Nasrat Haqparast

Calls it a close, competitive fight and hedges by repeating the word "probably" before naming Padilla.

A good striker with fast hands the analyst expects to have the higher output in this fight, coming forward and countering while advancing, with solid work to the body. He doesn't wrestle offensively very often, but when he does go for a cage push he dirty-boxes well from there. The analyst's case against him is purely about damage: he expects Padilla's elbows to cut him up over the course of the fight.

Picks Salkilld on takedown potential but says Haqparast could also easily win a close decision, closing with an explicit 'stay away completely' caution.

High output drives his striking -- forward pressure, quick hands, consistent work to the midsection, and timely counters -- paired with a motor the analyst says never seems to run out. He is not eager to wrestle generally, but when backed to the fence he shows a genuinely usable, dirty-boxing-flavored grappling game. He carries roughly double his opponent's professional experience (23 bouts to 10), and the analyst suspects a couple of his five straight wins were closer than the scorecards reflect. As of 2025-10-20.

States it plainly twice ('I've got to take him', 'we're gonna go with him'); zero-defense style 'gives pause' but does not become a hedge on the win.

A good striker with clean boxing combinations, good volume, body work and quick hands who comes forward with decent pressure. His wrestling is decent but used mainly as a setup for dirty boxing against the cage rather than a takedown-heavy approach — the analyst flags cage pressure as his clearest path to winning this fight.

A fighter the analyst believes has won three straight and is showing real improvement, especially in his once-thin grappling, which now includes a good cage push and dirty-boxing-style work. The more volume-based striker of the two, he comes forward with fast hands and body shots and throws a lot of volume; he has counter-striking ability too, though the analyst doubts he gets to use that specific tool against Gordon.

He states plainly that Haqparast's volume and cardio should outlast Mullarkey's slow start and durability, and that Haqparast gets the decision; no stay-away or price-caution language attached.

A good striker with great cardio, forward pressure, heavy volume and very fast hands who works the body, which sets up his standup against an opponent who tends to lead with his chin. He can also counter effectively while moving forward. His wrestling is decent but has shown clear improvement fight over fight, especially his cage-push control.

He states plainly 'you have to side with' Haqparast and repeats the same winner as his final call, reasoning that Haqparast's run against higher-level UFC competition makes him the better matchup against a fighter coming off a bad Contender Series showing. The only hedge is on the method ('I don't know for sure' about a decision), which does not demote a win-level grade per the confidence-bar rule.

A good, high-volume striker who comes forward with fast hands, works the body, and counters well, which the analyst calls the better striking profile in this matchup. His wrestling is described as a developing part of his game -- he can get a takedown if he needs one and defends well enough at this point -- and the analyst notes it has improved over time from a fighter who came in as mostly a pure striker. The stated reason for the pick is his run against tougher UFC-level competition.

The weakest-conviction pick on the card: he describes his own edge toward this winner as barely there, says he has flip-flopped on this bout repeatedly and might again, and openly says a first-round finish the other way would not shock him. He does commit to a named winner, so this is recorded as coinflip rather than a true non-pick.

Every one of his losses came against genuinely elite opposition, and the analyst believes his UFC form has actually been better than his recent record suggests. Holds a four-inch reach edge in this matchup along with real forward pressure and conditioning. The analyst's own worry -- not something he attributes to anyone else -- is that accumulated punishment will eventually produce a bad fade, yet he still leans toward him as the pick.