David Onama

Angelo picks Steve Garcia, citing his awkward, lurching movement and sheer size for the weight class as problematic for David Onama. He notes Garcia's power and forward pressure, but acknowledges Onama is faster and more technical. He mentions Garcia has been knocked out before, while Onama hasn't, but doesn't see Onama knocking him out. He calls it a close competitive fight and leans Garcia.

Big Brady leans toward David Onama, citing Steve Garcia's tendency to leave openings and get dropped, as seen in fights against Charlie Ontiveros and Maheshate. He acknowledges Garcia hits hard and is all violence, but believes Onama is more durable and can take advantage. He predicts a second-round knockout for Onama.

Connor picks Onama, reasoning that Garcia's losses are worse than Onama's, with more randomness. He notes that Onama has lost to wild brawlers like Nate Landwehr and Mason Jones, which could be Steve Garcia, but those were exhausting fights. He thinks Onama may find success with wrestling and is a better athlete than Garcia's recent opponents.

Lucrative James picks David Onama to win by knockout, but he is not confident. He notes that both fighters have questionable chins and get hurt often, but Onama has never been finished while Garcia has been knocked out before. He also mentions Onama's superior training partners, including Justin Gaethje, and his wrestling upside as potential advantages. However, he emphasizes that this is a pick'em fight and he will not bet the moneyline, instead looking at under props.

The fight is a coin flip; whoever lands the big punch first wins. The host leans slightly to Onama's speed and more tools, thinking he will land a big shot and put Garcia away. But it could easily go the other way, so confidence is low.

The MMA Guru picks Steve Garcia, citing his recent impressive wins over Melquizael Costa, Kyle Nelson, and Calvin Kattar. He believes Garcia's pressure and volume will break David Onama, who has struggled against similar styles (e.g., Romero). He notes Onama's lack of consistent finishes and potential work ethic issues. He predicts a second or third round TKO.

Angelo picks David Onama, citing his activity and pressure against a inactive Giga Chikadze. He notes that Giga is one-dimensional and has been out for two years, while Onama is a kickboxer who should stay busy and win. The odds have moved from -150 to -183 in Onama's favor.

Big Brady leans toward David Onama, assuming he will grapple. He notes Giga Chikadze's takedown defense is poor and he has been controlled on the ground before. If Onama strikes, he favors Chikadze. He predicts Onama will get takedowns, wear on Chikadze, and find a submission in the second round.

Connor picks Chikadze because he has a significant spatial advantage over Onama, who struggles at range and needs to brawl to be effective. Chikadze's movement and ability to keep distance will make it hard for Onama to force the kind of fight he needs. Connor also notes that Chikadze is a dangerous striker who can hurt Onama, as seen in Onama's previous fights where he got hurt but survived.

The host expects Onama to meet Chikadze's jab with bigger power, mix in grappling, and land more damage over 15 minutes to win on the scorecards.

The MMA Guru picks Giga Chikadze as an underdog. He believes Chikadze is a better striker and underrated, citing his close fight with Arnold Allen. He criticizes Onama's low fight IQ, poor training habits, and vulnerability to pressure. He expects Chikadze to win by TKO, as Onama has been dropped by lesser opponents.

Big Brady is very confident in David Onama, criticizing the UFC for matching him against a short-notice opponent with poor striking defense. He notes that Roberto Romero eats punches with his face and has terrible striking defense, while Onama has legitimate power. He predicts a first-round knockout, as Romero has never been finished but will likely be overwhelmed.

Cody picks David Onama, noting Romero's weak resume and questionable UFC signing. He expects Onama to win easily, possibly by submission or knockout. Cody likes Onama inside the distance, but is not betting the money line due to the steep price.

Connor agrees with Zane, stating that Romero's style is ill-suited for a short-notice fight against Onama. He notes that Onama is unflappable and never gets more tired after a certain point, while Romero walks into the clinch and throws without defense. Connor expects Onama to win by overwhelming Romero.

The host notes Romero is on short notice making his UFC debut against a tough and powerful Onama. He expects Onama to stifle Romero's clinch-heavy approach and eventually land a big shot at range to win by knockout.

Paul picks David Onama, agreeing with Cody. He notes Romero has no notable wins and is a short-notice replacement. Paul expects Onama to win by finish, possibly by submission or knockout, but is not betting the money line due to the price.

Angelo has a half-unit bet on Jonathan Pearce at -140, beating the line. He attributes the pick solely to wrestling: Pearce is a relentless wrestler who averages almost six takedowns per fight. He believes David Onama, a good kickboxer, will struggle to stop the takedowns, as Nate Landwehr was able to take him down. He notes Pearce dominated his last fight before a submission loss due to showboating, but expects him to dominate here.

Cody picks Onama as an underdog, citing his reach and striking advantage. He notes that judges score damage over control time, and if Onama can get back to his feet after takedowns, he can win rounds with strikes. He sees this as close to a 50/50 fight.

Daniel likes Pearce's high pace, cardio, and improved striking, but notes he's inconsistent and sticks his neck into guillotines. He thinks Pearce can grind out a win via takedowns and top control, but acknowledges Onama's power and heart make him dangerous. He leans Pearce but calls it a dog-or-pass situation.

Pearce has a dominant grappling style and should be able to nullify Onama's power punching by taking him down and keeping him in uncomfortable positions. Onama has shown defensive grappling improvements but may still struggle with Pearce's smothering style. I lean Pearce by decision, but Onama could find a finish late if Pearce slows down.

Paul picks Pearce, arguing his wrestling and top control will be decisive. He notes Pearce's chain wrestling and ability to improve position, and believes Onama's takedown defense is questionable. He expects a grinding decision win for Pearce.

Angelo picks Gabriel Santos, citing his aggression and ability to back Onama up and grind him down like Nate Landwehr did. He notes Santos is fast, strong, and has slick submissions. He mentions David Onama is a great underdog at +195/+200 and hits hard, but Santos gets hit. He would bet the over 1.5 rounds if available.

Big Brady picks Gabriel Santos, impressed by his performance against Lerone Murphy despite the loss. He describes Santos as a killer with next-level grappling and dangerous striking, comparing him to Charles Oliveira. He notes Onama's poor performance against Nate Landwehr where he gassed out. He expects Santos to weather an early storm and finish Onama in the second round, possibly by submission.

Cody picks Santos, emphasizing his explosive style and wrestling. He notes Santos's ability to take down and control opponents, and thinks Onama's striking will be neutralized by Santos's pressure and takedowns. He expects Santos by decision.

Connor picks Santos, agreeing with Zane. He highlights Santos's impressive debut against Laron Murphy on short notice and his superior technique. Onama is reactive and lacks discipline, while Santos is a solid professional who will take advantage of Onama's mistakes. Connor notes that Onama's best wins are against lesser competition and that he struggles against disciplined fighters.

Daniel Levi picks Gabriel Santos, citing his technical soundness, heart, and grappling upside. He thinks Onama is athletic but defensively vulnerable, and Santos can win on feet or mat. He notes Santos's close fight with Lerone Murphy and his LFA title. He is not interested at -230 but picks Santos.

The host picks Gabriel Santos to win by submission in the second or third round. He believes Santos is the far superior fighter with great aggression, forward pressure, and a solid Jiu-Jitsu game. He thinks Santos will wear on Onama and eventually get him out of there, while Onama's only path to victory is a Hail Mary knockout. He expects Santos to dominate.

Paul picks Santos, impressed by his debut performance against Lauren Murphy on short notice. He highlights Santos's takedowns and grappling, and questions Onama's takedown defense. He expects Santos to win by decision and considers betting Santos by decision.

The Guru picks Gabriel Santos based on his performance against Lerone Murphy, which he believes Santos arguably won. He notes Santos has a good chin, took the Murphy fight on short notice, and showed grit. He criticizes Onama's cardio, saying he falls off after the first round, and points to Onama's losses to Mason Jones and Nate Landwehr as evidence. He predicts Santos wins by third-round finish or decision.

Angelo picks David Onama due to his power and technical striking. He notes Landwehr is a live underdog with forward pressure but if Onama gets room, he will get the knockout. Onama is also a knockout kings pick.

Big Brady picks David Onama to win by first-round knockout. He notes that Onama has a 100% finish rate and is the more dangerous striker with more power. Landwehr has good takedown defense (87%) but is hittable and has been knocked out twice in the UFC. Brady expects a stand-up war where Onama lands the bigger shots and finishes Landwehr.

Cody picks David Onama, acknowledging his bias for Landwehr but reasoning that Onama's power and athleticism will catch Landwehr coming forward. He notes Landwehr's durability issues and that Onama is getting more comfortable in the UFC. Cody believes Onama will clip Landwehr at some point.

Daniel Levi picks Nate Landwehr as a plus-265 underdog, acknowledging the risk of Onama's African power and raw talent. He believes Landwehr can win if he fights disciplined with his hands up, uses his experience, and drags Onama into deep waters. Levi notes that Onama is still green and that Landwehr showed improved technique in his last fight. However, he admits Landwehr could get knocked out early.

The host picks Landwehr as the biggest upset on the card based on odds. He notes Landwehr's takedowns, control time, and output, and believes he can pull it off at +290. He also mentions that Landwehr in front of a full crowd is very live.

Paul picks David Onama by TKO, citing Onama's power and reach advantage. He notes that Landwehr has been finished in the first round twice and tends to run into strikes. Paul likes Onama by TKO at +175 as a way to avoid the -315 moneyline.

Cody is very high on Onama, citing his dynamic striking, footwork, and finishing ability. He notes Onama already beat Armfield as an amateur and that Armfield is not UFC quality yet. He thinks Onama will win easily, possibly by finish.

The host takes a small 0.5 unit shot on Garrett Armfield at +572. He sees Armfield as a solid wrestler who could cause problems for Onama if he employs his grappling. He notes that Onama is great on the feet but if he can't get his power going due to being stuck under Armfield, the upset is possible. He also suggests that if betting Onama, the KO prop is better than the moneyline.

Angelo picks David Onama, citing his speed, power, and versatility advantage in a kickboxing match. He notes Benitez has grappling tools but rarely uses them (only one takedown in 11 UFC fights). He acknowledges Onama's grappling struggles but believes Benitez won't exploit them.

Big Brady picks David Onama but is not very confident, warning against overrating Onama's performance against Mason Jones. He notes Benitez has excellent striking defense and could pull off an upset. However, he likes Onama's youth, size, reach, and cardio, and predicts a late knockout as Benitez slows down.

Cody picks Onama, believing he is a legitimate prospect. He highlights Onama's impressive performance against Mason Jones, where he showed great cardio, durability, and the ability to get up from takedowns. Cody notes that Benítez is a gatekeeper on the decline, with low volume and questionable durability after being dropped by Billy Q. He thinks Onama will out-strike Benítez and possibly finish him.

Levi is confident in Onama, citing Benitez's decline after wars and weight issues. He notes Onama's impressive short-notice performance against Mason Jones and believes his African power will be too much for Benitez's chin. Levi compares this to other prospects beating faded veterans and expects Onama to find a clean knockout.

Benítez is the seasoned veteran with cleaner striking and a strong kicking game. Onama's hype is based on beating a low-level opponent; Benítez's durability is overstated as a concern. Benítez should outpoint Onama with his southpaw kicks and experience. The under 2.5 rounds and Benítez by KO at +500 are also live.

Paul picks Onama, impressed by his ferocity and durability in the Mason Jones fight. He notes that Onama will be massive at 145 and that Benítez's durability is questionable after being dropped by Billy Q. Paul thinks Onama's pace and power will be too much for Benítez.

Cody picks Mason Jones, calling him 'my boy.' He highlights Jones's durability, cardio, and experience against tough competition. Cody notes that Jones has a great chin, good grappling, and pushes a strong pace. He contrasts Jones's proven UFC-level skills with Onama's untested resume, pointing out that Onama has only fought low-level competition and is making a short-notice debut. Cody believes Jones will dominate and potentially finish Onama.

Lock picks Jones based on superior grappling. He notes Jones is a black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu with good wrestling. He expects Jones to take Onama down and dominate. He likes Jones inside the distance and by submission.