Austin Bashi

hedged pick: "probably going to win", not emphatic

A good striker with good kicks (the front kick his best), who likes to feint a takedown into a lead hook on entry and keeps a high guard. His bigger strength has become his grappling: very good takedowns that he chains together well, advancing position to hunt the back, good control, and an opportunistic (take-what-is-given) rather than attacking submission style. He fights at a high pace that makes him hard to keep up with on the feet and on the mat alike.

reaffirms the pick twice after addressing viewer pushback about fraud claims, insisting he genuinely believes in Bashi, backed by a grappling-positions edge.

A good striker built around his kicks -- his front kick is probably his best weapon -- who will feint a takedown into a big lead hook, with a tight high guard to fall back on; he is not a natural striker but his elite grappling amplifies it. His grappling is the stronger side: good, varied, chained takedowns he can keep up for 15 minutes, strong position advancement and back-taking (including standing back takes), solid cage-push control, and opportunistic rather than hunting submissions. His lone loss was a tough UFC-debut test against a well-regarded finisher.

Calls Bashi 'the real deal' twice and commits to him despite acknowledging this is a tough first UFC test, which is a concession about difficulty rather than a hedge on the outcome itself.

Undefeated, good striker with good kicks, particularly the front kick, who sets up a lead hook off a feinted takedown and keeps a high guard. Off-ladder-described as a strong grappler: very good, varied, chain-wrestled takedowns, immediate back control, opportunistic submissions and a good cage push, with a pace that is hard for opponents to keep up with.