Alice Ardelean

He picks her as the better striker who can control time on top, but attaches an unrebutted condition that she avoid being caught in a submission, shrugging that it's 'whatever' if she gets subbed from the bottom.

Alice Ardelean is a good striker with real volume, solid combinations that mix punches and kicks, and decent power, and a good enough grappler with good throws and ground-and-pound on top. The analyst believes she is the better pure striker in this matchup and can top-time Viana on the mat as long as she avoids being caught in a submission. He also notes, as a competitive factor rather than a skill, that her face visibly shows damage more than most fighters' even on even exchanges, which he says has cost her on scorecards before.

He states plainly "I think she wins here," backing it with a specific mechanism (a size/strength edge escaping Ruiz's signature hold) rather than a bare pick.

A well-rounded striker the analyst grades good, having clearly sharpened up since looking rough earlier in her career -- good volume, good combinations, puts punches and kicks together, good leg kicks and enough power to matter even if not spectacular. Also a good (if slightly lesser) grappler, landing solid throws and plenty of ground strikes, and fairly physical for her size. The analyst's stated case for her: if she has drilled the standard escape from being put in the scarf hold, her size/strength edge over Ruiz should let her use it to get back to top position. As of 2025-10-28.

He states a skill edge toward dos Santos (decent striking, superior jiu-jitsu, top control) and even calls her 'a very big favorite', but then says the line is pulling him toward the underdog and that he 'hates' not picking the favorite -- a value-driven pick that runs against his own stated skill read, plus hints at alternate (non-moneyline) bets. He still names Ardelean outright at the close ('I'm going to take Ardolene'), so this is a committed but price-driven pick, not a skill-conviction one.

Alice Ardelean is a good striker with good volume combinations who mixes punches and kicks and carries a solid leg kick; the analyst calls her technically unspectacular but consistently competent ('pretty good at the essentials'). She is also a good grappler with good throws and good ground-and-pound when she gets on top. He frames her as the more balanced of the two fighters, and ultimately gives her the pick despite rating dos Santos the bigger favorite on paper.

States the pick twice across two segments with a grappling-based rationale; the only hedge is on his own grading confidence, not on the win itself, so it does not demote the grade.

Ardelean is the grappling threat in this striker-vs-grappler matchup: good throws and ground-and-pound, enough in the analyst's view to get Martinez down and control her there. He is openly uncertain exactly how good her grappling truly is, but still makes it the deciding factor over a fighter he thinks may be the better pure striker. He also expects a size/strength edge for her, though he admits that is a guess since he hasn't seen them face off yet.

names Ardelean outright as his pick and argues she starts faster and lands first; the only softening is about WHEN Bannon might rally, not whether Ardelean wins.

A short-notice Contender Series alternate who comes in off a five-fight win streak, even though the level of opposition on that streak was not high. He likes her as a fast, high-output starter who mixes punches and kicks and adds a judo-style throw game and heavy ground-and-pound once it hits the floor. Her engine stands out to him as much as any single skill.