Benoit Saint Denis

He states plainly that he expects Pimblett to win most of the grappling exchanges and hold his own well enough standing, with no hedge on the win itself.

The more technically polished striker of the two per the analyst: good forward pressure, real volume, and a body kick repeatedly called his best weapon. He has been stopped three times (one knockout, two referee stoppages on accumulated damage) but the analyst still calls him durable because he kept wanting to continue each time, while flagging that visible accumulated damage can eventually take him out. His grappling is solid: good takedowns with standout timing, good sweeps, chained submission attempts, and an opportunistic style that takes whatever is given.

Explicit mechanism given (grappling path favors him 'quite a bit') despite conceding the feet lean to Hooker; closing line commits firmly to Saint-Denis finishing the job.

A good striker with real forward pressure and volume, a savage body kick, and growing power on the feet. His toughness is emphasized as central to his striking success. His best work, though, is on the ground: rated a solid grappler whose takedown entries land with good timing, with good sweeps, and he chains submissions well, opportunistic with both takedowns and submission attempts. One acknowledged bad outing: he was clearly outgrappled by a past opponent (Moano), with no excuse offered, but is otherwise said to look good in grappling.

Calls Dariush the better fighter overall, but grants Saint-Denis a real finishing chance and admits a KO loss 'won't be surprised' him -- a qualifier on the win.

A good, forward-pressing striker with real volume and a savage body kick that is his best weapon, who the analyst argues remains durable despite a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier (treated as not disqualifying given the opponent). His grappling is his stronger side: solid, with good takedowns set up by excellent entry timing, good sweeps, and a habit of chaining submission attempts and staying opportunistic with both takedowns and subs. Even so, the analyst thinks it will be very hard for him to out-grapple this particular opponent.

names a specific 29-28 decision for Ruffy; the only hedge offered is wager caution ('that's a pass for me'), not outcome doubt

The analyst says he isn't outclassed in the striking matchup either -- forward pressure with heavier volume by his read than Ruffy throws, very durable, and a savage body kick called his best weapon on the feet. If the grappling opens up he is called extremely opportunistic with both takedowns and submission attempts, very good timing on his entries, able to chain submissions, and can sweep off bottom. The analyst's stated concern is that the fight stays in striking range longer than Saint-Denis wants, which is where his path narrows.

He flags the market's value as sitting on Moicano's side, but commits plainly to Saint-Denis as the winner and repeats that same commitment a second time through the sign-off -- no reversal, so the value/pick split is a confidence signal, not a hedge, per the standing rule.

A solid grappler with very good, well-timed takedowns, constant chain submission attempts, and good bottom sweeps; a durable, high-volume striker whose signature weapon is a genuinely devastating body kick. The analyst explicitly gives him the physicality edge and expects his forward pressure/overwhelming style to be the deciding factor.

States plainly that he believes Saint-Denis wins and has to take him on that basis; value/line language pointing toward Poirier is about price, not a hedge on the winner.

Solid, heavy-handed striker built around forward pressure and a devastating body kick the analyst calls his best weapon by far, backed by real power, volume and standout durability -- including surviving a brutal step-up fight. He does get drawn into brawls at times, which hasn't cost him yet. On the mat he's a genuine threat: good takedown timing, a large toolbox, opportunistic and chainable submissions, and good sweeps from the bottom. The analyst picks him as the younger, more explosive fighter in a matchup he otherwise sees as very evenly matched skill-for-skill.

He commits plainly three separate times ('I've got to take Fola', 'I can't not pick Fola', 'give me Matt Fola') on a specific finishing mechanism -- power against a man who leaves his chin open -- even while calling the opponent the more skilled fighter overall.

A good striker who presses forward with real volume and a signature body kick the analyst calls his best weapon, and by his own account, the more all-around skilled fighter in this matchup. He is also rated a highly accomplished grappler: a large, opportunistic toolbox, good, well-timed takedowns, chained submission attempts, and good sweeps. His durability is called out directly, though he pairs it with a real habit of leaving his own chin exposed while pressing forward. As of 2023-11-07.

States that Saint-Denis is the better striker and calls the grappling close, then names him as the pick -- a stated two-part mechanism, with no stay-away or coinflip hedge; additionally discloses he personally staked money on this side at minus-105, which is disclosure of conviction, not a hedge on the win.

A solid grappler with good takedowns, excellent timing on his entries, a large toolbox including sweeps and chained submission attempts (rear-naked choke into armbar into triangle). On the feet he has a real forward-pressure, high-volume striking edge, is durable, and is credited with a standout body kick in a prior fight. The analyst pushes back explicitly on a surface-level striking-differential stat that looks bad only because of one short-notice, up-weight-class fight against a strong opponent.

The chapter opens with the root-beer idiom and he frames this as a fight he just wants to watch and enjoy, saying he won't be surprised if either man wins -- the idiom plus explicit stay-away framing maps to coinflip per the standing rule, with the pick kept intact.

A durable, opportunistic grappler with a wide submission toolbox who chains attempts together without forcing them, sets up his takedowns off strikes with good timing, and is also credited with decent, forward-pressing volume striking. His one career loss came up a weight class on short notice against an established opponent, and the analyst explicitly does not hold that loss against him. His own grappling is called fantastic by the analyst in this same chapter.

Calls his own read on this one straightforward and barely worth arguing over; the only hedge is a generic acknowledgment that upsets happen, which is not a hedge on his own conviction.

Described as extremely tough and durable, a strong grappler with excellent cardio who pressures forward throughout a fight. Former French special forces, which the analyst ties to his general toughness. Enters on a full camp against a short-notice opponent and is picked to win clearly.