Johnny Muñoz Jr.

Angelo picks Johnny Muñoz Jr. with low confidence, calling him a 'squirt' but acknowledging his BJJ and power. He notes that Aoriqileng is tough but can be out-grappled. He is waiting for prop bets like a +3.5 spread on Aoriqileng, as Muñoz could be dangerous early but fade. He emphasizes this is a low-confidence pick.

Big Brady is not high on either fighter and calls this his least favorite fight on the card. He criticizes Johnny Muñoz Jr. for quitting in his last fight and notes that Aoriqileng has shown decent takedown defense and the ability to get back to his feet. He believes Aoriqileng can stuff takedowns and keep the fight standing, leading to a decision win. He is not betting this fight.

Cody picks Aoriqileng, citing his physicality, pressure, and power. He notes that Muñoz lacks power and has unimpressive wrestling. Aoriqileng should land the bigger shots and win a decision or late stoppage.

Daniel Levi picks Aoriqileng, citing his heavy hitting and durability. He notes that Johnny Muñoz has suspect striking and doesn't like to get hit, and that Aoriqileng can crack him. He acknowledges Muñoz's jiu-jitsu threat but thinks Aoriqileng's power and grit will be the difference.

Lucrative James believes Aoriqileng has a massive advantage on the feet and will hurt Muñoz to the body. He thinks Muñoz is flaky and will get finished on the feet, predicting a knockout. He also likes the under 2.5 rounds at even money, noting that Muñoz's wrestling is not good enough to get the fight to the ground consistently.

Aoriqileng has improved his takedown defense and trains with strong wrestlers. He should be able to keep the fight standing and use his volume striking to overwhelm Muñoz. Muñoz has struggled to get fights to the ground and relies on BJJ, but his striking and wrestling have been poor. Aoriqileng should win by decision, possibly with some ground and pound.

Paul leans toward Aoriqileng, expecting him to land the more punishing strikes over 15 minutes. He is unsure about the wrestling matchup but believes Aoriqileng's pressure will be effective. He would not bet this fight with his own money.

Angelo picks Daniel Santos confidently, noting his dangerous striking and BJJ, though he has low grappling IQ. He is slightly less confident due to the fight being canceled previously for an abscess, but still believes Santos should win. He thinks Santos' pressure and power will be too much for Muñoz, who doesn't like being crowded. Angelo has bets on Santos but not in the safety parlay.

Cody also picks Santos, calling him a big fan. He notes Santos's forward pressure and aggressive style, and that Muñoz has cardio issues and low volume. Cody expects Santos to win by knockout or decision as Muñoz fades. He thinks the -220 line is a bit stiff but still picks Santos.

Connor picks Muñoz for consistency, having picked him previously. He acknowledges that Santos' pressure is a major threat, but believes Muñoz's jab will be effective early, similar to how Shabazian used his jab against Santos. Connor admits Muñoz is not creative, but thinks he can land enough jabs to win rounds, though he recognizes Santos' wildness makes this a risky pick.

Daniel picks Daniel Santos, noting that he is the more aggressive and technical fighter, though he takes risks. He believes Santos can overwhelm Muñoz with pressure and chaos, and that Muñoz doesn't like being backed up. He mentions Santos' grappling is underrated, having tapped out a high-level grappler in training.

Jacob picks Santos, citing his high-pressure Muay Thai style and ability to get dropped and bounce back. He thinks Muñoz doesn't like being crowded and lacks the takedowns to keep Santos down. Jacob notes Muñoz's only path to victory is an early takedown and grind, but Santos' scrambling and offensive wrestling should prevent that. He is confident Santos wins.

Santos is an aggressive forward-pressure fighter with power and BJJ. He will crash the pocket and land big shots. Muñoz is live for a submission if he can get it to the ground, but Santos' power and pace will be too much. Santos will knock him out in the second round.

Paul picks Daniel Santos confidently. He loves Santos's forward pressure and aggression, especially in the small Apex cage. He notes Santos is hittable but has a heart of a lion and will break opponents down over time. Paul contrasts Muñoz's questionable cardio and low volume, expecting Santos to take over in later rounds. He acknowledges Santos's loss to Julio Arce but sees that as a tough debut matchup.

The MMA Guru picks Daniel Santos, citing a lack of talent in Johnny Muñoz Jr.'s game. He notes Santos has skill in how he throws shots, pressures fighters, and cuts off the octagon, despite having striking defense issues. He criticizes Muñoz for being well-rounded but unremarkable, and points to his loss to Tony Gravely. The Guru predicts Santos will win by TKO against the cage, but if it goes to decision, it will be close.

Angelo gives a slight lean to Muñoz because he has more ways to win, citing his BJJ black belt and harder strikes. However, he calls it a razor-thin fight, noting Sholinian has better takedowns and relentless pressure, and is very live as an underdog. He mentions Muñoz can be low volume and slow with kicks.

Big Brady highlights Muñoz's elite grappling and BJJ black belt, expecting a significant advantage on the mat. He notes Sholinian's wrestling background but unimpressive striking and grappling. He believes the fight will hit the mat at some point, and when it does, Muñoz will be very live for a submission. He predicts a second-round submission.

Cody picks Johnny Muñoz Jr., noting his superior BJJ and wrestling compared to Sholinian. He thinks Muñoz showed promise in his debut against Nate Maness (outstruck him 49-21, got two takedowns) and finished Jamie Simmons. He acknowledges Muñoz got knocked out by Tony Gravely, but Gravely is explosive. Sholinian has been inactive (14 months) and showed nothing against Jack Shore, landing only 19 significant strikes. Cody thinks Muñoz can take him down and control him, but he hates the -235 price and may consider Sholinian as a dog.

Connor picks Sholinian, believing he can shut down Munoz's wrestling better than Shore did. Munoz is not as deft a wrestling threat as Shore, and Sholinian's aggression and striking volume should carry him. Connor notes that Munoz's boxing is basic and he gets hit often.

Daniel Levi leans Johnny Muñoz Jr., citing his jiu-jitsu black belt and ability to land takedowns. He notes Sholinian is tough but not physically imposing, lacks power and submission threat, and Muñoz should be able to dominate positionally. He passed on betting due to the price (-225).

The host is high on Sholinian as a dog, citing his pressure style, takedown defense (6/8 against Jack Shore), and grit. He notes Muñoz Jr. struggles to land takedowns (4/20 in UFC) and relies on kicks, while Sholinian will stay in his face and outwork him. He expects Sholinian to stuff takedowns and win via decision, possibly with a late finish.

Paul picks Sholinian as an underdog, but is hesitant. He notes that Muñoz's only UFC win is over Jamie Simmons, a layup, and he took until the second round to finish him. Sholinian is a big bantamweight and was only taken down twice by Jack Shore, a top British wrestler. Paul added 'Muñoz Jr. under 2.5 takedowns' to his PrizePicks card, thinking Muñoz may not get many takedowns. He is considering Sholinian but will watch weigh-ins.

The MMA Guru picks Johnny Muñoz Jr., citing Sholinian's poor performance against Jack Shaw, who fought with one arm. He notes Muñoz has a decent win over Jamie Simmons and is a big bantamweight with good jiu-jitsu. He predicts a submission finish, specifically a rear-naked choke, continuing his trend.

Angelo highlights Tony Gravely's relentless wrestling and high takedown average, but notes his questionable submission defense and cardio issues. Johnny Muñoz is a BJJ black belt with slick grappling. Angelo is split because five of Gravely's losses are by submission and seven of Muñoz's wins are by submission. He ultimately picks Gravely because he believes Gravely will dictate the fight with top control, but acknowledges the risk of getting caught.

Big Brady picks Johnny Muñoz Jr. as an underdog to win by submission, likely in the third round. He notes that while Gravely is a relentless wrestler, Muñoz is a black belt in BJJ who wants the fight on the mat. He compares it to the Bartosz-Swabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert fight where the wrestler took down the grappler and got submitted. He thinks Gravely will get takedowns but Muñoz will capitalize on submission opportunities, especially as Gravely slows down. He also mentions Muñoz's size advantage.

Cody picks Gravely, noting his athleticism and wrestling. He thinks Muñoz's striking is poor and Gravely can win on the feet or via takedowns. He is confident but expects to sweat due to Gravely's past mistakes.

Daniel Levi picks Tony Gravely, acknowledging the submission threat from Muñoz but believing Gravely is the better fighter overall. He expects Gravely to win a decision if he avoids mistakes, but admits Muñoz has a clear path via submission. He will not bet the fight but may take small shots on Muñoz submission props.

Paul picks Gravely, citing his wrestling and striking advantage. He notes Muñoz's lack of striking and inactivity. He thinks Gravely can win via sprawl-and-brawl or wrestling, but acknowledges Gravely's tendency to make mistakes.

Angelo picks Muñoz, noting his high ownership on DraftKings (38%). He thinks Muñoz is the better fighter and expects a finish, possibly by submission in round 2 or 3. He mentions Muñoz's smooth transitions on the ground.

Big Brady is very high on Johnny Muñoz Jr., praising his slick BJJ and noting he looked good in his UFC debut despite a point deduction. He believes Muñoz is better everywhere, including striking, and that Jamey Simmons doesn't belong in the UFC. He predicts an early finish, specifically a first-round submission, as Muñoz is a black belt and Simmons is a blue belt who will likely try to grapple.

Cody picks Muñoz, arguing that his BJJ is elite and that Simmons is not UFC caliber. He notes Muñoz's improved striking and wrestling, and expects a submission win. Cody thinks the price is steep but Muñoz should win.

Daniel Levi picks Johnny Muñoz Jr., but is sketched out by the wide line. He notes that Muñoz is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and should be able to get a submission, but acknowledges that Jamey Simmons is a former wrestler who could use his wrestling in reverse to keep the fight standing. He thinks the opener was more correct and that there is a path to victory for Simmons, but ultimately leans Muñoz.

Munoz is a high-level BJJ specialist with a strong grappling background. Simmons is a wrestler who wants to take the fight to the ground, but Munoz is confident in his grappling and can reverse or submit him. If Simmons strikes, Munoz has decent power and can invite takedowns to set up submissions. Munoz should find a submission in round two.

Paul picks Muñoz, citing his BJJ black belt and multiple submission wins. He notes that Simmons has poor durability and was finished quickly by lower-level opponents. Paul expects Muñoz to get the fight to the ground and submit Simmons.

This fight was not discussed in the transcript. The host did not mention Nate Maness vs Johnny Muñoz Jr. at all.

The host picks Ray Borg, stating that Borg is a much better grappler and that Maness has not faced high-level competition. He notes that Borg is only 26 and not on the decline, and that Maness will be hesitant to throw bombs due to Borg's takedown threat. He expects Borg to grind out a decision or possibly finish later in the fight. He also mentions the line is a steal and expects it to close higher.