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

Top Pick’Em Offers 💸

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

1. Sleeper DFS - Deposit Match up to $100

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

3. Chalkboard DFS - Deposit Match up to $100

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

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

Main Card

Michel Pereira (+115) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-140)

Pereira: DK: $7.9k | Fluffy: DK:$8.3k

The man they call “Fluffy” is back. But Anthony Hernandez ain’t nobody’s fluffer. This man tapped the Jitz God, Jitz God. All my baristas from the front to the back nod, back nod. My man Fluffy looks like he makes a mean PSL. He looks like he plays an acoustic guitar at a farmer’s market or outside Pete’s Coffee. But don’t let any of that fool you; Anthony Hernandez is THE submission specialist of the middleweight division. He submitted Rodolfo Vieira. If you submitted Rodolfo Vieira in a dream, you better wake up and apologize. Such a feat would be most fighters’ career highlight, but Fluffy Hernandez is just getting started. Enter stage right: Michel Pereira, aka the Cirque du Soliel trapeze artist-turned-UFC sleeper title contender. All this guy has done is win eight in a row (noine if you count that bullshit DQ against Diego Sanchez), including 3-0 in the middleweight division with three finishes since moving up. This scrap will be an elite grappler vs. an elite striker and, more importantly, a fookin’ banger.   

Yo! Hit that Sublime “Same in the End!” Fluffy is a rollin’, rollin’ stone. He rolled away one day, and he never came home. The rolling Fluffy Hernandez doesn’t gather moss. Fluffy rolls on the mat like fire drills. I gotta do it. Gotta hit ‘em back-to-back... Hit that Limp Bizkit “Rollin!” Fluffy keeps rollin’, rollin’, rollin’! And while he’s rollin’, he hunts necks like Mossy Oak, elk urine, and little branches glued to your hat. Call him The Sub Hunter - on some Brazzers type-ish. Fluffy combines slick clinch and level-change takedowns with hellish ground and pound and submissions. He may look like a barista, but he’ll serve you some vicious elbows with that caramel frap with almond milk, stirred, not shaken, and hold the cream on the top. MF spends his fifteen-minute breaks submitting people for tips. Fluffy has eight career submissions, and four came in the UFC. Not only did he sub the Jitz God, Vieira, but he also sub’d The Iron Fookin’ Turtle.   

But on the feet is a slightly different story. Fluffy can get got on the feet. Much like we saw last weekend with Tatsuro Taira. Fluffy’s striking has some nifty little bells and whistles, slip & rips, and occasional slick head movement. But he relies on the Hoboken Shell, a janky Philly Shell, to defend. Overall, Fluff’s striking has a refurbished feel to it. It doesn’t look crispy and brand new. But what Fluffy lacks in technical defensive ability and power, he makes up for in aggression. Fluffy is kill-or-be-killed; the dreams he’s had of dying are the best he’s ever had. Hit that Gary Jules “Mad World!” He’s aggressive to the point of recklessness on the feet. The local Sheriffs have to conduct welfare checks on Fluffy between rounds because he’s a danger to himself. But homie Just Don’t Give a F**k like the Slim Shady LP. He just goes for it. Fluffy is on that classic Glengarry Glen Ross ABC’s shit: Always Be Closing. My man is a closer, and we ain’t talkin’ Trevor Hoffman. Act as if. Fluffy acts as if he is an elite striker, and you can’t tell him nuthin’ like Kanye. If you ain’t finishing, you ain’t fighting, and Fluffy spends every second trying to finish, whether on the feet or the mat. Fluffy is large; he contains multitudes.    

Fluffy is 12-2 for his career with two TKO/KOs and eight subs and has finished three fights in a row, including a submission of Chase Hooper’s dad, Roman Kopylov. Fantasy-wise, Fluffy averages just under four and a half SLpM and over six and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. His highest striking total is sixty-three significant strikes. But Fluffy also racks up takedowns and top control and is a submission threat to the final bell. I don’t think there is a fighter in the division who Fluffy can’t submit. His value will be in a submission against Pereira. Pereira was submitted once early in his career, but he has yet to face a submission Gandalf like Fluffy Hernandez in the UFC.   

Michel Pereira is known for doing Olympic floor routines during fights. He might fook around and score a perfect ten and a KO at the same time. His special move is the backflip guard pass, which usually results in him stomping on his opponent’s face. Pereira's trademark is explosiveness. All of Pereira’s movements are explosive. Even his bowel movements – looking like Dave Chappelle taking a doodie in slow motion. His stand-up is a combination of kickboxing, Capoeira, and gymnastics. He uses Capoeira cadences that act as mesmerizing feints and misdirections before exploding into a flying knee or Superman punch. Most importantly, Pereira possesses the two elements they didn’t teach you in Chemistry class: LE (length) & SP (Speed). This fookin’ guy’s hands are so fast they whistle. They glow red hot like spaceship reentries. And he’s longer than the Weekly KO issue streak (four years and counting). 

But Pereira has a major malfunction: his gas tank. Pereira’s style will never allow him to have reliable cardio. He’s explosive and takes laps around the cage like it’s the Talladega 500. It’s Talladega Nights in that bish. And Pereira has been posted up in the victory circle after eight straight scraps. Homie’s lateral movement is perpetual and allows him to get the drop on opponents by suddenly stopping and exploding. But it comes at a cost. Pereira fades like an adult’s sense of wonder. That’s deep shit. He burns gas like cars in the 60s. This MF gets six miles per gallon and requires that 91 octane. The big question is, can he go five rounds? His corner might have to push him across the finish line like Lightning McQueen did The King. Pereira will not only burn gas on the feet but also while defending takedowns and scrambling back to his feet. Something he hasn’t been forced to do very often. 

Fantasy-wise, Pereira’s value will be front-loaded. What he will look like in the championship rounds is anybody’s guess. He’ll have to finish Fluffy early. If you have access to live betting, and this one hits the fourth round, it’s time to go all in on Fluffy. Even if Fluffy gets dominated early. Pereira averages over five SLpM and has gone over one hundred strikes twice and came close a third time. He is a high-output one-punch striker who combines volume with a good shot at a finish. Pereira is 31-11 with eleven TKO/KOs and noine subs and rocks a noinety-four percent takedown defense like back-to-school clothes. But, again, he hasn't faced a guy with Fluffy's ability to relocate the fight and dominate the top position. 

Fluffy will be the (-145) favorite, and Pereira will be the (+125) live-ass dog. I was hoping the oddsmakers would sleep on Fluffy. I thought they might dog him. There’s still a ton of straight-up value on Fluffy. The play for Fluffy is a submission finish. I might even drop a Hamilton on a decision. I can see Pereira fading but surviving on the mat until the final bell. The only play for Pereira is a TKO/KO finish. A decision will favor Fluffy’s top control. But, at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I see this one ending before the final bell. 

It was a solid overall week last week, but it always feels a little hollow without a main event dub. But, once again, I put my money where my mouf wasn’t on Brandon Royval. A dog stole another main event. That makes three of the last four. This is another tough pick. Pereira can finish Fluffy on the feet. It only takes bobbing when he should have weaved once. But Pereira’s gas tank is the x-factor. He can defend takedowns early, but if he doesn’t find a finish, Fluffy will dominate late. Fluffy Hernandez via arm-triangle, round three. Put it on wax.   

Props

Pereira: TKO/KO (+165) Sub (+800) Dec (+1200) 

Fluffy: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+165) Dec (+650)

Winner: Fluffy Hernandez | Method: Arm-Triangle Rd.3

Rob Font (+325) vs. Kyler Phillips (-435)

Font: DK: $6.9k | Phillips: DK: $9.3k

This is a changing of the guard scrap, out with the old and in with the new. This is like when Aaron Rogers took over for Brett Favre – when Kobe, rocking the vertical infinity sign, took the baton from Jordan. Okay, maybe that’s a little hyperbolic. But it wasn’t long ago when Rob Font was riding a four-fight dub streak into his first main event against Jose Aldo and on the brink of breaking into title contention. When pitted against the top of the division, Rob “Calligraphy” Font turned into Rob “Ariel" Font and lost four of his next five bouts. In his last two bouts, Font has become almost unintelligible, turning into that kindergarten font, where they just ham-fist a giant crayon and scribble all over the page. But, to Font’s credit, he only fights killers. There are no bye weeks for Rob Font. Rob Font ain’t in the AFC West. On cue, another up-and-coming killer is on deck, taking warm-up hacks with the donut around the barrel.   

Kyler Phillips’ nickname is “The Matrix,” and it’s fitting. This guy fights on a different plane than most fighters. This guy has a z-axis on his graph when most only have x and y. Phillips is 7-1 in the UFC with dubs over Song Yadong, Raoni Barcelos, and Pedro Munhoz. Kyler might just be The One. Fook Bullet-Time effect; this guy has Fist-Time effect. As an effect of his own speed, opponents’ strikes seem to slow down like projectiles underwater. Your punches and kicks just fall harmlessly to the mat, leaving Phillps unscathed. In real-time, Phillips can see your digital code, your digital genetic makeup, identify your weaknesses, and take advantage on the feet or the mat, whichever is appropriate. This dude ain’t your typical redpill.   

As soon as the bell rings, Kyler Phillips comes out hitting tricks like he’s riding an X-Games halfpipe - on some Tony Hawk Pro Skater type-shit, racking up points. Kyler comes out a man on fire like Denzel, hitting aerials and varials on some Lupe Fiasco type-ish. Yo! Hit that “Kick, Push!” Phillips has crispy, long kickboxing and mixes in an arsenal of spinning and flying shit mid-combination. He’ll punctuate fundamental combinations with some flashy shit. He hides head kicks behind punches and punches behind head kicks and pushes a deadly pace from the jump. His M.O. is drawing you into a firefight and using your commitment to take you down. Only to let you back up so he can take you down again. Top control is meaningless to Phillips. He just wants to create chaos and keep your mind in a state of anxiety, not knowing wtf is coming next. 

But Kyler has a major malfunction. His cardio has been bouncing checks at the mall. He tends to fade like Sport Clips. That’s understandable because he is nonstop action, but eventually, that will catch up to him. I’m just not sure that will be against Rob Font. Rob Font's takedown defense gives up over forty points per game at home, like the Dallas Cowboys. Phillips can win this fight on the feet, but his path to victory is pathed with gold bricks and lined with jolly little people cheering him along if he decides to put Font on his back. Phillips is 12-2 with five TKO/KOs and two subs. He hasn’t been a consistent finisher, but he has been dominant. Phillips and Font average five and a half SLpM, but Phillips also averages two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. Even without a finish, dude is a fantasy stud.   

If it weren’t for Adrian Yanez, Rob Font would be fighting for a position on the roster – maybe getting that call down to triple-A. It was just a year ago that he beat Yanez like a Pops duffing out his son in public. Shit was awkward - people were pretending to look the other way. Font beat the ñ off Yanez's name. He won a legal dispute against Jonathan Martinez over custody of Yanez. Font was awarded custody, but CPS immediately revoked it after Cory Sandhagen put Font on his back like an infant on the Koala Kare station at the mall for twenty-five minutes. Font’s Apple Watch is programmed to call for help the minute his ass hits the mat. Homie carries a whistle around his neck and mace in his back pocket in case someone takes him down. If Font ends up on his back, the round is over – he isn’t getting back up.   

But Font still has dangerous boxing. SWAT teams use Font’s jabs to breach doors. And his arms are longer than the line at In & Out. Them shits unravels like fire hoses. Rapunzel actually used Rob Font’s arms to escape from the tower. When Rob works behind his jab and commits to combinations, he is tough to beat. He attacks the body to open up six-lane highways to the head. But his major malfunction has always been his takedown defense and, more so, his get-ups. Unlike Ma$e and Diddy, everybody can hold him down.    

Phillips will be the prohibited (-450) favorite, and Font will be the (+335) mangy-ass ASPCA stray commercial dog. I don’t know how Font can win this fight. His only hope is to stuff a takedown or two and create a firefight on the feet like the Yanez fight. If I was Font, I would only be wrestling during training camp. The play for this fight is a decision. You can dominate Rob Font on the mat, but he’s nearly impossible to finish. In eight career losses, he has only been finished once. Kyler Phillips via decision. On wax.  

Props

Phillips: TKO/KO (+450) Sub (+450) Dec (-135) 

Font: TKO/KO (+900) Sub (+2000) Dec (+700)

Winner: Kyler Phillips | Method: Decision

Charles Johnson (-220) vs. Su Mudaerji (+180)

CJ: DK: $8.8k | Su: DK:$7.4k

Silk E. John-Stone is back! Hate! Hate! Hate! Charles Johnson player-hates parlays. This guy was sent from the future to fook up your parlay on some Skynet type-ish. He comes out rocking a rat tail, daring you to bet against him. His hair looks like the clippers died on him, but that’s all part of his game. He’s playing chess. All this guy does is win fights you think he will lose. And the next thing you know, he’s rocking a three-fight dub streak like Li Jingliang (R.I.P.) rocking the plaid blue suit he never got to wear to the press conference. And a four-dub win streak is begging him to take it home like it’s last call, and there’s no one else in that bish. Johnson’s opponent, Su Mudaerji, is no crumb bum. But he has fallen on harsh times. He suffered back-to-back losses and has been submitted three times (all three of his UFC losses) in his UFC career. Both fighters are streaking but in opposite directions. 

Charles Johnson has the best-worst takedown defense in the promotion. Everyone wants to take him down like he’s on top of the world. They don’t wanna see Charles Johnson fly. Yo! Hit that DMX “Let Me Fly!” Johnson has only lost to excellent wrestlers, with the exception of Ode Osbourne – that one was a headscratcher. But none of them finished Charles Johnson. He has never been finished in his twenty-two-fight career. He’s coming in off his most impressive dub of his career. He KO’d The Man in the Iron Mask, Joshua Van. That dude’s chin was sculpted from the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. Johnson strikes like he attended a Dominick Cruz seminar. He’s two-faced; he’ll switch stances behind your back. He’s a joystick striker who can strike while moving in any direction. Johnson also has some King Green in him. No Diddy. He potshots you, and touches you constantly with little emphasis on power. But he can still knock you out with precise shots you don’t see coming.  

Johnson is 16-6 for his career with seven TKO/KOs and three subs. Overall, Johnson is a sneaky good fighter. Satan will be making fallen snow angels in hell the day Charles Johnson gets his ass kicked. Johnson will have the more diverse striking against Mudaerji, but he’ll have to overcome Muda’s long reach. If he can consistently get inside, he will chip away with crispy combinations in the pocket. This will be the first fight in Johnson’s UFC career that he won’t have to worry about being taken down. This will be a striker’s delight, which should produce solid significant strikes for both fighters, barring an early finish.   

Yo! Hit that Phil Collins “Sussudio!” Su Su sudio! Su is back after digging himself out of a Pet Sematary grave. He hasn’t been quite the same since Matt Schnell laid him out like a vintage woven tapestry. They say when you die with your eyes open, you deserved it. Homie looked peaceful, like a Wild West outlaw coffin picture with the red rouge on his cheeks. Su owns a world record for the most ass kicked in a loss. He won an ESPY for it in 2023. After beating the brakes, rearview mirror, and Baby On Board sticker off Matt Schnell, Su got dropped and thrown into a triangle choke. Then he went to a pretty place where the flowers grow. He’ll be back in an hour or so. I poured out some Truly for Su Mudaerji after his loss to Matt Schnell. 

But all that’s old shit. Su was submitted by Tim Elliott most recently. Su defends submissions like the Cowboys defend screens and wheel routes. Su is submissive. All six of his career losses came via submission. He taps like Morse Code. He submits like paperwork. Mudaerji’s lack of grappling/wrestling is so startling Charles Johnson might just fook around and turn into Tatsuro Taira for this fight. But on the feet, Su is long and fast. He’s at his best when he’s focusing on pot-shotting you with half-speed punches from the outside and allows the power shots to flow naturally. He combines excellent lateral movement with a jab that he keeps in your face, using it like a forcefield to keep you at range. But Su’s long strikes aren’t nearly as effective in the pocket. Su can win this fight if he stays on his feet and can keep Johnson at the end of his jab. 

Su is 16-6 with thirteen TKO/KOs and one sub. Both fighters average over four and a half SLpM. And this fight should produce high significant strikes. A finish for both fighters is in the mix, but I would give Charles a slightly better shot at a finish. He’s peaking right now and just KO’d a guy who had never been finished on the feet before. Johnson’s striking has more bells and whistles, and his footwork is better. He will be the (-235) favorite, and Su will be the (+195) live dog. Su ain’t nothin’ to f**k with. He’s long and fast, and those traits are a Deadly Combination like Big L and Pac. I like playing this fight for a decision or a late Johnson finish. The only play for Su is a TKO/KO. Charles Johnson via decision. Bust out the autumn Yankee candles and put it on wax. 

Props

Johnson: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+350) Dec (+120) 

Mudaerji: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+2500 Dec (+300)

Winner: Charles Johnson | Method: Decision

Jake Hadley ( ) vs. Cameron Smotherman ( )

Hadley: DK: $ k | Smotherman: DK: $ k

Jake Hadley was originally scheduled to face Brady Hiestand in a classic wrestler vs. grappler matchup. Cameron Smotherman will be a mid-week late replacement and a much better matchup for Hadley. Smotherman looks like Honey I Shrunk the Jamahal Hill. He looks like Jamahal Hill after being hit with a Mortal Kombat Babality. Jake Hadley will be in the driver’s seat with the cruise control set, thinking it’s autopilot. But no matter where he ends up, on the mat or on the feet, he should dominate this fight. He has slept on offensive jiu-jitsu and crispy striking. Props to the youngblood, Smotherman, for taking this ass-whoopin' on short notice. You the real MVP.  

On the feet, this kid, Smotherman, has some stank on his hands. He has Craig bricks in both fists, and I see very faint Jose Aldo residues on him. But there are reasons why Smotherman got TKO’d within seconds on the Contender Series last year. He’s painfully flatfooted; there’s no movement, no bounce, no sauce, no funk. Smotherman has stank but no funk. Stank without funk will only get you so far. Also, Smotherman tends to get rocked in a lot of fights. Yo! Hit that Method Man “Suspect Chin Music!” Essentially, Smotherman is taking that walk down The Green Mile. You can call him Cameron Delacroix, and Hadley will play Percy Wetmore. I don’t know much about Smotherman’s ground game, but I’m sure Hadley will test it early and not risk getting clipped with a house money haymaker on the feet. 

Jack Hadley’s striking is quite nifty. His striking reminds me of an artist’s portrait of Darren Till drawn from memory. His hands are blow darts, and he uses a lead hand like Captain America’s shield. He frames with the lead arm when under attack and peeks around it while looking for counters. We’ll call it the Peeping Hadley guard. He also uses double frames like old-school George Foreman. The lead hand frame allows him to keep you at arm's length like he can’t trust you. Jack Hadley don’t love these hose like kids in the 90s did.   

Hadley is 11-3 with three TKO/KOs and five subs. This is Hadley’s fight to lose. His experience and overall skill set dwarfs Smotherman’s. Is there any chance for Smotherman? I would say Smotherman’s chances are equal to the chances that Jerry Jones sells the Cowboys, they hire a real coach and GM, and win three Super Bowls before the turn of the decade. So... you’re saying there’s a chance! Jake Hadley via rear-naked choke, round two. Put it on wax.  

Props

Hadley: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )  

Smotherman: TKO/KO ( ) Sub ( ) Dec ( )

Winner: Jake Hadley | Method: TKO Rd.2

Daniel Pineda (-120) vs. Darren Elkins (Even)

Pineda: DK: $8.2k | Elkins: DK:$8k

They released the Darren Elkins client list. It’s a who’s who of past opponents: Volkanovski, Jeremy Stephens, Chad Mendes, Charles Oliveira, and the throwback Duane “Bang” Ludwig. This dude is a triple OG, going on fifteen years in the UFC. And he’s still winning fights. Elkins has a specialty: Blood. Lots of it. Elkins’ brows start bleeding when they put the Vaseline on, and his nose bleeds after the glove touch. Don’t trust anyone who bleeds like a Diaz Brother and doesn’t die. By the end of the fight, Elkins looks like a Marina Abramovic model. Lady Gaga wore a post-fight Darren Elkins cape to the Met Gala last year. Darren Elkins makes every fight ugly. If given a choice between a Cosby mixer, a Diddy white party, or being underneath Darren Elkins, being underneath Darren Elkins would be the last place I would want to be. Good luck, Daniel Pineda. 

There are hieroglyphs of Elkins taking people down inside King Tut’s tomb. This guy has been taking people down since before people were people. Elkins is a takedown historian and should have his own show on the Discovery Channel. His list of takedowns is longer than the list of everything wrong with the Dallas Cowboys. When he gets you on the mat, Elkins suffocates you with heavy top control and blood pouring in your mouf. He drowns you – literally. He grinds you into shake, then rolls that shit, lights that shit, and smokes that shit. He’ll duff you out with elbows and heavy ground and pound, then snatch your neck. Darren Elkins has that dog in him like Cujo found a Hell Hound in heat, shaking its little amputated tail seductively.   

But Elkins is target practice on the feet. His only reaction to strikes is no reaction. He has that lost-in-transit hand speed. His strikes never make it to the final destination because he gets countered three times before they land. If Daniel Pineda can keep the fight standing, he will run away with this fight. Also, after thirty-noine career fights, Elkins’ chin’s low tread warning has started showing. Elkins is 28-11 for his career with noine TKO/KOs and six subs. He can surpass one hundred significant strikes if he can get the top position and chip away. And he will always be a finishing threat. 

For win or for loss, Daniel Pineda howls at the moon. Yo! Hit that George Benson “Give Me the Night!” This guy is a journeyman like Kit Carson. He’s been in the UFC and out of the UFC, then back in the UFC. Pineda has lost two in a row, his last win coming to Tucker Nutz. I mean, Tucker Lutz. On the feet, Pineda just wings it like Pop Quizzes. He will kick the shit out of your calves – yep, give you them ol’ Crones legs. And his hands, he just slangs them with his eyes closed. He relies on blind faith like glory h***s. Glory h*** striker? Lol, wtf? Never hit the sativa before writing the WKO. It’s rule number two under “Never Bet On OSP!”  

Pineda is a volunteer firefighter in the pocket and wants to draw opponents into wild 50/50 exchanges. Which he can do to Elkins if he can stay on his feet. Pineda also has a specialty: Gillies. Pineda has gillies like medieval executions – homie rocks the black hood in the cage. Elkins has only been submitted once in his career, but Gillies always have a chance against wrestlers. Nobody is immune. Pineda is 28-16 with noine TKO/KOs and noineteen subs. I had to check that twice. Say What You Say like Em and Dre, but Pineda is a finisher. And he can get you standing or on the mat.  

Pineda is the (-125) favorite, and Elkins is the (+105) live-ass dog. Elkins’ style is surviving an ass-whooping, dragging you to the mat, and grinding you out. Pineda tends to fade late in fights. The play for Pineda is a TKO/KO, and the play for Elkins is a late submission. Pineda has been submitted six times in his career, and Elkins is a grinder. This one is tough to pick. I don’t trust Elkins’ chin. Daniel Pineda via TKO, round two. Wax on, wax off.   

Props

Pineda: TKO/KO (+215) Sub (+600) Dec (+450)  

Elkins: TKO/KO (+450) Sub (+450) Dec (+350)

Winner: Daniel Pineda | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Michel Pereira ($7.9k): There are only a few fighters I wouldn’t give Michel Pereira much of a chance against. But Fluffy Hernandez ain’t one of them. Fluffy can get got on the feet. Although Pereira hasn’t faced an elite grappler like Fluffy, he has shown solid takedown defense since losing his debut. At least early in fights before he starts to fade. Pereira will be working within a window of about two to three rounds before takedowns become easier and easier to come by for Fluffy. But until then, Fluffy will have to navigate through a minefield of long punches, teep kicks, Superman punches, backflips, cartwheels, flying shit, and all kinds of ill shit to score a takedown. Pereira will be a serious finishing threat on the feet early, but his value will fade if the fight progresses to the championship rounds.   

Su Mudaerji ($7.4k): Mudaerji vs. Johnson will be a crunchy little stand-up banger. Su Mudaerji has six career losses, and all came via submission. He has never been finished on his feet. There’s a chance Johnson might try to test Su’s ground game, but more than likely, Johnson will end up standing and trading with Su. Both fighters should find success on their feet, and this could turn into a high-output back-and-forth scrap. Su represents a more reliable Fantasy option that, barring an early finish, should be able to land respectable significant strikes for a low-tier fighter. Su will have a length and speed advantage that could cause Johnson problems, especially early. 

Jessica Penne ($7.6k): There was a time when Jessica Penne would smoke her opponent, Elise Reed. Reed is Rex Kwon Do’s most prized female representative. She’s a mall Karate black belt with a very limited ground game. Penne is a ground specialist with eight career submissions. If she can get Reed to the mat, she will dominate. But at forty-one years old, Penne is a little past her prime. She will be an all-or-nothing option. Her value will be in a submission finish from the top position. But if she gets stranded on her feet, “No Fantasy points for you!” On some Soup Nazi type shit.   

$6k Bathroom Clearance Rack

Austen Lane ($6.8k): “Jane” Austen Lane will face the ten-second wonder Robelis Despaigne. If you saw Despaigne’s last fight, you know why Lane is a viable Fantasy option. Despaigne has worse takedown defense and grappling than the Tafa brothers combined. Austen Lane is far from a dominant wrestler/grappler. But it only takes one employee leaving a window open, allowing a slight draft to course through the arena to take down Despaigne. A former football player, Austen Lane knows how to tackle a MF. This should look like Hell Week training camp for Lane, hitting the tackling sleds. If he doesn’t spend every second trying to get Despaigne to the mat, the fix is in. Despaigne has about two minutes of chaos in him before he’s a chalk outline on the mat. Lane has a chance to turn into a flipper on Saturday night, and I ain’t talking dilapidated houses. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Michel Pereira (+115): The main event almost always produces a live-ass dog. This one will be no different. This dude is dangerous as all get out. This is a mismatch on the feet. But it’s also a mismatch on the mat. Pereira will have to short-play this fight and try to finish Fluffy early. His cardio won’t hold up for twenty-five minutes, especially since he will have to burn energy defending takedowns and scrambling back to his feet. But the first ten to fifteen minutes will provide Pereira with enough opportunities to get Fluffy out of there in the stand-up. Also, dogs have won three of the last four main events and have dominated stretches of 2024.   

Jessica Penne (+150): She has burned me before, but this time is different. Penne’s opponent, Elise Reed, isn’t very good. No hate. I just call ‘em as I see ‘em. This is a winnable fight for Penne as long as she stays committed to her ground game. If she gives up on her takedowns, she will get outpointed on the feet. But on the mat, Penne is a serious finishing threat and a bigger overall finishing threat than Elise Reed.   

Austen Lane (+300): This is an ugly week for dogs. There aren’t many sleepers with clear paths to victory this week. This one right here is a looooooong shot, a “just in case” pick if you have a Lincoln to spend. But with inflation and the cost of living these days, it’s understandable if you’d prefer to hold on to old Abe. Although I’m picking Despaigne, there is a good chance Lane can get Despaigne to the mat. And if Lane can get Despaigne down once, it will only get easier as the fight progresses. Despaigne was taken down three times in his last bout and gave up ten minutes of control time. And he faced a striker in Waldo Acosta. Despaigne couldn't get back to his feet even one time after ending up on his back. I expect Austen Lane to come out looking like Brock Fookin’ Lesnar on Saturday night. And if he does, he’ll have a shot at pulling off the upset.   

Pick ‘Em

Matheus Nicolau (+165) vs. Asu Almabaev (-190)  

Winner: Asu Almabaev 

Method: Decision 

Brad Katona (+220) vs. Jean Matsumoto (-270)  

Winner: Jean Matsumoto 

Method: Decision 

Joselyn Edwards (-225) vs. Tamies Vidal (+185) 

Winner: Joselyn Edwards 

Method: Decision 

Jessica Penne (+130) vs. Elise Reed (-155) 

Winner: Jessica Penne 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Melissa Martinez (-150) vs. Alice Ardelean (+130) 

Winner: Alice Ardelean 

Method: Decision 

Austen Lane (+300) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-470) 

Winner: Robelis Despaigne 

Method: TKO Rd.1 

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.