Tallison Teixeira

AJ calls Pavlovich a lock, citing his terrifying boxing, knockout power, and defensive grappling. He thinks Teixeira is not ready, noting his poor defense and panic grappling. AJ predicts a first-round KO, as Pavlovich has the reach and power to put Teixeira away early.

AJ is confident Pavlovich will win, calling Teixeira not very good and noting his competitive fight with Tai Tuivasa and loss to old Derrick Lewis. He highlights Pavlovich's destruction of Tuivasa and win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta. AJ thinks Pavlovich will knock him out, possibly in round one, but also acknowledges Pavlovich can be patient and go to decision. He calls it a tune-up fight for Pavlovich.

AJ picks Sergei Pavlovich confidently, expecting a knockout despite Pavlovich's recent patient approach. He notes Pavlovich's punching power and underrated wrestling, while Teixeira is hittable and takes risks. AJ thinks Pavlovich will eventually land a big shot, possibly after the over 1.5 rounds mark, but is confident in a KO win.

Angelo picks Sergei Pavlovich, citing his speed, power, and experience. He notes that Teixeira struggled against higher competition and doesn't have a good jab like Volkov, who gave Pavlovich trouble. He believes Pavlovich is better everywhere and should find a knockout, though he acknowledges the odds are too rich to bet.

Angelo confidently picks Sergei Pavlovich by KO, calling Teixeira a 'bum' who only wins because he's big. He notes Pavlovich's power and speed against a lower-level opponent, predicting a quick knockout similar to Derrick Lewis's finish.

Angelo picks Sergei Pavlovich because he is too fast, too powerful, and too dangerous. He notes that Pavlovich's only losses are to elite fighters and that Tallison Teixeira has poor striking defense. He expects a knockout.

Big Brady is very confident in Pavlovich, calling Teixeira a fraud for failing to submit Tai Tuivasa and gassing out. He believes Pavlovich's power and size will be too much, and Teixeira is defensively irresponsible with tall man's defense. He predicts a first-round knockout, noting Pavlovich has gone to decision in his last three but Teixeira is less durable than Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Cody sees this as a setup match for Pavlovich to get a highlight-reel knockout. He notes Pavlovich's wrestling background and power, and that Teixeira has been knocked out before (Derrick Lewis). Cody believes Pavlovich will pressure, land overhands, and finish early, putting him back in title contention. He acknowledges the risk of a heavyweight fight but is confident in a vintage performance.

Levi is extremely confident in Pavlovich, calling the fight a mismatch. He criticizes Teixeira's poor defense, citing his chin-up, hands-down style exposed against Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa. Levi expects Pavlovich to knock Teixeira out easily.

Jacob picks Sergei Pavlovich because Tallison Teixeira is not very good and has terrible striking defense. He notes that Pavlovich is the better striker and that Teixeira's win over Tai Tuivasa was unimpressive. He acknowledges the price is thick but believes Pavlovich should win.

Lucrative James is very confident in Pavlovich, calling him a 'home run' in this fight. He criticizes Teixeira's poor defense, cardio issues, and lack of high-level competition, noting that Teixeira struggled against a washed Derrick Lewis and a past-prime Tai Tuivasa. He highlights Pavlovich's power, improved wrestling, and smart fight IQ, referencing his camp with a Russian national boxing team member to prepare for Teixeira's height. He predicts a knockout, believing Pavlovich will land clean and finish early.

The host picks Pavlovich, citing his speed, power, and tougher strength of schedule. He believes Pavlovich will stop Teixeira's grappling and find his chin quickly, leading to a knockout. He notes Teixeira's chin is a question mark after being knocked out by Derrick Lewis.

The host picks Sergei Pavlovich, citing his knockout power and speed. He notes Pavlovich has taken a more disciplined approach but is much more explosive and powerful than Teixeira, predicting a first-round knockout.

Paul agrees with Cody, calling it a setup match. He notes Pavlovich's first-round finishes in his first seven UFC fights and that his recent decision losses were against tall fighters (Volkov) but Teixeira is not at that level. Paul expects Pavlovich to pressure and land big shots, finishing Teixeira early.

The MMA Guru picks Sergei Pavlovich to win. He believes Pavlovich will make a comeback and knock out Teixeira. He notes that Pavlovich has experience at a high level and despite recent tentative performances, he should be able to land his punches. He also mentions that Teixeira has been fast-tracked and his wrestling isn't a threat to Pavlovich.

The Guru picks Pavlovich at a very high clip. He notes Pavlovich has fight-ending power, good boxing combinations, and a surprising reach advantage over the 6'7 Teixeira. Teixeira is athletic and has power but is outmatched everywhere. The only path for Teixeira is an errant knockout shot.

Angelo picks Tallison Teixeira but is hesitant due to Tai Tuivasa's weight and layoff concerns. He notes Tai's takedown defense is non-existent and he's on a 5-fight losing skid, while Teixeira is massive and athletic. However, he says if Tai looks good at weigh-ins, he would flip the pick. He emphasizes waiting for weigh-ins.

Big Brady picks Tallison Teixeira by first-round knockout, citing Tai Tuivasa's 0-5 skid and lack of activity (1.5 years out). He notes Teixeira is much bigger and longer with power, and Tuivasa may not be taking his career seriously. Brady expects the fight to end in round one with someone getting served brutally.

Cody is leaning toward Tuivasa as a value play, despite his five-fight losing streak and long layoff. He notes that Teixeira has never been out of the first round and was nearly finished by Derrick Lewis. He believes Tuivasa has the power to knock out anyone and that Teixeira's chin is untested. However, he admits it's a risky pick and not one he's confident in.

Connor picks Tuivasa because he believes Teixeira is raw and not ready for this step up, and that Tuivasa's experience and toughness could carry him. He notes that Tuivasa has fought elite heavyweights and can survive early exchanges, while Teixeira has never been past the first round. However, he acknowledges that Tuivasa has not improved and could still lose.

Daniel Vreeland leans toward Teixeira due to Tuivasa's poor form and weight issues, but he is not confident because Teixeira is unproven and has shown defensive flaws. He notes that Tuivasa is on a five-fight losing streak and may be out of shape, but he is still dangerous. Vreeland calls it a 'lean' and says the minus 300 price is not a great value.

James picks Teixeira to win by KO, noting Tuivasa's five-fight losing streak and lack of focus on MMA. He believes Teixeira is a better striker with more weapons, though he has defensive flaws. James thinks Teixeira will finish Tuivasa early, possibly in round one, but acknowledges Tuivasa's puncher's chance.

Teixeira is a 6'7 BJJ black belt with knockout power, but he can also grapple. Tuivasa is on a five-fight losing streak and seems half-invested in fighting. Teixeira should look to take the fight to the ground where Tuivasa is susceptible to submissions. The host likes Teixeira by submission at +700, noting Tuivasa's vulnerability to submissions. Teixeira's size and physicality will be too much for the fading Tuivasa.

Paul is siding with Teixeira despite not loving the -370 price. He questions Tuivasa's commitment and conditioning after a long layoff and weight gain. He notes that Teixeira is a big heavyweight with power and that Tuivasa has been quitting in recent fights. He expects a first-round knockout either way but prefers the favorite.

The Guru picks Tai Tuivasa despite being an underdog, citing his power, calf kicks, and experience. He believes Tuivasa can drop Teixeira and finish him in the first round, comparing it to a Stephan Struve performance. He acknowledges Teixeira's elbows but thinks Tuivasa's low kicks will be key.

Angelo picks Tallison Teixeira based on size and skill, but is very hesitant due to Teixeira's lack of experience (8 fights) and first main event. He thinks Teixeira is faster and can beat Lewis to the punch, but acknowledges Lewis has one-punch power and could freeze Teixeira. He will not bet on the fight.

Big Brady acknowledges Derrick Lewis's power but thinks Tallison Teixeira is much more skilled and durable at this stage. He notes Teixeira is a BJJ black belt with great volume and power, and Lewis is hittable and has been finished often. He expects Teixeira to finish Lewis early, picking a first-round knockout.

Connor picks Teixeira based on the 'vibe' that he is a young, athletic heavyweight with basic boxing fundamentals and a powerful frame. He acknowledges that Teixeira is untested, with no fight lasting more than three minutes, and that heavyweight prospects often flame out. He compares the matchup to a coin flip, noting that Derrick Lewis can still beat anyone he doesn't respect, but Teixeira's size and aggression give him a good chance to put Lewis away early.

The host sees this as a close fight but likes the value on Lewis at +220. He believes Lewis will be the first to crack back with power against Teixeira, who hasn't faced such resistance. He expects Lewis to clip Teixeira's chin and knock him out. The pick is based on Lewis's power and the odds being favorable.

The MMA Guru picks Derrick Lewis as an underdog, citing Teixeira's lack of quality opponents and Lewis's experience and power. He notes Lewis has knocked out top heavyweights like Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov, and went five rounds with Jailton Almeida. He expects Lewis to mix in grappling and finish Teixeira by TKO in the second or third round, as Teixeira has been hit by lesser fighters and may struggle with the step up in competition.

Big Brady calls this a coin flip, as both heavyweights want to stand and bang. He is concerned about Teixeira's poor striking defense, as he was eating shots from Arthur Lopez. He thinks Tafa has a chance to land a big shot and get a first-round knockout. Brady picks Tafa as the underdog.

Connor also picks Teixeira but is very skeptical. He likes that Teixeira has clever boxing ideas but lacks basic technical fundamentals. He notes that Teixeira is only 25 and a physical monster, which gives him advantages. He thinks Teixeira is good enough to beat Tafa now but will likely lose to more experienced fighters later. He sees Tafa as a counter puncher who needs opponents to make mistakes, and Teixeira might do that, but he still picks Teixeira.

Teixeira is a 6'7" BJJ black belt who has leaned on striking but would be ill-advised to strike with Tafa. He will look to get the fight to the ground, find a dominant position, and open up a submission or ground-and-pound knockout. The official prediction is Teixeira by submission.