Shamil Gaziev

Angelo picks Brando Peričić, relying on his athleticism and striking. He acknowledges Shamil Gaziev's wrestling potential but believes Brando's takedown defense will hold up. He notes that if Brando defends early takedowns, he will outstrike Gaziev. However, he admits uncertainty about Brando's takedown defense at a high level.

Big Brady picks Brando Peričić to win by first-round knockout. He praises Peričić's massive power and aggressive style, comparing him to a heavyweight Terrance McKinney. Brady notes that Gaziev is overrated and coming off a knockout loss, and believes Peričić's power will be too much early in the fight.

Cody picks Peričić, calling him 'his boy' and believing he will knock out Gaziev. He notes Gaziev's poor cardio and wrestling, and thinks Peričić's kickboxing and volume will overwhelm him.

Daniel Vreeland picks Brando Peričić based on momentum, but is not confident due to Gaziev's takedown threat and Peričić's untested chin. He notes Gaziev's cardio issues and Peričić's ability to get up from takedowns.

Perišić is a slight favorite with dangerous striking and good takedown defense shown against Sutherland. Gaziev is slow, clunky, and has poor takedown entries. Perišić should keep the fight standing and knock Gaziev out, but his cardio is unknown. A speculative bet, not too big.

Lucrative James picks Brando Peričić to win via knockout in round one. He admits bias as he knows Peričić personally, but believes Peričić's firepower and Gaziev's recent knockout loss make it likely. He notes Gaziev is a tough opponent but expects Peričić to get the finish.

The host fades Peričić, believing Gaziev's strength and wrestling will get the fight to the ground and lead to a TKO or submission. He thinks Peričić still has grappling holes and Gaziev is the right stylistic matchup to exploit them. The host notes Gaziev's explosive grappling and power.

Paul picks Peričić, citing his youth and pace, and questions Gaziev's cardio and wrestling effectiveness at heavyweight. He believes Peričić will outland and finish him.

Angelo picks Shamil Gaziev over Waldo Cortes Acosta, despite mocking Gaziev's appearance. He notes Gaziev is a much better striker with power and capable wrestling, while Acosta is a grappler who can be outworked and out-athleted. Gaziev should dominate on the feet and keep the fight standing, leading to a win.

Big Brady leans Shamil Gaziev by first-round knockout, despite acknowledging Spivak's inconsistency. He believes Gaziev's power and forward pressure will overwhelm Spivak, who has been knocked out by lesser fighters. He notes Spivak's path via grappling but can't count on him to execute.

Cody picks Shamil Gaziev but is not confident. He notes both fighters have awful cardio, but Gaziev has better wrestling and power. Cody believes Gaziev can knock out Spivac early, as Spivac gasses quickly and has poor takedown defense. He mentions the location in Qatar might favor Gaziev.

Connor picks Spivak (Waldo Cortes Acosta), predicting that Gaziev will gas after an early takedown attempt, allowing Spivak to take over with his clinch and jab. He notes Gaziev's poor defensive striking and tendency to fade, while Spivak manages fights well. Connor acknowledges Gaziev's speed and power could lead to an early KO.

Lucrative James picks Shamil Gaziev, citing his power striking and durability. He notes Sergey Spivac's questionable mentality and recent poor performances. He believes Gaziev's power will be too much and predicts a knockout win. He also mentions Spivac's camp change as a potential negative.

Gaziev has knockout power and physicality. Spivac is on a losing streak and may struggle with Gaziev's strength. Gaziev should land a big shot and finish Spivac by the second round.

Paul leans towards Gaziev, citing his wrestling and power. He notes that Spivac has poor cardio and has been finished when tired. Paul believes Gaziev can take Spivac down or knock him out early, but acknowledges it's a greasy fight.

The MMA Guru picks Shamil Gaziev over Waldo Cortes Acosta, citing Gaziev's pressure and ability to barrage opponents. He notes Spivak's vulnerability when pressured. He expects a close decision, with Gaziev undeniable as the fight goes on.

Angelo picks Shamil Gaziev, believing he is the better fighter despite a loss to Rozenstruik. He notes that Gaziev has improved his cardio and bounced back with a decision win. He thinks Gaziev's power and physicality will be too much for Thomas Petersen, who is solid but not spectacular. He includes Gaziev in a parlay with Mike Davis.

Big Brady thinks Shamil Gaziev has awful cardio but will likely knock out Thomas Petersen early. He notes Gaziev has much more power and Petersen is hitable. Brady expects a first-round knockout, but says if the fight extends it will be 'greasy'. He is staying away from betting Gaziev at -330 and might live bet Petersen.

Petersen's wrestling background will allow him to keep the fight upright and use his jab and volume to outwork Gaziev, who struggles when he can't secure takedowns or control against the cage. Petersen is a plus-300 underdog and is expected to win on the scorecards.

Angelo is confident Gaziev bounces back from his first loss, believing he bit off more than he could chew in his last fight. He thinks Gaziev is the more powerful striker with good takedowns, and that this is a good rebound fight. He expects Gaziev to win but notes cardio concerns.

Big Brady thinks Gaziev should be able to destroy Mayes if he is anywhere near the real deal, comparing Mayes to Martin Budai whom Gaziev finished impressively. He notes Mayes does not like getting hit and has been finished on the mat multiple times. He worries about Gaziev's gas tank if the fight extends past 1.5 rounds but predicts an early finish by first-round knockout.

Cody picks Shamil Gaziev, noting that Mayes has poor takedown defense and has been taken down by lesser wrestlers. He thinks Gaziev can use his wrestling and clinch to neutralize Mayes's range striking. Cody acknowledges Gaziev's cardio issues but believes in a three-round fight he can win the first two rounds. He also mentions that Mayes is flat-footed and struggles to get up when taken down.

Daniel picks Gaziev, believing he should be able to pin Mayes against the fence and dirty box him. He notes Mayes is inconsistent and has lost to lower-level competition, while Gaziev's only loss is to a top-10 guy. He expects a similar performance to Gaziev's win over Bud.

Gaziev is coming off a main event loss and will be pissed off. He should steamroll Mayes, finishing him in the first or second round.

Paul picks Shamil Gaziev, noting that Mayes has been taken down by many opponents and has poor get-up game. He thinks Gaziev can use his wrestling to control the fight. Paul acknowledges that both fighters are low-level heavyweights and that Mayes could win if he stuffs takedowns, but he leans toward Gaziev. He also mentions that the fight could be slow and the over might be a play.

Angelo picks Shamil Gaziev, calling the -140 odds a gift. He notes Rozenstruik is one-dimensional and flat-footed, while Gaziev has power, wrestling, and better movement. He has a full unit bet on Gaziev and expects him to win.

Big Brady picks Rozenstruik despite acknowledging Gaziev's power and early finishing ability. He notes that Gaziev has only been past 1.5 rounds once and has cardio concerns, while Rozenstruik has five-round experience and a fifth-round knockout. He believes if the fight extends, it heavily favors Rozenstruik. However, he admits he has no confidence in the pick and won't bet the fight except maybe a prop.

Cody sees Rozenstruik as a live underdog due to his knockout power and proven five-round cardio, noting that Gaziev has weak cardio and has never been extended beyond two rounds. He believes if Rozenstruik survives the early takedown onslaught, Gaziev will gas and Rozenstruik can finish him late. He compares it to the Overeem fight where Rozenstruik knocked him out in the fifth round.

Gaziev is a strong grappler who should get the fight to the ground with relative ease. Rozenstruik struggles against grapplers, as seen in losses to Curtis Blaydes, Jailton Almeida, and Alexander Volkov. Gaziev's striking confidence has improved, and he can stay safe from Rozenstruik's power until he secures a takedown. Once on the ground, Gaziev's strength will be too much, leading to a TKO or submission finish within the first round. The host considers -145 a gift line.

Paul picks Gaziev but acknowledges it's a 60/40 fight and not one he has a big edge on. He expects Gaziev to get early takedowns but questions what happens after that, noting Gaziev's cardio concerns. He mentions the fight feels like a toss-up and he's not entirely confident.

Angelo picks Shamil Gaziev, impressed by his power, cardio, and toughness. He notes that Buday has faced weaker competition and that Gaziev's power is a different level. He has a quarter-unit bet on Gaziev at +155.

Big Brady picks Martin Buday to win by second-round TKO, favoring Buday's cardio and size. He notes Gaziev's early finish power but poor cardio, and believes if Buday survives the first round, he will break Gaziev in deep waters. Brady highlights Buday's brown belt in BJJ and volume striking (over 5 significant strikes per minute). He expects Buday to wear on Gaziev against the cage, take him down, and finish with ground and pound.

Cody picks Buday, arguing that Gaziev has poor cardio and will fade after the first round. He notes that Gaziev's wrestling is not elite and his striking is bad, while Buday has good cardio and can push a pace. Cody believes Buday will survive the early onslaught and take over in later rounds, winning by TKO or decision. He sees Buday as the safer pick.

Jeff Fox picks Shamil Gaziev by knockout, stating that he likes Gaziev's straight punches and the way he attacks. He believes Gaziev will land one to Martin Buday's big skull and finish him. The prop is at plus 250.

Lucrative James picks Shamil Gaziev as an underdog. He believes Gaziev has more finishing upside early, is more athletic, and hits harder. He criticizes Martin Buday's plodding style and porous striking defense, noting Buday has been cracked by lesser fighters. He says it's Gaziev or pass, and that laying minus 200 on Buday is not advisable.

The host picks Buday, praising his pace, pressure, durability, and cardio. He expects Buday to stuff Gaziev's early takedown attempts, then take over in rounds two and three, breaking Gaziev in the clinch and finding a late finish. He notes that Gaziev's cardio looks sketchy and that Buday will be the better striker and more durable. He predicts a third-round stoppage for Buday.

Paul picks Gaziev as an underdog, noting that Buday has struggled against bottom-level heavyweights and that Gaziev has a wrestling advantage. He acknowledges that Gaziev's cardio is a concern but believes if Gaziev can get early takedowns, he can control the fight. Paul is not fully confident but sees value at +135, especially since Buday has not faced many wrestlers.