Rongzhu

Picks Garcia but flags it as "a very competitive fight" and concedes a real two-round distance-keeping path for Rongzhu that goes largely unanswered.

Rongzhu is rated the probable better pure striker of the two, with a sharp jab, heavy low kicks, fast hands, and real power in combinations. His main question mark is his wrestling: his takedown defense is only decent, and the analyst says he can be controlled once the fight hits the canvas. The analyst does credit him for improving his takedown defense noticeably during his UFC run.

going to take Rong Zhu

The better overall striker in this main event, with nasty leg kicks, combinations, power, a working jab and quick hands. His takedown defense is decent, but he struggles badly to get back to his feet once taken down. The analyst explicitly says Rongzhu has gotten better since earlier looks at him, and expects the striking to carry him to a clear decision.

He names a winner outright but immediately hedges the win itself, saying his gut tells him it ends up a split decision -- a real toss-up for the judges, not just a price comment.

Judged the far superior striker in this pairing -- heavy combination work, punishing leg kicks, a sharp jab and quick hands; the analyst keeps returning to his raw hitting power. His takedown defense is called fair and specifically on an upward trend, though he can still be controlled once an opponent actually gets him down. The pick leans on the striking gap holding for three rounds. As of 2025-08-18.

He states directly that Steele 'wins at a high clip' if the grappling comes into play, with only a passing nod to the experience gap, not a reversal of the pick.

Rongzhu brings heavy leg kicks and crisp combination punching with real pop and speed, likely giving him the edge if the fight stays standing, but his grappling is flagged as a serious liability: he struggles to stop takedowns and can be dominated once grounded. The analyst credits some recent progress defending takedowns while still judging it short of UFC standard.

wrestling advantage, Rongzhu's TD defense unproven

Fast and dangerous on the feet -- vicious kicks to the leg, sharp combinations, real pop in his hands, a striker through and through. His guard against takedowns has a shaky history and he has previously been pinned down once grounded, which is typically how his losses happen; a prior good showing there came against an undersized foe out of his weight class, which the analyst discounts as weaker proof.