Manoel Sousa

Named as the pick on a power argument, with an explicit caveat that this is not a fight he'd bet heavily given both men are undefeated-in-five prospects on short notice.

A power-first striker who made backers sweat on the Contender Series and has looked great in his early UFC run. Fight-ending power is the calling card, kept consistent from the first minute to the third, set up with good feints and pressure -- though over-closing into the clinch or chasing a shot can cost him. The grappling is good too: takedowns against the cage, strong top pressure, and a submission arsenal he attacks aggressively, sometimes to his own detriment.

Commits to Sousa on power and durability, caveating only that a UFC debut can always go sideways.

Making his UFC debut, Sousa is a heavy-handed forward striker who keeps his power intact deep into fights, using feints and good movement to set up entries before unloading combination barrages. The issue is he can over-commit on those entries and end up stuck in the clinch, which neutralizes the power that's his biggest weapon, and he'll occasionally get wild hunting for the finishing shot. His grappling is solid apart from a shaky takedown defense; he's tough to pin even when taken down, capable of getting back up or sweeping, and he brings a real, aggressively pursued submission threat.