Sean Zerillo grabbed Valter Walker at +185 (playable to +170) and paired it with Walker-by-Submission at +650, calling the Brazilian’s mat game a nightmare for the taller but upright Kennedy Nzechukwu. Walker averages six takedown attempts per five minutes of distance time and converts 94 % of his dominant ground positions into extended control. Kennedy owns an 83 % initial sprawl rate yet surrenders control half the time when fights do hit the floor—exactly where Walker excels. Zerillo highlighted that Walker weighed in at 244.5 pounds, giving him a small size edge while still looking nimble, whereas Kennedy added weight more gradually and may not hold the same top-side strength. On the feet, Kennedy’s five-inch reach and cleaner kickboxing win minutes, but Zerillo sees little knockout danger from the Nigerian; the decisive sequences come if Walker drags him down. Because Walker’s last two wins were by heel hook, Zerillo believes the sub represents a larger slice of his win condition than books imply. He also played Fight Inside the Distance at –150, projecting it closer to –175 given binary paths: Kennedy KO/TKO on the feet or Walker finish on the mat.

Kunath backed Valter Walker as a plus-money underdog, calling the Brazilian a budding heel-hook specialist whose 6’6” frame and raw horsepower make the submission especially nasty. He explained that in training partners move at half-speed on heel hooks because the joint damage comes instantaneously once the lock is fully in; under live lights Walker will be ripping at full force. Kennedy Nzechukwu owns the cleaner kickboxing and deeper gas tank, but Kunath expects at some point the light-heavyweights will tangle up, Walker will dive on the legs, and the smart play for Nzechukwu will be to tap early rather than risk an eight-month layoff with shredded knees. At + money Kunath is willing to live with the variance and is specifically looking for Walker by submission props.