Liu Ce

He calls it a likely easy fight for Liu Ce on the striking and grappling gap, then settles the pick plainly despite noting Rodriguez's record is thin.

Liu Ce is a kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter the analyst credits with a genuinely strong striking game: good power, a kicking arsenal, clean combination work, movement, and counter punching, though he carries his hands a little low. His grappling is described as developing rather than finished, but notably includes using a throw as a counter to an incoming takedown attempt, which the analyst calls impressive for a pure kickboxer. He is solid in ground-and-pound but his takedown defense is called out as the weaker side of his grappling.

Picks Liu as the presumed favorite but hedges explicitly ('going out on a limb'), citing that three of Liu's four career wins came against weaker opposition.

Liu, a kickboxer turned MMA fighter, is called a solid striker with good power, a good kick arsenal, body work, counter shots and clean combinations, though he keeps his hands low. His grappling is called decent and still developing, including a throw as a takedown counter and good ground-and-pound, but his takedown defense is called not great. He carries a 3-1 career record; three of those wins came against opposition the analyst calls subpar, and the one loss came against better competition, which tempers how safe the matchup looks on paper.