Almabayev vs Kape, Marquez vs Brundage, Ribovics vs Haqparast Fight Picks – March 1, 2025

Asu Almabayev vs Manel Kape

  • Asu Almabayev
  • Age: 30
  • Pro Record: 21-2
  • UFC Record: 4-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out a 10-1 striker. Submitted Ode Osbourne, a well rounded 6-0 fighter, a well rounded 5-0 fighter and a well rounded 10-2 fighter. Beat Jose Johnson, CJ Vergara, a 4-0 grappler, and a 14-4 wrestler.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: a little above average (55)
  • Wrestling: plus (70)
  • Grappling: plus (65)
  • Manel Kape
  • Age: 31
  • UFC Record: 5-3
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Bruno Silva, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Ode Osbourne, and a 14-1 striker. Submitted a 14-5 striker. Beat Felipe dos Santos and David Dvorak.
  • Striking: plus (70)
  • Power: plus (70)
  • Wrestling: plus (70)

Chris’ Pick: Kape by decision.


Julian Marquez vs Cody Brundage

  • Julian Marquez
  • Age: 34
  • UFC Record: 4-4
  • Key Losses: Split decision loss to Alessio di Chirico.
  • Key Wins: Submitted Sam Alvey, Darren Stewart, and Maki Pitolo. Knocked out a 7-2 grappler and a 4-1 striker.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Grappling: above average (60)
  • Cody Brundage
  • Age: 30
  • UFC Record: 4-6
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Zachary Reese and Tresean Gore. Submitted Dalcha Lungiambula and a 4-1 grappler.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)
  • Grappling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Brundage by split decision.


Esteban Ribovics vs Nasrat Haqparast

  • Esteban Ribovics
  • Age: 28
  • UFC Record: 4-1
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Terrance McKinney, an 11-3 striker, a 5-1 grappler, a well rounded 17-6 fighter, and a well rounded 21-6 fighter. Beat Kamuela Kirk. Split decision over Daniel Zellhuber.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Grappling: above average (60)
  • Nasrat Haqparast  
  • Age: 29
  • UFC Record: 9-4
  • Key Losses: Lost to Marcin Held on short notice.
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Jamie Mullarkey and Joaquim Silva. Beat Landon Quinones, John Makdessi, Rafa Garcia, and Marc Diakiese. Split decision over Jared Gordon.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Ribovics by decision.


Mario Pinto vs Austen Lane

  • Mario Pinto
  • Age: 26
  • Pro Record: 9-0
  • UFC Record: 1-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-0 striker. Beat a 5-1 striker and a well rounded 8-3 fighter.
  • Striking: a little above average (55)
  • Power: a little above average (55)
  • Wrestling: a little above average (55)
  • Austen Lane
  • Age: 37
  • UFC Record: 2-3
  • Key Losses: Knocked out by a 7-4 striker.
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Juan Adams and a 3-1 striker. Beat Robelis Despagne.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Lane by decision.


William Gomis vs Hyder Amil

  • William Gomis
  • Age: 27
  • Pro Record: 14-2
  • UFC Record: 4-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Yanis Ghemmouri and a 6-1 striker. Beat a 9-1 striker. Split decision wins over Joanderson Brito and Francis Marshall. Majority decision over a well rounded 13-3 fighter.
  • Striking: plus (70)
  • Power: plus (70)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)
  • Hyder Amil
  • Age: 34
  • Pro Record: 10-0
  • UFC Record: 3-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Jeong Yeong Lee and Fernie Garcia. Beat a 14-4 striker. Split decision win over a 9-7 grappler.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Gomis by 1st round knockout.


Chepe Mariscal vs Ricardo Ramos

  • Chepe Mariscal
  • Age: 32
  • Pro Record: 17-6
  • UFC Record: 4-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Jack Jenkins. Beat Damon Jackson, Trevor Peek, and Youssef Zalal. Split decision wins over Morgan Charriere and Pat Sabatini.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)
  • Grappling: above average (60)
  • Ricardo Ramos
  • Age: 29
  • UFC Record: 8-5
  • Key Wins: Submitted Luiz Garagorri. Beat Bill Algeo and Journey Newsom. Knocked out Danny Chavez. Split decision wins over Josh Culibao and Kyung Ho Kang. 
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Grappling: plus (70)

Chris’ Pick: Ramos by 2nd round submission.


Douglas Silva de’Andrade vs John Castaneda

  • Douglas Silva de Andrade
  • Age: 39
  • UFC Record: 7-6
  • Key Wins: Submitted Sergey Morozov. Beat Cody Stamann and Marlon Vera.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: a little above average (55)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)
  • John Castaneda
  • Age: 33
  • UFC Record: 4-3
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Eddie Wineland, a well rounded 6-1 fighter. Submitted Miles Johns. Beat Kyung Ho Kang, Muin Gafurov, and a 6-0 grappler.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)
  • Grappling: average (50)

Chris’ Pick: Silva de Andrade by split decision.


Andrea Lee vs JJ Aldrich

  • Andrea Lee
  • Age: 35
  • UFC Record: 5-8
  • Key Losses: Split decision losses to Montana de la Rosa, Maycee Barber, Lauren Murphy, and Joanne Calderwood.
  • Key Wins: Submitted Antonina Shevchenko. Knocked out Cynthia Calvillo. Beat Montana de la Rosa and Ashlee Evans-Smith.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: below average (40)
  • Grappling: above average (60)
  • JJ Aldrich
  • Age: 32
  • UFC Record: 9-5
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Na LIang. Beat Montana de la Rosa, Gillian Robertson, Vanessa Demopoulos, Polyana Viana, and Lauren Mueller. Split decision over Cortney Casey.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: average (50)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)

Chris’ Pick: Aldrich by split decision.


Sam Patterson vs Danny Barlow

  • Sam Patterson
  • Age: 28
  • Pro Record: 12-2-1
  • UFC Record: 3-1
  • Key Wins: Submitted Kiefer Crosbie, Yohan Lainesse, an 8-1 grappler and a 14-1 grappler. Knocked out a 9-3 striker. Beat an 18-6 grappler.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Grappling: near plus (65)
  • Danny Barlow
  • Age: 29
  • Pro Record: 9-0
  • UFC Record: 3-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Josh Quinlan and a 7-1 striker. Split decision over Nikolay Veretennikov.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Patterson by 2nd round submission.


Montana de la Rosa vs Luana Carolina

  • Montana de la Rosa
  • Age: 29
  • UFC Record: 7-6-1
  • Key Draws: Fought Mayra Bueno Silva to a majority draw,
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Ariane Lipski. Submitted Nadia Kassem. Beat Mara Romero Borella. Split decision over Andrea Lee.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: average (50)
  • Grappling: near plus (65)
  • Luana Carolina
  • Age: 31
  • UFC Record: 6-3
  • Key Losses: Split decision loss to Joanne Wood.
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Julija Stoliarenko. Beat Lucie Pudilova, Ivana Petrovic, an 8-2 striker, and a 7-0 wrestler. Split decision over Poliana Botelho.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: a little above average (55)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

Chris’ Pick: Carolina by split decision.


Lucas Almeida vs Danny Silva

  • Lucas Almeida
  • Age: 33
  • UFC Record: 2-3
  • Key Wins: Submitted a 4-1 striker. Knocked out Michael Trizano, a well rounded 9-3 fighter, a 7-1 wrestler, a 12-3 grappler, and a well rounded 9-2 fighter. Beat Timothy Cuamba.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Grappling: above average (60)
  • Danny Silva
  • Age: 27
  • Pro Record: 9-1
  • UFC Record: 2-0
  • Key Losses: Majority decision loss to Canaan Kawaihae.
  • Key Wins: Beat a 7-1 striker and a 4-0 wrestler. Split decision over Josh Culibao.
  • Striking: above average (60)
  • Power: above average (60)
  • Wrestling: a little above average (55)

Chris’ Pick: Almeida by decision.


Charles Johnson vs Ramazonbek Temirov

  • Charles Johnson
  • Age: 34
  • UFC Record: 6-4
  • Key Losses: Split decision loss to Ode Osbourne.
  • Key Wins: Knocked out Joshua Van, Jimmy Flick and a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Submitted a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Beat Sumudaerji, Jake Hadley and Azat Maksum. Split decision wins over Zhulgas Zhumagulov, a well rounded 7-2 fighter and a 5-1 wrestler.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus plus (65)
  • Wrestling: near plus (65)
  • Ramazonbek Temirov
  • Age: 27
  • Pro Record: 18-3
  • UFC Record: 1-0
  • Key Wins: Knocked out CJ Vergara, a well rounded 10-3 fighter and a 4-1 wrestler. Beat a well rounded 5-1 fighter and a well rounded 10-2 fighter.
  • Striking: near plus (65)
  • Power: near plus (65)
  • Wrestling: above average (60)

The market thinks Temirov has 65 tools. I’m not there yet though. Yes, Temirov knocked Vergara out in a few minutes, but he blitzed Vergara and emptied the gas tank. So I have his striking as a 65 tool for now, but very possible it’s just a 60. But also possible he’s the real deal and his wrestling is a 65 instead. Sumudaerji out struck Johnson 68 to 49 and thus, I can’t grade his striking a 70 anymore.

Chris’ Pick: Johnson by decision.

What odds I think the favorite should be at: Johnson -125

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