I have gone back and forth on this fight no fewer than 100 times. And yes, I said fewer instead of less because that is proper grammar. I think I have the same breakdown that most others do here. If DDP survives early, he can take over. DDP is an awkward freak with cardio while Khamzat is a technician who has seemed to struggle. This current version of Khamzat is a far cry from the rumors we heard about the guy who would train for 12 hours and never get tired. But I do think there is a misguided narrative here, i am not convinced that Khamzat's cardio is as shit as everyone says it is. The fights people point to are Gilbert Burns which was at 170 and Kamaru who is a divisional great. I'm actually surprised to see that Khamzat is the betting favorite because I have not seen a single person pick him to win. The DDP support is overwhelming but I am bucking the trend. I think Khamzat being in the US for as long as he has will help dial in his cardio. I think the actual fight skill gap is wider than most people think and I also think that Khamzat can win multiple rounds not just the first. Khamzat is the pick and this is the most excited I have been for a main event all year.

Dricus Du Plessis

Driscus Du Pless is everyone's favorite sloppy fighter. Even Dricus himself laughs at how sloppy he can be. But he wins. He is an absolute brute who charges forward throwing punches at full power while mixing in takedowns. He has a seemingly endless gas tank and relentless pressure. He is coming off his second win over Sean Strickland

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is a polarizing guy that people talk about as if he is not human. We hear about his work ethic, his wrestling and his ability to dominate fights wherever they go. In execution, we have seen the wrestling and we have seen the one punch power, but we have also seen him struggle a bit with random health scares and cardio. The reality is that it seems as though Khamzat can take anyone down whenever he wants to and is seemingly impossible to take down. He is willing to strike, but isn't the most technical. He is coming off the teeth crushing win over Robert Whittaker