Yadier Del Valle

Angelo picks Yadier Del Valle, noting his solid grappling and striking, while criticizing Jordan Leavitt as a one-dimensional jiu-jitsu nerd with poor takedowns. He dismisses Del Valle's last fight as illegitimate and focuses on his prior work. He believes Del Valle's strength and grappling will prevail.

Big Brady picks Yadier Del Valle to defeat Jordan Leavitt, citing Del Valle's superior skills everywhere and Leavitt's poor takedown defense. He notes Leavitt has been submitted by better grapplers like Chase Hooper and Paddy Pimblett. He believes Del Valle will take Leavitt down and finish him, predicting a first-round submission. He mentions the controversy around Del Valle's last fight but says it doesn't change his opinion of Del Valle's talent.

Cody thinks Del Valle is a legitimate prospect with power and grappling. He notes Leavitt is a one-round fighter who gets outmuscled. He expects Del Valle to win by submission or decision.

Connor picks Del Valle, agreeing that Leavitt is a 'meme fighter' who gets trick submissions on non-grapplers but loses to actual grapplers. Del Valle is a potent athlete with a coherent game. Connor notes that Leavitt sacrifices position for wacky moves and will lose scrambles to a better athlete.

James picks Yadier Del Valle to win by submission, citing his superior grappling and toughness. He notes that Leavitt is one-dimensional and will likely get reversed and submitted after an initial takedown. James believes Del Valle's cardio and jiu-jitsu will be too much for Leavitt.

Del Valle is better everywhere except maybe pure jiu-jitsu, but fights start on the feet where he has a huge advantage. He is strong, pressures forward, and has good wrestling to defend takedowns. Leavitt will try to create chaos to get to the ground, but Del Valle's strength and striking should overwhelm him. Expect a TKO finish inside the distance.

Paul agrees, calling Del Valle a top prospect. He thinks Leavitt's physicality and cardio are lacking. He expects Del Valle to win by submission or dominant decision.

The MMA Guru picks Yadier Del Valle, noting his physical strength, athleticism, and powerful striking. He believes Del Valle can stuff takedowns and deal with Leavitt's sticky grappling style. He also mentions that Leavitt has been out-scrambled and submitted by jiu-jitsu guys before, and predicts a first round TKO or submission for Del Valle.

Angelo picks Isaac Dulgarian, highlighting his collegiate wrestling background, aggression, and control. He warns that Dulgarian should not experiment with striking against a dangerous opponent like Del Valle, who has power and good grappling. He trusts Dulgarian's coaching and athleticism to get takedowns and find a finish, hoping for the version that came forward against Christian Rodriguez.

Big Brady is excited about Isaac Dulgarian, calling him a phenomenal wrestler with championship potential. He notes Yadier Del Valle has poor takedown defense and often accepts takedowns, defending with guillotines. He believes Dulgarian's top game is disgusting and he will have no problem taking Del Valle down. He predicts a second-round submission, though he notes Del Valle could win if Dulgarian gasses.

Connor also picks Dulgarian, agreeing with Zane. He notes that Dulgarian's simple, high-pressure wrestling game is likely to overwhelm Del Valle, who hasn't faced such a difficult test. He mentions that if Del Valle can survive, Dulgarian might gas, but he leans toward Dulgarian.

Lucrative James picks Isaac Dulgarian, citing his dominant wrestling and round-one finishing ability. He believes Dulgarian will secure takedowns early and control the fight, while Del Valle's tendency to jump guillotines could leave him on bottom. James predicts a close decision (29-28) but acknowledges a finish is possible. He respects Del Valle's striking but favors Dulgarian's grappling advantage.

Dulgarian's smothering grappling style will cause Del Valle issues, keeping him on the defensive. Dulgarian will land takedowns and damage, winning on the scorecards. The host also likes the over 2.5 at plus money.

The MMA Guru picks Isaac Dulgarian, impressed by his grappling and ability to ragdoll Christian Rodriguez. He doubts Yadier Del Valle's grappling defense and thinks Dulgarian will dominate on the ground. He predicts a decision win or late-round finish, noting Dulgarian's strong American prospect hype.

Angelo picks Yadier Del Valle but with hesitation, noting that the line feels wide at more than 4:1 favorite. He acknowledges that Connor Matthews is not top-tier but not garbage either. He points out that Matthews has a chin issue and that Del Valle doesn't have knockout power, so Matthews could get an early takedown. Angelo advises against betting on this fight.

Big Brady picks Yadier Del Valle, calling Connor Matthews a 'punching bag' who has been beaten down in the UFC. He notes Del Valle is well-rounded with solid grappling and volume. He predicts Del Valle will finish Matthews by knockout in the second round.

The host thinks both fighters have questions, but Del Valle seems better than what Matthews brings. He expects Del Valle to use his physicality, forward pressure, and grinding ability to wear out Matthews and win on the scorecards. The pick is confident but not a lock.