Andreas Michailidis

Angelo notes that Andreas Michailidis is a decent striker with power but leaves openings, while Rinat Fakhretdinov is a wrestler with heavy hands making his UFC debut. He acknowledges Fakhretdinov's poor wrestling technique but says it works in fights. He worries about the -321 odds for a debutant but still picks Fakhretdinov to get the takedown and pound away.

Big Brady picks Rinat Fakhretdinov to win by late finish, specifically a third-round submission or ground-and-pound. He notes that Fakhretdinov is a solid grappler with good cardio and ground game, while Michailidis is talented but has terrible cardio and tends to fade after the first round. He expects Fakhretdinov to take the fight to the mat and wear Michailidis down, eventually finishing him. He is not betting this fight due to the -260 price but likes the pick.

Cody is uncertain but leans toward Michailidis, noting Fakhretdinov's questionable competition and Michailidis' size at 170. He thinks the line is too wide and may take the dog, but is not confident.

Daniel Levi picks Rinat Fakhretdinov, noting Michailidis's history of being finished and his cardio issues. He believes Fakhretdinov has the power and pressure to get the job done, especially with his training at American Top Team. He recommends the inside distance prop at -110 as a better bet than the moneyline.

Paul picks Michailidis as an underdog, arguing that Fakhretdinov's record is padded with cans and he lacks wrestling. He notes Michailidis' size advantage at 170 and thinks the price is too wide. He is not highly confident but sees value.

Angelo picks Alex Pereira, citing his high-level kickboxing, power, and takedown defense vouched for by Dan. He notes that Pereira has been training with Glover Teixeira and that Dan felt his takedown defense firsthand. He believes Michailidis's looping strikes will leave openings for Pereira to exploit. He expects Pereira to win via knockout or decision.

Big Brady picks Alex Pereira to win by first-round knockout. He notes Pereira's phenomenal striking and power, while Michailidis has been knocked out four times and has poor cardio. Brady acknowledges Michailidis could win by submission if he gets Pereira down, but believes Pereira's takedown defense is suspect but will likely knock Michailidis out early. He will not lay the juice on Pereira due to the submission risk.

Cody picks Pereira, emphasizing his high-level kickboxing and power. He notes Michailidis's lack of wrestling and tendency to stand, which is dangerous against Pereira. He warns about Pereira's inexperience in MMA but believes the UFC set this up for a highlight-reel KO.

Daniel Levi picks Alex Pereira as one of the locks of the card, expecting a vicious first-round knockout. He highlights Pereira's elite kickboxing credentials, including two wins over Israel Adesanya, and his devastating left hook. Levi notes that Michailidis is aggressive early but fades, and that Pereira has been training with Glover Teixeira for years to patch his grappling holes. He believes Michailidis will try to take Pereira down but will get knocked out if he stands.

Jacob agrees with Angelo, picking Alex Pereira. He mentions Pereira's knockout of Israel Adesanya in kickboxing and notes that Michailidis did not look impressive against KB Buller. He believes Pereira's striking will be too much, though he warns that Pereira might get overconfident with his hands down. He expects Pereira to dominate.

The host is confident Pereira wins by first-round knockout, citing his power, reach advantage, and counter-striking. He expects Michailidis to walk into a knockout. He bet Pereira inside the distance at +110.

Paul expects Pereira to win by KO, noting Michailidis's tendency to stand and trade, which plays into Pereira's strengths. He mentions Pereira's kickboxing pedigree and power, and doubts Michailidis's wrestling ability. He sees this as a showcase fight for Pereira.

Big Brady picks Andreas Michailidis to win by first-round knockout. He notes that Michailidis is a dangerous finisher with 91% of wins by finish, while Bhullar looked terrible in his UFC debut with poor striking defense. Brady likes the under 2.5 rounds as a bet, expecting violence in the small cage. He mentions Bhullar's unknown factor but believes Michailidis's experience and finishing ability will prevail.

Cody picks Michailidis, noting that he looked okay in his debut despite a controversial stoppage. He points out that Bhullar is a thinking man who took a five-year layoff after seeing a teammate get hurt, and that he was starched by a jab from Tom Breese. He thinks Michailidis has better striking and grappling, and that Bhullar lacks the power to put him away. He expects Michailidis to chew him up from the outside. However, he dislikes the -230 price and notes that Michailidis is moving down from 205, so he advises watching the weigh-ins.

Daniel Levi picks Andreas Michailidis to win, citing his size, technique, and the fact that KB Bhullar is not UFC caliber. He acknowledges Michailidis's front-running style and tendency to fade, but believes Bhullar is an opponent he can style on. Levi also notes that Bhullar's only win was against a low-level opponent.

The host picks Michailidis, citing his aggressive style and better level of competition. He notes that Bhullar's only UFC fight was a loss to Tom Breese, and that Michailidis has shown ability to close distance and land shots. He expects Michailidis to break Bhullar and finish him in the second round.

Paul agrees with Cody, noting that Bhullar's layoff and lack of high-level competition are concerns. He mentions that Bhullar got knocked out by a jab in his UFC debut. He thinks Michailidis has a grappling background and has improved his striking. He expects Michailidis to win but does not love the price. He also notes that Michailidis is dropping from 205 to 185, which could be a factor.

Big Brady picks Modestas Bukauskas but is not confident. He notes Michailidis is coming up a weight class on short notice, which is a big disadvantage. He thinks Michailidis is the more talented fighter and dangerous early, but his cardio is poor. He predicts Bukauskas will weather the storm and finish in the third round.

Daniel Levi picks Modestas Bukauskas, noting his karate style and ability to pop back up from takedowns. He believes Andreas Michailidis goes super hard in the first round but fades, and that Bukauskas will come back to knock him out in the second or third round.