Bisping picked Modestas Bukauskas to out-point Ion "The Hulk" Cutelaba. He acknowledged Cutelaba’s trademark blitzes, "gigantic knockout power," and solid wrestling, but stressed that Bukauskas now trains daily with Tom Aspinall’s BJJ squad, giving him elite looks for both grappling and striking. Bisping expects Bukauskas to stay composed, mitigate early chaos, and turn the fight once Cutelaba starts to fade. The improved defensive wrestling and calmer shot selection should carry Bukauskas to a decision victory, making him Bisping’s side on the ESPN prelims.

Matty Betss locked Bukauskas money-line as the first leg of his parlay, calling it a classic “buy-low spot on Cutelaba’s chin.” Betss reminded listeners that Cutelaba suffered a brutal three-fight skid in which Kennedy Nzechukwu, Magomed Ankalaev and others either knocked him out or club-and-subbed him, exposing a shaky gas tank and inconsistent defensive grappling. Although Cutelaba has recently survived to decisions and even notched a submission win, Betss believes the market is over-reacting to that short run of durability. Meanwhile Bukauskas is riding real momentum: he rehabbed a blown knee, won outside the UFC, returned and is 2-0 since, including a first-round KO over 11-1 Vitor Petrino that boosted his confidence. Betss argues Bukauskas only loses to high-end competition, owns the cleaner kickboxing, and can exploit Cutelaba once the Moldovan’s early wrestling fizzles out. With the line sitting around ‑105, Betss likes Bukauskas straight and sprinkles the KO prop to capitalize on Cutelaba’s historically fragile beard.

Matty Betss staked the opening leg of his UFC 315 Cycle Parlay on Modestas Bukauskas scoring a knockout over Ion Cutelaba at +275. Betss pointed to Bukauskas power surge since returning to the UFC, highlighting his vicious Round-1 KO in his most recent bout. He also reminded viewers that Bukauskas rebuilt his career after a gruesome leg injury suffered against Khalil Rountree, arguing the comeback narrative shows both physical health and renewed confidence. Despite calling Cutelaba "a beast," Betss believes Bukauskas ’ length and proven finishing ability give him the cleaner KO path and the odds are mis-priced.

Matty Betss locked Bukauskas money-line as the first leg of his parlay, calling it a classic “buy-low spot on Cutelaba’s chin.” Betss reminded listeners that Cutelaba suffered a brutal three-fight skid in which Kennedy Nzechukwu, Magomed Ankalaev and others either knocked him out or club-and-subbed him, exposing a shaky gas tank and inconsistent defensive grappling. Although Cutelaba has recently survived to decisions and even notched a submission win, Betss believes the market is over-reacting to that short run of durability. Meanwhile Bukauskas is riding real momentum: he rehabbed a blown knee, won outside the UFC, returned and is 2-0 since, including a first-round KO over 11-1 Vitor Petrino that boosted his confidence. Betss argues Bukauskas only loses to high-end competition, owns the cleaner kickboxing, and can exploit Cutelaba once the Moldovan’s early wrestling fizzles out. With the line sitting around ‑105, Betss likes Bukauskas straight and sprinkles the KO prop to capitalize on Cutelaba’s historically fragile beard.

The Weasle sided with Modestas Bukauskas by decision, citing technical kickboxing, distance management, and a capable guard game against Ion Cutelaba’s wrestling resurgence. Bukauskas’ switch-stance attack, jab, and calf kicks should piece up Cutelaba provided he keeps his hands high—he was slept by Vitor Petrino after dropping the right. Cutelaba’s wild hooks can loop around but lack precision; if they miss, Bukauskas scores. On the mat, Bukauskas showed effective defensive guard versus Petrino, suggesting he can stall, force stand-ups, and win minutes on the feet. Avoiding a big overhand equals a 29-28 type victory.

Jeff Fox flipped to Modestas Bukauskas late in the week, citing the Lithuanian-Brit’s upward trajectory. Bukauskas owns finishes in his last two outings, has won six of seven overall, and is now training full-time with Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight room— a room Fox believes has elevated his power and defensive wrestling. Despite being the same age, Kutelaba has 30 pro fights and far more mileage, plus a well-documented habit of emptying the fuel tank in round one. Fox thinks Bukauskas’ improved takedown defense will extend the fight, and once that happens the fresher, longer striker should capitalize on a tired Kutelaba. At ‑105, Fox views Bukauskas as a live dog and prefers him to any Kutelaba exposure.

Gumby Vreeland backed Modestas Bukauskas at essentially even money (-105), arguing the Baltic Gladiator can survive Ion Kutelaba’s trademark first-round blitz and take over once the Moldovan’s gas tank empties. Vreeland noted Kutelaba’s cardio falls off a cliff after two minutes, while Bukauskas has stuffed takedowns in his last two wins and is now sharpening his wrestling daily with heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. Those sessions plus a three-inch reach edge have coincided with back-to-back finishes, proof Bukauskas has unlocked new stopping power. Vreeland expects Bukauskas to weather the early storm, keep the fight standing, and either score a late KO or win a clear decision. He also likes an ‘under’ on the fight time prop because both men are finish-or-be-finished types.

Michael Iurato is siding with Modestas Bukauskas, invoking his grandfather’s maxim: "always take the boxer over the puncher." Iurato called Ion Cutelaba a classic Cody Garbrandt case—one clean shot and the Moldovan abandons every game plan to brawl. When Cutelaba actually wrestles, his cardio looks passable, but Iurato doubts that discipline survives the first stiff counter. Bukauskas owns the technical edge at every range, throws in combination, and keeps a calmer pace. Iurato believes the Lithuanian will use long jabs, low kicks, and lateral movement to let Cutelaba punch himself out, then rack up rounds two and three. With both fighters hovering around even money, Iurato bet Bukauskas pre-fight and plans to add live once the gas dump becomes obvious, predicting a clear decision or late stoppage for the more composed striker.

Dan Tom said to take Modestas Bukauskas at near pick-em odds (-108) against Ion Cutelaba. Tom acknowledged Cutelaba’s early chaos and brief stint at Extreme Couture but emphasized that the Moldovan still melts once the first five-minute burst burns out. Bukauskas, by contrast, has "paid his dues" since re-entering the UFC: the Lithuanian cleaned up his tall-man defense after the brutal Rountree loss, mixes range-finding jabs with calf kicks, and showed he can fight through adversity in the Tyson Pedro bout. Tom expects Bukauskas to survive the predictable early blitz, then take over behind crisper footwork and a steadier gas tank. With the total set at 1.5 rounds (under +110), Tom sprinkled a little on the under but made the Bukauskas money-line the core bet, projecting either a late-second-round TKO or a 29-28 decision once Cutelaba’s output craters.

Millz Young is backing Modestas Bukauskas at the current pick-em price because Ion Cutelaba remains one of the most volatile fighters on the roster. While Cutelaba looked good last time out, it was against Erslan, the very fighter Bukauskas replaced in the UFC, and Cutelaba’s historical tendency to gas after the first round still looms large. Bukauskas brings the more balanced toolkit—cleaner distance striking, functional defensive wrestling, and better cardio—and Millz thinks those steady attributes will allow him to take over once Cutelaba’s early blitz cools off. He recommends a straight play on Bukauskas rather than risking parlays with Cutelaba’s unpredictability.

Kunath doubled-down on Modestas Bukauskas and went past the money-line this time, calling for a straight knockout. He reminded listeners Bukauskas has been drilling daily with heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall, shoring up his takedown defense and stand-ups. If Cutelaba does get him down, Kunath expects the Lithuanian to scramble up quickly and avoid extended top pressure. On the feet Bukauskas’ piston jab and 1-2s down the pipe should beat Cutelaba’s looping bombs to the target and keep the Moldovan from setting his feet. Cutelaba’s defensive lapses and well-documented cardio crashes—he has been wobbled in multiple bouts outside of Round 1—create a window for Bukauskas’ “killer instinct” once a combination puts Cutelaba on skates. Kunath forecasted the finish somewhere after the first few exchanges, recommending Bukauskas by KO at plus money and even sprinkling R2-R3 props for bettors who want a bigger payday.

Kunath stayed on the Modestas Bukauskas bandwagon, grabbing him near pick-em odds against the volatile Ion Cutelaba. Bukauskas 2.0 is 4-1 since rejoining the promotion, showing sharper jab-first striking and improved takedown awareness after drilling with heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. Kunath reiterated his long-held mantra—"If Cutelaba beats me, he beats me"—because the Moldovan cannot be trusted: explosive early but prone to reckless charges, cardio dumps, and defensive lapses that have led to multiple knockouts. If Cutelaba does land takedowns, Kunath expects Bukauskas to work back up quickly; otherwise the cleaner, straight punches and superior fight IQ favor the Lithuanian. Play: Bukauskas ML at -112 (or better) with a sprinkle on KO/TKO round 2-3.