Steven Nguyen

says it would be hard to pick Yahya to win and that he isn't UFC level; no route to a Yahya win is offered

A clean, well-rounded striker who mixes kicks to all levels with steady volume and varied combinations. His standout trait is a leg-kick counter: he answers an opponent's leg kick with an immediate cross rather than defending it, forcing hesitation. On the ground he is hard to hold down and has a dangerous choke game, helped by leaner arms that slip under the neck easily. His main knock is a lack of killer instinct - he fights clean but doesn't press to finish.

Named pick with a stated route (out-point to a decision), but qualified twice as 'a close fight' -- a hedge that sits closer to the fight's overall closeness than to the win itself, so lean rather than coinflip or clear.

Steven Nguyen is read as a good striker with a clean one-two, strong kicks to all levels, and steady volume, who counters leg kicks well with a heavy cross. The analyst's main criticism is a repeated lack of killer instinct -- he hurts opponents and lets them recover rather than finishing. His grappling is rated good: hard to hold down, and a real submission threat with strong finishing grips.