Angelo is extremely confident in Jacob Malkoun, calling Gerald Meerschaert washed and stating he has no chance. He criticizes Meerschaert's poor takedown defense and chin, and believes Malkoun's wrestling will dominate. He even threatens to ban anyone who picks Meerschaert by submission.

Cody picks Malkoun by TKO, noting Meerschaert's recent knockout losses and Malkoun's improved striking. He believes Malkoun will finish him early, possibly in the first round.

Connor agrees with Zane, calling Malkoun a smart technician who uses his jab and single-leg effectively. He notes that Meerschaert is a slow, aging fighter who relied on opponents being bad, and now faces a composed fighter who won't make those mistakes. He sees it as a clear win for Malkoun.

Daniel Vreeland picks Jacob Malkoun to knock out Gerald Meerschaert in the first round. He believes Malkoun's high pace and power will overwhelm Meerschaert, who he thinks is past his prime and likely to cover up when hit.

Malkoun is a massive favorite with an implied probability of 92%, but the odds offer no value. He is a solid MMA grappler with better wrestling, striking, cardio, and home advantage. Meerschaert is old, missed weight, and only has a Hail Mary submission path. The over 1.5 rounds at 1.64 is interesting because Malkoun is a decision eater and Meerschaert is tough, but not super confident due to Meerschaert's decline.

Lucrative James picks Jacob Malkoun to win via TKO. He believes Malkoun is a much better fighter and that Meerschaert is washed up. He notes Malkoun's wrestling and improved striking should be enough to finish Meerschaert, though he is not super confident on the method.

The host expects Malkoun to run through Meerschaert, citing Malkoun's superior BJJ, youth, and striking. He thinks Malkoun will get a TKO or submission inside the distance, as Meerschaert is on a four-fight losing streak and his durability is fading. The host does not like betting minus 1000 but expects a finish.

Paul picks Malkoun, citing his improved boxing and wrestling. He believes Malkoun will knock out Meerschaert, who has been knocked out repeatedly in the first round.

The MMA Guru picks Jacob Malkoun, noting he is a -1100 favorite but thinks the odds are too high. He praises Malkoun's skills and recent performances, while criticizing Gerald Meerschaert's recent losses and age. He acknowledges Meerschaert's submission threat but believes Malkoun is too good.

Angelo picks Torrez Finney, stating he is the better wrestler and will take Jacob Malkoun down repeatedly. He notes Malkoun's takedown defense is not great and he hasn't fought in a long time. He bet on Finney at plus 140 and expects the line to tighten. He acknowledges Finney's boring style but thinks he will step it up.

Big Brady picks Jacob Malkoun, citing his superior grappling skills. He notes Malkoun took down Brendan Allen seven times and controlled him for over seven minutes. He thinks Finney is physically strong but less skilled, and Malkoun will win a decision.

Cody is leaning toward Finney, citing his friendship with the fighter and the fact that Malkoun is coming off a long layoff and back surgery. He notes that both are decision machines and expects a grappling-heavy fight. He prefers the over 2.5 rounds as a bet but picks Finney for the show.

Connor agrees with Zane, picking Malkoun. He notes that Malkoun is a good technician with a nuanced wrestling game, and Finney is a one-dimensional blanket. Connor is curious to see Malkoun's wrestling against superior physicality but believes Malkoun's skill will prevail.

Daniel Vreeland picks Malkoun but is hesitant due to his long layoff and injury concerns. He believes Malkoun's cardio and pace will overwhelm Finney in the later rounds, but worries that Finney's strength and wrestling could win the first two rounds. Vreeland thinks Malkoun can take over in the second and third rounds if he is the same fighter as before.

James picks Finney as an underdog, citing his physical strength, durability, and wrestling. He believes Malkoun's long layoff and back injury are concerns, and that Finney can match him in grappling and striking. James sees Finney's power and explosiveness as key, and expects a close fight or a Finney KO.

Malkoun has a smothering grappling style with good cardio, but he has durability concerns and a long layoff due to a bulging disc. Finney is a strong grappler but lacks damage output, as shown in his debut where he landed only four significant strikes. Malkoun should outscramble Finney and land more effective damage over 15 minutes. However, Finney's power and the layoff make this a tough fight to predict. The host leans Malkoun by decision.

Paul also picks Finney, noting that he hits harder and has better striking. He questions Malkoun's stand-up and believes Finney's wrestling and durability will be key. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds.

The Guru picks Jacob Malkoun, calling him underrated and highlighting his grappling skills, nearly beating Brendan Allen. He notes Malkoun's fundamental striking and shorter stature as advantages against Finney's style. He predicts a third-round submission as Finney slows down.

Angelo slightly leans Andre Petroski, believing he is the better wrestler and more dangerous striker. He notes Petroski has looked poor in his last two fights but thinks he can win here. He warns that if Petroski loses, he should be cut and find a new gym.

Cody is high on Malkoun's relentless wrestling and cardio, believing he will drown Petroski with takedowns and ground pressure. He expects a finish via TKO or submission as Petroski gasses, and even makes a shoey bet on Malkoun winning inside the distance.

Daniel Vreeland picks Jacob Malkoun, citing his pace, durability, and ability to push the fight. He notes Petroski has a history of fading and being broken by pressure (e.g., Brian Battle). He thinks Malkoun's wrestling and cardio will overwhelm Petroski as the fight goes on, leading to a decision or late finish.

Malkoun's relentless pace and pressure will wear down Petroski, who has cardio issues and needs an early finish. Malkoun chains takedowns and stays busy, while Petroski slows in later rounds. Malkoun should dominate the second and third rounds, winning a decision. Petroski's submission threat is real early, but Malkoun's movement and never-settle style should avoid bad positions.

Paul expects Malkoun to win by decision, citing his wrestling volume and Petroski's tendency to gas. He plans to bet Malkoun by decision at plus money, seeing it as a reliable play.

Angelo notes Brundage has power and wrestling but poor fight IQ and a tendency to lose fights he dominates. Malkoun has relentless takedowns and cardio, and if he avoids an early big right hand, he should dominate. Angelo is pretty confident in Malkoun.

Big Brady is confident in Jacob Malkoun, citing his phenomenal offensive wrestling, cardio, and control. He notes Cody Brundage has poor defensive wrestling and tends to stall on bottom. Malkoun must avoid Brundage's early power and guillotine attempts, but once he gets top position, he should dominate. Brady predicts a submission but is not fully sold on the method.

Cody picks Jacob Malkoun by decision, calling it play of the week. He highlights Malkoun's relentless takedowns and top control, while Brundage has terrible output and poor fight IQ (jumping guillotines). He expects Malkoun to dominate with wrestling and grind out a decision.

Daniel is very confident Malkoun dominates, calling Brundage a quitter with terrible output (3 strikes in last fight). He praises Malkoun's relentless takedown attempts and tenacity, noting he attempted 24 takedowns against Alhassan. He thinks Malkoun will break Brundage with pace and pressure, possibly getting a finish. He sees this as a massive mismatch.

Lucrative James picks Malkoun but is hesitant due to his chin issues. He expects Malkoun to wrestle and grind out a decision, but acknowledges Brundage's power and volatility could lead to an early KO. He suggests betting Brundage inside the distance or round 1 instead of Malkoun's moneyline at -500.

The host picks Malkoun at minus 600, calling him a safe parlay piece. He highlights Malkoun's refined wrestling and BJJ black belt, contrasting with Brundage's poor fight IQ and tendency to pull guillotine. He expects Malkoun to smother Brundage on the ground and win a decision, noting Brundage's 0-3 skid and likely cut if he loses.

Paul also picks Malkoun by decision, noting his consistent takedown numbers and Brundage's tendency to jump guillotine. He likes Malkoun's wrestling and thinks Brundage has no path to victory. He mentions Malkoun's decision prop at +135.

Angelo leans Nick Maximov in a razor-thin matchup between two grapplers. He notes that Maximov has better wrestling and BJJ, and that the fight will likely be decided by grappling. He acknowledges Malkoun has raw power but is not the better wrestler. This is a close fight and Angelo is not highly confident.

Big Brady leans slightly toward Nick Maximov to win a close decision. He notes both fighters are similar wrestlers, but gives Maximov advantages in size (height, reach), cardio, and quality of wins (over Soriano and Brundage). He thinks Maximov is the better wrestler and will grind out a decision, but calls it a tricky fight to call.

Cody leans towards Malkoun as a slight underdog, calling it a 50/50 fight. He notes both are wrestlers, but Malkoun may have a slight edge in striking and willingness to engage. He thinks Malkoun's takedown ability against strong opponents like Alhassan and Dobson is impressive.

Both fighters are similar grapplers, but Malkoun's pressure and ability to scramble from bottom positions give him an edge. He never settles and uses butterfly hooks to get back to his feet or reverse. Maximov is a higher belt but Malkoun's relentless style should make it competitive. At plus money, the host sees value on Malkoun, expecting a close decision.

Paul also leans Malkoun, noting the fight is a toss-up. He thinks Malkoun's wrestling and strength could be the difference, and he is more willing to strike than Maximov. He calls it a dog or pass fight.

Angelo picks Malkoun as an underdog, trusting his wrestling and takedown ability. He notes Allen is inconsistent and looked terrible against Sam Alvey despite winning. He believes Malkoun's grappling is as good or better than Allen's, and he likes the plus 3.5 round bet as a safer play.

Big Brady picks Brendan Allen to win by first-round knockout. He highlights Allen's superior grappling, having submitted Kevin Holland and outgrappled Kyle Daukaus, and notes that Malkoun's wins came against lower-level competition. He believes Allen has the striking advantage and will finish Malkoun early, either by TKO or submission.

Cody confidently picks Allen, citing his superior striking and grappling. He dismisses Malkoun's credentials, noting he is a purple belt and not a high-level grappler. He thinks Allen's wrestling is good enough to keep the fight standing and win by TKO or decision.

Daniel Levi picks Brendan Allen, citing his superior athleticism, experience, and grappling. He respects Malkoun's relentless takedown style but believes Allen has the tools to reverse or submit him. He notes that Allen is better everywhere and that Malkoun's path to victory is narrow. He is confident Allen will find a way to win.

Allen is the more complete fighter and should have advantages on the feet and in submission grappling. However, Malkoun is a pure wrestler who can grind out a decision. Allen is overpriced at -320; the value is on Malkoun. I predict Allen wins but the best bet is over 2.5 rounds at plus money.

Paul leans Allen but is not confident due to the price. He thinks Allen is the rightful favorite but the juice is too high. He considers Malkoun by decision at +800 but likely passes.

Angelo picks A.J. Dobson, citing his incredible hand speed and power. He worries that Malkoun could wrestle but believes Dobson's speed advantage will allow him to land three times for every one of Malkoun's looping strikes. He dismisses the 'fade the contender series' narrative and expects Dobson to laser down the middle and touch Malkoun up.

Big Brady sees this fight going one of two ways: Dobson knocking out Malkoun early or Malkoun wrestling Dobson to a decision. He leans toward Dobson because of his power and finishing ability, but admits he's not confident due to lack of information on Dobson's takedown defense. He compares it to Malkoun's win over Abdul Razak Alhassan where Malkoun used wrestling. Brady picks Dobson by first round knockout but says he can't be too confident.

Cody leans Malkoun but is not confident. He notes Malkoun's grappling looked good against Alhassan, but his chin is a concern after the Phil Hawes KO. He thinks Dobson is explosive and could land a big shot, but Malkoun's path is via takedowns.

Daniel Levi picks Jacob Malkoun for an upset win, but is hesitant about the early going. He notes that A.J. Dobson is a freak athlete with power, but tends to overexert and fatigue. Malkoun's game plan of attempting many takedowns could work if he weathers the early storm. Levi mentions that Dobson was finished by a bum in amateurs, but that was years ago.

Dobson has power and trains with strong camps, but his grappling and cardio are unproven. Malkoun will shoot for takedowns early, and if Dobson can't stop them or finish early, Malkoun could take over in later rounds. Dobson's only decision win was against a low-level opponent. The pick is based on trusting Dobson's camp and power, but it's a slight lean.

Paul picks Malkoun, citing his grappling advantage and ability to grind out a win. He notes Dobson is wild and may gas. He expects Malkoun to take Dobson down and control him, but acknowledges the volatility.

Big Brady picks Abdul Razak Alhassan to win by first-round knockout. He notes Alhassan has a 100% finish rate, all by knockout in the first round. He believes Malkoun is not ready for this level of competition, citing Malkoun's loss to Phil Hawes where he fell from the first punch. He suggests if Malkoun survives the first round, he could be a live betting opportunity, but he expects a brutal knockout within the first 60 seconds. He also mentions Alhassan's recent losses but considers this a favorable matchup.

Cody thinks Alhassan has tremendous power and will likely finish Malkoun in the first round. He notes that Malkoun is not a natural middleweight and was knocked out quickly by Phil Hawes. He acknowledges Alhassan's cardio issues but believes Malkoun is not physical enough to exploit them. He suggests live betting Alhassan or taking him by knockout.

Daniel Levi confidently picks Abdul Razak Alhassan, stating that this fight is about Razak, not Malkoun. He believes Malkoun does not belong in the UFC and is only there because he is Robert Whittaker's training partner. Levi notes that Razak has been through a lot mentally but expects him to knock Malkoun out in the first round. He also mentions that Razak is actually bigger than Malkoun in terms of height and reach.

Manpreet is confident Alhassan will win by first-round knockout, noting that all his UFC wins have come in round one and that Malkoun was knocked out quickly by Phil Hawes. He believes Alhassan's power and aggression will overwhelm Malkoun, who is a natural welterweight moving up and has questionable durability. He recommends the round one prop at plus money.

Paul calls this fight 'prime apple pie shit' because Alhassan has failed as a favorite multiple times. He notes that Alhassan has no cardio and his takedown defense disappears when tired. However, he thinks Malkoun is not good enough to take advantage. He is reluctant but leans Alhassan, and mentions a 20-1 prop on Malkoun by submission as a longshot.