Montel Jackson

He repeatedly says he does not know who to pick and that his "opinion may change" (quote <=5wd), plus the root-beer idiom used alone for a fight he calls crazy to call.

An accurate counter-puncher with real power, patient to a fault, sometimes frustratingly so. His defense on the feet ranks among the best in the division (if short of the very top), and takedown stuffing is a particular strength. The analyst notes a recent trend: he now gets wobbled and dropped more than he used to.

picks the 'minute winner' while admitting he 'won't be surprised at all' by a knockout loss

Powerful, accurate striker who stays patient and defensively sound, usually stuffs takedowns, and controls well once on top. His patience can tip into excessively low output when he is hunting a finishing shot instead of simply outworking the opponent.

He states outright he considers Figueiredo the more skilled fighter but 'take[s] Montel Jackson' purely on a stylistic matchup he calls 'a bad matchup for him' -- a direct, reasoned, unhedged commitment on the win.

Good, powerful and accurate striker who is hard to hit and good at hitting back, patient to the point of sometimes being low-output while waiting for his shot. Good grappler: really good takedown defense, a wrestling attack he can call on himself, and when he lands on top his control is strong enough that he tends to remain there.

He lays out a specific round-by-round scenario for the win, and the only caveats offered -- a stoppage risk, a rough patch where he gets rocked but survives -- are about how it happens, not whether Marcos wins.

Good striker who the analyst would rate even higher with more output -- a lot of power and really good striking defense, both helped by his range, plus a patient, shot-picking style that lands big but can leave him low-output. Good grappler as well, with real takedowns, good takedown defense, and excellent top control if he gets on top. The analyst sees him with more finish upside but expects Marcos to win the rounds.

He states a mechanism -- Jackson loses the output battle but wins via knockdown moments -- then immediately undercuts his own read and tells viewers to pass on betting it. A named winner plus that explicit pass instruction caps this at coinflip.

A good striker with real power who racks up knockdowns rather than one-shot finishes; he is patient, which keeps him out of risk but can leave his volume too low. His wrestling is good, with very good top control and a good takedown defense he has leaned on lately. The analyst's path to a Jackson win runs through knockdown moments swaying judges even if he loses the overall output battle.

Picked by submission and reaffirmed twice, but framed as loyalty to a fighter he personally favors rather than a confident analytical read, paired with the root-beer idiom AND an explicit instruction not to bet it -- the two-signal combination the confidence bar treats as coinflip, not a mere hedge.

A patient, powerful striker who can wait too long for his opening, with solid wrestling that is specifically flagged as a problem for Yahya because it can stuff or reverse the exact takedowns Yahya needs.

Genuine no-pick. He states he switched his lean several times before and during this recording (toward Arce, then Jackson, then back), names Jackson once in passing, and then disavows it outright, declaring the matchup an unresolved 'coin flip', refusing to wager, and admitting on camera he cannot settle on a side. The momentary naming is not treated as the verdict because he withdraws it in the same breath; staged null rather than manufactured from that transient mention.

A range striker with real power who keeps a level pace through a fight rather than over-extending. Also has good offensive wrestling/grappling, though defense in that department is described as not his best skill. The analyst's final, if unstable, lean favored Jackson on the logic that his power at range could rattle Arce's defensive approach and sway judges who score on damage.