Antonio Trocoli

picks Mantas to win

A lanky middleweight the analyst is surprised to still see on the roster given a 1-3-1 run. He rates Trocoli a better grappler than striker: decent power with long straight punches on the regional scene, and a ground-and-pound-to-submissions grappling game that uses his length. He does not expect Trocoli to get the takedown he needs, or hold it, to win this one.

flat, unhedged pick ('no surprise taking Abdul Malik') backed by a stated physical/wrestling mismatch

As of 2025-12-02, a decent striker with okay power and long straight punches, and a pretty good grappler who uses his length well, lands takedowns against the cage and sets up submissions with ground and pound. The analyst frames his role on this card as the opponent repeatedly fed to prospects, and rates him outmatched here against a bigger, more physical grappler.

Names Trocoli directly as his pick, saying he 'gotta go with him' because Trocoli controls range on the feet and is the better grappler if it hits the mat; no hedge on the win itself.

A long, rangy striker-grappler (roughly a five-inch height/reach edge here) who uses his length very well on the feet, backing a good power-punching profile. His jiu-jitsu is good, especially working takedowns against the cage into ground-and-pound that sets up submissions; his open-mat takedowns are weaker by comparison. The analyst treats his natural length as a real edge against a shorter, lower-volume opponent.

He commits plainly to Aliskerov, saying he feels good about the pick and that the lopsided betting line is justified, with a clear mechanism (takedowns and top pressure neutralizing the length-based BJJ). No real hedge on the win itself.

Our words: a good striker with good power and good long straight punches, aided by a significant 82-inch reach that also helps him close distance for takedowns. Good BJJ, typically getting fights to the mat by dropping opponents or via cage takedowns, then using ground-and-pound and his length to set up submissions. Taking this fight on very short notice against a much tougher opponent.

Names Saint Preux as the pick twice, but attaches direct, repeated hedges to the win itself, not just price: 'not confident in it whatsoever' and a statement that this is among the least-backed picks on the card.

A good wrestler and grappler who is undersized for light heavyweight -- the analyst thinks he is better suited to middleweight long-term. Taking this on short notice.