The Weasle predicted Jose Ochoa to stop Cody Durden in round two via head-kick TKO. Durden is a big, gritty flyweight who relentlessly hunts takedowns but repeatedly ducks his head—in fact, that habit got him dropped by Bruno Silva’s uppercut and Mohamed Mokaev’s flying knee. Ochoa is a switch-stance sniper with creative kicks and solid takedown defence. The analyst believes Ochoa will stuff enough shots to keep the fight upright, rack up damage at range, then time Durden’s next duck with a high kick that lands flush for the finish. Given Ochoa’s five-fight finishing streak and Durden’s defensive flaw, The Weasle views the knockout as more likely than a decision.

Guru sided with Jose Ochoa despite Durden’s pace and durability. Ochoa flashed elite kill-shot instincts in his debut, stunning Lona Kavanaugh to the body and threatening slick submissions off scrambles. Durden historically struggles when opponents combine composure with real pop—Guru noted he “always has a problem” with fighters who can both strike and latch subs. Expect Ochoa to capitalize on Durden’s aggression with a counter or opportunistic choke, making the favorite price warranted.

THE MMA GURU doubled-down on his earlier pick but got more granular, saying Jose Ochoa is live for a finish inside the first two rounds. He envisions Ochoa hurting Cody Durden with a left kick to the liver—Durden has been susceptible to body work in past bouts—then jumping on a guillotine or rear-naked choke when Durden shoots a panic takedown. Guru likes Ochoa’s ‘latch-him-up-out-of-nowhere’ finishing style (six finishes in seven wins) and referenced the prospect’s UFC debut where he buckled Lona Kavanaugh to the body before threatening submissions. Although he concedes there is some underdog value on Durden, he believes Durden’s volume grappling will simply hand Ochoa the transitions he needs to close the show.