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

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Main Card

Jiri Prochazka (-110) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-110)

Jiri: DK: $8.4k | Ulberg: DK:$8k

There is no way to accurately describe Jiri Prochazka. You have to go way back in the history books to find a character suitable for comparison. I’m talking way back to the Jurassic Period. To Jiri Prochazka, Jurassic Park was a place where he used to play pick-up soccer games with balls made of stone and have picnics with his pops, who used to cook up pterodactyl fillets laid out on a lavish spread of a sabretooth tiger pelt. Jiri Prochazka is straight out of Night at the Museum. He’s a real-life Encino Man who walked into a time warp while dinosaur hunting on some Turok type-shit and was transported directly into the Octagon. This MF still had T. rex meat stuck in his teeth when he made his UFC debut in the year of the great toilet paper famine. This guy comes from an age when taking a shit in your front yard was a more dangerous endeavor than fighting Carlos Ulberg for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight title. Jiri comes from a place where the fooking plants could eat you while on your way to the local watering hole; WTF can Carlos Ulberg do to him?   

Like a McLaren X-1 or a Lamborghini Egoista, Jiri Prochazka is truly one of one. His style will go extinct the day he decides to leave the gloves in the center of the Octagon. Yo, DJ! Hit that Earth, Wind and Fire “Boogie Wonderland!” Jiri is Elemental, and we ain’t talking about wack Disney movies, pawtnas. Jiri flows like an aqueduct. He is water, my friend. His movement inside the cage looks like he’s reciting an ancient ritualistic dance performed before Woolly Mammoth hunting expeditions. He throws his hands like spears and swings his legs like scythes. Every time he steps into the Octagon, it’s a night at the Improv. Jiri just makes shit up as he goes along, like State of the Union addresses. You don’t know what he’s going to throw next because he doesn’t. Jiri is Biggie on the corner, kicking freestyles, throwing combinations off the top of his dome. So far in his UFC career, Jiri has only shown one weakness. 

Alex Pereira. 

Jiri is 6-2 in the UFC with both losses coming at the fists of The Fist God. No matter the outcome, fighting Alex Pereira is a curse. Israel Adesanya hasn’t won a fight since beating Alex, and Jiri has beat everyone except Alex. Jiri’s major malfunction is his movement. Huh? I thought you said his movement is what makes him unique? It is, but all that movement is a gift and a curse. Jiri tends to shuck and jive right into big strikes. And maybe that’s why I tend to doubt Jiri. At some point in every fight Jiri gets rocked. It’s just hard to tell sometimes because when he starts stepping in potholes, it looks like Jiri doing Jiri shit, Poppin’ and Lockin’ like he’s in a dance battle. Jiri likes to flirt with defeat, but he would never step out on victory. He’s a defeat tease. My man leaves defeat with huevos azules. Khalil Rountree had Jiri doing the Salsa, Tango, and Cha-Cha all over the cage, yet Jiri managed to stay upright and eventually left Rountree face down like Bob Knight in his grave. You can hurt Jiri, but only one man has been able to land a kill shot.  

Jiri beats Carlos Ulberg if he makes it a weird Jiri-paced slobber knocker. He has to be careful not to get baited into making mistakes by Ulberg’s patient style. Ulberg isn’t a risk-taker. He doesn’t mind sitting back, waiting for a perfect opening, while the crowd boos. Jiri does. Prochazka will press the action, and that’s when Ulberg’s hand speed and straight punches will cause Jiri problems. In many ways, Ulberg’s relaxed, technical style is Jiri’s kryptonite. Jiri had no problems luring Rountree into a wild firefight. I’m not so sure he’ll be able to do that against Ulberg. To quote the viral video of a kid in the hood, talking shit to his ops, “Today I got time, Cuz!” Today Ulberg has time. He’ll sit back in the cut like what and wait for Jiri to zig when he should have zagged. Ulberg has the two elements not found on your high school Periodic Table, LE (Length) and SP (Speed).  

Straight shots, no chaser. That’s Ulberg’s style. He’ll have you getting hauled out of that bish by security after a 1-2. Yo, DJ! Hit that Shaboozey “A Bar Song!” One, here comes the two to the three to the four, tell Ulberg to bring another round,they need plenty more. Homie has those 151 rums hands, aka those Caribou Lou hands, on that Tech N9ne shit. Ulberg will have a big advantage beating Jiri to the punch down the middle. It will only be a matter of time until Jiri runs into a straight left hand or counter right hook. Everything about Carlos Ulberg is pretty, so you have to add some ugliness to his life. You have to hang up a portrait of Li Jingliang in his living room or some shit. Homie fights like he’s wearing a rented tux. My man requests to sit in the non-smoking section (yes, youngsters, people used to smoke indoors at restaurants). He doesn’t even like smoggy days; Ulberg checks the air quality before going out. Ulberg operates almost exclusively at range. The key to beating him is eliminating space and making him exchange inside the pocket.   

Odds-wise, this is a virtual toss-up. Jiri is the slight (-115) favorite, and Ulberg is the (-105) live-ass dog. If he can avoid wild exchanges, Ulberg’s patience will eventually lead to a possible fight-ending scenario. Likely, more than one. Jiri is technical in his own unique way, but Ulberg is classically technical. His understanding of range is superior to Jiri’s. Jiri tends to leap, stumble, and trip into the pocket, sometimes clumsily. Ulberg’s hand speed will make him pay. The only play is a TKO/KO one way or another. Both these guys can get got. Ulberg got TKO’d in his UFC debut against Kennedy Nzechukwu. Ulberg gassed after trying to finish Kennedy in the first round and failing. It proved that Ulberg can’t handle a heavy pace, aka a Jiri pace.  

The main event L streak now sits at two after Money Moicano did Money Moicano shit. Good thing I put my money where my mouth wasn’t. This week’s pick is impossible. As I’m typing this, I don’t know who I’m going to pick. But I keep seeing Jiri walking into a straight left hand. But, then again, I always see Jiri walking into something big. And he usually does but finds a way to survive. Give me the slight dog. Carlos Ulberg via TKO, round three. Put it on wax.   

Props

Jiri: TKO/KO (+140) Sub (+1400) Dec (+650)  

Ulberg: TKO/KO (+175) Sub (+2000) Dec (+500) 

Winner: Carlos Ulberg | Method: TKO Rd.3

Paulo Costa (+170) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (-205)

Costa: DK: $7.3k | Murzakanov: DK: $8.9k

This one is a makeshift co-main event after Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira moved to UFC 328. Azamat (don’t you dare call him Asshat) Murzakanov is next up; he’s in the on-deck circle taking warmup hacks with the donut, while Paulo Costa is up to bat, facing a full count. This is a make it or break it fight for Costa; a strikeout and yet another walk back to the dugout for the third time in his last four fights and five of his last seven would signal an official change of the guard. The good news for Costa is that his previous fight (a win) against Roman Kopylov was the first time that Paulo Pasta didn’t show up on fight night in Costa’s stead since 2022, when Costa destroyed what was left of Luke Cuckhhold, I mean Rockhold. This fight isn’t nearly as sexy as the original co-main event, but when it’s last call and the chips are down, it’ll do.   

It’s hard out here for a simp. Azamat Murzakanov is a left-hand simp. I’m talking about UGK and Simp C. Simpin’ left hands ain’t easy. In fact, it’s hard out here for a simp. Azamat is built like a Denny’s chef (cook if you want to be a Richard about it) and throws almost left hands almost exclusively. His right hand lives vicariously through his left hand. It just sits in the corner of the telly while the left hand cracks asses. His right hand is just there to laugh at the left hand’s jokes and jump on any grenades that should be lobbed their way. His right hand is just there to talk to the cops in case the night takes a crazy turn. But the difference between an amateur left-hand simp, rocking Hush Puppies and JCPenney’s suits, and a kingpin simp, flossing Tom Ford three-piece tuxes with Gucci linen pocket squares and an ivory cane fashioned from Mastodon tusk, like Azamat Murzakanov, is arm angles. 

Azamat can throw from the stretch or the windup and has a full arsenal of punches. Overhand, three-quarters, sub marine like Dennis Eckersley, or underhand like lady’s softball, Azamat can change his arm angle to attack holes in the opponent’s guard. Azamat throws same-hand combinations. You see this in boxing, but it’s usually the lead hand that boxers use. Azamat throws the cross, then an uppercut, then a hook in quick succession. Or he’ll throw an overhand to close the distance and multiple hooks on the way out of the pocket. All with his rear power hand. Picture Azmat in a Hazmat suit when he starts cooking. My man is 16-0 with twelve TKOs/KOs and a single sub. He has notable dubs against Dustin Jacoby and Alonzo Menifield, but this will be a step up in competition. 

Or will it? It depends on which Paulo Costa shows up: The Real Housewives of the Octagon version, sipping box wine backstage before the fight, or the ass-kicker who won his first five UFC bouts, earning him a title shot against prime Stylebender. Costa is good enough to have worn the belt, but he has nobody to blame but himself for his failures. He is his own worst enemy. Yo, DJ! Hit that Lit “My Own Worst Enemy!” For reasons only known to Paulo, sometimes he shows up and just stands around getting picked apart while throwing an occasional head kick that nearly ends the fight.   

That's the thing about dudes named Paulo; they're just a little off kilter. The kids aren’t alright. In my experience, guys named Paulo rock Speedos anywhere near water. A light drizzle and they're walking down the street in some bikini briefs with a briefcase in hand. Your sprinklers come on, and there’s Paulo Costa stretched out in a Tommy Bahama beach chair, rocking a banana hammock. While most Paulos are built like your Grammy’s romance novel covers, most wouldn't get points on the SAT for spelling their name correctly. Paulo has vegetative state fight IQ. Pull the plug fight IQ. It seems like Paulo has formulated the perfect formula for calculating doing just enough to lose.   

And because of that, the last time he cracked an ass, his finger slipped through the toilet paper. He beat the brakes, the Jack in the Box antenna ball, and the “I Voted” bumper sticker off Luke Rockhold. Hit that Talib Kweli “Get By!” But he did just enough to get by, just to get by, just to get by against Kopylov. Those were his most recent dubs. He can win this fight. If you could guarantee me that a focused Costa will show up on Saturday night, I’d pick him to win this fight hands down.   

But I can’t trust Costa any further than I can give Lizzo a piggyback ride. That’s why Paulo will be the (+160) live-ass dog, and Murzakanov will be the (-190) favorite. Even without a finish, this should be a high-output scrap. Paulo averages nearly six and a half SLpM compared to Murzakanov’s over four and a half. Although both fighters are finishing threats, I like playing this one for a decision. Murzakanov tends to slow as the fight progresses. And Paulo’s pace can be confusing at times. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, when the chips are down, I can’t trust Paulo. Azamat Murzakanov via decision. On wax. 

Props

Murzakanov: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+2000) Dec (+165) 

Costa: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+2000) Dec (+450)

Winner: Azamat Murzakanov | Method: Decision

Curtis Blaydes (-120) vs. Josh Hokit (+105)

Blaydes: DK: $8.4k | Hokit: DK:$7.8k

One day, I want Curtis Blaydes to be one of my pallbearers so he can let me down one more time. Like yours truly, Curtis Blaydes is afraid of heights. Every time he gets to the top of the mountain, nearing a title shot, he loses his nerves... Knees weak, arms are heavy. There's vomit on his sweater already. Mom’s spaghetti. If Pressure makes diamonds, this guy is a lump of coal. That's why I picked Tom Aspinall to beat him twice. 

Readers Added Context: 

This is a misleading claim. 

The author indeed picked Curtis Blaydes to beat 

Tom Aspinall not once but twice. 

Curtis Blaydes is built like a Transformer with school buses for legs, trash trucks for arms, dumpsters for hands, and a refrigerator for a head. Blaydes made his UFC debut a decade ago against Francis Ngannou. Two of his five career UFC losses came against Ngannou. If you check Blaydes’s record, he only loses to top ten fighters. And the only reason he hasn’t held the heavyweight title is that he no longer commits to his wrestling as he did early in his career.   

Blaydes is a dominant wrestler until it matters most. Then, he identifies as a striker. He abandons his takedowns anytime he’s facing an elite striker. Yeah, he’s a deadbeat wrestler. He looks for any excuse to stand and bang. Just like Devin the Dude said: “You can't make a garden tool a housewife,” you also can't make a wrestler a striker. Now this, this is one of them occasions where Curtis is not doing it right. Nowadays, Curtis only commits false-flag takedowns; he shoots a lazy double leg, and when it's stuffed, he uses it as an excuse to strike. That will most likely be the case when Blaydes faces the young prospect Josh Hokit, a fellow wrestler. If Blaydes were smart, he’d turn this into an old-school wrestling match and test Hokit’s defensive grappling and extended cardio. But he won’t. Blaydes will stand and bang and likely get his block knocked off like gentrification.   

This is another head-scratching matchup for Blaydes. This is the second time in a row that he will be facing an untested prospect. Blaydes has three times more career fights than Hokit (8-0). It almost feels like they’re just running out Blaydes’s contract. If he loses to one of these up-and-comers, they’ll cut Blaydes like they cut Jailton Almeida. Of Hokit’s eight career fights, only two went past the first round. The WWE promo Hokit cuts during the post-fight interview is longer than most of his fights. The thing about Hokit is, I’m not sure he’s more interested in being Randy Savage than in being an actual savage in the cage.   

I have a sneaking suspicion about Hokit: I think he will fade the first time he finds himself in a two-way fight – a fight in which he can’t just use his athletic ability to overwhelm his opponent. He’s used to being the Diddy in the cage. Past opponents include Meek Mill, Justin Bieber, Usher, and Terry Crews. He hasn't been in a fight yet. He’s just been crushing cans at the local recycling plant. “You’ve been working at this plant so long, you’re a plant! I mean, my man fought Carl Winslow in his previous fight. 

But I’ll say this about Hokit: he pushes a Max Holloway pace at heavyweight. The bell rings, and Hokit sprints to the finish line, throwing heavy overhands and shooting Bobby Boucher double legs. “No, Colonel Sanders, you’re wrong. Mama’s right.” But there’s a difference between pushing a heavy pace and pushing a frantic pace. Hokit’s pace looks unsustainable. Eventually, he will encounter resistance, and the fight will slow down. On his feet, Hokit isn’t a boxer; he’s an aggressive puncher. But he has the raw power to KO Curtis Blaydes.   

I have to hand it to the oddsmakers; they showed a lot of maturity with these odds. Blaydes is the (-130) favorite, and Hokit is the (+110) live-ass dog. I really thought the oddsmakers would be swayed by Hokit’s early success. Hokit can win this fight. I trust Tiger Woods driving an Uber more than I trust Curtis Blaydes in a fight. The play for Hokit is an early TKO/KO. When Blaydes gets got, it’s usually early. The play for Blaydes is a mid to late TKO/KO when I suspect Hokit will fade. I think the wrestling will cancel each other out, leaving us with an oddly paced boxing match. Damn, I’m stuck on this one. Blaydes has burned me so many times... But Hokit is unproven. Curtis Blaydes via TKO, round two. Put it on wax.   

Props

Blaydes: TKO/KO (+225) Sub (+2800) Dec (+225)

Hokit: TKO/KO (+225) Sub (+1000) Dec (+650)

Winner: Curtis Blaydes | Method: TKO Rd.2

Dominick Reyes (-150) vs. Johnny Walker (+125)

Reyes: DK: $8.3k | Walker: DK: $7.9k

Bruce Willis will be in attendance to witness this matchup because nobody, not even Bruce, Dies Harder than these two guys. Dominick Reyes, aka The Controlled Demolition Man, aka Building 8, is back after yet another collapse at free-fall speeds in his most recent bout against Carlos Ulberg. Dom’s last four Ls all came by TKO/KO. The second he came walking out with that ragtop convertible fade, I knew Ulberg was going to knock Dom’s block off like a Tetris high score. “Toupee screaming, ‘Dom, I don’t fit you!’” During the introductions, his comb-over mouthed the words, “Just Shoot Me.” And we ain’t talking sitcoms, homies. Reyes is a walking building code violation. When you most expect it, Reyes collapses like an apartment complex in Miami.   

After losing four in a row, Dom reeled off three straight dubs. Things were looking up. But against Ulberg, Reyes’s fight shorts inevitably turned back into some see-through Spandex biker shorts. I’m talking about clickity-clack shoes bikers and not vroom-vroom bikers. “The Devastator is now “The Devastated”. Some people freeze in the crosswalk when headlights are bearing down on them, and others jump the fook out of the way. Dom freezes and turns into a hood ornament, like an old-school Rolls-Royce. He gets into wild exchanges and freezes inside the pocket. Dom’s major malfunction is that he’s severely one-dimensional. Other than an occasional high kick, Reyes’s striking is all left hands. He’s the modern version of the guy from UFC 1, rocking one boxing glove. But it’s a helluva left hand. Yo! Hit that Jesse Pinkman! “He can’t keep getting away with it!” But he does. Even when you know it’s coming, you can’t stop it. 

Now hit that Ringling Brothers circus music! Jonny Walker is a walking clusterfook. His career is like a B-rated Tubi storyline. Walker is a professional fighter who looks like he has never trained a day in his life. Johnny is a walking trick play on his feet. He has no real fundamental skills. Every play he calls is the Statue of Liberty, the hook-and-ladder, or the fumblerooski. He can’t matriculate the ball up the field by establishing a jab and using basic footwork. Walker has to land some spinning or flying shit to be effective. He’s a Steve-O and Pontius Wild Boy, and his fights look like Jackass skits. They look like sports bloopers shows in the 90s. He’s a Harlem Globetrotter striker. Walker even busts out the ol’ water bucket trick on the crowd between rounds.   

Walker still holds the Guinness World Records record for the most times being knocked out in a single fight. He once got knocked out four times on the regional scene; he just kept hitting the snooze button until he was eventually late to work. In his previous fight, Walker was getting pieced up against Mingyang Zhang and was on the brink of defeat until he landed a leg kick in the second round. Then he quickly administered a Joe Pesci in Casino beating to Zhang and walked away with an improbable TKO dub. Homie is an accident waiting to happen, but sometimes he’s a happy accident. Never forget the time Walker dislocated his elbow while doing the worm after a victory. Homie can’t even win without losing.   

Reyes is the (-130) favorite, and Johnny Walker is the (+110) live-ass dog. Walker is a live-ass dog because politicians are more trustworthy than Reyes’s chin. The only play for this one is a TKO/KO. One of these guys will get got in dramatic fashion. May the almighty power have mercy on us all if, for some reason, this goes the distance. It won’t be pretty. I flipped a coin on this pick, and it landed on its edge, rolled into the gutter, and down the sewer drain. Dominick Reyes via TKO, round two. On wax.   

Props

Reyes: TKO/KO (+110) Sub (+2000) Dec (+800)  

Walker: TKO/KO (+185) Sub (+1000) Dec (+750)

Winner: Dominick Reyes | Method: TKO Rd.2

Cub Swanson (-105) vs. Nate Landwehr (-115)

Swanson: DK: $7.9k | Landwehr: DK: $8.3k

Man, the ending to this one will be bittersweet. I love both of these guys. Yo, DJ! Hit that Korn “Freak On a Leash!” Something takes a part of me, something lost and never seen, every time these guys lose. I hate seeing these guys lose more than I hate seeing the Dodgers win. Cub Swanson is an MMA OG, dating back to the WEC golden era. And Nate Landwehr is a local San Diego hometown hero, and he isn’t even from here. Nate set the MMA world on fire when he beat David Onama in the San Diego Sports Arena back in 2022. That night, he teased defeat and mocked victory. He held no interest in either; he just wanted to put on a show. One for the show, two for show; that’s Nate Landwehr. This one has Fight of the Night written all over it, like Valero bathroom-stall graffiti. This should be for the Division II BMF belt – the NIT BMF belt.  

Ain’t nobody more West Coast than Cub Swanson. He dreams of Californication. Yo! Hit that shit! This MF even has palm trees tatted across the belly like “Thug Life” tatted across 2Pac’s belly. And he brings the West Coast beef every time he steps into the cage like he’s rocking a Death Row chain - like Tha Dogg Pound stomping on New York City – Snoop at the Source Awards, “The East Coast don’t got love for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg! Ya’ll don’t love us! Let it be known then!” Crips, Bloods, essays, book reports, vatos; Cub always gets love from the homies. Not only will Cub be carrying Cali on his back, but also all the OG’s who have been around since the blue mats of the WEC days when Cub first made a name for himself. 

Now hit that “Still D.R.E.!” I hear that shit playing in the background every time I watch Cub scrap. That’s because Cub’s hands bounce like hydraulics, bounce like a motherf**kin’ Scott Storch beat. Even after twenty years in the game, Cub still cracks like Maurice Cheeks, aka Mo Cheeks. Cub leans like a Cholo and throws every punch from the tops of his Nike Cortez, all black like Heaven’s Gate. Even though he carries his hands low, Cub will be the more defensively responsible fighter against Nate. Cub’s understanding of range is superior to Nate’s. If he stays on the outside and spams leg kicks, he will beat Landwehr. 

Nate Diaz, Nate Dogg, and Nate Landwehr: The Nate Holy Trinity. I love heavily flawed fighters who overachieve. So, naturally, I love me some Nate Landwehr. Nate’s nickname is “The Train,” but lately he has been less like a speeding locomotive and more like Percy, shunting trucks and hauling freight. My man has lost two in a row and three of four. That’s because Nate’s chin is compromised like the House and the Senate—compromised like mutual agreements. At least twice in every fight, Nate turns into Van Damme in Kickboxer, dancing drunk at the bar, gyrating his hips, and working all the local Bettys into a frenzy. If he doesn’t get knocked out, he nearly gets knocked out in every fight. 

But make no mistake, this fight is on the main card for one reason: Nate Landwehr, aka San Diego’s adopted son. Nate is a San Diego first-ballot Hall of Famer, inducted alongside California burritos and flip-flops. His bust sits between Ron Burgundy and Tony Gwynn. Nizzy Nate steps into the cage like an unofficial member of UGK, his diamond-crusted mouthpiece shining like a disco ball. And he delivers Dirty South ass-whoopin's. Win or lose, Nate is here for the glitz and glamor. Overall, Nate is a slick striker with equally slick grappling. He has a very underrated submission game. Nate isn’t a great grappler, but he has a knack for landing D’arce/Anaconda chokes. I wouldn’t mind seeing Nate try to use his wrestling/grappling against Cub.Cub rocks a 63% takedown defense, and he’s not very good from his back.  

Fantasy-wise, this will be a high-output banger for as long as it lasts. Nate is the higher output striker, averaging over five and a half SLpM compared to Cub’s over four and a half. I think the play for this one is a decision, but I would give Cub a slightly better shot at scoring a finish. Even at forty-two years old, Cubs still has a strong chin. Here I go again, busting out the coin. And there it goes rolling down the drain again. I have no idea who wins this. But I do know I like the value in a Cub TKO/KO. Cub Swanson via TKO, round three. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Swanson: TKO/KO (+275) Sub (+2000) Dec (+275)  

Landwehr: TKO/KO (+300) Sub (+800) Dec (+275)

Winner: Cub Swanson | Method: TKO Rd.3

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Kevin Holland ($7.8): Kevin Holland is always a gamble. Sometimes you get the savage Holland, other times you get the Holland who’s ready to bow out at the first sign of adversity. When on his game, Holland is a formidable striker with a sneaky defensive submission game. Holland is at his best when he’s in the cage talking shit, bumping his gums giving the play-by-play of the action inside the cage. Bring back shit-talking Kevin Holland! Holland will be up against an equally untrustworthy opponent in Randy Brown. Just when you start to have faith in Brown, he will let you down. This fight could come down to who doesn’t want it more. But if Holland who fought and got robbed against Jack Della Maddalena shows up, he will beat Brown. I always like looking at the submission prop with Holland who has nasty D’arce/Anaconda chokes.  '

Cub Swanson ($7.9k): Swanson vs. Landwehr is destined to be a high-output banger, barring an early finish. I think Cub is the bigger finishing threat in this matchup. I trust Michael J. Fox conducting open heart surgery more than I trust Nate Landwehr’s chin. Landwehr has been finished via TKO/KO in his previous two bouts. Cub may be forty-two years old, but homie still cracks like fault lines. The game plan for Cub should be to attack the legs early and make Landwehr a stationary target. Cub is the far more defensively responsible striker, who uses range well to stay outside of the opponent’s range. The only red flags are Cub’s 63% takedown defense and his weak ground game. Landwehr can throw a wrench in Cub’s game plan if he looks to wrestle Cub early.   

Josh Hokit ($7.8k): This is a risky pick. Hokit will either run over Curtis Blaydes, or he will come out of the gate NBA Jam on fire and fade as the fight progresses. Hokit is in a similar position to Abdul Malik, a couple of weeks ago, when Malik got exposed by a high-level striker with excellent takedown defense. Blaydes has solid wrestling to match Hokit. Against Jailton Almeida, Blaydes was taken down early but got back to his feet each time. On the feet, this is anybody’s fight. Hokit has more power than Blaydes, but Blaydes is a more technical/traditional boxer. Hokit’s pace will be the key. He pushes a featherweight-like pace that no heavyweights can match. The question is, how long can he keep that pace?   

 $6k Clearance Rack  

Patricio Pitbull ($7k): There are no $6k options this week. Pitbull will be bringing up the rear this week. But this isn’t a bad option. Pitbull vs. Pico will be a Bellator title fight in the UFC. Both fighters are long-time Bellator competitors who recently made the jump to the big show. Aaron Pico has been one of the biggest prospects and biggest disappointments in MMA for several years now. Pico has all the skills to be a world champion, but he just can’t seem to get out of his own way. Pico peels out at the sound of the bell and floors it until he or his opponent is asleep. He needs a governor like rental cars. Pitbull is a solid counter-puncher with solid wrestling/grappling. If he can slow the fight down, especially early, he can steal this fight. And if he does pull off the upset, I think it will be by TKO/KO. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Kevin Holland (+110): Kevin Holland has more ways to win than Randy Brown. In many ways, Holland and Brown are the same fighters. Both have two versions of themselves, and there’s no telling which will show up, the ass-kicker or the super mid stepping stone. When I bet Holland, I usually bet on a submission. Three of his last four dubs came via submission. He uses head-and-arm chokes both offensively and defensively to defend against takedowns. He can snatch your neck from a standing position or from his back. Also, Holland is long as fook. Holland can stand and bang with most elite strikers. If he shows up, talking that shit, throwing hands like he just doesn’t give a fook, he will win this fight. Overall, I think he is the better fighter.   

Paulo Costa (+170): Don’t let the goofiness fool you; Paulo Costa is fookin’ good. Like Kevin Holland, this guy is a head scratcher. You just never know if a motivated or drunk Costa will show up. When you most expect it, Paulo Costa will turn into Paulo Pasta right in front of your eyes. If his team can keep the boxed wine away from him, Costa can win this fight. He once landed 158 significant strikes against Sean Strickland in a five-round main event. If he had turned up the volume sooner, Costa could’ve won that fight. Costa has a tendency to disappear for stretches at a time. His activity is too sporadic. If he can find a cohesive pace, he could test Azamat Murzakanov, as Murzakanov has yet to be tested. Costa uses more weapons on his feet. Costa has the deadliest high kicks in the division.   

Carlos Ulberg (+105): I think people are sleeping on Ulberg. Jiri is unpredictable with a unique style that you can’t train for. But Ulberg has better hand speed and range management. He also has straight punches that will cause Jiri problems. Jiri tends to zig and zag right into big shots. He can’t take a big shot from Ulberg. The risk with Ulberg is output. On paper, Ulberg appears to have a higher output. But his fights are shorter. He will run the risk of losing close rounds if he doesn’t keep up with Jiri’s activity. Both guys are finishing threats, but I give Ulberg a slightly better shot. Jiri dances on the edge of defeat in nearly every fight. He starts looking like a leaning Jenga tower at some point. Jiri has to get Ulberg out of there early or pitch a perfect game. Ulberg just must bide his time and let Jiri make a mistake. Because Jiri will make a mistake.   

Pick ‘Em

Patricio Freire (+275) vs. Aaron Pico (-350) 

Winner: Aaron Pico 

Method: Decision 

Kevin Holland (+110) vs. Randy Brown (-130)  

Winner: Kevin Holland 

Method: D'arce Choke Rd.3 

Mateusz Gamrot (-175) vs. Esteban Ribovics (+150)  

Winner: Mateusz Gamrot 

Method: Decision 

Tatiana Suarez (-155) vs. Lupita Godinez (+130) 

Winner: Tatiana Suarez  

Method: Decision 

Chris Padilla (-175) vs. MarQuel Mederos (+150)   

Winner: Chris Padilla 

Method: Decision 

Kevin Gastelum (-250) vs. Vicente Luque (+210)   

Winner: Kevin Gastelum 

Method: Decision 

Charles Radtke (-120) vs. Francisco Prado (+105)  

Winner: Charles Radtke 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

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.