Carlos Leal

Angelo picks Chidi Njokuani, noting he bet him at +165 and the line has moved. He praises Njokuani's striking, speed, power, and distance control, while criticizing Carlos Leal's porous defense and recent knockout loss. He expects Njokuani to chew up Leal's legs and win a striking match.

Big Brady picks Carlos Leal to defeat Chidi Njokuani, citing Njokuani's poor durability and tendency to quit under adversity. He notes Njokuani has been finished nine times and cannot battle through bad spots. He trusts Leal's chin more, despite a recent knockout loss to Muslim Salikhov, as that was the first time Leal was ever hurt. He predicts Leal will break Njokuani late in the first round with a knockout.

Cody is tempted to follow the line movement and pick Njokuani, but ultimately leans Leal because of his forward pressure and power. He thinks Leal's style will overwhelm Njokuani, who has tall man defense and has been knocked out before. He expects a TKO finish within a round and a half.

Connor agrees with Zane, picking Leal. He notes that Njokuani is all over the place under pressure—easy to take down, breaks stance and posture against the fence. Connor also mentions Njokuani's 'Paul Felder syndrome' of waiting for the perfect strike instead of doing damage, which costs him rounds.

The host believes Chidi Njokuani has a significant striking advantage due to his size, reach, and technical precision. He highlights Carlos Leal's reckless style, poor head movement, and defensive flaws, which have led to him being knocked out by lesser strikers. The host caps Njokuani's win probability at 60-65%, giving a 13-18% margin over the implied probability of 47% from the odds. He acknowledges Njokuani's age (37) and ground game weakness but considers them mitigated by Leal's lack of wrestling.

James picks the underdog Chidi Njokuani to win by KO in round one, citing Njokuani's elite Muay Thai clinch and knees. He notes that Carlos Leal Miranda's aggressive style leaves him open to being caught, as seen in his last fight. James believes Njokuani's range and clinch work will nullify Miranda's boxing and lead to a finish.

Njokuani is the more skilled striker with a significant reach advantage, and he has good durability at welterweight. Leal is a power puncher but was knocked out in his last fight and may be hesitant. Njokuani can eat shots and counter, and his Muay Thai should allow him to land damaging elbows and knees. Expect a knockout within two rounds.

Paul notes the significant line movement and thinks there may be an undisclosed injury to Leal. He prefers to avoid the fight but picks Njokuani based on reach and Muay Thai. He admits it's a low-confidence pick.

The MMA Guru picks Chidi Njokuani by TKO, noting that Leal is coming off a KO loss and may be gun-shy. He believes Njokuani's tight hook can catch Leal, who has a tendency to come forward with his hands wide. He also thinks Leal won't grapple offensively, playing into Njokuani's striking strengths.

Angelo picks Carlos Leal, citing his dangerous Muay Thai, forward pressure, durability, and power. He notes Muslim Salikhov is 41 with a declining chin, and Leal's pressure will prevent Salikhov from using his unorthodox karate. He considers -400 odds appropriate but will parlay Leal rather than bet straight.

Big Brady picks Carlos Leal Miranda, citing his pressure style and power. He notes Salikhov is old (calls him 60+), needs space to throw spinning attacks, and does not like being pressured. He compares it to the Leech fight where pressure led to a finish. He predicts a second-round knockout, warning only about a potential spinning wheel kick.

Leal is a big favorite and deservedly so. He is expected to walk down Salikhov, take his best shots, but throw even harder in return, leading to a knockout victory.

Big Brady picks Fakhretdinov, emphasizing his dominant wrestling. He acknowledges Leal has good striking and takedown defense but believes Fakhretdinov will implement his will with cage pushing and control time. He predicts a decision win, possibly boring.

Cody picks Rinat Fakhretdinov, believing his wrestling will be the difference. He notes that Leal has questionable takedown defense and that Fakhretdinov can grind out a decision. However, Cody is not confident because Fakhretdinov has gassed in recent fights and struggled against strikers. He expects a decision win.

Connor picks Fakhretdinov, agreeing that Leal is a good veteran but his game is not modern MMA. Leal relies on kicks and clinch wrestling but lacks pace and volume. Fakhretdinov's pressure and wrestling will overwhelm Leal, and this fight was made to give Fakhretdinov a decisive win.

Daniel Vreeland sees Rinat Fakhretdinov as a tough matchup for Carlos Leal, especially on short notice. He notes that Leal lost twice to Magomed Umalatov in PFL, who used clinch and takedowns to outmuscle him, and Fakhretdinov has similar skills. Vreeland believes Fakhretdinov will grind out a win via takedowns and control, and thinks the -250 line is still low.

Daniel Vreeland picks Rinat Fakhretdinov to win, but with low confidence due to Fakhretdinov's recent performances and questionable gas tank. He notes that Fakhretdinov has dominant top-time upside and that Leal is taking the fight on short notice. Vreeland would need a better price to bet Fakhretdinov, but expects him to get takedowns and potentially grind out a win.

Jeff Fox agrees with Vreeland, calling Fakhretdinov a tough matchup for anyone. He notes that Leal has weight-cutting issues and is making his UFC debut on short notice, which makes it even harder. Fox expects Fakhretdinov to grind out a win, though he doesn't provide additional technical detail.

Fakhretdinov has a wrestling and grappling advantage over the short-notice UFC debutant Leal. He should be able to grind out a decision victory by controlling the fight on the ground. Leal deserves to be in the UFC but this is a bad stylistic matchup for him.

Paul picks Fakhretdinov, citing his wrestling and control. He notes that Leal is a good striker but has been taken down before. Paul believes Fakhretdinov can implement a grappling-heavy game plan and win by decision. He is not highly confident due to Fakhretdinov's cardio issues.

The Guru picks Rinat Fakhretdinov, believing his pressure and well-rounded game will be too much for Carlos Leal, who took the fight on short notice. He notes Fakhretdinov's win over Brian Battle was impressive and that Leal's preparation was for a different opponent. He predicts Fakhretdinov will win by decision or submission, possibly facing some danger early.

Zane clearly picked Leal, calling the decision a robbery. He argued that Fakhretdinov was doing less damage and fighting from behind in every round, while Leal fought well and was in control. Zane dismissed the idea that the crowd influenced the judges, noting there was no crowd. He called it one of the worst robberies of the year.