Cássio Barão vs Kevin Pease

👊 Barao has claimed victory in ten of his twelve professional bouts, with nine of those wins coming inside the distance—four by knockout and five via submission. Back in May, the Brazilian stopped Juan Souza with a knockout just two minutes into the opening round. However, his opponent is no slouch on the ground either. Pease remains unbeaten through eight fights, notching four submission victories, including a choke-out win over Will Starks in his most recent appearance. Before that, the American outpointed Ethan Polly and Nick Meck—both of whom entered their matchups boasting 7-1 records.

Pease’s biggest strength lies in his proven ability to control the action against high-caliber opponents. The American is comfortable grappling on the mat, but he also has the stamina and tactical nous to go the distance and edge out positional battles. Barao is the more dangerous fighter in aggressive exchanges and certainly has the power to end things early, but his strongest asset—wrestling—may not guarantee him an easy edge over Pease. If the American can weather the early storm and avoid a quick knockout, his control and smart energy management should prove decisive. My pick: Kevin Pease to win.