MarQuel Mederos

Explicitly frames this as a knowing underdog pick, acknowledging he may be wrong, rather than a confident read.

A live underdog whose success hinges on using range and kicks to slow down a much more aggressive opponent before it becomes a phone-booth fight.

Picked against, with the analyst favoring the opponent's real track record of elevating at the UFC level.

A capable striker whose genuinely odd rhythm makes him tough for opponents to time, which in turn makes him a live threat on the feet. He can work from either stance, strings combinations together, feints constantly, and moves his head well. Kicks are probably where he leans hardest -- he flicks out the front kick often and lands the calf kick effectively, a tool he'll likely want firing early to slow an opponent's legs down. His grappling is passable -- he presses opponents into the cage well and likes to grind on them there between striking flurries, and that's also where his takedowns tend to come from. The clear hole in his game shows up when he's taken down himself: he'll surrender his back just to scramble back upright quickly, a real gift to any opponent who knows how to capitalize.