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

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Main Card

Henry Cejudo (+220) vs. Song Yadong (-270)

Cejudo: DK: $7.3k | Yadong: DK:$8.9k

“The fight game moves pretty fast. If you stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Who knows, if Henry Cejudo had taken to heart the cautionary words of the great Ferris Bueller, he might still hold the literal title of Triple Champ. After beating Dominick Cruz in 2020, Cejudo got on his GSP shit and walked away from the game, leaving it all behind, the belts, the glory, and the opportunity to become the division’s GOAT. Cejudo left after beating the division’s biggest names, Demetrius Johnson, Dominick Cruz, and T.J. Dillashaw. But shortly after his departure, a new generation of fighters took over and carried the division to new heights. Fighters like Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, and the new King, Merab Dvalishvili. By the time Cejudo decided on a comeback tour in 2023, the division had passed him by, and none of the young kids in the crowd knew the words to his greatest hits. It was like selling Bitcoin in 2012 and trying to buy back in at the current price of noinety-five thousand dollars.   

The concept of possibly losing three in a row is completely foreign to Henry like the concept of a doggie bag is to Lizzo. If Henry lost three fights in a row in a dream, he’d wake up and Power Slap himself. But that’s a glaring reality as he prepares to step into the cage against one of the best power punchers in the division, Song Yadong. Aka Li Jingliang if the curse was lifted. If Cejudo is going to get back in the dub column and begin another title run, he must return to his roots and go full cringe. He has to bring back Cringy Cejudo, aka the host of Cringe Factor. I’m talking cringy like nursing videos (breastfeeding if you want to be a Richard about it) on Instagram. Cringier than watching old videos of Hollywood celebrities trying to strike a chord with a teenage Justin Bieber. "It’s probably A Minor!” I mean, how bad does Henry Cejudo want it?   

Before the hiatus, Henry had developed into a deadly striker, combining a Karate stance with traditional boxing combinations. His hands were quicker than your first time rounding third base. And his Olympic gold medal wrestling was still effective. Now, the only thing that remains of his old self is his small stature. My man still shops at Carters and shares a wardrobe with his kids. Homie rocks 5T fight shorts and Velcro shoes. Zip-up feetie pajamas still fit Henry. MF still goes trick-or-treating every year. Cejudo drives a Little Tikes Cozy Coup around town, beeping the little squeaky horn if someone doesn’t immediately peel out at a green light.   

“C’mon, pal! The light’s green!” 

“Hey, listen, lil’ buddy! I ain’t your pal!” 

Henry still sits at the kids' table on Thanksgiving. When he goes to Olive Garden, the maître D hands him a maze place mat and a menu with only two options: Mac n’ cheese and chicken nuggets. But the old Henry overcame his unfortunate size with overwhelming physical attributes, speed, and strength. The problem is, Cejudo hasn’t looked the same physically in his two comeback fights. What are you saying? I’m just saying. Maybe he's hitting his dad-bod phase. But his hand speed hasn’t been the same, and his ability to level change has diminished. Henry hasn’t mustered much offense in his last two bouts. And he got out-wrestled/grappled, his bread and butter, in both. Against Merab, Cejudo was taken down five times and only landed twenty-noine significant strikes.   

Song Yadong doesn’t have the grappling chops of Aljo and Merab, but he’s just as tough to get to the mat. Henry will likely have to win this fight exclusively on the feet. And after what I saw in those two fights, I don’t know if he can out-strike anyone in the top ten. Cejudo will need speed to get in and out of the pocket against Yadong. He can’t loiter in the pocket, exchanging extended combinations. He will get got. If I was training Cejudo for this fight, we’d study Merab footage nonstop. Specifically, the Petr Yan fight. Cejudo needs to spam level changes to keep Yadong from developing any rhythm on the feet and striking on the breaks. That won’t make for exciting fisticuffs. But hey, you play to win the fight.    

Song Yadong is a minimalist striker. I’m talking toe shoes and biodegradable underoos. He won’t wow you with fancy footwork and nifty combinations. Yadong only uses basic strikes: Jab, cross, and hook. And, occasionally, he’ll throw a rear-hand Shoryuken, his special move. That’s it; three basic ingredients. No artificial colors or “natural” flavors. But other than that, Song’s striking is fairly primitive. His striking hasn’t even discovered fire. But he’ll turn you into the exorcist chick real fooking quick and spin your head on your shoulders. They’ll be doing exorcisms on your ass between rounds. Yo! Hit that Flo Rida “Right Round!” Yadong will crack your ass and leave you Naked and Afraid. Wait... what? He’ll have you sending out S.O.S smoke signals between rounds. You’ll be looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway by the end of the third round. Yadong is built like the No Limit tank and fights like he hit a Mario star power-up. He fights like a bull in a bong shop (head shop if you want to be a Richard about it). 

But one of Yadong’s best attributes is his takedown defense. Officially, it's seventy-two percent. But it’s much better than the stats suggest. Yadong has that ‘85 Bears takedown defense. One day, they’ll make a Life After People episode of Yadong still standing in the year 2225. He’ll be all covered in vines and bird shit, but he’ll still be standing. Not even benzos and zannies can get Yadong down. Watching Mufasa get trampled by the wildebeest couldn’t get Yadong down. And even if you can get him down, you won’t keep him there for long. Ricky Simon got Yadong down twice but only recorded less than a minute of control time. If he can stay on his feet against Cejudo, his power will win the day. Even without a finish, his shots will be more damaging and effective on the judges’ scorecards.   

The numbers: Yadong is 21-8 with noine TKO/KOs and three subs and averages four and a half SLpM compared to Henry’s just above three and a half. Henry averages two takedowns per fifteen minutes and did manage to get Merab to the mat once and record two minutes of control time. Yadong will be the (-270) favorite, and the former two-division champ will be the (+220) live dog. Henry can win this fight. Yadong has been defeated before, and each loss came against someone who could put him on his back consistently. The old Henry would dominate Yadong on the mat. But I’m not sure how much of the old Henry is left. I don’t see him offering much on the feet if he can’t get Yadong down. I like playing these guys for a decision. The bigger finishing threat is Yadong’s hands, but Henry has only been finished on the feet once. And that came to the GOAT Demetrius Johnson. 

I thought I had it in the bag last week when Deebo came out throwing bombs and nearly finished Cannonier in the first round. But Cannonier weathered the storm and landed a Craig brick in the third that changed everything. The good news: I had an Andy Jack on a Cannonier TKO. The ol’ put my money where my mouth isn’t. This pick seems less tricky, but those are always the trickiest. The song I sing is Song Yadong via decision. Put it on wax.  

Props

Cejudo: TKO/KO (+900) Sub (+2500) Dec (+350) 

Yadong: TKO/KO (+200) Sub (+1400) Dec (120)

Winner: Song Yadong | Method: Decision

Brendan Allen (+260) vs. Fluffy Hernandez (-320)

Allen: DK: $7.2k | Fluffy: DK: $9k

I just realized I don’t even know Fluffy Hernandez’ real name. He has and always will be Fluffy. But I know enough about Brendan Allen’s name not to call him Brandon Allan. You’ll have a Chris Everett, I mean, Jim Everett vs. Jim Rome situation on your hands real quick. This is Brendan Allen’s dream matchup. Facing a grappling Merlin like Fluffy Hernandez, Allen finally has a reason to stand and bang the entire fight. He can truly be the striker in a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. If this fight does hit the mat, it could produce a rare grappling firefight. These guys are two of the top grapplers in the middleweight division. This could easily be a Fight Night main event. 

Fluffy Hernandez tapped the Jitz God, Jitz God. All my baristas from the front to the back nod, back nod. Hernandez looks like he volunteers at Guitar Center so he can play the Fender display for free. He looks like he makes a mean venti iced skinny hazelnut macchiato, sugar-free syrup, extra shot, light ice, and whipped, not shaken. My man looks like he just got off his shift at Hot Topic. He looks like he sells sea moss at a farmer’s market. But don’t let any of that fool you. Fluffy Hernandez submitted Rodolfo Vieira. If I submitted the Jitz God... Yo! Hit that Kanye “Can’t Tell Me Nothing!” Nuh, uh. You can’t tell me nothing. Not even my Mammy could tell me shit. I’m not taking my shoes off at the door, Mammy.   

“I ain’t your mammy, son!”  

Whoa! Mammy’s wildin’. Fluffy is coming in off his first main event and a huge dub against Michel Pereira. Watching Fluffy dominate Pereira was like watching a band geek kick the shit out of the wrestling coach. It was like if Screech kicked Slatter’s ass and stole his Betty. The rolling Fluffy gathers no moss. This guy rolls on the mat like Private Dicks entering the premises in 80s tv shows. Yo! Hit that Limp Bizkit “Rollin’!” And quit playing and give me that remix with Method Man and Redman! Fluffy keeps rollin', rollin', rollin'. Fluffy has a variety of takedowns, including level changes and slick trips from within the clinch. He can also work single legs, and he has a unique style of chain wrestling. When he gets you to the mat, he hunts necks like Mossy Oak and shitting in the woodz. He’ll choke you out before the poison ivy starts to itch your ass. And that’s after he beats you like the Hamburglar. Fluffy’s ground and pound is nasty and probably accounts for most of his five SLpM average.   

But as is the case with most grappling specialists, Fluffy’s major malfunction is his striking. It’s not completely wack, but it’s still a liability. Defensively, Fluffy depends mostly on a Hoboken Shell and some garage-sell boxing movements. He can put together combinations and uses standing elbows well, but his striking will be his downfall as he climbs the ranks. But as long as he can rely on his six-and-a-half takedowns per fifteen minutes, he will keep stacking dubs like a Lays vendor stacks chips.   

So now that Brendan Allen has a clear path to victory on his feet, you know that means he will try to submit the Jitz God slayer. Now, he will decide to wrestle from the onset without almost having to be KO’d first. At some point in nearly every bout, Allen turns into Napolean at the talent show. My man has a Jay Leno chin. A Lizzo triple chin. Allen has Ikea striking. It looks nice in the little showroom, but it falls apart the first time you sit on it. Allen’s striking holds up just long enough for the thirty-day warranty to expire. Then he has to shoot double legs for his life. In past fights, Allen has run into trouble because he staunchly identifies as a striker when it's obvious he’s a grappler. His major malfunction on the feet is that he gets out of pocket inside the pocket. His striking is built for fighting at range and not within close quarters.   

On the mat, Allen lands rear-naked chokes like jabs on the feet. He has fourteen career submissions, and twelve came via RNC. Allen can go toe-to-toe with Fluffy on the mat. But why fight Fluffy in his area of expertise when you have an advantage on the feet? I could see Allen submitting Fluffy in a club-and-sub scenario. Allen is terminal from the back. And Fluffy was submitted by Markus Perez in his debut. The difference could be in the takedown defenses. Allen rocks a fifty-eight percent and Fluffy rocks a sixty-five percent. 

Wow. Fluffy is the (-290) favorite, and Allen is the (+235) live-ass dog. This is a toss-up in my book. I think these odds are a little wild. Fluffy has been my secret weapon for a while. He’s been an undercover dog for a long time. But it seems the oddsmakers are catching on to him. I just looked at Allen’s record, and it all makes sense now. This is a rematch from a fight in 2018 under the LFA promotion. Fluffy won that fight by decision. And that was a five-round title fight. That kind of changes things. Both guys have obviously improved dramatically. But that Fluffy victory suggests he got Allen to the mat consistently. I think the play for both guys is another decision. There’s a ton of value in Allen as a dog. If he can keep it standing, he can outpoint Fluffy. But I’ve come too far with Fluffy to turn back now. Fluffy Hernandez via decision. On wax.   

Props

Fluffy: TKO/KO (+550) Sub (+330) Dec (+110) 

Allen: TKO/KO (+1600) Sub (+800) Dec (+450)

Winner: Fluffy Hernandez | Method: Decision

Rob Font (+135) vs. Jean Matsumoto (-155)

Font: DK: $7.6k | Matsumoto: DK:$8.6k

This is where the card goes haywire. Trust me when I tell you this card was a banger top to bottom a little over a week ago. Then we lost Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz and Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia. Curtis Blaydes was also on the main card. At least they found a way to keep Rob Font on the card. Unless he ends up on his back. Anywho, Font goes from fighting a legend and future Hall of Famer to fighting Jean Quasi, I mean Jean Matsumoto. Matsumoto ain’t no chump. But they got guys like him on every corner in Brazil, like liquor stores in el barrio. He’s a short, buff dude who throws nothing but wide bombs. If Rob “Times New Roman” Font shows up, Rob's half-stepping alter ego, Matsumoto might fook around and score a triple-double.   

But if Rob “Victorian Calligraphy” Font shows up, he should dominate this fight. Font has gone 2-4 in his last six scraps, but he’s only been fighting killers like Dexter. When Font loses, it’s usually to fighters who can take him down. He turns into Rob “Kindergarten” Font on the mat. His ground game is completely unintelligible. His Apple watch is programmed to call for help the second his ass touches the mat. Homies ass has an On-Star button in case of emergencies. As soon as his ass touches the mat, TMZ reports his sudden passing. Font’s guard looks like his parents tucked him in too tight. He has absolutely no get-ups. Can Matsumoto take down Font? Most people reading this can. Font rocks a forty-four percent takedown defense like pre-streaked hand-me-down beige chonies.  

On the feet, Rob ain’t nothin’ to fook with. He has arms like In & Out drive-thru lines. Them shits wrap around the block. Font’s arms are longer than the line for eggs at Costco. His arms are so long his corner has to untangle them between rounds like that bag of random cables you keep in the closet “just in case.” Rob can win fights strictly using his jab. Font is good at changing the intensity of his jab. He can touch you with it and turn it into a power punch. My man has a Castor Troy jab. He can jab a face for hours. And Font targets the body like a masseuse at the mall. This MF works the body like P90X. Carrying a few pounds? Rob Font will punch the weight off you. Shots! Shots! Shots! Rob Font has them liver shots, and I ain’t talking tiny glasses and barstools. Once you drop your hands to defend the body, he comes back to the head. 

Jean Matsumoto’s has bachelor pad striking. Wtf is that? It’s just a mattress on the ground and nothing but condiments in the fridge. The bare necessities. He has just enough to get by, and he is content to live that way. His skills are limited. There’s nothing intricate or high-level. But he hits hard and doesn’t lack aggression. Guys like Matsumoto are like Honda Civics in 2001 – everyone had one. He has that classic, stiff Brazilian boxing. Stiff like old people when it rains. Someone needs to hit Matsumoto with a spritz of WD-40. My man’s problem is that he’s too buff to be a fluid striker. His muscles get in the way, and his shoulders have no range of motion. Matsumoto is all hooks like Nate Dogg on the feet and never deviates from a straight line whether attacking or retreating.   

Matsumoto’s major malfunction is that he doesn’t blend the different elements of MMA. There is a clear delineation between his wrestling/grappling and striking. They don’t fuse as one. When he’s wrestling, he’s just wrestling and doesn’t have the instinct to strike from the top. And his striking doesn’t set up his level changes. Matsumoto has lazy takedowns. Get a job-ass takedowns. If you don’t make it easy for him, he’ll give up or post and rest. But that might be all it takes to get Font to the mat. Matsumoto is 16-0 with three TKO/KOs and six subs. He’s built like a wrestler, but I haven’t seen much of his ground game. His path to victory will clearly be on the mat.   

Both fighters average around five and a half SLpM, but Matsumoto’s stats are based on minimal cage time. I don’t have odds, but I can only imagine Rob Font will be the favorite. I’m not comfortable with calling this a sure thing for Font. It should be. But the weakness of his ground game can’t be overstated. I think he can finish Matsumoto late in this fight. I like playing Font for a late TKO/KO. The play for Matsumoto is a decision, riding out the top position. I’ve been on a losing streak picking Rob Font’s fights lately. Rob Font via TKO, round three. Put it on wax.  

Props

Font: TKO/KO (+700) Sub (+2500) Dec (+200) 

Matsumoto: TKO/KO (+1000) Sub (+650) Dec (+110)

Winner: Rob Font | Method: TKO Rd.3

Jean Silva (-575) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (+400)

Silva: DK: $9.5k | Melsik: DK: $6.7k

Everyone is a nerd for something. Nerdoms make life worth living. Jean Silva is a nerd for kicking ass. So much so that he joined an ass-kicking club. Silva is a Fighting Nerd with spectacles so thick when he looks at a map, he can see people waving. If you see Jean Silva and his pack of wild nerds mobbing through your neighborhood, just hand over your kid’s Lord of the Flies book report and unfinished Science Fair project and live to see another day. After making his debut in 2024 and going 3-0 with three TKO/KOs, including a TKO over the Rain Man, Drew Dober, Silva is fiending for some ass to kick. Silva’s first test of 2025 won’t be multiple choice. It will be a dreaded fill-in-the-blank exam when the filthy kickboxer Melsik Baghdasaryan steps into the cage. This one right here should be a stand-up banger, and it might fook around and steal Fight of the Night honors. 

The nerds shall inherit the earth. Prophesy has become reality. The Fighting Nerds are taking over the MMA world. Mauricio Ruffy, Carlos Prates, Ciao Borralho, and Jean Silva are like the Avengers of cracking asses. This is a crew you don’t want to fook with. They represent the final evolution of nerds. Generations, past and present, of geeks and dweebs alike live vicariously through the ass-kicking exploits of the Fighting Nerds and exact retribution against all the bullies that have wronged them. Jean Silva might be the undercover savage of the group. Silva attends Ass-Kicking Con every year and buys meet-and-greet passes for the dude who beat up that buff kangaroo in Australia. This guy is the Ken Jennings of ass-kicking - the Jeopardy: Ass-Kicking Edition world champion. He’ll fook around and hit a Daily Double on your ass real quick. 

How does he do it? With his striking. His striking is slicker than Meek’s cheeks. He uses a hybrid Taekwondo/Boxing/Kickboxing style with quick, dexterous in/out movements. Silva uses in/out movement to draw out the opponent’s offense or to freeze them and attack. Being a nerd, he busts out the scientific method. He uses his jab to probe, then formulates a hypothesis based on your reactions. After analyzing and making a prediction, he tests his hypothesis in the form of a nifty counter, a slip n’ rip, or step-back right hand. Eventually, he knocks you out and publishes the results. His published accreditations include eleven TKO/KOs and two subs with fourteen career dubs. When you see Silva fight, pay attention to how he manipulates the pocket, retreating while under attack but never completely fleeing from the pocket. He always remains in position to counter or beat you to the punch. BTW, Silva has two career losses. Shoutout to the two heathens who beat this guy.   

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Melsik Baghdasaryan. His last win came in 2023 against Tucker Putz. I mean Tucker Futz. I mean Tucker Lutz. Melsik kind of reminds me of a Payless Wonderboy. If you rocked Melsik to school, all the homies would clown your ass as if you were rocking knock-off Jordans. Yeah, those ones with Jordan’s cheeks on display like Tyson backstage. Now that I’m thinking about it, Melsik’s style is a lot like Shara Magomedov’s, aka One Eye Willie. Melsik kicks like Messi. He’ll fook around and score a hat trick on your ass in the first round. What’s unique about Melsik is that he uses each leg differently. He uses the lead leg for axe kicks and question mark kicks. And he uses his rear leg for power round kicks and teeps. His lead leg is Taekwondo, and his rear leg is Muay Thai. And his hands are fast as fook booooooy! His hands leave trails like comets. They leave contrails in their wake. His hands are so fast they gain three hours like an east-to-west coast continental flight.   

But his ground game is R. Kelly Doo Doo Butter. Hit that Dave Chapelle shit! “Drip, drip, drip...” If grappling was graded pass/fail, my man would get a fail. He would be held back a year. Melsik would have to attend summer school while all the homies hit the community pool. But you can file that away for future reference. There’s almost zero chance of this fight hitting the mat unless someone gets dropped. The striking stats will be similar, with both fighters averaging around five and a half SLpM. Melsik is 8-2 with five TKO/KOs. 

Silva will be the massive (-625) favorite, and Melsik will be the (+430) live dog. Yeah, I said it. Live dog. These odds are wild; they’re howling at the moon. Melsik is a nasty striker. He has fast hands and a variety of heavy kicks. This is far from a bye week for Silva. I think the play is a decision one way or the other. Silva has yet to be chin-checked. I think that will change against Melsik. Fantasy-wise, Melsik could be a good low-tier option that will land moderate (60-75) strikes should it go the distance. But you already know Jean Silva has an equation for every scenario. Jean Silva via decision. On wax.   

Props

Silva: TKO/KO (-110) Sub (+650) Dec (+215)  

Baghdasaryan: TKO/KO (+1200) Sub (+3500) Dec (+700)

Winner: Jean Silva | Method: Decision

Alonzo Menifield (-225) vs. Julius Walker(+185)

Menifield: DK: $8.7k | Walker: DK: $7.5k

Alonzo Menifield is getting that Edmen Shahbazyan treatment. He’s getting a Cal Riken-playing-in-his-final-All-Star-Game grooved fastball. Menifield has the wire strapped beneath his jersey, and his cornermen are in the dugout banging on trashcans, relaying the catcher’s signals. Menifield, a veteran of fourteen UFC bouts, will face a debutante in Julius Walker. Walker has only six professional fights. After dropping two in a row via KO, this is a must-win for Alonzo. He has to go full Alonzo in Training Day and not ‘98 Alonzo Mourning on the Heat when he squared up with Larry Johnson. This will be a steep drop in competition for Zo, who has faced a Murderer’s Row in his UFC career that only the ‘27 Yankees could rival. 

Menifield is built like Optimus Prime in his prime. My man is built like pass rushers in the ‘90s. Menifield enters the cage, rocking that Big LT Energy. And I ain’t talking LaDainian. I’m talking about the man who was geeked up on every snap, Lawrence Taylor. Menifield is a massive wrestler striker who often looks for any excuse to abandon his wrestling in favor of throwing hands. He has become a wrestler striker minus the wrestling. When he does wrestle, he has fifteen-yard personal foul power double legs. Defending a Menifield takedown is like defending a grizzly bear attack. In fact, they made a movie starring Leo DiCaprio about the time he attacked a man in the woods, and the man lived to tell the tale. Fortunately for his opponents, Menifield fell in love with striking, much like T-Pain fell in love with an exotic dancer (stripper if you want to be a Richard about it).   

You can’t blame Menifield for wanting to stand and bang. Homie has ridiculous power. This guy could turn you inside out with one punch. Zo cracks like pavement. There isn’t a man at light heavyweight that Zo couldn’t sleep with a single shot. But his major malfunction is that he is an a la carte striker; he doesn’t have enough change in the ashtray to buy a combo. Also, because Menifield generates so much power, he tends to gas midway through the fight. I know hardly anything about Julius Walker, but he seems to favor wrestling. Zo has to keep the fight standing or be the first to level change. Zo’s ground game is a Dickens Tale of Two Positions. From the top, Zo is an assailant. But from the bottom, he is a victim. Zo can’t afford to end up on his back. If he can keep it standing, the only question will be a first or second-round TKO/KO. 

The only fight I could find of Julius Walker looked like it was recorded in the ‘90s on an old-school Panasonic Camcorder. It looked like Christmas day footage when Pops would record you opening presents. The cameramen looked like new hires fresh out of orientation. Half the time, all you could see was the back of the referee’s head. And the footage was shaky, as if Michael J. Fox was filming that shit. Anywho, I’m expecting the mayor of Seattle to call the little black phone and pronounce a stay of execution for Walker. My man is walking the Green Mile into the cage. Yo! Hit The Lox “24 Hours to Live!” If you had twenty-four hours to live, just think. Where would you go? What would you do? At least two minutes should be dedicated to Walker deleting his browser history. This one could get ugly quick for him.   

That’s a long way of saying I don’t know shit about Walker. And I just broke my 2024 New Year’s resolution of not writing anybody off in flowing medieval script. Because nearly every single time I do, the fighter I write off goes on to dominate. Walker is 6-0 with four TKO/KOs and two subs, a one hundred percent finishing rate. But the names in his win column look AI-generated. Menifield will be by far the toughest competition Walker has faced.   

It’s crazy that Menifield is only a (-200) favorite, and Walker is only a (+170) dog. Maybe the oddsmakers know something that I don’t. The play for Zo is a TKO/KO finish. If you’re feeling froggy and want to play the upset, I think a decision is the play for Walker. If Zo gasses, Walker can get him to the mat and dominate the top position. Menifield’s biggest weakness is his guard game. But you already know I’m rolling with LT, the UFC version. Alonzo Menifield via TKO, round two. Wax on, wax off.  

Props

Menifield: TKO/KO (+100) Sub (+450) Dec (+600)  

Walker: TKO/KO (+400) Sub (+900) Dec (+750)

Winner: Alonzo Menifield | Method: TKO Rd.2

Prelims

$7k Value Menu

Ion Cutelaba ($7.7k): The WKO has a love/hate relationship with the Toyota Frontrunner, Ion Cutelaba. When you expect the world of him, he hands you Yuma, Arizona. When you expect Bruce Banner to show up, the fookin’ Hulk shows up and puts the whole arena on smash. Cutelaba is one of the biggest headscratchers in the UFC. He combines a dominant ground game with underrated striking. Ion can stand and bang with most fighters in the division. And if he stays committed to his wrestling/grappling, he’s a tough out for anyone. Cutelaba will be up against Ibo Aslan, who has an international cult following. Aslan throws nothing but four-seam fastballs from the waist and lives for a firefight. But when it comes to Ibo’s technical skills, I’m canceling after the trial period. I’m not buying him. He has massive planet-swallowing black holes in his striking. Cutelaba can stand with Ibo, but his path to victory will be on the mat, testing Ibo’s grappling. This fight should produce a finish one way or the other, and Cutelaba has a massive upside at this salary price.   

Rob Font ($7.6k): If Rob Font can stay upright, he’ll win this fight. And I dare say he will dominate it. That’s a huge IF, though. The good news is that Jean Matsumoto’s takedowns are far from elite. And on the feet, he’s a prototypical Brazilian striker with nothing but wide hooks and short overhands. Rob should be able to dominate Matsumoto from the outside with his world-class jab. Font’s jab is his special move. Much like GSP used to, Font can dominate fights with his jab alone. Matsumoto relies on power punches to close the distance, and that could be dangerous against a guy like Font, who can build a forcefield of jabs from the outside. Font’s upside is a late finish with moderate strikes landed. 

Julius Walker ($7.5k): Again, I don’t know much about Walker, but I know plenty about his opponent Alonzo Menifield. And I know enough to know Menifield can’t be trusted like farts after a Taco Bell run. There’s a good chance Zo will gas after the first round, and Walker will take over. From what I’ve read about Walker, he’s a very good athlete with a formidable ground game. If he can survive the first round, he could flip the entire Fantasy board with a big upset. Also, Menifield has been KO’d two fights in a row and displayed some Chief Wiggum fight IQ against Carlos Ulberg, running across the cage at the opening bell and right into a left hand. He was subsequently finished in twelve fookin’ seconds. This is a pick mostly based on my distrust of Alonzo Menifield. But this is another fight that should produce a finish one way or the other. 

Clearance Rack

Raffael Cerqueira ($6.9k): This guy’s debut against Ibo Aslan lasted less than one minute. He got overwhelmed in the opening exchanges and never had a chance to unleash his own offense. This time around, Cerqueira will be up against the far more docile Modestas Bukauskas. Bukauskas is marinaded in oridanary juice. There’s absolutely nothing scary about Bukauskas’s style. Cerqueira is 11-1 with eight TKO/KOs and two subs. If he shows any of the aggression from his regional bouts, he could cause Bukauskas problems. Bukauskas likes a controlled back-and-forth traditional kickboxing match, and Cerqueira has the style to create a wild firefight. Cerqueira’s upside is a finish. A decision will favor the more technical Bukauskas, poking and prodding his way to victory. 

Twenty-Twen-Twen Sleepers

Ricky Simon (+215): Ricky Simon is the last guy to beat Merab. And he submitted Merab at the final buzzer. Merab then went on to win twelve straight and is the current champ. Simon has fallen on hard times because he has forgotten the face of his father, which is wrestling. On the feet, Simon is a wrestler striker with heavy power, but he lacks the technical skills to stand and bang with the best in the division. And that caught up to him in his last three bouts. But Simon will be up against a far less dangerous striker than his previous opponents, Song Yadong and Vinicius Oliviera. Javid Basharat is a cerebral fighter. His fight IQ is so keen that it’s almost a detriment. He doesn’t take many risks and often over-analyzes, picking his strikes too judiciously. Basharat rocks an eighty-five percent takedown defense, and Ricky Simon averages over five takedowns per fifteen minutes. Something will have to give.  

Rob Font (+135): How the fook is Font the dog in this bout? I get it; you can put his ground game out on the curb on Thursday mornings, and a big truck will come and pick it up. But Matsumoto is far from a dominant takedown artist. If, somehow, someway, Rob can fight off a takedown or two, Matsumoto will oblige to stand and bang for the duration. And that heavily favors Rob Font’s length and overall better boxing. Also, when you doubt Rob Font, he shines the brightest. This is a very winnable matchup for Font. You have options when playing Font in this matchup. You can play him straight up as a dog or for a late finish.     

Ion Cutelaba (+145): I’m just not sold on Ibo Aslan. There are too many holes in his striking defensively. And I have yet to see his ground game tested against a guy with Cutelaba’s high-level wrestling/grappling. My only reservation about Cutelaba is that every time I pick him to win a fight, he loses. It never fails. And when I pick him to lose, he looks like a future champ and dominates. I like this matchup for Cutelaba, especially if he can put Ibo on his back early. In Ibo’s debut, he struggled against a super mid-fighter, Anton Turkalj, who had previously beaten him. And don’t sleep on Cutelaba on the feet. His hands have hair triggers, and he doesn’t allow for a feeling-out process before he starts slanging bombs.   

Pick ‘Em

Ion Cutelaba (+145) vs. Ibo Aslan (-170)  

Winner: Ion Cutelaba 

Method: Decision 

Andre Fili (-105) vs. Mel Costa (-115)  

Winner: Andre Fili 

Method: Decision  

Mansur Malik (-285) vs. Nick Klein (+230)  

Winner: Mansur Malik 

Method: TKO Rd.2 

Ricky Simon (+215) vs. Javid Basharat (-260) 

Winner: Javid Basharat 

Method: Decision 

Nursulton Ruziboev (-220) vs. Eric McConico (+180) 

Winner: Nursulton Ruziboev 

Method: Rear-Naked Choke Rd.2 

Modestas Bukauskas (-285) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (+235) 

Winner: Modestas Bukauskas 

Method: Decision 

Austin Vanderford (+110) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (-130) 

Winner:  Nikolay Verretennikov

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.