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

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Main Card

Diego Lopes (+195) vs. Jean Silva (-235)

Lopes: DK: $7k | Silva: DK:$9.2k

Every year, the Las Vegas Ass-Kicking Con is the hottest ticket in town. ACC provides fans with a unique opportunity to meet and nerd out with their favorite ass-kickers. For three days, the city’s convention center is flooded with fans larping as their favorite kickers of ass, some chest naked, others partially clad in torn garments with Spirit Halloween makeup depicting superficial wounds. This year’s main stage promises a legendary dais, featuring ass-kickers from past and present.   

Among the most notable are the following: The man who squared off against a kangaroo that attacked his dog in the Australian Outback. Nick Tarnsky, AKA Nick TarNasty, the former NHL player who whooped a shit-talker's ass on the thirteenth hole of a golf course, famously adding special effects to each blow he landed, “Bang! Bang! Bang!” before tossing him like Southwest Airlines baggage down a shallow embankment and into the rough, while incurring a two-stroke penalty. By popular demand, the San Diego Padres fan, rocking the doodie brown ‘80s throwback, who KO’d a Rockies fan with one punch in the outfield bleachers, then took on a swarm of angry hometown fans. From the Hall of Fame wing of the ACC, Nolan Ryan will be in attendance, celebrating the thirty-second anniversary of his famous ass-cracking of Robing Ventura. From the “Classics” wing, Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal will be making their long-awaited ACC debut for their roles in the most infamous athlete/fan brawl in history, dubbed “The Malice in the Palace.” 

Sitting in the position of honor at the center of the dais will be the leader of the Fighting Nerds, Jean Silva. Regarded as a fighting genius, the line for Silva’s personal Meet & Greet stretches around the block, those at the front having camped out for days in advance. Nerds recognize nerds. When it comes to the fight game, nobody geeks out harder than Jean Silva. The man known as “Lord” stays geeked up like Bobby and Whitney. He geeks out like high school debate teams. Not many can boast a two-hundred-fight IQ like Lord Silva. Shortly after his destruction of Bryce Mitchell in April, Silva was offered the headlining slot at the 2025 ACC. 

And it’s well deserved. Silva will be making his third appearance in 2025, having also whooped Melsik Baghdasaryan’s ass at the beginning of the year. Any doubt remaining about Silva’s potential was erased when he left Bryce Mitchell with Eyes Wide Shut on the mat. Silva left Thug Nasty looking like the guy in A Clockwork Orange, forced to watch ultra-violence with his eyelids clamped open. He left Mitchell looking like when the alarm goes off at 5am and you contemplate quitting your job so you can go back to sleep. Left him looking like a forty-five-year-old on the eve of his colonoscopy, wondering how life has come to this. Until that moment, everyone (including me) thought Silva was all striking. Then he went out and submitted a grappling specialist. 

But don’t get it fooked up like Ceedee Lamb’s hands, Jean Silva is a striker first. Silva is a prescient striker who fights like he recorded his opponents’ practices. His counterstriking is so precise that it almost seems like he knows what you’re going to throw. Like he has a wire under his jersey, and his corner bangs on trash cans to relay what the opponent will throw next. In fact, this guy walks into the Octagon with an air as if he’s already seen the fight and knows the ending—a walking spoiler alert. He taunts you like personal fouls while distracting you with sleight-of-hand feints. Pick a punch, any punch. Silva tends to start slowly and build towards an ass-kicking crescendo. Homie doesn’t want to knock you out in the first round. You wouldn’t go to a three-star Michelin restaurant and swallow your food whole, would you? No, you want to savor every fookin’ bite. That’s that Jean Silva mentality.   

But this time around, Silva will face a fellow ass-kicker, and a man who knows a thing or two about a meteoric rise, Diego Lopes. This guy fought on the UFC 300 card and fought for a title within two years of his debut. If you don’t already know, Lopes is the emo kid in South Park who flicks his hair constantly while waxing poetic about pain and eternal darkness, all grown up. But don’t you dare call Lopes Goth lest you be met with fists o’ plenty. 

 Lopes’s grandpappy is a Jiu-Jitsu coral belt. That’s a real thing. They had to bust out the one hundred twenty-count Crayolas to find that color. Lopes inherited a black belt like some kids inherit flat feet. I call Lopes the Last Boy Scout because he’ll tie you in knots on the mat and earn a damn merit badge in the process. Just ask Movsar Evloev. Lopes fooked around and nearly got a triple-double when he debuted on short notice against Evloev. He is one of the few fighters that make the guard a dominant position. 

But recently, Lopes’s grappling hired a private dick (detective) to follow him around like an episode of Cheaters because he hasn't been showing it much affection lately, and it grew suspicious. That’s because he has been Molly-whopping people on the feet. And Susie and Debie are starting to get jealous. Lopes is a technical swinger, and I ain’t talkin’ about Carnival cruises and pineapple print Hawaiian shirts. Head movement, footwork, creating angles – all that goes out the window when Lopes strikes. He just throws short hooks that look like a shortstop turning two. He unloads extended combinations and hopes to beat you to the punch. Against Volkanovski, his technical deficiencies were exposed early, but Lopes made up for it late with pressure and aggression. He fought himself back into the fight in the championship rounds.   

Against Jean Silva, Lopes has to incorporate his wrestling/grappling back into his game plan. His striking should supplement his grappling. Silva has an eighty-six percent takedown defense, but Charles Jourdain took him down three times. Lopes is a far better grappler who can keep Silva on his back. On the feet, Silva is the higher output striker, averaging nearly five SLpM compared to Lopes’s three and a half. Silva will be the (-275) favorite, and Lopes will be the (+225) live-ass dog. Last weekend, the Fighting Nerds took back-to-back Ls when Mauricio Ruffy got exposed like Black’s Beach, and Caio Borralho lost in the main event. It appears the Fighting Nerds do arithmetic with their fingers just like us. Don’t forget that last round against Volkanovski. Lopes is a proven dog – Jean Silva isn’t. I like playing this one for a finish. The play for Jean Silva is a TKO/KO, and the play for Lopes is a submission, likely late.    

The main event L streak came to an end last weekend. Nassourdine Imavov’s speed carried us to victory once again. This week, I think the odds are a little off. Lopes now has that championship rub, having fought for the title. What will Silva look like in rounds four and five? Lopes gets stronger in the championship rounds. I’m gonna do it. Don’t do it. I started typing with every intention of picking Jean Silva... But here we are. Diego Lopes via rear-naked choke, round four. Put it on wax.  

Props

Lopes: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+700) Dec (+550)  

Silva: TKO/KO (-110) Sub (+900) Dec (+400) 

Winner: Diego Lopes | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.4

Rob Font (-130) vs. David Martinez (+110)

Font: DK: $8.5k | D-Mart: DK: $7.7k

Rob Font is back. The question is which Font? The Times New Roman Font or the Medieval Script Font? The doctor writing a prescription that is completely illegible Font—the one who gets taken down and spends the entire round on his back? Or the Hallmark card Font who stays on his Castor Troy shit, jabbing the opponent’s face... off? The world needs the Microsoft Office paid premium Font that knocked the ñ of Adrian Yanez's name. After two straight dubs, that version of Font is still a thing. Originally scheduled to face the grappling Easter Island head, Raul Rosas Jr., Font now has a much more favorable matchup in David Martinez, who also lost an opponent on the card. While Rosas Jr.’s grappling is Font’s kryptonite, Martinez is more of a striker who will be more than willing to take his chances on the feet.   

You already know Font’s major malfunction. He rocks a forty-two percent takedown defense. But his get-ups are even worse. They’re more like stay-downs. My man turns into a gravestone on the mat, “Here lies Rob Font 1987-” His Apple watch sends out an EMS distress signal the second one ass cheek touches the mat. MF is equipped with an OnStar button in case he gets taken down. I haven’t seen David Martinez’s ground game, but if he has even first-period Freshman P.E. level takedowns, he should get Font to the mat ASAP.    

Because on his feet, Rob still has that satellite-guided jab. Rob can jab a face for hours. His jab isn’t made until you order it. Font can throw his jab for power, as a range finder, and to disrupt the opponent’s attacks. But Font’s specialty is attacking the body. He has that body work like the Kardashians’ plastic surgeon, changing levels and manipulating your guard. And his arms are so long that they get kinks like water hoses. If Rob can keep this fight standing, it will be his to lose. 

But David Martinez could sneak up on Rob Font. In his debut against Saimon Oliveira, Martinez came out looking extra ordinary, not extraordinary. Then, toward the end of the round, Martinez hit a switch and turned into Yair Rodriguez, throwing wheel kicks and scissor kicks. In the first four minutes, Martinez looked like he was warming up backstage. In the last minute, he looked like the DJ was playing his song. He came out looking like Dave Chappelle walking in slow motion through the club, then looked like he played the lead role in his school Christmas play, “The Ass Cracker.” 

Stand-up-wise, Martinez has a boxing and Karate style. But he doesn’t blend the different techniques very well. He’s either doing some Karate shit or boxing. It’s almost like he has an identity crisis, a Ralph Macchio on one shoulder and a Canelo on the other. He reminds me of a Cringy Cejudo without the speed or wrestling. So not like Cejudo at all? It’s like he ordered a Cejudo starter’s kit. He looks like Cejudo in the way your shepherd’s pie looks like the picture in the recipe book—not quite the same, but close enough. I catch whiffs of Cejudo when I watch Martinez. Against Rob Font, Martinez has to Bring Da Ruckus, Bring Da MF Ruckus like 36 Chambers. He has to get inside and extend combinations and work level changes, even if just to keep Font guessing and worrying about the takedown threat.   

Fantasy-wise, this will be a fruitful fight. Both fighters average five and a half SLpM, and even though there’s a path to victory on the mat for Martinez, I think this will be a kickboxing match, resulting in high striking stats. Font once landed one hundred forty-noine strikes in a loss to Jose Aldo and two hundred seventy-one in a loss to Chito Vera. Play this one for a decision. It’s true that Font’s chin has cracks like a windshield before calling Safelite, but he’s never been TKO'd/KO’d. Font is the (-170) favorite, and Martinez is the (+140) live dog. This is a big leap in competition for Martinez. But I don’t see him having any problems coming out and taking the fight to Rob Font. But I have to roll with the proven commodity. Rob Font via decision. On wax.   

Props

Font: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+2000) Dec (+110) 

Martinez: TKO/KO (+500) Sub (+2200) Dec (+200)

Winner: Rob Font | Method: Decision

Alexander Hernandez (-105) vs. Diego Ferreira (-115)

Hernandez: DK: $8.4k | Ferreira: DK:$7.8k

Don’t look now, but Alexander Hernandez has won three fights in a row. With a fourth consecutive dub, I might have to stop calling him Alexander “The Okay” Hernandez and bestow upon him his original nickname, Alexander “The Great.” It was only a few short weeks ago that Hernandez cracked Chase Hooper’s ass. Hooper had gold rings flying out of his ass while Hernandez was dropping bombs on him. Pocket protectors, trapper keepers, and Birkenstock sandals were flying all over the Octagon while Hernandez punched his way to a first-round TKO dub. Hernandez beat the perm off Chase’s head. Hooper looked like a Make-A-Wish kid in there, but nobody told Hernandez to go easy and let the kid win. Hernandez looked like Hot Sauce from the old And1 Mixtapes, dribbling Chase’s head off the canvas. Once again, Hernandez will be matched up with a grappling specialist, but Diego Ferreira ain’t no TLC scrub on the feet like Chase Hooper. This one has the potential to be an undercover banger.  

Historically, Alexander Hernandez has been one of those fighters you just can’t trust. When you expect the world from Hernandez, he hands you Yuma, Arizona. And when you expect him to deliver Yuma, Arizona, he rolls up with the world on his back like the old Gold’s Gym logo. I swear, before his fights, he checks to see if I bet on him and fights accordingly as to fook up my parlay. The truth is, Hernandez is a solid fighter. He just has a history of mental lapses. Sometimes he fights, dare I say, scared. Or at the very least, unsure of himself. The only thing to fear is Alexader Hernandez himself. Fear is the Alexander Hernandez killer. This is a guy who debuted with a first-round KO over Benny Dariush. But Hernandez hasn’t risen to the occasion against an elite opponent since. He tends to hit a ceiling when it comes to a certain level of competition. 

When Hernandez is on his game, he’s a tough out. He has the power to KO anyone in the division. His style is that of a wrestler striker without the wrestling, relying heavily on his right hand to cover distance and dig himself out of big holes that his lack of grappling buries him in. The key to beating Hernandez is bullying him with pressure. If he can’t get you out of there early, his confidence wanes. If you can’t handle the heat... Hernandez bounces as soon as he hears that ticking sound when you’re lighting a gas burner. But right now, you can’t tell him nothin'! Nuh, uh; you can’t tell him nothin'!” Yo! Hit that Kanye! Because homie is streaking like Frank the Tank. He’s streaking like my five-year-old's chonies when he wipes his own ass. Hernandez is 17-8 with seven TKOs/KOs and two subs. 

Diego Ferreira is a Jitz specialist, but you wouldn’t know that watching his highlights. His unorthodox striking tends to steal the show. It ain’t pretty, Diego’s striking. But it is effective. His special weapon is his reach. Diego’s arms are longer than his body. His hands have been around the world, and I, I, I. All that reach means his punches generate a ton of power while traveling toward the target. Go watch what he did to Michael Johnson. He straight blue-pilled MJ. Diego’s right hand stiffened MJ up like those pills next to the register at 7-11. Why risk all the heart complications? Ferreira’s right hand will stiffen you up real quick. Diego throws nothing but wide, looping overhands and hooks. When he gets to slanging fists, it looks like a gorilla at the zoo lobbing handfuls of doodies into the crowd gathered around to stare at him. He throws nothing but twelve-year-old Andy Reid Punt, Pass, & Kick overhands. Ferreira doesn’t care if you steal a base on him; he throws every punch from the windup, even with a runner on third.   

But Diego’s natural habitat is on the mat. On the mat, he moves like a fish in water. He’s nimble and agile with some of the most creative back-takes in the game. There isn’t a position in which he can’t find a path to taking the back. But Diego’s major malfunction is that he only puts $5 on an empty tank and runs out a couple of miles down the road and has to fill up again. Homie fades, especially when facing fellow grapplers. In fact, check his record. Ferreira only loses to guys who can take him down and hold him down. Hernandez isn’t that guy. This is a favorable matchup for Diego if he can use his wild striking to create opportunities for level changes. Hernandez has only been submitted once in his career, but if Diego can take his back, he will be the second to accomplish the feat.   

This matchup was a late addition to the card and doesn’t have odds as I’m writing this. I would suspect that Diego will be a slight favorite, and Hernandez will be a live dog. Hernandez isn’t easy to take down. If he can get Diego to burn some energy trying to take him down, Diego will fade, and Hernandez will take over on the feet. I like playing this one for a finish. The hard part will be deciding between a TKO/KO and a submission for Ferreira. The play for Hernandez is a late TKO/KO. Ferreira was set to face my man Prince Green (formerly King Green) a couple of weeks ago, and I thought Green dodged a bullet. Diego also dominated Mateusz Rebecki and finished him in the third round last year. Give me Diego Ferreira via rear-naked choke, round two. Put it on wax.   

Props

Hernandez: TKO/KO (+300) Sub (+1600) Dec (+275) 

Ferreira: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+600) Dec (+200)

Winner: Diego Ferreira | Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2

Rafa Garcia (+195) vs. Jared Gordon (-235)

Garcia: DK: $7.1k | Gordon: DK: $9.1k

This matchup is like the Spider-Man meme, where identical Spideys stand around pointing at each other. Rafa Garcia is the south-of-the-border version of Jared Gordon. Rafa looks like someone left Jared Gordon in the oven a little too long. These guys’ styles are near mirror images of each other. This fight will be like two Pitbulls getting into a scrap at the local dog park while their owners scream and tug on their leashes to no avail, until The Foo Fighters' “My Hero” comes on and somebody emerges from the crowd of onlookers and oil checks one of the dogs to disentangle them. Yeah, that really works, homies. The only question is which one, Jared or Rafa, is getting the dipstick. The term "dog-eat-dog world” was coined with matchups like this in mind.   

Jared “Fisherman” Gordon, AKA My Favorite Gordon, was one foot stomp away from beating Paddy Pimblett. And Paddy just ran over Michael Chandler like Dwayne Haskins. Gordon reminds me of the Boomer on the court at the Y, rocking the John Stockton jersey and Grant Hill Filas and still fookin’ around and dropping triple-doubles on the youngbloods. He’s the dude with the unstoppable set shot from the corner. Throughout his career, Gordon has only struggled against stronger grapplers. Otherwise, he’s a tough out like Tony Gwynn with two strikes. Gordon fights like a rabid Terrier, constantly nipping at your ankles until he finally severs your Achilles tendon on some Kill Bill shit.  

Gordon is a little dog who throws nothing but King Koopa hatchets over and around your guard. Taking one look at him, you wouldn’t expect Gordon to be such an effective striker. Yo! Hit that Juvenile “Slow Motion!” Slow motion for me. Move in slow motion for me. Jared doesn’t move with much haste, and his hand speed is like driving through a school zone when children are present—like student drivers merging on the freeway. But Gordon’s hand finds a way to land. It’s like you get tired of waiting for his strikes, and as soon as you peek around your guard to check if the coast is clear, they clock you like Big Ben. In addition to sneaky striking, Gordon's wrestling/grappling is solid, both offensively and defensively.   

Gordon will be the higher output fighter, averaging north of five and a half SLpM, compared to Rafa’s four. But Gordon will need to show better than his sixty-two percent career takedown defense to stay upright against Rafa, who averages three takedowns per fifteen minutes compared to Gordon’s just over one and a half.  

Yo! Hit that 2Pac “Little Homie!” Rafa Garcia is the Little Homie That Could. Rafa is a little down-ass vato. The higher the sox, the downer the Rafa Garcia. R U Stil Down? Rafa is always down to kick some ass. This guy is a blue-collar grinder, racking up unapproved OT in the pocket and from the top position. Rafa looks like he scraps on his state mandatory ten-minute breaks just to stay sharp. He looks like he put in that yard work, and I ain’t talkin’ about raking leaves. His hands are sneaky and deadly like illegal contraband. Fook money, this guy fights for commissary. Watch his fight against Maheshate. After sustaining a cut, Rafa was spraying blood from his face like the sprinklers in the club scene in Blade. His corner had to give him a blood transfusion between rounds. But he still grinded out a decision victory.   

Overall, Rafa is the dog that big Craig’s Dad’s ass. You need a bag of Beggin’ Strips to get this guy off your ass. Firefights in the pocket and relentless takedowns, every Rafa fight is a true MMA scrap. Rafa is 17-4 with one TKO/KO and eight subs. He has won three of his last four, with his only L coming against Grant Dawson - a man who also beat Jared Gordon. Rafa will be the (+205) live-ass dog, and Gordon will be the (-245) favorite. Gordon will have a power advantage on the feet. Gordon is coming in off a first-round KO of Thiago Moises. I don’t know what it is, but Gordon has sneaky power. Rafa will have to control long stretches on the mat. I don’t think he can win a fifteen-minute kickboxing match. The play for this one is a decision. Both guys are tough to finish and have no glaring holes in their game. But I think Gordon is just a little better than Rafa in every category. Jared Gordon via decision.    

Props

Garcia: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+1400) Dec (+400)  

Gordon: TKO/KO (+650) Sub (+1200) Dec (-150)

Winner: Jared Gordon | Method: Decision

Kelvin Gastelum (-250) vs. Dustin Stultzfus (+210)

Gastelum: DK: $9k | Stoltzy: DK: $7.2k

Yo! Hit that Outkast featuring Sleepy Brown “I Can’t Wait!” Dustin Stultzfus can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait to fook up your parlay. That should be ol’ Stoltzy’s entrance music. This guy can’t wait like kids on Christmas Eve to fook up your parlay. Whether you bet for or against him, he’s gonna do it to you every time. He’s a parlay Jack the Ripper. This guy is the live-action South Park wrastlin’ coach. I catch strong whiffs of Dan Henderson every time I see Stoltzy fight. But the comparison is only cosmetic and not a comparison of their skills. There will only ever be one Dan Henderson. Stoltzfus is a throwback wrestler. He’ll hit you with all the old-school tricks: banana splits, surfboards, chicken wing crossface- they're all in play when fighting Dustin Stultzfus. On the mat, Stoltzy is the bear that Khabib wrestled when he was a kid. If Stoltzy gets you to the mat, you’re gonna have a bad time.   

But while he’s Dustin Stoltzfus on the mat, he’s more like Dustin Stoltzpus on his feet. I saw better stand-up at my sixth-grade talent show. Homie’s footwork is clumsy, and overall, he’s just an accident waiting to happen on the feet. At his gym, there is a sign in the break room that reads: 

Stoltzfus 

0 Days 

Since Last Accident 

 But don’t get it twisted like Conor McGregor’s Johnson. If you get to fookin’ around, thinking shit’s sweet, ol’ Stoltzy will knock your block off like flipping over a Monopoly board. Homie has some sneaky power if nothing else. His path to victory will be taking advantage of Kelvin Gastelum’s fifty-eight percent takedown defense while taking advantage of Stoltzy’s two and a half takedowns per fifteen minutes. 

So, it has come to this. The days of fighting champs, future champs, and contenders are over for Kelvin Gastelum. Or should we call him Kelvin Telum? Because homie doesn’t have any gas left. That needle is hovering over the E. Even though Kelvin was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his title fight with Stylebender, I’ve never liked Kelvin at middleweight. At middleweight, he’s built like your grandpappy’s recliner. Middleweight was always an excuse for Kelvin to be lazy, so he didn’t have to cut weight. A couple of months with me in the Thunderdome, and we could get him down to lightweight. This guy will always be one of the ones that got away. Although he came close to the belt, he could’ve been a two-division champ. But Kelvin’s career has always been plagued by laziness. No hate; just tough love. 

Kelvin won the Ultimate Fighter with wrestling and superior hand speed on the feet. For a guy built like a mini-Charles Barkley, Kelvin had the fastest hands in two divisions. But after the aforementioned fight against Stylebender, everything changed. It was like he couldn’t acclimate to civilian life after going to war. Kelvin was never the same. Since the Izzy fight, Kelvin has gone 3-6; he hasn’t even been a shadow of himself. In fact, he lost his shadow like Peter Pan. If there is anything left in Kelvin, he will stuff a takedown or two and box Dustin Stoltfus’s face... off. Prime Kelvin Gastelum would walk through Stoltzfus like automatic doors. Kelvin is sitting in the same position Paul Craig sat in last week. If Kelvin can’t win this fight, it might be time to hang ‘em up like Carradine’s fishnets. 

I was afraid to peek at the odds. The oddsmakers haven’t lost faith in Kelvin. He is the (-260) favorite, and Stotlzfus is the (+215) live dog. Yes, live dog. His wrestling is nasty. If he can drag Kelvin to the mat early, he could mess around and submit Kelvin. Kelvin has only been finished three times in his career, but all three came by submission. He has a bad habit of exposing his back when scrambling back to his feet. The play for Stoltzy is a submission. It’s been eight years since Kelvin last finished a fight. Although he will have a good chance to break the drought against Stotlzy, I think the play for Kelvin is a decision. This might be the last time I show faith in Gastelum. Kelvin Gastelum via decision. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Gastelum: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+1600) Dec (+140)  

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

Winner: Kelvin Gastelum | Method: Decision

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Diego Ferreira ($7.8k): A Jiu-Jitsu specialist with a right hand that will leave you stiff as an ironing board with your toes curled like the best night of your life. On the feet, Diego Ferreira cracks like pinkies and Parks & Rec single-ply TP. Technically, he isn’t much to look at, but he more than makes up for a lack of fundamentals with unmitigated power. Go watch what he did to Michael Johnson and Mateusz Rebecki. And on the mat, Ferreira has some creative transitions, especially to the back. If Diego commits to his wrestling/grappling early, he could be only the second fighter in the UFC to submit Hernandez. Diego is a double threat when it comes to a possible finish. His red flag is that he fades late. But that usually happens against fellow grapplers, which Hernandez is not. 

David Martinez ($7.7k): Martinez is an Uno Wild Card. This will only be his second UFC bout, but he has all the tools to cause Rob Font problems on the feet. And anybody who has ever wrestled—I’m talking even just wrestling in the living room with a sibling—can take down Rob Font. I haven’t seen Martinez’s ground game, but it wouldn’t take much to ground Font and dominate top control. But even without implementing a wrestling game plan, Martinez is a wild mother-shut-your-mouf on the feet. He’s a semi-slow starter, but once he flips the switch and activates ass-kicking mode, Martinez pulls out all the stops, throwing all kinds of ESPN 2 at 2a.m. Karate kicks and bladed hand chops. This guy will take the fight to Rob Font and give himself every opportunity to pull off the upset. And even in defeat, he has the potential to put up respectable striking stats, averaging just under five and a half SLpM.   

Diego Lopes (7k): I’m on record saying I don’t buy Lopes as an elite striker. And I stand by that. He has massive defensive holes. But Lopes showed me something in the championship rounds against Volkanovski. After getting out-kickboxed for the first three rounds, Diego kept pressuring Volk and hurt him late. That fight became much closer than most people remember. Diego is another two-prong finishing threat on the feet and on the mat. We know Lopes can go five hard rounds. But can Jean Silva? Especially if Lopes commits to wrestling/grappling and forces Silva to burn energy defending takedowns and scrambling back to his feet. Lopes has to make this an MMA fight to give himself a chance. If he relents to a twenty-five-minute kickboxing match, he will eventually get got. But if he can create a firefight in the pocket and use the ensuing chaos to set up takedowns, I like his chances.  

 $6k Clearance Rack

Amanda Lemos ($6.8k): I’m not so sure Amanda Lemos won’t fook around and win her fight against Tatiana Suarez. Suarez looked terrible in her title fight against Weili Zhang. The fight was over as soon as Weili stuffed the first takedown. Suarez had absolutely nothing to offer Weili on the feet. Amanda Lemos is a power striker with power double-legs in her back pocket. She’s coming in off a win over the highly touted Iasmin Lucindo, a fight in which she out-grappled the grappler. If she can survive early and stuff some takedowns, she will take over on the feet. Her major malfunctions, though, are her fifty-noine percent takedown defense and Rob Font get-ups. If she ends up on her back, she ain’t getting back up. But she’s a live dog who could steal those victory Fantasy points if she can defend a takedown or two.

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Diego Lopes (+195): The time to strike the Fighting Nerds is now, while they are regrouping after back-to-back losses in the co-main and main event last weekend. Cracks in their armor have been exposed. To me, Lopes is the more proven fighter. He has faced Movsar Evloev (a possible future champ) and Volkanovski, two fighters at the very top of the division. So far, Silva’s biggest win came against Bryce Mitchell, a guy with very limited stand-up. Not only is Lopes dangerous on the mat, but he’s also a firestarter on his feet. He can create chaos and take advantage with timely takedowns. The key for Lopes is testing Silva’s cardio by making this a grinding MMA fight. We know Lopes can go five hard rounds, but we don’t know if Silva can.   

David Martinez (+115): Although Martinez is untested, he has the stand-up skills to stand and bang with Rob Font. Experience level will be heavily in favor of Rob Font, but Martinez is too young to realize he’s supposed to lose this fight. While Font will have the more technical boxing, Martinez is the more diverse striker, implementing a variety of kicks into his game. Font is all hands, while Martinez will mix things up. Both fighters were scheduled to fight different opponents on this card. Font was set to face the grappling dynamo Raul Rosas Jr. Martinez will be a complete one-eighty when it comes to stand-up skills, while Font was preparing for a heavy grappling matchup. I think this one will be close all the way to the final bell.    

Jose Medina (+270): Yo! Hit that Tone Loc “Funky Cold Medina!” I’m taking a shot on Jose Medina. This guy has some serious dog in him. He has lost three fights in a row, but two were against straight killers. But no matter how the fight is going, Medina will continue to attack and won’t give up. He will be fighting Dusko Todorovic, who is far from a world beater. This is the first winnable fight Medina has been offered. If he can avoid Todorovic’s ground game, I think his wild striking could catch Dusko by the boo-boo. Dusko is built like Ikea furniture on the feet; he’s highly unstable. If Dusko can’t submit Medina early, Medina will continue to press forward and land big shots. The pressure will be on Dusko to beat a guy who is 0-2 in the UFC with a loss on the Contender Series.   

Pick ‘Em

Santiago Luna (-135) vs. Quang Le (+115) 

Winner: Santiago Luna  

Method: Decision 

Jose Medina (+270) vs. Dusko Todorovic (-340)  

Winner: Jose Medina 

Method: Decision 

Claudio Puelles (-112) vs. Joaquim Silva (-110)  

Winner: Joaquim Silva 

Method: Decision 

Tatiana Suarez (-455) vs. Amanda Lemos (+350) 

 Winner: Amanda Lemos 

Method: Decision 

Jesus Aguilar (+180) vs. Luis Gurule (-215)  

Winner: Jesus Aguilar 

Method: Decision 

Zachary Reese (-240) vs. Sedrique Dumas (+195)  

Winner: Zachary Reese 

Method: Decision 

Alessandro Costa (-395) vs. Alden Coria (+310) 

Winner: Alessandro Costa 

Method: Decision 

Montserrat Rendon (+125) vs. Alice Pereira (-150) 

Winner: Alice Pereira 

Method: Decision 

Rodrigo Sezinando (-115) vs. Daniil Donchenko (-105) 

Winner: Daniil Donchenko 

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.