top position until the late fourth round. Never forget, halfway through the Poirier fight, Islam hit a takedown wall until Poirier made a mistake and gave up his back.  

Islam is the (-285) favorite, and Jack D is the (+225) live-ass dog. JDM made me a believer like Imagine Dragons. Imagine Jack draggin’ Makhachev into deep waters. If Jack can replicate his performance against Belal, he will win this fight. I trust Jack on his feet more than I trust Makhachev wrestling for twenty-five minutes at a higher weight class. There is definitely value in a finish: a Makhachev submission or a JDM TKO. But I like the value in a decision.  

I can’t buy a main event dub right meow. Right on cue, “Rude Boy” Randy Brown turned into “Polite” Randy Brown. This week... I wouldn’t dare take a dog while riding a three-fight L-streak... Would I? Not even Ohtani’s manager would make that bet... And still! Jack Della “Soul” Maddalena via decision. Put that shit on wax.  

Props

Della Soul: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+2800) Dec (+650)  

Makhachev: TKO/KO (+600) Sub (+180) Dec (+200) 

Winner: Jack Della Maddalena | Method: Decision

Valentina Shevchenko (135) vs. Weili Zhang (+115)

Shevchenko: DK: $8.2k | Zhang: DK: $8k

I cheated on my MMA wifey. Twice. I’m afraid no amount of begging will win her back. Oh, how I’ve tried. I even agreed to counseling. It’ll never happen again, Valentina. For real this time. I swear! I picked against my female GOAT two fights in a row. I thought she was on the downside of her career after a gift decision against Taila Santos and losing her belt to Alexa Grass—Shut up, Alexa—Grasso. Then she dominated Grasso and Manon Fiorot, looking like her vintage self. If she beats Weili Zhang, Shevchenko will be cemented as the female GOAT. Bah, bah, baaahh. 

This fight right here is The Bride vs. O-Ren Ishii, AKA Cottonmouth (and we ain’t talking about your boy while he’s typing this). I’m talkin', Katana blades leaving trails of life fluids in the snow. Shevy should make the walk wearing the Bruce Lee yellow jumpsuit, and Weili should rock the snow-white kimono. Win or lose, Shevchenko will die like a Samurai. Even after a decade in the game, her hands are still sharp like a Hattori Hanzo sword. Valentina—don’t you dare call her Tina—will still give you a skull toupee with a single stroke, real fookin’ quick. Don’t forget Shevy’s origin story. She used to train in a Russian forest in the dead of winter, using trees as punching bags and turning them into mulch. Grab a Ouija board and ask Napoleon about Russian winters.   

They call her “The Bullet,” but I call her “The Magic Bullet,” and I ain’t talking about commercial-grade smoothies with the push of a button. I’m talking indestructible, like entering and exiting two bodies, creating seven wounds, and coming away completely intact. She’s still deadly on her feet—from Jack Ruby distance (in the pocket) or from grassy knoll distance (at range). And should she have issues with Weili’s speed, Val averages two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. Both ladies sport a seventy-five percent takedown defense, but, as the bigger fighter who used to compete at bantamweight, Valentina’s wrestling will likely be more effective than Weili’s.   

What came first, the Weili or the Zhang? I always have to mention the time Weili disfigured Joanna Jedrzejczyk. It looked like the airbag in Joanna’s forehead had deployed. OnStar was alerted. Joanna claimed the growth on her forehead as dependent on her taxes that year. She couldn’t unlock her iPhone because her facial recognition wasn’t recognizing. The bouncers wouldn’t let her into the club for the afterparty because they thought her ID was fake. Weili, you better not do that shit to Valentina. Weili reminds me of the female Demetrius Johnson, AKA the female Mighty Mouse. Go on YouTube and watch Weili level change and pick up Daniel Cormier like he was a new bride. She’s the best athlete in the women’s game.  

Picture me picking Tatiana Suarez to beat Weili like it’s something to do... Yeah, I remember picking Tatiana Suarez to beat Weili. That pick and David Onama over Steve Garcia are in the running for Wack-Ass Pick of the Year. Tatiana couldn’thandle the speed. Everything Weili does is fast. She can get an entire eight hours of sleep in a blink. She can cook Minute Rice in under a shot clock violation. She will knock your ass out and call the play-by-play with DC and Rogan. When it comes to pace, she’s the closest there is to a female Merab. Weili unleashes endless chains of striking and takedowns, flowing between both seamlessly. She has to push the pace against Shevchenko. Grasso was successful when she extended combinations. Weili has the speed to do that. Overall, Weili has no weaknesses, like she’s wearing the one ring to rule them all. Nothing can harm her. Except for a Rose head kick... 

Fantasy-wise, this is definitely a fight you want to target. Both average around two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. And both are finishing threats. Weili is the higher-output striker, averaging five SLpM compared to Shevy’s two and a half. Weili’s pace will force Valentina to match. The play for this one is a decision. These ladies are too even. Valentina is the (-125) favorite, and Weili is the (+105) live-ass dog. The deciding factor for me is size. Val moved down to flyweight, and Weili moved up. And I can’t pick against my MMA wifey three straight fights. Valentina Shevchenko via decision. On wax.

Props

Shevchenko: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+800) Dec (+140) 

Zhang: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+1000) Dec (+200)

Winner: Valentina Shevchenko | Method: Decision

Sean Brady (-130) vs. Michael Morales (+110)

Brady: DK: $8.5k | Morales: DK:$7.7k

Yo! Hit that Michael Morales deadly medley! One, two, Michael’s coming for you. Three, four, he told you no locked doors. Five, six, fook your crucifix. Seven, eight, it’s already too late. Noine, ten, Michael will kick your ass again. Freddy, Jason, and Michael “Myers” Morales – top three dead or alive. When it comes to stepping inside the Octagon with Michael Morales, you can check in, but you can’t check out. How good is Michael Morales? We’re about to find out. He will be in a title eliminator against Sean Brady’s back tat. The winner will likely be the next to challenge the winner of the main event. Brady’s back tat is 18-1 for its career, and Morales is 18-0. Thirty-six professional bouts between the two and only one combined loss. This is the very essence of a wrestler vs. striker matchup. This is a main-event-caliber fight and an absolute banger.   

Who shot Mr. Boo-urns? Michael Morales did. In his previous fight, Michael Morales euthanized Gil Burns like a thoroughbred with a broken leg. And I know what you did last summer, Michael. Never forget when Morales left Neil Magny face down on the mat like Bob Knight in his grave. Neil’s face suffered third-degree mat burns. His corner had to roll him over, so his face wouldn’t get bed sores. I always catch whiffs of Rumble Johnson (RIP, legend) when I watch Morales scrap. Morales is Aftershock Johnson. Morales’ power registers 9.0 on Richter Scale. His hands cause tsunamis a half hour after he KOs you. Like the great Chuck Liddell, Morales rides with his hands at chest level and unleashes nothing but knockout shots. Homie will turn you from a solid to a gas with one punch. Power? This guy is drunk with it. A checkpoint is the only thing Michael Morales is afraid of. 

The key for Morales against Sean Brady’s tat will be noinety percent takedown defense. This guy has that ‘85 Bears takedown defense. He has All-Pro takedown defense, four years running. My man has that Life After People takedown defense. A century from now, Morales will still be standing, covered in vines and vegetation, as the earth tries to take him back. Yo! Hit that Elton John “Still Standing!” Morales is still standing, better than he ever did. Sean Brady averages over three and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. This will be like the league’s best offense versus the best defense. If Morales can keep the fight standing, I think he could run away with the striking. 

But that doesn’t mean Sean Brady is some kind of crumb bum on his feet. He will still put you in a box like the Brady Bunch. He’ll still go full Wayne Brady and steal your damn ham sammich. And after he puts his hands on you, he’ll pick you up and throw you for four hundred yards like Tom Brady. Brady has much improved striking and dominant wrestling, but his back tat is the star of the show. Fook a title shot, Brady’s back tat will call out Alexander Volkov’s back tat after the fight. I can’tthink of a better Fight Night main event. Brady has more ink than an octopus. More ink than Bic. The tat on Brady’s back has a tat on its back. Brady has so much ink on his body that he’s SPF 500. MF could walk on the sun and walk away unscathed. Look, Mom! No burns! Imagine how good he could be if he weren’t vitamin D-deficient.   

I could spend time telling you how good Brady’s wrestling is, but I think he will have to rely on his striking against Morales. Getting Morales to the mat consistently over fifteen minutes will be a tall task. Brady will have to out-box Morales at some point. And he can do it. Brady’s hands are heavy, like trying to carry all the groceries in one trip. His hands require baggage fees on Southwest Airlines. Overall, Brady is a bachelor striker; his hands ride solo. He can put together basic 1-2s and 2-3s, but he won’t extend past two-punch combinations. But he is technically sounder than Morales, who leaves himself wide open with his low hand position. If Brady can establish his striking early, his wrestling will carry him to a dub late.   

Brady is the (-140) favorite, and Morales is the (+120) live-ass dog. This is the first time in Morales’ career that he is a dog. The difference is Brady’s elite wrestling. He took down Leon Edwards five times and racked up eleven minutes of control time before submitting Leon in the fourth round. And Leon’s wrestling/grappling used to be underrated. The only time Brady didn’t record a takedown was against Belal Muhammad. Belal finished Brady in the second round on the feet. If he can’t keep Morales on his back, Morales’s power will eventually catch up to Brady. I think the play for Brady is a decision. And I like playing Morales for a mid-to-late TKO/KO. He will have to make up for lost time if he ends up on his back. Dammit, I’m stuck on this one. I think Brady might be able to control the top position just enough to eke out a decision. Sean Brady via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

Brady: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+400) Dec (+165)

Morales: TKO/KO (+380) Sub (+2500) Dec (+275)

Winner: Sean Brady | Method: Decision

Leon Edwards (+145) vs. Carlos Prates (-175)

Edwards: DK: $7.3k | Prates: DK: $8.9k

R.I.P. Leon Edwards  

August 25, 1991 – November 15, 2025  

Carlos Prates is the last guy you want to face after back-to-back lackluster performances. Somebody better rub two sticks together and start a fire under Leon’s ass. Never forget what Prates did to Ian Garry in the fifth round of their main event. Prates beat the lower back tat off Garry’s ankle. He beat Garry so badly in that fifth round that Garry took Prates’s last name and now goes by Ian Machado-Prates-Garry. Prates had Garry crawling away from the ass-whoopin' like Jackie Kennedy in the back of the Benz—had Garry crawling like Leo DiCaprio crawling to the Lambo. Prates’s official record says he lost that fight, but if what he did to Garry is losing, then I don’t want to win.  

Prates’s secret weapon is Marlboro Reds. Iron lungs, and we ain’t talking about ventilators. This guy rocks those Patty and Selma lungs. Homie is a human muffler. Prates lights up between rounds like it’s the smoking section in restaurants in the ‘90s. Yet, despite conventional wisdom, Prates gets stronger as the fight progresses. He’s the real-life Sagat from Street Fighter. The Tiger Knee is Prates’s special move. As a southpaw, his standing knee lines up perfectly with the liver of an orthodox fighter. Homie paints the town brown with his knee behind extended combinations or as a counter. And he’ll punch holes in you like three-ring binders. Yo! Hit that WAR “Lowrider!” Prates’s hands have hydraulics. He carries them at his waist and unloads punches from the lower peripheral. It sounds like the opening track of Chronic 2001 when Prates starts hitting switches with extended combos. 

Usually, a low-hand position leaves you vulnerable defensively. But Prates uses footwork to create angles and step off-line of return fire. He also uses his footwork to set up spinning shit. In his previous fight, he put Geoff Neal on the spin cycle. And we ain’t talking about Peloton. He landed a spinning back elbow that echoed throughout the arena. Prates beats Leon Edwards as long as he stays upright. I have a feeling Leon will try to wrestle early. He doesn’t want to stand with Prates for fifteen minutes. Nobody does.   

Leon was never comfortable as the Champion. He was more in his element when he was the hunter rocking the Mossy Oak camo with little branches glued to his head and dousing himself in elk urine like it was Cool Water aftershave than he was the hunted with a bullseye over his heart. Leon’s major malfunction is that he is a minimalist striker. I’m talking those corny toe shoes and biodegradable fight shorts. Leon wants to do just enough to win and not an ounce more. There were signs that Leon was faking the funk even the night he won the title with the Head Kick Hear Around the World. For the better part of four rounds, he moped around the Octagon with that Big Snuffleupagus energy. “Hi, Bert. Got some smack, Bert?” Leon is a Debbie Downer in the cage even when he’s winning. It’s like he starts questioning himself like Gene Hackman under oath. 

Against Prates, Leon needs to fight like he ordered the Code Red. Leon averages only two and a half SLpM compared to Prates’s just below four. Leon treats his hands like DJ Khaled treats his Jordans. He has those J.P. Prewitt hand model hands. He preserves his hands inside glass cases, so they don’t get scuffs on them. Homie probably hires people to wipe his ass for him. Can’t risk his finger slipping through the single ply. Leon is a point striker. It’s like he’s fencing in that bish. Engarde! All he’smissing is the beekeeper mask. But homie still has those bolt-action hands with night vision scopes attached. Homie is a sniper positioned in the bell tower. The problem is his pace. His pace is like he's firing a 1700s musket, pouring gun powder in the funnel, dropping the ball in the barrel, and tamping it down before letting his hands go. 

Prates is the (-195) favorite, and Leon is the (+165) mangy-ass dog. I’ve lost all faith in Leon. He still has precise, technical striking. But he doesn’t have the aggression to take advantage of it. I see Leon using his wrestling. Ian Garry is far from Cael Sanderson on the mat, and he took Prates down four times. But Garry only recorded three minutes of control time. Leon is a better wrestler/grappler who can out-position Prates. I could see Prates being the first fighter to finish Leon on his feet, but the play for this one is a decision. Leon doesn’t take enough risks. He won’t leave himself open like Geoff Neal did while trying to press the fight. Without a decision, both fighters could be Fantasy busts. Give me Carlos Prates via decision. On wax.  

Props

Edwards: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+2000) Dec (+275)  

Prates: TKO/KO (+165) Sub (+2000) Dec (+215)

Winner: Carlos Prates | Method: Decision

Beneil Dariush (+150) vs. Benoit St. Denis (-180)

Dariush: DK: $7.4k | BSD: DK: $8.8k

Banger. We’ve been spending most of our lives living in a Grappler’s Paradise. This could turn into a rare Grappler’s Delight. Benny “And the Jets” Dariush is MMA’s Jeff Goldblum. Goldblum when he was The Fly. On the mat, he sticks to you like you’re a piece of shit. As in, an actual turd. He used to be my lightweight Dark Horse. But after back-to-back KO losses, Benny was put out to pasture like Mr. Hands. Like a River Phoenix, Benny was in the gutters.  

But he rose from the ashes like a Phoenix when he beat Money Moicano in his most recent bout. Benny remains the most creative grappler in the division. You won’t see anyone else throwing people in standing crucifixes. You won’t see anyone else attack an armbar and kneebar simultaneously. Salt & Pepper, and we ain’t talking about “Shoop.” We talking about that Just for Men. Benny’s gray hair is a sign of wisdom, not age. The last Boy Scout will tie you in intricate knots and earn a merit badge in the process. Slipknots and we ain’t talking Halloween masks and screaming into a microphone like a demon taking a huge shit.   

Benny can beat BSD anywhere he wants. He still has his twelve-year-old Andy Reid Punt, Pass, & Kick left hand. And he’s a far better all-around grappler than BSD. BSD is only dangerous from the top position. He’s a chalk outline on his back. Benny needs to take a page from Money Moicano’s book and create damage from the top. Money Moicano beat up BSD and didn’t even bother hunting for a sub. The only question is, can Benny finish BSD?   

Don’t get it fooked up like the Cowboys on Monday night. BSD ain’t no TLC scrub. A scrub is a fighter that can’t get no love from me. And I got mad love for BSD. I call him PTSD. He burned McGregorziho, AKA Mauricio Ruffy, like an STD. He dogwalked Ruffy like Cesar Millan. BSD put a muzzle and a chain on Ruffy like he was Mr. Slave. Fighting this guy is like watching The Ring tape. Everybody involved dies within twenty-four hours. Your therapist needs a therapist after you sit on the couchrecounting your fight with BSD. My man is single handedly breaking French stereotypes for being a bunch of Sal Bonpensieros. 

BSD’s top control is the star of the show. It’s like getting a Brazilian wax peeling this guy off you. He takes a layer of skin with him. If he gets hold of you and drags you to the mat, you’re gonna have a bad time. BSD has two major malfunctions.The first is his stand-up. Jimmy Valmer has better stand-up than BSD. “Do you like fish sticks?” The second is his takedown defense and guard. Make that three major malfunctions. BSD can stuff a takedown here and there, but if he ends up on his back, the round is over, if not the fight. He has never been submitted, but he tends to take heavy damage. Benny can be the first to submit him. 

Whoa! Maybe I’m off on this one. I thought Benny would be the favorite. But I thought Muslim Salikhov should have been the favorite last week against Uro Medic, and Medic finished Salikhov in about one minute. BSD is the (-190) favorite, and Dariush is the (+165) live-ass dog. I know they say MMA math doesn’t math. But Dariush handled Money Moicano, and Moicano dominated and finished BSD. Benny is a better grappler than both. And BSD poses little threat on his feet. Play this one for a finish: Benny by submission or BSD by TKO/KO. Beneil Dariush via rear-naked choke, round three. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Dariush: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+650) Dec (+500)  

BSD: TKO/KO (+150) Sub (+500) Dec (+350)

Winner: Beneil Dariush | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Chepe Mariscal ($7.9k): You don’t get the nickname “Machine Gun” for nothing. This guy is an underrated dog. All he has done is go 5-0 in the UFC since his debut. Overall, Chepe is riding an eight-fight dub streak. Chepe is an all-around ass-kicker withno holes in his game. He will be up against the Travelocity gnome, AKA Pat Sabatini. Sabatini is a nasty little grappler with twelve career submissions. The problem with Sabatini is his striking. It’s terrible. If Sabatini can’t keep Chepe on his back for fifteen minutes or produce a submission, he will get Susie, Debie, and Molly whopped on his feet. Sabatini averages five takedowns per fifteen minutes, while Chepe defends at seventy-three percent. But Chepe is no chump on the mat. He’s good at forcing scrambles and getting back to his feet. Also, Chepe has never been submitted in twenty-five career scraps. Chepe’s upside is a mid-to-late TKO/KO finish. 

Roman Kopylov ($7.6k): This is a sketchy pick after Kopylov’s last performance against Paulo Costa. Kopylov struggled against Costa’s power striking. And here comes another power striker, Gregory Rodrigues, AKA Brazilian Deebo. Here’s the thing about Deebo: his chin is suspect. It’s never been the same since Craig hit him with that brick to the face. Kopylov’s speed will cause problems for Deebo. As will Kopylov’s kicks. While Deebo is strictly a boxer, Kopylov has a nasty kicking game. And his foot speed is as fast as his hand speed. He can beat Deebo down the middle with sharp, precise attacks. Deebo also has underrated grappling, but he rarely uses it. He prefers to knock people out. Never forget the time Deebo got KO’d by Jordan Williams (who the fook is that guy?) on the Contender Series. Also, Deebo has a suspect gas tank. Kopylov can survive early and find a finish late.   

Jack Della Maddalena ($7k): I’m done sleeping on Jack. His striking is as smooth as the feeling of saying his name quickly. Makhachev struggled to get Dustin Poirier to the mat after the second round. And he also struggled to ground Volkanovski in their first matchup. JDM’s major malfunction is his takedown defense (sixty-noine percent). Gil Boo-urns took him down seven times. But Gil couldn’t keep JDM on the mat. If the takedown well runs dry on Makhachev, he will get boxed up like he works at Postal Annex. Makhachev is no crumb bum on his feet, but he can’t stand and bang with JDM for twenty-five minutes. If JDM can avoid an early submission, I think he will take over on the feet and could score a late finish. 

 $6k Clearance Rack

Angela Hill (6.7k): If you can’t scrape together the funds to sign JDM to a Fantasy contract, “Overkill” Hill is your next best option. She averages five and a half SLpM and will be in a striker vs. striker matchup. For once, she won’t have somebody diving for her ankles the moment the bell rings. Her opponent, Fatima Kline, will be at a massive experience disadvantage. The gap between Hill and Kline in experience is like trying to pole-vault across the Grand Canyon. There isn’t anybody in the women’s fight game that Hill hasn’t fought. Champions, title contenders, Hall of Famers; Hill has fought them all. Even in a loss, Hill can at least put some points on the board for your Fantasy team. And the perennial underdog might just fook around and win this fight.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Chepe Mariscal (+115): This fight is Chepe’s to lose if he can stuff a takedown or two. Like Arnold on the surface of Mars without a helmet in Total Recall, Pat Sabatini can’t survive on his feet. He starts to shrivel and dry up like SpongeBob out of water. Sabatini might be one of the best pure grapplers in the featherweight division, and simultaneously, the worst striker. I’ve seen better stand-up at my kid’s talent show. Mariscal is more well-rounded by far. And Chepe has yet to be submitted in his career. There’s no doubt that Sabatini could be the first to submit him. But if Sabatini can’t do it early, Chepe will take over and dominate on the feet.  

Beneil Dariush (+165): These odds are wild to me. I think Benny should be favored. He is a far more gifted/creative grappler than Benoit St. Denis. Denis is only dangerous from the top position. And as Money Moicano proved, BSD is a chump from his back. Dariush’s reversals and ability to use diverse guards from his back make him far more dangerous on the mat. If the fight stays standing, it’s anybody’s game. BSD has power and aggression on his side, but he lacks any technical ability. Benny is far from a technical striker, but he has that twelve-year-old Andy Reid Punt, Pass, & Kick overhand left. Never forget the time Dariush out-grappled Mateusz Gamrot. That was one of the best displays of creative grappling I’ve seen. He had Gamrot tied in knots. Don’t sleep on Benny “The Jet.” 

Jack Della Maddalena (+230): I’m skeptical about Makhachev moving up to welterweight. There have been times when he struggled to get smaller fighters to the mat at lightweight. Belal Muhammad landed one hundred thirty-two significant strikes against JDM in their title bout. That fight was 2-2 going into the fifth. Can Makhachev keep that kind of pace if he can’t get JDM to the mat? I don’t think so. Makhachev’s striking isn’t built like that. Belal’s boxing is a little better than Makhachev’skickboxing. Also, Dustin Poirier exposed a chink in Makhachev’s armor: the body. Poirier found late success attacking Makhachev’s body, and attacking the body is JDM’s specialty. I think JDM can join Adriano Martins as the only fighters to beat and finish Makhachev. 

Pick ‘Em

Bo Nickal (-225) vs. Marco Tulio (+185) 

Winner: Bo Nickal 

Method: Decision 

Roman Kopylov (+150) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-175)  

Winner: Gregory Rodrigues 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Erin Blanchfield (-250) vs. Tracy Cortez (+210)  

Winner: Erin Blanchfield 

Method: Decision 

Malcom Wellmaker (-170) vs. Cody Haddon (+140) 

Winner: Malcolm Wellmaker 

Method: Decision 

Kyle Daukaus (-435) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+325)  

Winner: Kyle Daukaus 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Pat Sabatini (-130) vs. Chepe Mariscal (+115)  

Winner: Chepe Mariscal 

Method: TKO Rd.3 

Angela Hill (+400) vs. Fatima Kline (-575)   

Winner: Angela Hill 

Method: Decision 

Baisangar Susurkaev (-1100) vs. Eric McConico (+650)   

Winner: Baisangar Susurkaev 

Method: Decision 

Viacheslav Borshchev (+135) vs. Matheus Camilo (-160)   

Winner: Matheus Camilo 

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.