Parker Porter

Angelo admits bias as Parker Porter is a personal friend, but argues that even without bias, Porter has a clear path to victory through wrestling. He notes that Tafa has poor takedown defense and was taken down easily in his debut. Porter has solid takedowns and cardio, and if he avoids a firefight, he can control the fight.

Big Brady highlights Junior Tafa's serious power and good striking, but notes his poor takedown defense. He thinks Parker Porter will need to wrestle to win, but doubts Porter's ability to control the fight or finish on the ground. He expects the fight to stay at range where Tafa's power will be decisive, predicting a first-round knockout similar to his brother Justin's win over Porter.

Cody picks Porter as a plus money underdog, citing his wrestling and cardio advantage. He notes that Tafa struggled with takedown defense in his debut and Porter can lean on him. Cody is not highly confident due to heavyweight volatility but likes the value.

Daniel picks Junior Tafa, noting that he is a much better striker with fast hands and power. He believes Porter's only path is grappling, but Tafa showed good takedown defense early in his last fight. He mentions that Porter is being fed to Tafa as a winnable fight. He is confident Tafa wins if the fight stays standing, and expects a knockout.

James is confident Junior Tafa wins, citing his speed, technique, and youth advantage (26 vs 38). He doubts Porter's wrestling ability to get Tafa down and believes Tafa will land a knockout on the feet. He notes Tafa carries power late and could finish in round three even after being taken down earlier. He bet on Tafa.

The host is critical of Junior Tafa's inexperience (5 pro fights) and believes he is only in the UFC because of his brother. He notes Tafa gassed in his debut and has limited grappling. Porter has 22 fights, dropped weight, and looked better in his last win. The host expects Porter to grind out a decision, possibly with a submission, and prefers the underdog due to the experience gap.

Paul also picks Porter, noting his wrestling and experience. He mentions that Tafa's brother knocked Porter out, but Junior is a different style. Paul thinks Porter can grind out a win if he avoids getting clipped early.

Angelo picks his personal friend Parker Porter, but notes the betting line supports it as Porter is a -180 favorite. He believes Porter is better in every aspect except raw power, with superior technique, footwork, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, and cardio. Angelo wants Porter to chop down Braxton Smith's legs with kicks to neutralize his power, similar to a recent heavyweight fight. He is confident Porter will win but acknowledges bias.

Big Brady picks Smith but with very low confidence, calling it a 50/50 fight. He notes Smith has massive power and has knocked out all his recent opponents quickly, but Porter has fought better competition and has cardio and grappling advantages. He believes if Porter doesn't take Smith down early, Smith will knock him out. He predicts a first-round knockout for Smith.

Cody sees Porter as the clear pick due to his experience, grappling advantage, and cardio. He notes Smith is a one-dimensional brawler with no wrestling or cardio, and all his wins are early KOs. If Porter survives the first few minutes, he can take Smith down and dominate. He expects Porter to win inside the distance.

Connor picks Porter, noting his good conditioning and boxing, and that Smith lost his pro debut to Chase Sherman. He thinks if Smith doesn't KO Porter early, Porter can outwork him. However, he acknowledges Smith has a real chance to KO Porter.

The host picks Braxton Smith by first round knockout. He believes Smith's explosive power will be too much for Parker Porter, who has shown durability issues. He notes Smith's gas tank is a concern but expects an early finish. He recommends the under 1.5 rounds prop as a good bet.

Paul agrees, noting Smith's only path is an early KO, but Porter has been knocked out early before. However, he thinks Porter's grappling and experience should prevail. He calls it a 'scraping the bottom of the barrel' heavyweight fight but picks Porter.

The Guru picks Smith as an underdog, citing his KO power and athleticism. He notes Porter is a 'fat old man' who was just knocked out by Justin Tafa. He acknowledges Smith's record may have inaccuracies but believes his explosiveness and kickboxing will overwhelm Porter.

Angelo picks Parker Porter, defending him against criticism and highlighting his volume striking and footwork. He notes that Justin Tafa has power and a chin but lacks footwork and grappling. He expects Porter to use movement and volume to outpoint Tafa, though he acknowledges the risk of a Tafa knockout. He has a half-unit bet on Porter at +125 and suggests betting on Tafa by KO and Porter by decision as props.

Big Brady calls this a mess of a fight but picks Porter as the minute winner with higher volume and grappling upside. He notes Tafa has power and could knock Porter out, but thinks Porter's cardio and wrestling give him the edge. He predicts a decision win for Porter.

Cody picks Porter as a dog, citing Tafa's one-dimensional kickboxing and poor performances against Jared Vanderaa. He notes Porter has multiple paths: wrestling takedowns and top control, or volume striking. He mentions Porter's wins over Josh Parisian and Chase Sherman show he can land heavy volume. He thinks Porter by decision is a good prop at +350.

Connor picks Tafa hesitantly, citing his power and athletic potential. He notes that Porter is durable but gets hurt badly in every fight, and Tafa has the power to finish. Connor acknowledges that Porter's pace and volume could overwhelm Tafa if he doesn't land early, but he's willing to take a flyer on Tafa's explosiveness. He also mentions that Tafa has shown flashes of improvement.

Porter has good footwork, combinations, and a sneaky wrestling game. Tafa has huge power but poor footwork and can be outpointed, as seen against Vandera. Porter can mix in takedowns to control Tafa on the ground. Tafa's takedown defense is untested (only faced two takedown attempts). Porter's durability and cardio should allow him to outwork Tafa over 15 minutes. However, Tafa's power is a constant threat.

Paul leans toward Porter but is not fully committed. He sees the fight as a low-level heavyweight bout likely going to decision, and considers Porter by decision at +350. He notes Tafa's lack of volume and Porter's ability to outwork him. He may dabble on the decision prop.

The MMA Guru picks Justin Tafa over Parker Porter, noting Tafa's power and youth. He believes Tafa will catch Porter in a scrappy fight and finish him by KO at the end of round one. He dismisses Porter's wins as unimpressive and notes his age and damage taken.

Angelo picks Parker Porter despite being biased as a friend. He believes Porter's pace, striking volume, and takedown defense will be key. He notes that Almeida is moving up from light heavyweight and has never gone to the third round, while Porter has cardio and heavy hips that make him hard to take down. He expects Porter to stuff takedowns and win a decision.

Big Brady picks Jailton Almeida to win by first-round TKO, expecting him to take down Parker Porter and finish quickly. He notes Almeida is a beast on the mat with vicious ground-and-pound, but admits there is no footage of his striking. He worries about Almeida's cardio if the fight extends, but believes Almeida will get the job done early. He says it's a sketchy fight and he is not betting it.

Cody likes Almeida's potential but sees red flags: moving up to heavyweight, facing a much larger opponent, and his cardio against a bigger guy. He notes Almeida's impressive finishes but thinks the price is too high. He considers using Almeida in parlays and mentions live betting opportunities if Almeida doesn't finish early.

The host discusses the fight but does not make a clear pick. He notes the size difference (41 pounds) and suggests Almeida should use his speed and athleticism to get a knockout rather than grinding for takedowns. He is not betting on Almeida due to the chalk, but he thinks Almeida will likely win. He also mentions that Porter could potentially get a DQ win or upset.

Paul thinks Almeida is the truth but is priced out. He notes Almeida's size and skills but worries about the weight class change and Porter's volume. He says he'll watch weigh-ins and might consider Porter by decision at +1400 as a small play.

Angelo picks Parker Porter confidently, though admits bias as a friend. He highlights Porter's footwork, power, underrated wrestling, and ridiculous volume. He notes Baudot is a competent striker with power but has poor ground game and has never seen a decision. Angelo expects Porter to dominate with wrestling and volume.

Big Brady picks Parker Porter, calling Baudot one of the worst heavyweights. He notes Porter has better cardio and ground game, while Baudot has been finished in all losses and tends to quit. He predicts Porter wins by second or third round knockout.

Cody is very confident in Porter, calling him a potential best pick of the week. He highlights Porter's excellent cardio, high volume striking (149 significant strikes in his last fight), and takedown ability. Cody notes that Baudot has no redeeming qualities: poor grappling, no power, and a weak chin. He believes Porter can win wherever the fight goes, either by out-striking or taking Baudot down and smashing him.

Levi picks Porter, noting that Baudot has a history of quitting (took a knee against Nascimento) and that Porter has heart and toughness. He expects Porter to survive an early storm and take over after the first round. Levi has faded Baudot in both his UFC fights and believes Porter's veteran experience and durability will be key.

Porter has a clear path to victory: weather Baudot's early storm, then take him down and submit him. Baudot has terrible grappling and gasses in the second round. Porter's submission game is underrated, and Baudot has been submitted by lower-level grapplers. Porter by submission at +700 is the best prop on the card. The fight doesn't go to decision at -200 is also a strong play.

Paul picks Porter, expressing surprise that the line is only -250 given Baudot's poor performances. He notes that Baudot has been dominated in his UFC fights and lacks power or grappling. Paul thinks Porter's cardio and pace will be too much for Baudot, and that Porter should win comfortably.

Big Brady picks Chase Sherman confidently, citing his better competition, toughness, and power. He notes Porter is very hittable and has been finished in all his losses. Sherman has a 93% finish rate, all by knockout. He predicts a second-round knockout.

Cody picks Sherman, citing his athleticism, leg kicks, and volume. He notes Sherman's improved game since his first UFC stint and believes he has a clear advantage. He mentions Sherman's back issues and past PED suspension but still favors him.

Porter has good durability, leg kicks, and clinch work. Sherman's volume drops in later rounds, while Porter maintains his pace. If Porter survives the first round, he can take over. I'm picking Porter by decision, but I'm hesitant as some respected people are on Sherman.

Paul leans toward Porter as a live underdog, highlighting his durability, leg kicks, and pressure. He questions Sherman's cardio and mental toughness, noting Sherman looked defeated against Arlovski. He sees Porter's ability to push pace and land leg kicks as key, but worries about Porter's weight cut and shape.

Big Brady thinks Chris Daukaus is the more skilled striker and hits harder. He criticizes Parker Porter's lack of fight shape and believes Daukaus will knock him out in the first round. He notes both have been knocked out before but favors Daukaus' power.

Daniel Levi picks Parker Porter. He notes that Chris Daukaus is not as talented as his brother Kyle, and that Porter is the bigger, more physical fighter. He expects Porter to use his size and power to get takedowns and control the fight. He also mentions that Daukaus has been knocked out before and that Porter's game plan is straightforward.