Patchy Mix

Explicitly concedes 'it's possible that he loses' before settling on Mix, and the stated edge is only 'a little bit better' in an extremely similar matchup -- a real qualifier on the win itself, not just method.

A so-so striker who pokes out a jab and carries a usable front kick, plus a knee strike through the center, but barely moves his head. His real game is on the mat: he mixes strikes into his shot entries and is strong once the fight gets there -- advancing position, hunting the back, and finishing with chokes. He is making his second UFC appearance after a rocky debut loss against a tough opponent.

He says he has 'got to side with Mix', reasoning that Mix's natural length advantage on the feet should offset Bautista's edge more than Bautista can offset Mix's grappling.

A good striker whose length creates an effective jab and knees up the middle, with his striking largely set up by the threat of his grappling. He is rated the far better grappler of the two: solid takedowns off his strikes, very good at advancing position and taking the back, with a strong submission arsenal in the choke department. Cited as having run through a credible former-UFC opponent on the mat.

He points to Mix's physical tools and specifically credits improved conditioning compared to a past fight where he faded late, as the reasoning behind a confident pick.

Mix holds a real physical edge in height and reach that's only partly offset by Pettis's unusually long arms for his size. His path to victory runs through elite grappling -- a favored body-lock takedown, the ability to chain wrestling attempts, and one of the best guillotine chokes in the promotion set up from multiple positions -- with his still-developing, single-shot-heavy striking mainly there to keep opponents honest thanks to a long front kick and knee. Pettis is regarded as the better pure striker, a patient counter-puncher with real power for the weight class who has come back from adversity before, and he's also an active, submission-hunting grappler off his back, though his takedown defense is a clear soft spot. Citing better conditioning than in some past outings, the analyst backs Mix to execute his grappling-heavy game plan and win the title.