César Almeida

AJ picks Pinas to knock out Almeida, emphasizing Pinas's youth, power, and reach advantage. He compares Pinas to a Deontay Wilder type, believing his one-shot power will be too much for the 38-year-old Almeida. AJ notes that Almeida has been dropped before and that Pinas's explosiveness will be decisive.

AJ is confident in Damian Pinas, calling him a one-shot killer. He expects Pinas to knock out César Almeida in the first round, noting Almeida's vulnerability to straight shots and Pinas's power and speed. He sees Pinas as a blue-chip prospect.

AJ picks Damian Pinas by knockout, citing Pinas's 'touch of death' power and straight right hand. He believes Pinas's speed and reach advantage will allow him to land first on Almeida, who has been dropped before. He expects Pinas to knock out Almeida with a straight shot and ground and pound.

AJ is riding with Damian Pinas to get the knockout, believing in his heavy hands and that he will touch Almeida's chin. He picks Pinas KO round one at +275 (previously +300), noting that Almeida is ripe for the picking and has been caught with straight shots before.

AJ picks Damian Pinas, believing he will knock out Almeida. He cites Pinas's power, heavy hands, and explosiveness, and sees a straight punch landing on Almeida's chin. AJ thinks Almeida is there to be hit.

AJ picks Pinas but notes he is fighting a legit Glory kickboxer in the biggest fight of his career, implying risk. He also mentions he likes Gandra more than Pinas.

Angelo picks César Almeida because he is a much more accomplished striker with high-level kickboxing experience. He acknowledges concerns about Almeida's age (38) and that he has been dropped, but believes his striking is so good that he forces opponents to wrestle. He thinks if Pinas comes in trying to knock him out, things could get weird, but Almeida is the better striker and the pick.

Angelo picks Almeida as the better striker, but is hesitant due to age (38) and potential chin issues. He notes Pinas has fight-ending power and speed, but trusts Almeida's high-level kickboxing technique. He expects a striking match and hopes Almeida's chin holds up.

Big Brady passes on this fight despite joking about liking Pinas. He cannot lay -275 on Pinas in a striking fight against a high-level kickboxer, and neither fighter has ever been finished. He considers an under bet but decides against it.

Big Brady is confident Pinas wins, likely by KO. He thinks Pinas hits harder and is 14 years younger. He expects a stand-and-bang fight similar to Alasan vs Almeida, where both swing dicks until someone falls. He notes Almeida has never been KO'd but has been dropped badly. He might look at Pinas KO1 or under 1.5 rounds, as he doesn't like laying -210 if it leaves the first round.

Big Brady picks Damian Pinas to win by first-round knockout. He loves Pinas's power and believes he will be the first to knock out Almeida. He notes Almeida's kickboxing experience and never being knocked out, but points out he has been dropped in the UFC. He expects a striking battle and thinks Pinas's power will prevail.

Cody picks César Almeida, arguing he is the better striker with a diverse attack. He notes Pinas's power but questions his durability and cardio. He believes Almeida's veteran savvy and chin will carry him.

Daniel Levi confidently picks Damian Pinas, citing his youth, athleticism, and rapid improvement. He believes Pinas can strike with Almeida and may even showcase new wrestling wrinkles. Levi predicts Almeida, at 38, is about to fall off a cliff, while Pinas is a serious prospect with a bright future.

Jacob picks César Almeida but also likes the value on Damian Pinas first round KO. He compares Almeida to a poor man's Alex Pereira, noting his striking defense isn't great but he has power and a good chin. He thinks Pinas has power and could hurt Almeida early, but if the fight extends, Almeida's experience and striking will take over. He placed a bet on Pinas first round KO but picks Almeida.

Lucrative James picks Damian Pinas via KO, citing Pinas's power and Almeida's age (approaching 40) and history of being hurt. He acknowledges Almeida is the better striker but believes Pinas can catch him early. He notes he might also consider betting Almeida if the line moves, as Almeida could win if he survives the early onslaught.

The host favors technically superior fighters, especially when they are big underdogs. He picks Almeida to knock out Pinas with a perfectly timed counter.

The host favors Almeida's technical striking and kickboxing experience over Pinas's raw power, expecting Almeida to counter Pinas's aggression and find a knockout. He notes Pinas's youth and power are threats but believes Almeida's superior technique will prevail at plus money.

Paul picks César Almeida as a dog, citing his superior kickboxing and durability. He questions Pinas's wrestling and believes Almeida can win if it stays standing. He notes Almeida's experience against elite strikers.

Cody picks Oleksiejczuk, citing his youth, experience, and training at Fighting Nerds. He believes Oleksiejczuk's wrestling and power will be too much for Almeida, who is older and has poor takedown defense. He expects a finish, possibly by submission.

Connor also picks Oleksiejczuk, citing his youth, aggression, and more well-rounded game. He notes that Almeida's wrestling is bad and that Oleksiejczuk can take advantage of that. Connor also mentions that Almeida is durable but slow, and that Oleksiejczuk's ability to initiate exchanges will be key. He sees it as a coin flip but leans to Oleksiejczuk.

Lucrative James picks Cesari Oleksiejczuk (Michał's brother) but acknowledges it's a close fight. He notes Oleksiejczuk's youth, power, and improved grappling at Fighting Nerds, but warns about his takedown defense issues. He believes Oleksiejczuk needs to mix in takedowns to avoid Almeida's knockout power. He projects Oleksiejczuk as a -150 favorite.

Paul also picks Oleksiejczuk, noting his amateur grappling background and the improvements at Fighting Nerds. He thinks Oleksiejczuk can mix in wrestling to avoid Almeida's kickboxing and get a submission, liking the sub prop at plus 750.

Angelo picks César Almeida, reasoning that Abdul Razak Alhassan is essentially a striker despite his Judo background, and Almeida is the more accomplished kickboxer. He notes Alhassan's age (39) and that strikers decline faster. He believes Almeida's striking will be the difference, as Alhassan doesn't use his Judo. He has Almeida in a parlay with Uroš Medić.

Big Brady is baffled by the line and not high on Almeida. He notes Almeida's takedown defense is a serious concern, as he was taken down by Potieria and Kopylov. However, he thinks Alhassan's cardio and age (39) are issues, and Alhassan has never won a fight past 6 minutes. He predicts Almeida will win the last two rounds on the feet and win by decision, as Alhassan will slow down.

Cody fades Almeida as a -250 favorite, citing his poor takedown defense exposed by Roman Kopylov and Ihor Potieria. He notes Alhassan's power, improved cardio training at altitude, and veteran experience. He believes Alhassan can win by knockout or by grinding out a decision if he mixes in takedowns.

Connor picks Almeida because he is a more technical striker who does not get flustered, and he has shown ability to handle wrestling and grappling threats. Almeida is comfortable in the clinch and finds strikes on the break. Alhassan, despite his power, is structureless on the back foot and tends to fight off his back foot, which plays into Almeida's hands. Connor notes that Alhassan's only path is to land a big shot early, but Almeida's counter-striking and patience should prevail.

Daniel acknowledges Alhassan's devastating first-round KO power and judo background, but worries about his cardio and age (close to 40). He thinks Almeida's technical kickboxing will pick Alhassan apart if the fight goes past the first round. He leans Almeida but calls it a dog-or-pass situation for betting.

Lucrative James picks César Almeida to win, citing his superior kickboxing and cardio. He acknowledges Alhassan's power and wrestling threat, but believes Alhassan will gas if the fight goes past round one. He notes Almeida's poor grappling but thinks Alhassan won't be able to wrestle for three rounds. He also mentions a prop bet on over 1.5 rounds at -170, as he expects Almeida to survive the early storm.

Almeida has technical combinations while Alhassan has power. Almeida can shut down Alhassan's judo attempts, keep the fight on the feet, pick him apart, and win on the scorecards.

Paul also picks Alhassan, calling Almeida untrustworthy due to his grappling deficiencies. He notes that Alhassan has a judo base and has taken down good fighters. He placed a bet on under 1.5 rounds at +145, expecting a violent finish.

The Guru picks Almeida but is not fully confident. He was unimpressed by Almeida's performance against Ihor Potieria (despite the eye pokes) but notes Almeida is younger (36 vs 39), trains with Pereira, and has momentum. He acknowledges Alhassan's explosiveness and danger but points out his six losses and age. He predicts a TKO, thinking Almeida might chin Alhassan.

Angelo picks César Almeida, citing his superior striking and kickboxing background, including a win over Alex Pereira. He notes Ihor Potieria is hittable and has poor takedown defense, but Almeida is the better striker. He wishes Almeida were more affordable at -400 but expects the win.

Big Brady confidently picks César Almeida, noting that Potieria will likely attempt takedowns but has poor wrestling (0 for 10 or 11 in the UFC). He believes Almeida will stuff takedowns and out-strike Potieria, eventually breaking him and winning by second-round knockout.

Cody picks Almeida, calling Potieria a 'bum' and noting Almeida's striking pedigree. He believes Potieria's poor chin and cardio will be exposed, and that Almeida will win by knockout. He dismisses Potieria's grappling threat.

Connor is confident Almeida will win, noting that Potieria's boxing is unstructured and he leaves massive openings. Almeida's low kicks will disrupt Potieria's tricky strikes, and Almeida's kickboxing pedigree should overwhelm Potieria, who cannot challenge him in that realm.

Daniel Vreeland leans toward César Almeida due to his superior kickboxing background, including a trilogy with Alex Pereira. However, he is concerned about Almeida's age (36) and transitioning to MMA, as he can be taken down. Vreeland notes that Potieria has improved and could win if he gets the fight to the mat, but he favors Almeida's striking.

The host acknowledges that Almeida let down many people last time against Roman Kopylov by not showing urgency to get back to his feet. However, he believes Potieria lacks that type of grappling and will be forced to strike with the better striker, leading to Almeida finding a knockout.

Paul is hesitant to pick either fighter. He acknowledges Almeida's flaws and Potieria's puncher's chance but doesn't like the minus 350 price. He calls it a 'dogger pass' and doesn't commit.

The MMA Guru picks César Almeida over Ihor Potieria, citing Almeida's superior striking and fewer flaws. He notes Almeida trains with Alex Pereira, which helps with takedown defense and striking. He believes Potieria makes mistakes on the feet and won't get takedowns, and at altitude, Almeida's better striking defense will prevail. He predicts Almeida gets the win.

Angelo picks Roman Kopylov because although César Almeida is the better pure kickboxer, Kopylov has shown he can shoot takedowns and has good takedown defense. He believes the MMA aspect, specifically Kopylov's ability to mix in wrestling, will be the difference. He notes Almeida's takedown defense in the center of the cage is poor.

Big Brady is targeting this fight heavily, expecting both guys to stand and bang with power. He thinks Roman Kopylov will be lower owned and may implement a wrestling-heavy game plan for takedown upside. He sees either guy live for a knockout. He also likes César Almeida but notes he will be very popular.

Cody picks Kopylov, arguing he can mix in wrestling to neutralize Almeida's kickboxing. He notes Kopylov has trained wrestling in Dagestan and has shown takedown defense. Cody believes Kopylov can take Almeida down and grind him out, or catch him overextending. He acknowledges Almeida's kickboxing credentials but thinks Kopylov's MMA skills will prevail. He takes a shoey bet on Kopylov.

Daniel flips a coin to decide, acknowledging both are good strikers. He notes Almeida's elite kickboxing credentials but questions the transition to MMA. He says it's a pick'em and goes with Almeida due to the coin flip.

The host is impressed with Almeida's defensive grappling and striking, predicting he will outwork Kopylov. Almeida's ability to get back to his feet and his superior striking should wear down Kopylov, who has cardio issues. Even if Kopylov tries to grapple, Almeida's defensive skills will nullify him, leading to a knockout for Almeida.

Paul picks Almeida, citing his world-class kickboxing and win over Alex Pereira (though long ago). He notes Almeida is working on his MMA skills and believes if it's a striking match, Almeida has the edge. Paul took Almeida at plus 120 earlier and likes the line movement. He acknowledges Almeida is 36 but thinks his standup is on point.

Angelo leans Dylan Budka (whom he accidentally calls Gillan) because he is a grappler facing a striker. He expects Budka to shoot takedowns instantly and not stand and strike with César Almeida, a high-level kickboxer. He notes that Almeida's takedown defense is unknown and that defending trips on Contender Series is different from defending actual shots. However, he acknowledges the unknowns with UFC debuts.

Big Brady picks César Almeida as the underdog, citing that Almeida is the much better striker with an extensive kickboxing background. He notes that the judges have been emphasizing damage over control, which favors Almeida's big shots. However, he acknowledges that Budka could rack up control time with wrestling, but doubts Budka will do much with it. He sees a close fight with Almeida landing bigger shots and winning a decision.

Cody picks Almeida as a dog, citing his win over Alex Pereira in kickboxing and his striking advantage. He notes Budka is a one-dimensional wrestler with poor cardio, and that Almeida's takedown defense, while not great, may be enough to get back to his feet. Cody thinks Almeida's striking will be the difference, especially if Budka tires.

Daniel Vreeland picks César Almeida, expecting him to overcome early grappling scares and take over on the feet in later rounds. He notes Almeida's kickboxing pedigree from fighting Patan three times and his ability to get back up after takedowns. Vreeland believes Almeida's body shots, leg kicks, and jab will slow Budka's takedown attempts, allowing Almeida to finesse him on the feet.

Almeida is technically the better striker with kickboxing experience, including a win over Alex Pereira. He showed improved grappling in his last fight, which should help nullify Budka's clinch and grinding. Budka is physically strong but lacks technique; Almeida can damage him in close with knees and elbows, then win by decision.

Paul picks Budka but with low conviction. He notes Budka is a one-dimensional wrestler, while Almeida is a kickboxer with poor takedown defense. Paul thinks Budka can grind out a win by takedowns and control, but acknowledges Almeida's striking pedigree and the possibility of a knockout. He calls it a pass fight.