Shamil Abdurakhimov

Big Brady is extremely confident in Almeida, calling him the biggest favorite on the card. He notes Abdurakhimov has been pulled out of fights repeatedly and is being fed to Almeida. He expects Almeida to take the fight down and finish in the first round, similar to Curtis Blaydes' win over Abdurakhimov but earlier. He says you can't even think about picking Shamil.

Cody picks Jailton Almeida confidently, expecting him to take down and smash Abdurakhimov. He notes Almeida's grappling is elite and Abdurakhimov's takedown defense is poor. He mentions Almeida's size disadvantage but thinks his skills overcome it. He says Almeida will win inside the distance, likely by submission. He acknowledges the -900 line is scary but thinks Almeida is the real deal.

Connor agrees, calling Almeida a great athlete with tremendous skill. He notes Abdurakhimov has some trickiness but lacks durability and speed. Almeida should win easily, likely by submission.

Paul picks Jailton Almeida, noting his grappling and power. He says Almeida will take down and finish Abdurakhimov. He mentions Abdurakhimov's recent losses and poor takedown defense. He thinks Almeida is a future champion at 205 but is dominating heavyweights. He says Almeida inside the distance is a good bet.

The Guru is very confident in Almeida, calling him a 'roid monster' and noting his dominant grappling. He points out that Abdurakhimov is 41, inactive, and coming off a KO loss to Pavlovich. Almeida outgrappled a Dagestani on the contender series and has been competing in grappling tournaments. The Guru predicts a first-round submission by naked choke, calling it a walkover.

Angelo picks Sergei Pavlovich to win by knockout, assuming he is the same fighter as before his two-year layoff. He notes that Pavlovich has great power and speed, and trusts his chin. He thinks Abdurakhimov will look to wrestle but will struggle to keep Pavlovich down, leading to a knockout. He advises against betting due to the layoff.

Big Brady picks Sergei Pavlovich to win by first-round knockout. He notes Pavlovich is 11 years younger, has an eight-inch reach advantage, and the fight will stay standing. He believes Shamil Abdurakhimov has taken a lot of damage recently and is 40 years old with health issues. Brady expects Pavlovich to knock him out early.

Cody picks Pavlovich, citing his power and Abdurakhimov's age and decline. He thinks Pavlovich's layoff is a concern but believes his power will be too much. He notes Abdurakhimov has been knocked out by lesser fighters and Pavlovich should finish early.

Daniel Levi picks Sergei Pavlovich to win by knockout inside the distance. He notes Pavlovich's age advantage (29 vs 40), reach advantage (8 inches), and recent KO wins, while Abdurakhimov has taken brutal beatings in his last two fights. Levi acknowledges the inactivity concern for Pavlovich but believes if he's motivated, he will finish the older fighter. He also mentions that Abdurakhimov's durability has been questioned.

Pavlovich has power and speed, but his wins over Marcelo Golm and Maurice Greene aren't convincing. Abdurakhimov is disciplined and has decent knockout power, plus a grappling advantage if the fight goes long. Pavlovich in round one at -105 is the best bet, as he tends to finish early. If the fight stretches, Abdurakhimov could surprise. I'm picking Pavlovich via first-round KO, but I can't get behind the -300 line.

Paul picks Pavlovich, emphasizing his power and Abdurakhimov's lack of durability. He thinks the layoff is a red flag but believes Pavlovich's youth and training at Eagles MMA will help. He notes the price is high but expects a first-round KO.

Angelo picks Daukaus, citing his speed, technical boxing, and combination striking. He notes that Abdurakhimov has more power but is less clean and hasn't fought in two years. Angelo believes Daukaus will use his speed and angles to put Abdurakhimov away, though he acknowledges the unknown of Daukaus' takedown defense.

Big Brady picks Chris Daukaus to win by first-round knockout. He notes that Shamil Abdurakhimov is 40 years old, has a two-year layoff, and has health issues, while Daukaus has improved significantly and has power. He believes Daukaus will stuff takedowns and land a knockout.

Cody picks Daukaus, citing his speed advantage, youth, and recent improvements. He notes Abdurakhimov is 40, hasn't fought in two years, and was throttled by Blaydes. He expects Daukaus to finish him, possibly inside the distance.

Daniel Levi picks Chris Daukaus, citing his fast hands for a heavyweight and his black belt in jiu-jitsu. He notes that Daukaus has finished opponents quickly but has been finished himself when fights go past the first round. Levi is curious to see how Daukaus handles the second round but believes his speed and momentum will be enough against Shamil Abdurakhimov, who has been out for a while.

Jacob picks Daukaus, calling him a real deal heavyweight prospect. He notes that Abdurakhimov's wrestling is not effective and that Daukaus has a ton of first-round finishes. Jacob believes this is a setup win for Daukaus and expects a finish.

The host picks Chris Daukaus by first-round knockout. He believes Daukaus' striking is improving fight by fight and his speed and movement will keep Abdurakhimov at bay. He expects Daukaus to land crisp straight shots down the middle and eventually find the knockout blow. He notes that Abdurakhimov has the grappling advantage but Daukaus' striking is too good to fade.

Paul picks Daukaus, noting his speed, boxing advantage, and youth. He mentions Abdurakhimov's age, layoff, and recent loss. He expects Daukaus to win but is unsure about the over/under rounds.