Michael Bisping

Explicitly favours Makhachev, saying he probably wins; no method is recorded.

▶ Hear it — 6:20 View this fight →

Backs Pinas because he sees the matchup playing into the younger knockout puncher's hands. He respects Almeida's Glory kickboxing background, but thinks Pinas' first-round UFC knockout form and upside make him the side.

“I don't think Almeida gets the job done here.”

▶ Hear it — 1:20 View this fight →

Takes Wang Cong because he expects her striking to be too much for Cortez if the fight plays out on the feet. He notes Cortez is experienced, but frames Wang's kickboxing pedigree, rebound form and Team Alpha Male work as enough to get it done.

“Wang Cong is just going to be too much.”

▶ Hear it — 2:00 View this fight →

Expects a mostly striking fight and sides with Riley's boxing, Thai boxing, footwork, rhythm and youth. He respects Kamaka's experience and UFC return, but thinks Riley has the cleaner tools to win rounds.

“Luke Riley gets the job done, but it will be via a decision.”

▶ Hear it — 2:54 View this fight →

Starts by acknowledging Yanez's boxing could fit the matchup, then talks himself into Garbrandt because of the level he has fought at, his wrestling, power and will. He also reads Yanez's recent rough stretch as a possible confidence issue.

“I'm going with Cody Garbrandt.”

▶ Hear it — 4:22 View this fight →

Makes Steveson a clear pick because of his Olympic wrestling base, heavyweight athleticism, speed, power and elite coaching setup. He sees Ellison's limited UFC sample as a bad setup against a prospect he believes could be fast-tracked.

“Of course, he wins.”

▶ Hear it — 7:33 View this fight →

Takes Whittaker to win his light-heavyweight move, citing his speed, footwork, well-rounded game and power at 205. He warns Krylov is experienced, dangerous and versatile, so he expects a tough fight rather than a walkover.

“Robert Whittaker gets the job done.”

▶ Hear it — 9:04 View this fight →

Backs Kavanagh's speed, hand speed and kick entries as special enough to beat an experienced contender. He respects Royval's toughness and warns Kavanagh must keep his hands up, but still sees the promoted prospect winning on points.

“Lone'er Kavanagh gets the job done via decision.”

▶ Hear it — 13:09 View this fight →

Calls it a tough matchup, but sides with Sandhagen's reach, range, footwork and fight IQ. He thinks Bautista is underappreciated and well-rounded, yet expects Sandhagen to solve enough of the puzzle to win a decision.

“I'm going with Cory Sandhagen for a decision victory.”

▶ Hear it — 14:56 View this fight →

Topuria is a precise, ungodly-powerful technician and a heavy favourite. To him, backing Gaethje is backing the likely loser.

* Said in a reaction video to Arman Tsarukyan's bet, not a dedicated prediction — he stops short of formally locking it in ("I'm not making my prediction yet"), but leaves no doubt he's backing Topuria.

▶ Hear it — 2:38 View this fight →

Bisping favoured Gane on points the moment the fight was made — a Pereira win would be an upset. Gane's speed, lateral movement, angles and natural heavyweight size are a problematic stylistic matchup for a Pereira who walks straight forward, and the mass that lets Pereira hit hard also slows him down.

• Picked Gane on points the minute the fight was made
• Pereira has to cut the cage off perfectly to land — Gane isn't fazed by size or power
• Thinks the odds should be wider in Gane's favour

“The minute this fight was made, I favoured Ciryl on points. If Alex Pereira pulls it off, in my opinion, it's an upset.”

▶ Hear it — 17:21 View this fight →

O'Malley is taller with better boxing and a longer reach, and Bisping leans on the Chito Vera common opponent — what O'Malley did to Vera versus how close Zahabi's own fight with Vera was — while admitting MMA math doesn't really stack up.

• Taller, better boxing, longer reach
• Uses the Chito Vera common opponent as a loose read

“Sugar Sean O'Malley is probably going to beat Aiemann Zahabi.”

▶ Hear it — 32:07 View this fight →

Leans toward Hokit's speed, pressure and gas tank troubling a ~42-year-old Lewis, but won't commit — 'can Lewis land flush? I don't know.' The explicit 'Hokit' call late in the video is a guest's, not Bisping's; he frames a one-punch Lewis spark as the surprise, not his prediction.

▶ Hear it — 32:24 View this fight →

All signs point toward Ruffy getting a spectacular knockout. He's precise, taller and longer with spinning kicks and flying knees and now trains with Volkanovski, while Chandler has lost five of his last six and taken a lot of damage.

• Ruffy: precise, taller, longer, spinning and flying weapons, now at Volkanovski's camp
• Chandler 5 losses in his last 6 — invokes the Tony Ferguson decline comparison

“All signs pointing towards Mauricio Ruffy getting a spectacular knockout.”

▶ Hear it — 28:38 View this fight →

Picks Nickal but with real hesitation — the spot on the card where he can most see an upset. Daukaus has surged with two first-round finishes since returning, while Nickal is still proving he's a complete mixed martial artist.

• Picks Nickal but flags it as the most likely upset on the card
• Daukaus riding two first-round finishes; Nickal still establishing himself

“Bo Nickal probably… but I think that could be the one where the upset is.”

▶ Hear it — 32:46 View this fight →

Lopes is probably going to beat Garcia despite Bisping loving Garcia. He expects Lopes — who did much of his camp at Oklahoma State — to shoot takedowns and use his jiu-jitsu rather than bang with Garcia, whose finishing power is most dangerous on the feet.

• Expects Lopes to wrestle (Oklahoma State camp) and win on the ground
• May rob fans of the striking battle, since Garcia's edge is on the feet

“Diego Lopes is probably going to beat Steve Garcia. I love Steve Garcia.”

▶ Hear it — 32:02 View this fight →

Bisping has leaned Chimaev all week and, despite growing respect for Strickland's elite cardio, strength and ability to get back up, his gut still says Chimaev gets it done. He concedes he could be wrong and that the longer it goes the more it favours Strickland.

• A gut pick — admits he could be wrong
• Chimaev's one-shot power vs Strickland's five-round cardio
• Strickland's big weight cut flagged as a late-fight factor

“I think Khamzat Chimaev gets the job done.”

▶ Hear it — 17:26 View this fight →

Even with a closer personal relationship with Van, Bisping's honest pick is Taira as the more technical, more well-rounded fighter with less mileage. He sees a real submission threat if it hits the ground and believes Taira ends up the champion.

• Picks against Van despite knowing him personally
• Real submission danger if Taira gets it down
• Calls Taira a future champion

“But who wins the fight? I got to go with Tatsuro Taira.”

▶ Hear it — 10:58

Asked directly whether Volkov beats Cortes-Acosta, Bisping says no. He frames Waldo as a surging knockout artist on a three-fight streak who keeps getting better, while arguing Volkov hasn't been the same beast since the Aspinall knockout.

• Waldo on a three-fight KO streak
• Argues Volkov is diminished post-Aspinall
• Heavy emphasis on Waldo's power

“The question is, will he beat Waldo Cortes-Acosta? I say no.”

▶ Hear it — 5:22

Although he loves Sean Brady, Bisping goes with Buckley — confident, always coming forward, swinging for the fences — and thinks he catches Brady this time. He cautions that if Brady drags it to the mat it's a Brady submission.

• Caveat: if Brady gets it to the ground, expect a Brady submission
• Cites lingering trauma from Brady's first-round KO loss to Morales

“I love Sean Brady. I've got to go with Joaquin Buckley.”

▶ Hear it — 3:59

Bisping expects Green to fight his usual style — hands low, slipping and ripping, talking trash, pot-shotting — and to get it done at 39, while acknowledging Stephens needs only one punch to flip it.

• Notes Green's age (39) and the question of fading reflexes
• Acknowledges Stephens' one-punch KO danger

“I'm going with the King.”

▶ Hear it — 2:45