Cory McKenna

Angelo picks Cory McKenna, admitting bias toward her aggressive style. He notes that McKenna's decision-making is a concern, but in this matchup she doesn't need perfect decisions. He believes if she stays aggressive with busy striking and takedowns, she can win. He plans to bet on McKenna via plus 3.5 rather than moneyline, as he thinks she can win at least one round.

Big Brady picks Julia Polastri by decision, but is hesitant due to the fight likely going to the judges. He was impressed with Polastri's takedowns and ground success against Josephine Knutsson, though her striking looked poor in that fight. He criticizes Cory McKenna's fight IQ and trustworthiness, recalling her refusal to take down Elise Reed and getting submitted by Jacqueline Amorim. He believes Polastri is the better striker with improving takedown defense, but expects a close decision that could go either way.

This fight was not discussed in the transcript. No picks were made.

Connor agrees with Zane, noting that Polastri is not very good and McKenna should be able to win if she fights patiently. He points out that McKenna has short arms and struggles with range, but Polastri's lack of athleticism makes her beatable. Connor is cautious because McKenna has made poor decisions in the past.

Daniel believes Polastri has a mean streak and can strike with McKenna, who he views as not a threat on the feet. He thinks McKenna's only path is takedowns, but Polastri can stuff them and win on the feet. Daniel is confident Polastri will stuff takedowns and bust up McKenna.

Polastri has improved since dropping to 115 lbs, fighting women closer to her size. She should stop McKenna's grappling attempts and batter her on the feet, possibly having grappling success of her own. Polastri will land the more damaging blows and win on the scorecards.

The MMA Guru hesitantly picks Cory McKenna, primarily because she has a full training camp while Julia Polastri took the fight on short notice. He acknowledges Polastri could pull off the win but favors the full camp advantage. He notes that McKenna's grappling should be the difference, though he hasn't been impressed by her in moments.

This fight was not discussed in the transcript. No picks were made.

Angelo sees McKenna as the more well-rounded fighter with better cardio and striking pressure, but he is concerned about her year-long layoff due to getting married, which could be a distraction. He thinks if she survives Amorim's early takedown attempts, she can take over with striking and get takedowns of her own. He notes the line is -106 (slight underdog) and may move, so he's leaning McKenna but not fully confident.

Big Brady picks Cory McKenna by decision, but is hesitant due to McKenna's tendency to strike instead of grapple. He trusts McKenna's cardio and wrestling more than Amorim's, but notes Amorim's dangerous BJJ and reach advantage. He is not running to the window to bet on it.

Cody picks Jaqueline Amorim as a live underdog, citing her 10-inch reach advantage, BJJ black belt, and solid wrestling. He notes McKenna's cardio may be a factor but Amorim has paths to victory on the feet and on the ground. He calls it a 'dog or pass' situation and takes the plus money.

The host acknowledges Amorim's high-level BJJ but believes McKenna has good enough defensive grappling to keep the fight standing for the first round and a half. He expects McKenna to implement her superior striking and then grind out Amorim in the later rounds as Amorim's finishing ability fades. The pick is McKenna by decision.

Paul picks Cory McKenna, citing her ruggedness and wrestling. He questions Amorim's cardio, noting she gassed in her UFC debut. He expects McKenna to push a pace and take over in later rounds. He acknowledges both could win but leans McKenna.

Angelo gives a slight lean to Cory McKenna, expecting her to set a relentless grappling pace and take a decision. He notes Cheyanne has improved takedown defense but thinks McKenna's takedown offense has also improved. He believes the fight comes down to volume and takedowns, and if Cheyanne is too afraid to commit to strikes, she'll give up rounds.

Big Brady picks Vlismas, citing her superior striking and takedown defense. He doesn't trust McKenna after her poor performance against Elise Reed where she refused to wrestle and looked bad on the feet. He thinks McKenna's takedowns will be harder to get against Vlismas, and even if she gets them, she won't hold her down. He predicts Vlismas by decision.

Cody picks Vlismas, believing she is talented and has good volume. He thinks she has improved and is a dark horse in the division. He notes McKenna's wrestling is not elite and Vlismas has solid takedown defense. He expects Vlismas to win by decision, outworking McKenna on the feet.

Connor likes Vlismas's distance command, power, and strike selection. He notes McKenna is young and scrappy but has a bad case of pad holder syndrome, not following through on strikes. He expects Vlismas to find her range repeatedly and bully McKenna, even if McKenna takes a round.

Vlismas is the far superior striker and should be able to solve McKenna's takedowns and get back to her feet if taken down. McKenna's top pressure could be an issue, but Vlismas is too athletic. She will light McKenna up on the feet. The host would have made her a lock if he had more recent data on her off-her-back game.

Paul picks McKenna but is hesitant, hoping she sticks to wrestling. He notes she has T-Rex arms and must get the fight to the mat. He is frustrated by her previous fight where she didn't wrestle enough. He thinks she can win by grappling-based decision or submission if she follows the game plan.

The MMA Guru picks Cory McKenna over Cheyanne Vlismas, believing McKenna's grappling will be the difference. He notes Vlismas has a stand-up advantage but a massive hole in her grappling, as shown in her loss to Montserrat Ruiz where she had no answer for head-and-arm throws. He expects McKenna to out-grapple her and potentially submit her in the first two rounds. He also thinks Vlismas will be too worried about takedowns to effectively strike.

Angelo picks Cory McKenna but expresses hesitation due to Miranda Granger's long layoff. He likes McKenna's pressure, pace, and grappling, believing her takedowns will be the difference. However, he notes that if the fight stays on the feet, Granger could outwork McKenna similar to how Elise Reed did. The uncertainty of Granger's improvements during her time off tempers his confidence.

Big Brady picks Cory McKenna but expresses hesitation due to her poor fight IQ in her last fight against Elise Reed, where she chose to strike instead of wrestling. He notes that McKenna has a significant reach disadvantage (9.5 inches) and that Granger has solid striking. However, he believes McKenna's wrestling is good and if she implements a smart game plan of takedowns and top control, she should win. He predicts a decision victory.

Cody also leans toward McKenna, noting that she should have wrestled more in her last fight. He mentions that Granger has poor takedown defense and a reach advantage, but McKenna's wrestling should be enough. Cody is concerned about McKenna's low ring IQ and hopes the loss taught her to wrestle earlier.

Daniel Levi leans Granger as a dog, noting her size (5'7", 68" reach) and two-year layoff could mean improvement. He hasn't been impressed with McKenna's UFC performances and thinks Granger could win if she's improved. However, he admits both fighters need work and advises not tailing.

Paul leans toward McKenna but is scared off by the price after she burned him last time. He notes that McKenna's wrestling should be the path to victory, but she didn't use it enough against Elise Reed. Paul thinks McKenna is young and improving, but her ring IQ is questionable. He still picks her for the show.

Angelo picks Cory McKenna, citing her well-rounded game and willingness to work takedowns as the difference. He notes that Elise Reed has real power but McKenna is very tough and busy. He warns that McKenna is only 22 and this is her biggest fight, so she might freeze, but he still likes her to win. He says the odds are far too wide.

Big Brady picks Cory McKenna to win by second-round submission. He is impressed with McKenna's wrestling and grappling, noting she has been grappling since a young age and trains at Team Alpha Male. He believes McKenna is levels above Elise Reed on the ground and will get the fight down and submit her. Brady acknowledges Reed may have a power advantage on the feet but thinks McKenna's ground game will be decisive.

Cody picks McKenna, citing her pressure and grappling advantage. He thinks Reed's kicking game will be nullified by McKenna's clinch and takedowns. He notes Reed's poor takedown defense and believes McKenna will win by decision or submission.

Daniel Levi leans toward Cory McKenna but is not confident due to red flags: McKenna's 58-inch reach, concussion issues, and both fighters' inexperience. He believes McKenna has an edge on the ground, but the price is too high to lay. He calls it a pass or dog situation, noting that Elise Reed has a striking advantage if it stays standing. Levi does not provide a strong pick.

McKenna's wrestling is slightly overrated; she may land takedowns but struggle to control Reed on the ground. Reed has a striking advantage with her taekwondo background, moving in and out well and landing big shots. McKenna's durability and the hometown crowd could sway judges, but Reed's ability to get back to her feet and damage opponents makes this closer than the line suggests. I'm picking McKenna via decision, but I might take a small poke on Reed at plus money.

Paul picks McKenna, noting he has already parlayed her. He emphasizes her pressure and wrestling, and thinks Reed's lack of strength and grappling will be exposed. He believes McKenna's game plan is clear: pressure and takedowns.

Big Brady picks Hansen because she is the better grappler and dangerous off her back, while McKenna gets taken down often. He expects the fight to hit the mat and Hansen to get a submission. He acknowledges the line is wide but favors Hansen's path to victory.

Daniel picks Kay Hansen, citing her size and strength advantage, as well as a five-inch reach advantage. He notes that Hansen's grappling is strong and she may get an extra takedown or submission attempt to sway judges. He acknowledges McKenna's solid skills and bright future but thinks Hansen's physicality and experience against tougher competition give her the edge.