Roman Kopylov

sides with the better kickboxer but adds he could be wrong

Called the better pure kickboxer in this matchup, built on tight defense, clean straight punches, a stiff jab, varied combos/single strikes, body work, kicks to every level, and feints. His grappling is explicitly a weak point - decent across takedowns, takedown defense, and top control, but outmatched if the fight actually goes there.

Says he's only leaning Rodrigues 'slightly' for the grappling edge, repeatedly doubts whether Rodrigues will actually use it, saying he can't 'count on that,' and closes asking himself 'do I really trust it?'

A solid striker with pretty tight defense, clean straight punches (especially a super solid jab), and an unusually good mix of combinations and single shots that keeps opponents guessing, built on constant feinting and good body work with kicks to every level -- the kind of craft the analyst compares to high-level kickboxing stylists. His grappling is only decent (decent takedown defense, takedowns and top control) and treated explicitly as a backup plan; he will get overwhelmed on the mat by a true grappler.

If Costa pulled it off the analyst says he 'wouldn't be mega surprised' -- especially had Costa shown up wanting to fight the way he used to, which he says hasn't happened lately; a real but conceded mechanism, graded lean.

A solid striker with a tight defensive shell, clean straight punches, and a dependable jab, mixing combinations and single shots to keep opponents guessing; he works the body, kicks to every level, and uses feints well. His grappling is decent rather than a primary weapon: decent takedowns and top pressure, and the analyst notes he has leaned on a grappling game plan successfully before, but expects him to keep this one standing.

Picks Curtis as a big underdog but twice says he 'wouldn't be surprised' if Kopylov instead wins by kickboxing at range for some or all of the fight -- an explicit, repeated hedge on the outcome itself, not just on price.

Solid kickboxing striker who keeps a tight guard, lands crisp straight punches and a strong jab, and does good work to the body and legs, mixing single shots with combinations and feinting effectively. Not expected to find much success taking this fight to the mat against an opponent with elite takedown defense. His path to winning is read as staying at full kickboxing range for the whole fight rather than letting it get inside.

Sides with Kopylov purely on UFC/MMA experience in a data-poor matchup, explicitly stating the pick carries almost no confidence and that it was switched more than once while preparing.

Tight, technical striker-kickboxer with a clean jab, varied combinations and single strikes, kicks to all levels, and feints to set up his offense. Takedown defense is called decent. The analyst leans on his greater UFC/MMA experience to break an otherwise close striking matchup.

He explicitly names a real alternative outcome -- 'there's a world where' Kopylov knocks Hernandez out, and says that's plausible -- before preferring his own pick on volume and a mat-control mismatch; the acknowledged finishing threat against his own pick is not dismissed, just outweighed.

Kopylov is a solid, technical striker with tight defense, a clean jab, and kicks to every level, mixing combinations and single strikes to keep opponents guessing and setting shots up with feints. His takedown defense has improved, but once grounded he can still be controlled and gives up his back trying to stand, which the analyst flags as the matchup's biggest danger for him.

Explicit named pick for Kopylov, stated plainly as an easy, comfortable win, with a concrete technical case (clean/varied striking, improved takedown defense) against a one-dimensional opponent. No hedge on the win itself; the only caveat is about the betting price moving against him, which is a value comment, not outcome doubt.

Made a weak early UFC impression but has clearly trended upward since, including a recent head-kick knockout. Solid striker with a very tight defense: a clean, effective jab, feints to set up strikes, and kicks to all levels (leg, body, head) delivered quickly. Deliberately mixes combinations with single strikes so opponents can't time him. The analyst separately notes a real recent gain in his takedown defense.

States the pick plainly but repeats "could be wrong either way" twice and frames the finish order as a guess, not a settled read.

A tight, technical striker: good defense, clean straight shots and a stiff jab he sets up combinations behind, plus kicks to every level and feints. His one noted flaw is inconsistent output -- he can feint so much he undercuts his own volume. The analyst expects Ribeiro's forward pressure to force him to let his hands go more, which should suit his straight-shot style.

He says he'd rather skip this matchup altogether and only leans Soriano because he has to make a pick, explicitly saying he will not bet it and citing a past bad experience trusting his own pick in a similar matchup -- per the caption, 'the pick, barely.'

A good kickboxer with excellent (87%) UFC takedown defense who, like his opponent, struggles off the back and has little answer if taken down; the analyst frames the key question as whether Soriano's power can find his chin.

The most openly uncertain pick on the card: he says plainly that he has no real read on it, admits a counter-argument would probably sway him either way, calls it a candidate for his worst breakdown of the night, and frames the pick as something he only makes because a prediction video needs one for every bout.

Winless in the UFC, with his most notable loss being a submission to a fighter not known as a grappler. Picked only narrowly and with heavy self-acknowledged uncertainty, mainly on the expectation this stays a striking fight rather than a grappling one.