Colby Thicknesse

"We're taking Choporov" after a built case on Thicknesse's poor striking defense and shaky takedown defense versus Chopurov's all-around grappling.

Decent striker who kicks well to all levels off either leg, but his striking defense is poor once he is backed up -- though he recovers quickly after being hurt. Good grappler with decent takedowns and a strong back-taking/ground-and-pound game, but his own takedown defense is not good and he lacks a second gear once a finish does not come quickly.

says the fight could go either way; signs off with a betting-disinterest idiom

Colby Thicknesse is a decent kicker off either leg who historically struggles once a come-forward boxer drags him into close range, which is exactly the matchup Morales presents. He turns takedown entries into strikes, has shown good recovery after being hurt, and is the sturdier of the two on the feet, but he doesn't commit to a second attempt if his first takedown fails. On the mat he is a good grappler: a strong back-taker and ground-and-pound artist whose long limbs aid his control, though his own takedown defense is shaky.

He says outright that Musasa probably wins if the fight stays standing, before picking Thicknesse on the conditional that it reaches the mat -- a bare pick resting on one scenario, with the other man's path to winning stated plainly first.

A decent striker with kicks to all levels from either leg, often using a takedown entry to set up his striking. He recovers quickly when hurt but also gets hurt often and backs up. His real path is the mat: a good back-taker who attacks the rear naked choke well, with good control from long limbs, good ground-and-pound and good cardio, despite takedown defense he does not mind giving up because he wants the fight there anyway.

He picks Thicknesse as a big underdog while admitting the matchup is tough to call and that he could be wrong about it.

Thicknesse is a massive underdog who the analyst says has fought much better competition than Topuria. His striking has problems -- not a high-quality boxer, gets backed up, has been dropped often -- but his kicks to all levels (off either leg, sometimes setting up takedowns) are good, and he recovers from knockdowns quickly. His grappling is the stronger half of his game: decent takedowns, very good back takes with persistent rear-naked-choke attempts, good control, and cardio good enough to still be there deep into a fight.