Makwan Amirkhani

Angelo is confident in Jack Shore, believing he will bounce back from his first loss. He thinks Shore has quality wins and evolving skills. He notes Amirkhani has been getting finished lately and his chin is questionable. He expects Shore to win via takedowns or striking.

Big Brady picks Shore confidently, noting Amirkhani has terrible cardio and is a one-round fighter. He believes Shore can survive the first round and then take over with superior striking and grappling. He predicts a third-round submission as Amirkhani gasses. He sees no path for Amirkhani unless he submits Shore in round one.

Cody picks Shore, noting Amirkhani is a one-round fighter with cardio issues. He thinks Shore can survive the first round, then take over with his high work rate and cardio. He mentions Amirkhani's submission threat in round one is real but low probability. He doesn't love minus 500 and prefers live betting or round three props.

Connor sees Jack Shore as a fundamentally sound, process-driven fighter who will find the most straightforward path to victory. He contrasts Shore's consistency and ability to adjust with Makwan Amirkhani's pattern of gassing after early aggression. Connor believes Shore's jab and pressure will neutralize Amirkhani's wild offense.

Jacob is very confident in Jack Shore, calling him one of his most confident plays on the card. He thinks Amirkhani is broken and quits if his early takedowns fail. He notes Shore defended takedowns well against Ricky Simon and should handle Amirkhani's wrestling. He has bets on Shore for premium members.

Shore is a cardio machine with a grapple-heavy approach, coming off his first loss. Amirkhani is dangerous early with his anaconda choke but fades if he doesn't get the finish. Shore's defensive grappling and pace should allow him to survive the early onslaught and take over in the second and third rounds, likely finishing inside the distance.

Paul picks Shore, citing Amirkhani's cardio issues and Shore's durability. He notes Shore moving up to 145 after a bad cut could help. He thinks if Shore survives round one, he can tire Amirkhani and win by decision or late finish. He says minus 500 is unappealing and prefers a live entry.

The MMA Guru picks Jack Shore over Makwan Amirkhani, despite the odds. He notes Amirkhani is dangerous in the first round with submissions but fades as the fight goes on. Shore has composure in grappling and a massive advantage on the feet with straight punches and a nasty knee. He predicts Shore will survive early grappling exchanges and win in later rounds, possibly by finish.

Angelo picks Jonathan Pearce, noting it's a grappler vs grappler matchup and it will come down to who shoots first. He believes Pearce will initiate the takedowns and has a high pace. He mentions Amirkhani just submitted a better wrestler in Mike Grundy, and all of Pearce's losses are grappling-based, so he suggests a live bet on Amirkhani if he gets early takedowns.

Big Brady picks Makwan Amirkhani for the upset by early submission. He likes Jonathan Pearce's style but notes Pearce often gets in bad spots on the mat. Amirkhani has dangerous submissions and good wrestling. However, Amirkhani's cardio is a concern; if he doesn't finish in round one, Pearce takes over. He suggests a live bet on Pearce if Amirkhani doesn't finish round one.

Cody picks Makwan Amirkhani, agreeing the line is fraudulent. He notes Pearce's striking defense is poor and he almost got submitted in his last fight. Cody thinks Amirkhani is dangerous early and can submit Pearce if he shoots. He also notes Amirkhani has good wrestling and could take Pearce down. Cody likes the moneyline at +170.

Daniel Levi picks Jonathan Pearce, emphasizing his high pace and ability to put up large strike and takedown numbers. He acknowledges that Amirkhani is dangerous in the first round with his wrestling and submissions, but notes that Amirkhani gasses out due to health issues. Levi believes if Pearce can survive the first round, his pace will be too much in the later rounds.

Pearce has the striking advantage, overall MMA advantage, and cardio advantage. Amirkhani's only threat is the anaconda choke. Pearce's team will have him prepared. Pearce can finish later or win a decision. I might pull the trigger at -200.

Paul picks Makwan Amirkhani at +170, calling it a dogger pass. He thinks the line is off and the fight is closer to 50-50. Paul notes Pearce's cardio looked poor in his last fight and that Amirkhani is dangerous on the ground. He believes if Pearce takes Amirkhani down, he'll be in trouble. Paul also likes Amirkhani by submission at +350.

Angelo picks Mike Grundy, believing he will be more disciplined in sticking to wrestling. He notes that Grundy's striking is poor, but if he dives for takedowns, he can win. He thinks Amirkhani is a better striker but may get taken down when he tries to strike. He expects Grundy to take damage on the way in but ultimately win.

Big Brady picks Mike Grundy to win by decision, but expresses low confidence. He notes both fighters have bad cardio, but Grundy has slightly better gas tank (7-10 minutes vs 5). He favors Grundy's striking and believes Grundy can dictate where the fight takes place. Brady says it's a tricky fight and he wants nothing to do with it.

Cody picks Grundy, citing his better striking and Amirkhani's poor cardio. He thinks Grundy's wrestling will neutralize Amirkhani's takedowns, and that Grundy's power will be the difference in a striking battle. He is cautious due to Grundy's own cardio issues.

Daniel Levi picks Mike Grundy confidently, citing Makwan Amirkhani's decline in confidence and cardio, as well as a recent brutal knockout. He believes Grundy's wrestling and durability will overwhelm Amirkhani, who has one round of gas and has been figured out. Levi expects Grundy to win by knockout or submission, noting that Amirkhani is vulnerable after his last KO. He also mentions Grundy's power and submission threats.

Grundy has a more reliable gas tank and power striking, while Amirkhani tends to fold when things go wrong. Grundy attempted 20 takedowns in his last fight, showing relentless pressure. Amirkhani may struggle to get Grundy to the ground, and on the feet, Grundy has the advantage. I lean Grundy, but the line is getting out of whack near -200. I'll sprinkle on Grundy by KO at +750 and Grundy in round 3 at +1400.

Paul picks Grundy, arguing that Amirkhani's only good round is the first if he gets takedowns, but Grundy's wrestling is good enough to stop that. He thinks both will tire, but Grundy has better striking and power. He notes Amirkhani is likely fighting for his job.

Big Brady picks Lerone Murphy to win by decision. He explains that Amirkhani is dangerous early with submissions but has poor cardio and gasses after the first round. Murphy is well-rounded with good striking and solid ground game. If Murphy survives the first round, he will take over and win a decision, likely dropping the first round. He suggests live betting Murphy if he survives early.

Cody agrees Murphy wins but suggests betting live because Amirkhani usually doesn't get blown out early. He notes Amirkhani has takedowns in his last 9 fights but fades as fight goes on. Murphy's cardio and ring IQ should take over in later rounds. He prefers to wait for a better price live.

Daniel picks Lerone Murphy, citing his heart and improvement. He notes Amirkhani fades badly after the first round due to health issues. Daniel believes if Murphy survives the early takedowns, he will pick Amirkhani apart. He highlights Murphy's ability to scramble back to his feet. Daniel predicts a third-round knockout.

Murphy will keep the fight standing and punish Amirkhani with leg kicks and power. Amirkhani needs takedowns but Murphy's takedown defense and striking should prevail. Murphy's power will be too much as the fight goes on, likely finishing in the third round.

Paul picks Murphy by decision at +165, noting Amirkhani's durability and wrestling. He thinks Murphy's striking and underrated wrestling will be too much, and Amirkhani will struggle to get takedowns. He expects Murphy to pick him apart on the feet and win a decision.

Big Brady thinks the line is too wide but favors Amirkhani as the better fighter in every area, especially grappling. He notes Kirk is on short notice and gassed in his last fight after a good first round. He believes Amirkhani will get takedowns and win a decision, though he doesn't expect a submission. He considers the skill sets similar but Amirkhani more skilled by a decent margin.

Cody picks Kirk, agreeing with Paul. He notes Amirkhani's striking deficiencies and that Kirk is a better striker. Cody thinks Kirk's grappling is good enough to avoid submissions. He sees value in the dog and suggests live betting after the first round.

Daniel picks Kirk as a plus-220 underdog, believing Kirk can stuff takedowns and win the boxing exchanges. He notes that Kirk trains at Fight Ready with Henry Cejudo and has improved since his Contender Series loss. Daniel acknowledges Amirkhani's experience and takedown game, but points out that Amirkhani has been dropped multiple times and has questionable cardio. He thinks Kirk's striking is better and if he can avoid gassing, he can win a decision or even get a finish. Daniel is going out on a limb but likes the dog.

Kirk has a striking advantage and a BJJ black belt to defend submissions. Amirkhani fades after the first round and has poor striking. Kirk will survive the early grappling and win rounds two and three on the feet.

Paul picks Kirk as a dog, citing his striking advantage and takedown defense. He notes Amirkhani's low volume and reliance on early submissions. Paul thinks Kirk can survive the first round and then outpoint Amirkhani. He sees value at +205.

Big Brady picks Barboza as part of a parlay with Tagir Ulanbekov. He believes Barboza has a great stylistic matchup, with 75% takedown defense against elite wrestlers, and that Amirkhani lacks the wrestling to keep him down. He expects Barboza to survive the early storm, stuff takedowns, and land a knockout as Amirkhani slows down. He notes Barboza is a BJJ black belt himself.

Daniel argues that Edson Barboza is not washed up like Tyron Woodley; he is still competitive with top-15 fighters and wins rounds. He believes Makwan Amirkhani is not on Barboza's level and that Amirkhani will struggle to get takedowns due to Barboza's improved takedown defense. Daniel also notes that Amirkhani has poor cardio and tends to fold when hit hard, while Barboza has the striking advantage and can finish the fight.

Barboza has a significant striking advantage and solid takedown defense. Amirkhani is a first-round threat but fades quickly; Barboza's body work and kicks will drain him. Expect a third-round TKO after Amirkhani's initial blitz fails.

Big Brady picks Makwan Amirkhani by submission in the first round, citing his excellent wrestling and BJJ. He notes Amirkhani's gas tank is poor, so he needs an early finish, and he expects him to take Henry down and submit him early.

Daniel Levi picks Makwan Amirkhani, expecting him to grind out a win via takedowns and top control. He notes Amirkhani has landed a takedown in every UFC fight except his flying knee KO, and believes he can take down Danny Henry. He acknowledges Henry's length and comeback potential but favors Amirkhani's wrestling and submission threat.

Amirkhani has a massive grappling advantage and should be able to take Henry down and submit him. Henry is not as talented as Burgos, who finished Amirkhani, and Amirkhani's cardio issues shouldn't come into play if he gets the finish early. Picks Amirkhani by submission in the second round.