Valter Walker

Angelo picks Valter Walker, noting his physical transformation and three consecutive heel hook finishes in the UFC. He believes Walker's wrestling and submission threat will be too much for Luis Saldana, who appears to have lost muscle mass after coming off steroids. Angelo thinks the minus 300 line is reasonable given Saldana's diminished physicality.

Big Brady confidently picks Valter Walker, citing his improvements, size (6'6", 27 years old), and elite wrestling and submission skills, particularly heel hooks. He dismisses Louie Sutherland as a bottom-tier heavyweight with no standout attributes. Brady expects Walker to get an early takedown and secure a first-round submission, making it four in a row.

Cody picks Valter Walker, noting that Sutherland has never been finished but has faced lower-level competition. He believes Walker's wrestling and submission game will be too much, especially if he focuses on takedowns rather than diving for heel hooks. Cody suggests a Walker submission prop at plus 140 as a better bet than the heavy favorite line.

Connor picks Walker, expecting him to shoot takedowns and grapple. He notes that Sutherland is a fearless brawler but has no answer for wrestling, as anyone who has wrestled him has succeeded. Connor also highlights Walker's recent streak of heel hook submissions, suggesting Sutherland is vulnerable to that. He acknowledges Walker is not good but believes he is a bad matchup for Sutherland.

Daniel Vreeland is confident in Walker's submission skills, especially his heel hooks, but is hesitant to lay -335 on a guy who lost to Lucas Brzeski. He thinks Walker's grappling will be too much for Sutherland, who is a brawler with questionable conditioning. He predicts Walker will win, possibly by submission, but calls it a 'pure pick' rather than a betting recommendation.

Lucrative James picks Valter Walker confidently, noting his size advantage and ability to get takedowns. He references Sutherland's recent loss to Slim Trabelsi via grappling, and believes Walker can replicate that with his heel hook threat. He expects Walker to win by decision or submission.

The host considers Sutherland a mediocre opponent who could find success if he avoids Walker's early heel hook danger, but he doesn't think Sutherland can avoid it. He predicts Walker will add another heel hook submission win.

Paul agrees with Cody, adding that Sutherland's physique and past steroid use are concerns. He notes that Sutherland looked deflated at UFC weigh-ins and may not be as durable without enhancements. Paul believes Walker's youth and improvement will lead to a win, likely by submission.

The MMA Guru picks Valter Walker by submission, specifically a leg-lock or heel hook in the first round. He believes Walker is being given layup opponents and that Luis Saldivar (the opponent mentioned, though the transcript says Luis Saldivar but the fight is Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland; likely a mix-up in the transcript) is not good and looks different from his Tapology picture. He expects Walker to go for the easiest path to victory and get a quick submission.

Angelo thinks Valter Walker can close the distance and get the fight to the ground, where his grappling is a problem for Kennedy Nzechukwu. He notes Kennedy can be gunshy and has lost staring contests, while Walker has transformed his body and has back-to-back heel hook finishes. He plans to bet on Walker, monitoring the line movement to find the peak.

Big Brady sees this as a striker vs wrestler matchup. He expects Valter Walker to take Kennedy down early and win the first round, but questions Walker's cardio and striking. He believes Walker will gas out, allowing Kennedy to take over in the second and third rounds. He picks Kennedy by second-round knockout.

The host expects Nzechukwu to make it 3-0 at heavyweight by stuffing Walker's takedowns and outworking him on the feet. He notes that Nzechukwu is not a title contender but should win a decision. The pick is based on Nzechukwu's ability to keep the fight standing and outpoint Walker.

Angelo hesitantly picks Valter Walker, despite his hatred for Walker's embarrassing UFC debut. He reasons that Walker has good takedowns and Mayes is useless when taken down. However, he notes Walker's striking is awful and his cardio is suspect, so if Mayes can survive early, he could win. He says he cannot bet Walker at -165.

Big Brady picks Walker by decision, citing Mayes' poor takedown defense (58%) and inability to get up once taken down. He notes Mayes has a striking advantage but lacks power to hurt Walker. Walker should get takedowns easily and control Mayes on the ground, though he lacks finishing ability.

Expecting a slow, grueling fight. Walker will likely keep Mayes in defensive positions against the cage or on the ground, using his grappling-heavy approach to nullify Mayes' offense. Walker wins on the scorecards.

Angelo picks Valter Walker to win via wrestling, believing he can get takedowns and control Junior Tafa, who has shown poor takedown defense. However, he talks himself out of betting on Walker because his last fight was an embarrassing cardio failure, and the odds are not plus money. He calls Walker 'absolutely horrible' but thinks he can win if he shows up prepared.

Big Brady picks Junior Tafa to win by second-round knockout. He is not high on either fighter but thinks Tafa has the advantage on the feet. He notes Valter Walker can wrestle and will likely get takedowns in the first round, but Walker gasses out early and looked terrible in his last fight. He expects Walker to tire in the second round, allowing Tafa to stuff takedowns and land a knockout. He says he would not bet this fight with a 10-foot pole, especially laying chalk on Tafa.

Cody believes Walker's wrestling will be the difference, as Tafa has poor takedown defense and no get-up game. He notes Walker looked improved physically and should learn from his debut loss. Cody expects Walker to take Tafa down and control him, possibly earning a submission or decision.

Daniel Vreeland picks Valter Walker to win a decision, expecting him to look better than his debut. He notes that Tafa has been taken down and lost in the past, and that Walker's grappling could be the difference. Vreeland acknowledges the volatility and that Tafa has finishing upside, but leans toward the underdog Walker at plus money.

The host loves Walker as a plus-115 underdog, citing Tafa's poor takedown defense and ground game. He expects Walker to take Tafa down and grind him out, possibly finishing by ground and pound or submission. He calls the line a gift and is mystified by it.

Paul agrees, noting that everyone who has tried to take Tafa down has succeeded, and that Walker's best skill is wrestling. He warns that if Walker stands and trades, he'll get knocked out, but expects him to stick to the game plan. Paul also mentions Walker's improved physique and the need to see weigh-ins.

Angelo picks Valter Walker with high confidence, noting that Walker is massive (6'6") and a wrestler who should dominate by coming forward and ragdolling Łukasz Brzeski. He acknowledges that Walker's striking is miserable and he eats shots, but believes heavyweights are not used to a 6'6" Brazilian charging at them with wrestling. He expects the UFC to fast-track Walker.

Big Brady picks Valter Walker by decision, despite being unimpressed with Walker. He notes that Walker is huge, a solid wrestler, and can get fights to the mat. He cannot pick Łukasz Brzeski to win any UFC fight due to poor takedown defense and cardio. He expects a grinding decision with no finish.

Cody also picks Walker, noting that Brzeski has been taken down 8 times by Karl Williams. He thinks Walker's wrestling and size advantage will be key, and that if Walker sticks to takedowns and top control, he should win. Cody is wary of Walker's UFC debut but believes the matchup favors him.

Walker is a more complete fighter than his brother Johnny, with solid striking and underrated wrestling. He can take opponents down and grind them out. Brzeski is on a losing streak and has struggled against grapplers. Walker's size and strength advantage will allow him to control the fight and win by decision.

Paul picks Walker but is hesitant due to question marks. He likes Walker's size, athleticism, and grappling, and notes Brzeski has been taken down repeatedly by wrestlers like Karl Williams. Paul thinks Walker can take Brzeski down, make him carry weight, and gas him out. He acknowledges Walker is unproven but sees a clear path to victory via wrestling and top control.