Omar Morales

Angelo likes Chris Duncan because of his toughness and ability to recover from being dropped. He thinks Omar Morales' chin is effectively gone after back-to-back stoppage losses. He placed a half-unit bet on Duncan at -108 and expected the line to move. He believes Duncan will take damage but get the win.

Big Brady picks Chris Duncan as a slight underdog, citing his youth (29 vs 37), power, and toughness despite terrible striking defense. He notes Morales has not shown finishing ability at UFC level and is getting older. He predicts a second-round knockout, but admits he could care less about this fight and finds it hard to call.

Cody picks Morales, despite his low volume and recent KO loss. He notes Duncan is a brawler who gets hit a lot and has poor defense. He thinks Morales has power and can land a big shot, especially with his training at Kill Cliff. He says Morales needs to show aggression and pounce if he hurts Duncan. He admits it's a risky pick but sees value.

Connor picks Morales but with alarm bells, noting that Morales has mentally deteriorated after three hard losses and a failed weight cut. He believes the matchup is winnable because Duncan is a brawler who will trade at Morales's preferred range. However, he worries that Morales may break if frustrated, as seen in his last fight where he brawled wildly.

Jacob picks Omar Morales, citing experience and technical striking. He thinks Chris Duncan is slower than Uros Medic and not as relentless a wrestler as Jonathan Pearce, who beat Morales. He believes Morales can touch up Duncan on the feet and that Duncan will default to wrestling, where Morales is no joke on the ground.

Morales is a disciplined striker with good distance management and kicks, while Duncan is a brawler who leaves himself open to counters. Morales should use his technical advantage to pick Duncan apart from range, likely winning a decision. If Duncan gets reckless, Morales could even get a knockout.

Paul picks Morales, echoing that Duncan is not UFC caliber. He notes Morales used to be durable but questions his chin after the KO. He thinks Morales has a better camp and can win, but if it goes to decision, the UK crowd might favor Duncan. He says it's a pick'em price and expects fireworks.

The MMA Guru picks Chris Duncan over Omar Morales, citing Duncan's youth and toughness. He notes Duncan had a rough weight cut before his contender series loss but has since recovered. Morales is 37 and coming off a KO loss, and his competition outside the UFC is not impressive. He predicts a fun scrap with Duncan winning a 29-28 decision, having more in the tank.

Angelo picks Omar Morales because he believes Morales's strength and ability to mix in grappling will be the difference. He notes that Uroš Medić is a kill-or-be-killed first-round striker who has shown poor grappling defense. Morales needs to survive the first round and work takedowns to avoid danger. Angelo expects a decision win for Morales.

Big Brady picks Omar Morales to win by second-round submission, but expresses low confidence due to Morales' poor fight IQ. He notes Morales has a BJJ black belt and should take the fight to the mat to exploit Medić's weak ground game and cardio. However, he worries Morales might stand and trade, which would give Medić a knockout chance. He says he cannot trust Morales at -160.

Cody picks Morales, citing his durability, experience, and return to lightweight where he performed best. He notes Medić's tendency to fade after the first round and lack of deep fight experience. He expects Morales to weather an early storm and take over as Medić tires, possibly winning by decision or late finish.

The host does not make a clear pick for this fight. He mentions it as a potential live bet spot (Medic after round one) and includes it in a totals parlay (under 2.5 rounds), but does not state a winner.

Paul agrees with Cody, saying Morales' durability and return to lightweight should be key. He notes Medić's early explosiveness but thinks Morales can survive and take over. He is confident in Morales.

Angelo picks Omar Morales, citing his strong kickboxing, solid takedown defense, and forward pressure. He notes that Morales' only loss is to Giga Chikadze, which looks better after Giga's recent win. Angelo believes Morales' striking and ability to control the cage will be key, and he expects a stoppage win.

Big Brady picks Omar Morales to win by first-round knockout. He notes that Jonathan Pierce is very hittable and relies on his chin, while Morales has good takedown defense and is a black belt in BJJ. He believes Morales can take advantage of Pierce's sloppy striking and potentially finish him early, though he acknowledges Pierce's cardio could be a factor if the fight goes longer.

Cody picks Pearce as an underdog, citing his volume, pace, cardio, and wrestling. He notes Morales' low output and questions his power at UFC level. He worries about Morales' calf kicks but believes Pearce's pressure will overwhelm Morales over three rounds.

Daniel Levi picks Omar Morales because he believes Morales can slow the pace and fight at his own methodical rhythm. He notes that Jonathan Pearce absorbs too many strikes (upwards of seven per minute) and that Morales has a solid wrestling base and is in his prime at 35. Levi also mentions that Morales addressed medical issues that held him back previously, and expects a finish or decision win.

Jacob picks Jonathan Pearce, citing his wrestling, pace, and a quote from Pearce: 'I've never seen a striker out wrestle a wrestler.' Jacob believes Pearce will get takedowns and wear down Omar Morales. He also notes that Pearce has already beaten Morales once before.

The host believes Omar Morales will win via decision. He thinks Morales has a much more hard-nosed striking style that will march down Jonathan Pierce. He expects Pierce to struggle to close the distance and land takedowns due to the heavy onslaught from Morales. He notes that Pierce's grappling success is necessary for him to win, but he doubts Pierce can break Morales.

Paul does not have a clear pick. He is staying away from this fight, noting he has been burned by Pearce before (the Joe Lauzon loss). He respects others who like Morales but has no edge.

Big Brady picks Omar Morales to win by second-round knockout, likely via head kick. He notes Morales' power and body kicks, and that Young is very hittable with poor striking defense (56% striking defense, absorbs 5.15 strikes per minute). He references Young's last fight where he was hurt by a head kick. He believes Morales is levels above Young technically and will put him away.

Cody leans towards Young as an underdog, noting that Morales is 35 and may have peaked. He thinks Young's volume and pace could be key, and that Morales was hesitant in his last fight. He is tentatively picking Young for the parlay, but is not fully confident.

The host is confident in Omar Morales to win by second-round KO. He notes Morales' power, pressure, and durability, and believes Shane Young will struggle with Morales' ferocity and size. He compares Young's losses to fighters who pressured him, like Volkanovski and Ludovit Klein, and expects Morales to do the same. He calls Morales his 'strongest lean' on the card and thinks he will overwhelm Young with strikes and possibly a takedown.

Big Brady picks Morales, noting he is not impressed with Chikadze's low volume (3.3 strikes per minute) and cardio issues. He believes Morales will press forward, land harder shots, and has a BJJ black belt advantage if the fight goes to the ground. He expects Morales to win a decision, especially winning the third round.

Daniel slightly edges Omar Morales, citing his toughness, strong fundamentals, and better cardio. He notes that Giga Chikadze tends to fade in the third round, while Morales gets better as the fight progresses. Daniel also thinks Morales might mix in takedowns if needed. He acknowledges Chikadze's dynamic kicking but believes Morales' pressure and durability will carry him.

Morales has higher output and fight IQ, and his leg kicks will be effective against Chikadze's wide karate stance. Chikadze is a skilled kickboxer but may be outworked. Morales' first cut to 145 is a concern, but he should win a decision.

Big Brady picks Omar Morales due to Benítez moving up in weight, making Morales the much bigger fighter. He believes Morales can take Benítez down at will and win a comfortable decision, possibly by knockout. He notes Benítez has been knocked out before and that Morales is very green but should dominate due to the size difference.

Daniel Levi picks Omar Morales, predicting a knockout via right high kick or counter. He criticizes Benítez's predictable offense (straight left, left kick) and suspect chin, noting that Morales is a former kickboxer with cleaner technique and power. He believes Morales will move to 2-0 in the UFC.