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

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Main Card

Max Holloway (-230) vs. Charles Oliveira (+175)

Max: DK: $8.8k | Charles: DK:$7.4k

Position: BMF Champion 

Job Description: The UFC is looking for the baddest of the bad of all ass-kickers. The BMF should kick so much that his feet stink, making it impossible to wear chanclas or any other open-toed shoes, sandals, slides, or otherwise, while in public. The BMF is more than just a brutal knockout artist; it's an attitude that epitomizes the public’s perception of what it means to be a prizefighter. The BMF goes above and beyond the call of duty, taking risks the average fighter wouldn't dare to take. Short notice, no notice, at the drop of a hat, the BMF will fight any challengers in any location, including all seven continents and the fookin’ moon if required. This is not an entry-level position and requires several years of dedication to kicking ass in the most vicious and severe nature. The BMF: Only the baddest motherf**kers need apply. 

Name: Charles Oliveira 

Education: School of Hard Knocks Sao Paulo Campus 

Degree(s) Earned: Bachelors in Knockouts and Masters in Submissions 

Work Experience: UFC 2010 to Present.  

Accomplishments: Ten career TKOs/KOs and twenty-two career submissions. The current UFC record holder for submissions: Seventeen and counting. Sixteen Performance of the Night bonuses. Former Undisputed Lightweight Champion with two title defenses. Two-time title challenger. Twelve-fight winning streak from 2018-2022. Future UFC Hall of Fame inductee.  

Professional Skills: Brazilian Muay Thai with an emphasis on clinch warfare. Standing knee counters, elbows, and long-range boxing. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with an acute expertise in the back mount and rear-naked chokes. Averages over two takedowns and two and a half submission attempts per fifteen minutes. 

References: Relationship 

Michael Chandler Former opponent (defeated twice) 

Dustin Poirier Former opponent (first title defense) 

Justin Gaethje Former opponent (second title defense) 

Mateusz Gamrot Former opponent (first to submit him) 

Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveria’s application for the BMF belt is in, and it’s as impressive as any former applicant. This is a man who walked the Green Mile like Johnny Cash walked the line, facing Chandler, Poirier, and Gaethje in consecutive fights and finishing them all. We haven’t seen a run like that since the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki won the NBA title in 2011. We haven’t seen a run like that since Forrest Gump shattered his metal legs. “Run, Charles! Run!” Such is the story of “Do Bronx’s” career. He started his career on a fourteen-fight dub streak and later ran twelve straight dubs in the UFC, on his way to winning and defending the lightweight belt twice. In case you’re new here, Charles is also the all-time leading submission artist in the UFC with seventeen. And if you don’t know, now you know, homie.  

When it comes to subs, Charles has an entire fleet. Charles Oliveira sunk my battleship! Homie has more subs than the US Navy. This is the only guy who could submit William Wallace, “FREEEEE—Tap! Tap! Tap!” Verbal submission. Charles has more taps than those little clickity-clack shoes on wooden floors. Oliveira’s special move is the back mount. As soon as Charles gets your back, your wifey starts dating again. All your so-called homies start crashing the boards like they’re Dennis Rodman. The Supreme Court ruled that Charles Oliveira’s back mount was cruel and unusual, facing a countrywide ban. As dangerous as Charles is on his feet, his path to victory against Max will be on the mat, testing Max’s ground game in ways we haven’t really seen at any time in Max’s career. I can’t remember seeing Max’s guard extensively since Conor McGregor took him down thirteen years ago.   

I love Charles Oliveira because he overcame major flaws to reach the pinnacle of the lightweight division. His striking lacks movement, and he’s one of the most defensively flawed fighters in the game. But his biggest flaw is getting off to slow starts. In nearly every fight, Charles has to sample defeat with a little spoon like he’s taste testing the options at Baskin-Robbins. Most recently, Charles nearly pulled off a last-second submission against Arman Tsarukyan after being controlled for most of the fight. Charles flirts with death before committing to victory. He literally kicks game at defeat: “Hey, baby. Are you a magician? Because whenever I look at you, everyone else disappears.” He’s like David Carradine if Carradine didn’t pass out after he... well, you know. Auto-erotic ass-kicking, that’s the depraved shit that Charles Oliveira is into.  

Now on to Max. How’s that for a transition, Mr. Curtis (my nointh-grade English teacher)? I know he’s rolling over in his urn right meow. Quit playing and hit that Wu-Tang “Triumph!” Max bombs atomically, Socrates’ philosophies and hypotheses. Can’t define how Max be dropping these mockeries! After UFC 300, they had to thaw Max like a neanderthal at the Smithsonian. Knocking out Justin Gaethje was the coldest moment in UFC history. What’s cooler than being cold? Max Holloway. He’s cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. Oh, hell. Here he goes again. Max is about to send the world into an ice age with another vintage performance.  

You already know Max’s style. He lands one hundred significant strikes before breakfast. He lands one hundred significant strikes while sleepwalking on his way to the pisser at one a.m. Max holds the current record (445) for most significant strikes landed in a fight against Calvin “& Hobbs” Kattar. Some fighters have been in the UFC for several years and haven’t landed 445 significant strikes total in their entire careers. Someone needs to test Kattar’s chin for performance enhancers. Homie has that Barry Bonds chin. At one point, Max was throwing no-look punches like he was “White Chocolate” Jason Williams running the fast break while carrying on a conversation with Rogan and DC. Brr. It’s literally noinety degrees, Al Gore is outside screaming about ManBearPig, and I'm outfitted in The North Face polar apparel just thinking about it. I'm in this bish looking like Jack, holding on to the door, while Kate just watches him slowly freeze to death and sink to the bottom of the ocean.    

Max’s path to victory against Oliveira is volume on his feet. Early, he has to avoid the cage. Charles is excellent at tying you up and taking your back against the cage. Max has to dominate the center of the Octagon and not concede ground. This is Max’s fight to lose. He’s the better striker. Oliveira will have an advantage on the mat, but Max rocks an eighty-three percent takedown defense. This could turn into a Battle of the Chins on the feet, and I trust Max’s more than I do Charles’.  

Max will be the (-225) favorite, and Charles is the (+185) live dog. If Charles can take Max’s back early, it’s a wrap. Wrap it up, B. And although Charles’ chin has diminished, he still has KO power and dangerous standing knees (head and body). But Max is just on a different level. For most of his career, Max was a volume-over-power striker, but lately, he has reached his power arc. He KO’d Justin Fookin’ Gaethje, and damn near KO’d Poirier in his last bout. The play for Max is a TKO/KO, and the play for Oliveira is a submission. This fight won’t go the distance. 

I really thought I had it in the bag last week. The kid from Boy Meets World really whooped Brandon Moreno’s ass. At least I got Max this week. That’s like Kobe with the ball in his hands with the clock running out. Max Holloway via TKO, round three. Put that shit on wax.  

Props

Max: TKO/KO (+165) Sub (+1400) Dec (+200)  

Charles: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+320) Dec (+1200) 

Winner: Max Holloway | Method: TKO Rd.3

Caio Borralho (-280) vs. Reinier de Ridder (+225)

Caio: DK: $9.2k | RDR: DK: $7k

Like the little dweeb in The Sixth Sense sees dead people, I see ass-whoopin's. I see an ass-whoopin' on the horizon. In his previous bout against Brendan Allen, Reinier de Ridder got exposed like he booked a Jet2 holiday on the Island. You know which island. We have to call him Island Boy after getting exposed like that. Allen cracked RDR’s ass like Meek’s cheeks in the champagne room. I knew that day was coming for RDR, but I didn’t think it would come against Brendan Allen. RDR must have called him Brandon Allan at the press conference.   

I’m going to get right to RDR’s major malfunction: striking. His striking looks like Jim Carrey shadowboxing in Me, Myself & Irene after Ringworm throws a cigarette butt on the ground. “This is just a fist. When I start throwing it around, I can leave one helluva mess.” But RDR couldn’t make a mess if he were punching a smash cake at your nephew’s first birthday party. Space is RDR's kryptonite. Speaking of space, he looks like ‘60s moon landing footage on his feet. Because he can’t close space with traditional strikes and operates strictly within the clinch. And if he can’t bully you in the clinch, he’s fooked.   

Despite and in spite of his striking, his grappling carried him to within one win of a title shot after winning four straight to begin his UFC career. Three came via finish, including two submissions. That’s where RDR shines; on the mat. This guy taps you like beer kegs. Homie’s walk-out music should be TAPS. Yo! Hit those bugles! They give your ass a twenty-one-gun salute when he gets his hand raised. Once RDR gets you to the mat, he turns you into Chong Li real quick, “Matté!" Like a bully, RDR will fold if you stand up to him. He’s a classic Toyota Frontrunner. RDR has to be the Diddy. He can’t be the Meek Mill (or he has to be the hammer; he can’t be the nail, if you don’t want to be a Richard about it).  

Unfortunately for RDR, he won’t be able to run over Caio Borralho on the mat. Borralho is the guy who killed Houdini. If you didn’t know, Houdini died while trying to escape Borralho’s back mount while underwater. Borralho gets your back like a true homie. That’s why I call him “Con Air.” He’s like the flying fortress used to transport the country’s most violent criminals in the ‘90s. They used Borralho’s back triangle to transport El Chapo. That was Borralho strapped to Hannibal Lecter when the police escorted him from the plane to meet with Senator Martin. Borralho’s top control ain’t too shabby, either. Homie has Brazilian wax top control. He’ll tear the tats off your body when they rip him off you at the end of the round. It makes that Velcro sound when they pry him off. Yo, DJ! Hit that Lionel Richie “Stuck On You!”   

The only knock on Borralho’s grappling is his lack of finishes. He doesn’t create damage, and he only has one sub in eight UFC bouts. Also, he has commitment issues. Borralho leaves his grappling at the altar and opts to kickbox far too often. I’mnot saying he’s some crumb bum on his feet. His striking has always reminded me of a Temu Lyoto Machida’s. It looks like Borralho learned Karate at a Dojo in a shopping plaza—the type that are next to a laundry mat and Discount Tire. My man strikes like he’s breaking boards. Watching Borralho strike is like waking up at two a.m., and ESPN 3 is still on tv. Borralho is an a la carte striker; no combos. He is a strict one-punch striker, rarely committing to combinations. And all his work comes from outside the pocket. His striking isn’t built to operate within close range. 

But Borralho will have a speed and technical advantage against RDR. He can stay on the outside and out-point RDR with ease. Like Brendan Allen, Borralho can grapple with RDR, also. That’s why Borralho is the (-270) favorite, and RDR is the (+220) mangy dog with a bite record. Borralho is better than RDR everywhere. RDR’s only chance is to clinch and make Borralho wear him for three rounds. He has to grind out a boring dub to win this one. Fantasy-wise, try to avoid this matchup. It will likely go the distance, and there won’t be many significant strikes landed. Control time will be the difference in this one. Caio Borralho via decisão. On wax.   

Props

Borralho: TKO/KO (+330) Sub (+600) Dec (+110) 

RDR: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+1000) Dec (+500)

Winner: Caio Borralho | Method: Decision

Rob Font (+185) vs. Raul Rosas Jr. (-225)

Font: DK: $7.5k | Rosas Jr.: DK:$8.7k

I once saw a documentary about the walking stone heads of Easter Island. Scientists believe the inhabitants used ropes to rock the giant stones back and forth, making it look as if the giant heads were walking along the shore. Then Raul Rosas Jr. made his UFC debut and debunked the theory, proving they just got up and walked on two legs. They were pretty good at Jiu-Jitsu too. Raul Rosas Jr. was kicking grown men’s asses while he was still enrolled in sixth-period home economics. Homie was attending homecoming with the scalps of grown men pinned to his tux like morbid boutonnières. Rosas was one of the youngest fighters to ever fight for the UFC. I worked at a grocery store when I was in high school; Raul Rosas Jr. earned work experience credits by kicking ass as a prize fighter in the biggest fighting organization in the world. And now he will be facing a bantamweight OG, on the cusp of earning his place among the biggest names in the division.   

Don’t let Rosas’s appearance distract you; he looks like the doll from the Saw movies before applying his face before work. My man looks like a walking, talking friend zone. But, oh, what a friend he is to have on your side. Having Rosas as a homie is like walking around campus with Secret Service protection. Although his striking is still raw and unrefined, his grappling is elite. Speaking of the Saw doll, Rosas’s ground game is like waking up trapped in one of Jigsaw’s contraptions. You have to gnaw off a limb to escape back to your feet. They have to bust out a welding torch to get him off you between rounds. But Rosas’s ground game isn’t just about racking up control time. This kid is explosive and works to advance position while hunting for your neck like Mossy Oak and bloodhounds. The only knock against his grappling is that he doesn’t create enough damage. 

Other than Rosas’s wild striking, his major malfunction is pacing. This guy fights like the cruise control is stuck on one hundred. He doesn’t have a cardio issue as much as he has a pacing issue. The WKO motto is: “Life’s a risk, carnal.” We celebrate risk-taking over here. But Rosas Jr. takes that shit to another level. Risks have to be calculated. Rosas will attempt wild shit on the mat, knowing that his superior physical attributes will bail him out if he finds himself in a bad position. Risk? This guy risks getting tranq’d just going to the zoo. A fist fight is nothing to this kid. Against Rob Font, Raul has to stay within himself, not get too out of pocket on the feet, and take down Rob Font. And taking down Rob Font is easier done than said. Homie rocks a forty-three percent takedown defense. This is Raul’s fight to lose.   

This fight for Rob Font is like throwing Johnny Storm into an Olympic pool. It’s like Superman on the planet Krypton. Rosas JR.’s grappling is Font’s worst nightmare. They write Mexican corridos about Rob Font the second his ass hits the mat. Homie turns into that kid in the movie Coco, strumming his guitar in the afterlife, singing, “Remember Me!” Yo, DJ! Hit that shit! Font’s ground game is forgettable to say the least. This is a guy who once got taken down seven times against Cory Sandhagen and spent twenty fookin’ minutes on his back in a twenty-five-minute fight. What will Rosas do to him? Rob may never get up. 

The key for Font will be attacking the body, making it difficult for Rosas to level change under his strikes. The good news is that attacking the body is Font’s specialty. He’ll give you a tummy tuck and a liver transplant real quick. This guy has body work like the Kardashians. But Font’s best weapon is still his jab. He can jab a face for hours. Yes, he will jab your face... off—on some Castor Troy type-ish. He’ll Frazzle Drip you and rock your likeness out in town, frequenting your favorite spots and dapping up your homies. That was a bit dark; let me light a candle real quick. Anywho, this guy has a good jab. He can throw it for power, and he can finesse u, disrupting your timing and keeping you stuck on the outside. But it’s hard to jab from your back. If by some miracle Rob can stay on his feet, he will dominate the striking, especially late.  

Rosas will be the (-220) favorite, and Font will be the (+180) live-ish dog. If Rosas fades late, Font will be right there to steal the fight late on his feet. But Rob will almost certainly be fighting from behind from the jump. As dangerous as Rosas is on the mat, I like playing this fight for a decision. In thirty-one career scraps, Font has only been finished once (by submission). And Font will spend too much time on his back to accumulate enough damage to stop Rosas. I came here fully prepared to pick Rosas to win this fight. But the more I think about it, the more I see him fading after the halfway point. If Font can avoid giving up his back, he can strike his way back into it. Give me the fookin’ dog. Rob Font via decision. On wax.  

Props

Font: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+4500) Dec (+300)

Rosas Jr.: TKO/KO (+800) Sub (+350) Dec (+110)

Winner: Rob Font | Method: Decision

Gregory Rodrigues (-185) vs. Brunno Ferreira (+155)

Deebo: DK: $8.6k | Ferreira: DK: $7.6k

Squeak, squeak, squeak... Tuck your chain and hide your wallet, Deebo is coming! This is the long-awaited rematch: Deebo vs. Craig 2. Brunno Ferreira hit Brazilian Deebo, Gregory Rodrigues, with a brick to the face back in 2023. Deebo has been on a path seeking retribution ever since. So much so that Deebo is taking this fight on short notice. But that’s nothing to a man who spars regularly with Alex Pereira. Adamantium sharpens adamantium. But Craig hasn’t just been sitting around kicking game at Miss Parker. He’s been kicking ass, going 5-2 since the first Deebo fight, and he is currently riding a three-fight dub streak. Fook short notice, this should have been the original matchup. This one right here won’t go the distance. Someone will wake up with Smokey standing over him, yelling, “You got knocked the fook out!”   

Everywhere Deebo goes, a rash of electric bike thefts follows. When questioned by local authorities, Deebo answered, “What bike, punks!” Ass-whoopin's aren’t too far behind, too. I often talk about Deebo’s underrated ground game and how it may be the strongest aspect of his game. But the MF never uses it, and I just waste finger dexterity while typing pointless words. But trust me, Deebo moves like Saquon Barkley on the mat on the rare occasions he uses his ground game. This fight won’t be one of those occasions. One reason is that Brunno Ferreira is also slick on the mat. Their ground games will likely cancel each other out. This fight will be a brick-throwing contest.   

Deebo’s right hand will have you looking like Red flying across the lawn like you said some stupid shit like, “Pops trippin’, man. He wants me to ask for my bike back.” Deebo is a Fantasy stud because he combines finishing power with overwhelming volume, averaging over five and a half SLpM in comparison to Brunno’s under four. But Deebo has a major, major malfunction. A lack of head movement. Notice he never even flinched when Craig hucked that brick at his dome. George Bush had better movement when he dodged a shoe at a press conference. Deebo is just too hittable. He has been KO’d four times in his career. One of them came on the Contender Series. His chin has never been the same since Craig stood up to him.   

Brunno became a hood superstar after KO’ing Deebo. He even landed a date with Debbie after that. If I KO’d Brazilian Deebo, I’d look like the FBI director celebrating a US men’s hockey Olympic gold medal in the locker room. Brunno’s style reminds me of Ronnie from Jersey Shore throwing sloppy Joe hands in the street. Homie throws right hands like he’s fist-pumping in the club. GTK: Gym, tan, kick ass. Brunno isn’t a striker; he’s a swinger. And I ain’t talking ‘bout Billy Bob and Angelina. You pull a string on Brunno’s back, and he starts windmilling. Homie goes full NBA Jam with the Game Genie “Always on Fire” and “Halfcourt Dunks” cheat codes activated. My man goes straight Vince Carter in the Olympics, bags you across the forehead as he yaks over the top of you. When it comes to throwing hands, Brunno is the kid who swings at everything – the ball in the dirt or over the backstop, it doesn’t matter, he’s hacking away. A jab is a conspiracy theory to this guy.   

I’m surprised by the odds. Deebo is the (-195) favorite, and Brunno is the (+165) live-ass dog. Why is he a live-ass dog? Because he already knocked out Deebo. Both fighters have improved since the first fight, but Brunno may have made bigger strides. Play this fight for a TKO/KO one way or another. Deebo is one of my current favorite fighters. Last week, I picked against my favorite fighter, King Green, and my strategy worked. It was a reverse psychology pick that I bet against. I’m going to the well again this week. Give me Brunno Ferreira TKO, round two. Put it on wax.   

Props

Deebo: TKO/KO (+150) Sub (+350) Dec (+550)  

Ferriera: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+1400) Dec (+800)

Winner: Brunno Ferreira | Method: TKO Rd.2

Drew Dober (+105) vs. Michael Johnson (-120)

Dober: DK: $8k | MJ: DK: $8.2k

MMA’s J.P. Prewitt, Drew Dober, AKA the world-renowned chin model, is back. When he’s not in the Octagon, Dober keeps his chin encased in glass. Dober’s chin was featured in the 1973 Bulova watch catalog. His chin has its own life insurance policy. It’s rumored that Michelangelo sculpted Dober’s jawline. Dober’s jawline is sharper than 20/20 hindsight vision. Dre, Cube, and Ren couldn’t Chin Check Drew Dober. Yo! Hit that NWA! Drew keeps his chin roped off like an exhibit at the museum. It’s kept in the room where Tom Cruise repelled from the ceiling in Mission Impossible, with motion detection lasers crisscrossing all over. This MF has chin cleavage. 

“Uh, excuse me. My eyes are up here.” 

But there is more to Drew Dober than just an impressive chin; he also has a left hand. Dober is considered a Gus Fring striker. He's always trying to fit a left hand into a square peg. His answer to every question is “Left Hand.”  

The ___ is the “powerhouse” of a cell? 

Left Hand. But what a left hand it is. Dober once got boxed up for two rounds against King Green, only to knock out King with one left hand against the cage. He stays on his toes like a ballet dancer as he bounces around the cage, unloading left hands. It almost looks like he’s doing a “batterie” around the cage. Google that shit and get some culture in your life, pawtnas.   

This will be a tough matchup for Dober. Michael Johnson’s speed is a problem for every fighter he faces. Including the time he fought Khabib. This is a guy who KO’d Dustin Poirier. After appearing on The Ultimate Fighter, MJ debuted in 2010. Since then, he has fought every big name in the division. Recently, MJ has experienced a renaissance. He has won three in a row and four of his last five. At one point, MJ’s record was approaching .500 with forty-three career fights. MJ has experienced a lot of ups and down but one thing that has never changed is his hand speed. 

Even after sixteen years fighting at the highest level, his hands haven’t lost a step. His hands are so fast that when he throws them, he ends up in 1957 at a bar with his grandmammy spitting game at him. MJ has those DeLorean hands. His hands are so fast that all he has to do is think about punching you, and your head snaps back. Homie keeps you nodding like a Scott Storch beat. You’ll be nodding so hard that you’ll break ya fookin’ neck. Yo! Hit that Busta Rhymes “Break Ya Neck! MJ will fook around and turn the Octagon into the Headbangers Ball.  

But MJ has a major malfunction that has plagued his career. Homie is an accident waiting to happen, like the Dallas Cowboys. Not even the Falcons can blow a 28-3 halftime lead quicker than MJ. He might be undefeated if fights were only one round. Nobody has more “shoulda wons” on their record than MJ. That’s because his chin can’t be trusted. I trust Charlie’s security more than I trust Michael Johnson’s chin. Who needs enemies when you have MJ’s chin? Benedict Arnold-ass chin. As a result, the canvas has landed over one hundred significant strikes on MJ’s chin over his career. MJ combines a suspect chin with zero head movement. Stevie Wonder could find MJ’s chin in a blackout. This will come down to whose chin will hold up.  

MJ is the slight (-125) favorite, and Dober is the (+105) live-ass dog. I had this fight pegged as a coin flip. Either man can get got and get got dramatically. Fantasy-wise, this is a good fight to target. Both fighters average around four and a half SLpM, and although both are finishing threats, and both have suspect chins, there is value in it going the distance. I’ve gone back and forth on this one too many times. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, speed kills. Michael Johnson via decision. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Johnson: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+2500) Dec (+300)  

Dober: TKO/KO (+175) Sub (+2000) Dec (+550)

Winner: Michael Johnson | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Cody Durden ($7.9k): There are three dude’s named Cody on the prelims this week. If you’re in a pickle and have to choose between the three, take Cody Durden, the younger brother of Tyler Durden. When he’s not working graveyard shifts at the soap factory, Cody is kicking ass or getting his ass kicked. Either way, someone is getting their ass kicked when Cody fights. I like his chances this week against another heavy wrestler, Nyamjargal Tumendemberel. Win or lose, Cody goes out on his shield. He’snot the most technical striker, but he throws with No Reservations on some Anthony Bourdain type-ish. Cody averages three and a half SLpM and four takedowns per fifteen minutes, while defending takedowns at seventy-five percent. Nyamjargalrocksa fifty-four percent takedown defense. It’s anybody’s guess who will have the edge in the stand-up, but Cody is a grimy MF who has faced some stiff competition. His strength of schedule is crazy with names like Joshua Van, Charles Johnson, and Tagir Ulanbekov.   

Brunno Ferreira ($7.6k): Brunno has already knocked out his opponent on Saturday night, Gregory Rodrigues. He is the biggest finishing threat of all the Value Menu options this week. Ferreira will be a true gamble, though. Brunno is an all-or-nothing option; he will either get the early TKO/KO or Deebo will get his revenge. One of these guys will be a Fantasy hero, and the other will be a Fantasy zero. It will come down to a battle of chins, and I trust Brunno’s a lot more than I trust Deebo’s. Deebo’s chin hasn’t been the same since Brunno hit him with that brick in the first fight. Toss the stats out the window for this one. One of them is getting got, and Brunno has already proven that he can knock out Deebo.  

Rob Font ($7.5k): I trust Font’s defensive grappling enough to allow him to weather Raul Rosas Jr.’s early storm. This fight will likely come down to the second round. Rob will almost certainly lose the first and win the third when Rosas gasses if he can’tsubmit Font early. In a similar matchup against Jean Matsumoto, another heavy grappler, Font managed to land noinety-five significant strikes even after giving up seven takedowns. If this were a kickboxing match, it might not even be sanctioned. Font will box rhombuses around Rosas. It won’t be competitive on the feet. But Font has to avoid giving up his back in the first round when Rosas is the most dangerous. Rosas will eventually slow down, and Rob will take over with volume on the feet.   

 $6k Clearance Rack  

Gaston Bolanos ($6.9k): Fantasy points will come at a premium for fighters on the Value Menu and Clearance rack this week. There aren’t any guys who can light up the scoreboard with volume or finishes or both. You will have to scratch and claw for every Fantasy point this week. If you find yourself digging through the moldy option on the Clearance Rack, Bolanos at least has the Muay Thai striking background to stand and bang with his opponent, Jeong Yeong Lee. I think Lee is better than Bolanos everywhere, but Bolanos can crack on his feet if he commits to his striking. Since entering the UFC, Bolanos has opted to play shit safe, opting to use his mid wrestling/grappling instead of his striking. And this is a guy who got is start exclusively as a striker in the now-defunct Tiger Muay Thai organization. This guy can bang when he wants to. Against Lee, he may have no other choice, which will be good news if you’re stuck between a Bolanos and a hard spot when you’re drafting your Fantasy team.   

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Cody Garbrandt (+125): Cody Garbrandt has lost two in a row and is a shadow of his former champion self. But he can win this fight against Long Xiao if he commits to his striking. Cody still has excellent boxing; he just doesn’t trust his hands anymore. This is the guy who had one of the best title performances in history against Dominick Cruz. Garbrandt’s major malfunction was always that he gets out of pocket and is too willing to engage in reckless firefights. The irony is that when he became more technical-minded, he fell the fook off. It turns out that being reckless is when Cody is at his best. When he’s willing to go out on his shield on his feet. Life’s a risk, carnal. If Garbrandt lets his hands go, he will win this fight. That’s a big IF, though. 

Brunno Ferreira (+165): Again, he already knocked out his opponent. Now he’s a dog against that same opponent. I don’t trust Ferreira’s gas tank, but I sure as hell don’t trust Deebo’s either. But I trust Ferreira’s chin a little more than I trust Deebo’s. This one should be short and sweet. But if the fight lingers into the late second and into the third round, both fighters will slow down, and it will be anyone’s fight. Brunno is on a roll right now; he has won three in a row and five of his last six, including four finishes. Most recently, he out-pointed Marvin Vettori, and that’s hard to do. Brunno has wide, looping punches that are Deebo’s kryptonite. And Brunno just might have Deebo’s number.  

Rob Font (+180): It will take late fight heroics for Font to pull this one off. He will have to fight from behind from the opening bell. But don’t underestimate how weak Raul Rosas Jr.’s striking is. He throws hard, and he’s aggressive. But he severely lackstechnical prowess and tactics. If Rosas can’t get the early submission, he will slowly fade, and Rob will take over the fight on the feet. Very few fighters have spent more time on their back than Rob Font. He’s like a Kardashian. But even after spending an hour (fictitious stat) of Octagon time on his back, Font has only been submitted once. And that was almost ten years ago against Pedro Munhoz. If Rob brings his trademark jab to work on Saturday night, I think he can pull off the upset.  

Pick ‘Em

Cody Garbrandt (+125) vs. Long Xiao (-145) 

 Winner: Cody Garbrandt 

Method: Decision 

Donte Johnson (-600) vs. Cody Brundage (+425)  

 Winner: Donte Johnson 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Ricky Turcios (+160) vs. Alberto Montes (-180)  

 Winner: Alberto Montes 

Method: D’arce Choke Rd.2 

Cody Durden (+120) vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (-140) 

 Winner: Nyamjargal Tumendemberel

Method: Decision 

Su Mudaerji (-245) vs. Jesus Aguilar (+205)   

 Winner: Su Mudaerji 

Method: Decision 

Rafael Tobias (-200) vs. Diyar Nurgozhay (+170)   

 Winner: Rafael Tobias 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.1 

Jeong Yeong Lee (-280) vs. Gaston Bolanos (+230)  

 Winner: Jeong Yeong Lee 

Method: Decision 

Luke Fernandez (-230) vs. Rodolfo Bellato (+190)   

 Winner: Luke Fernandez 

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.