Submission skills of Islam Makhachev and power of Sergei Pavlovich - TNT Sports experts pick their 'Ultimate Fighter'

Imagine a fighter with the combined submission skills of Islam Makhachev and the power of Sergei Pavlovich. Now, what if they also had the stamina of Merab Dvalishvili, the chin of Max Holloway and the heart of Alexander Volkanovski?

This would be the ‘Ultimate Fighter’, according to the UFC experts of TNT Sports.

Adam Catterall, Caroline Pearce and Nick Peet got together ahead of this weekend’s UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi to discuss who, in the current roster, had the most power, the best submission skills, the most stamina, the best chin and the biggest heart.

For Peet, there was a clear winner in the opening category.

“Power means one thing - someone who switches people's lights out, puts them to sleep, renders them unconscious with a single shot, and I think right now there's a clear guy to pick out on that list and it’s Pavlovich. He looks absolutely ferocious,” said Peet.

However, he was outnumbered by Pearce and Catterall, both of whom picked Derrick Lewis as their most powerful fighter.

“He has the most knockouts. I mean, when that man lands, it's lights out,” said Pearce, and Catterall added: “He just has to touch you and you’re going for a kip.”

Pearce and Catterall agreed on who had the most impressive submission skills - but again Peet did not agree.

"Charles Oliveira. The most submissions in the UFC, who else?" said Pearce.

However, Peet pointed to Makhachev, who is headlining UFC 294 when he takes on Alexander Volkanovski - live on TNT Sports this Saturday, October 21.

"There’s a man here, in the main event tomorrow night, who choked out your guy [Oliveira], proving that he’s got better grappling than your guy. Islam Makhachev, for me, is my grappling prowess for my Ultimate Fighter," he said.

Selecting the fighter with the best 'gas tank' generated another debate. Catterall chose Dvalishvili, Pearce went for Colby Covington and Peet opted for Volkanovski.

Explaining his choice, Catterall said: "If you look at the man's record, he goes the distance a lot. He's constantly going three, constantly going five when he's in those main events. I don't know who's putting batteries in the back of him because he just keeps getting quicker as that fight progresses."

Peet, meanwhile, describes Volkanovski as the "pound for pound best fighter on the planet".

"I felt like if I was putting a list together right now, containing the best attributes to make an Ultimate Fighter and I didn't include the man who I currently judge as being the best pound for pound fighter on the planet, it kind of leaves the door open," said Peet.

Holloway had the best chin, according to Pearce and Peet, but again it wasn't a unanimous decision as Catterall chose Calvin Kattar.

Recalling the featherweight clash between Holloway and Kattar back in January 2021, a fight the former won by decision, Catterall explained: "I've never seen anybody take as many digs on the chin as Calvin Kattar and stay in the fight.

"If I'm building a chin, I want that concrete. It's straight out of Hollywood."

In the final category, and debating who has the biggest heart, Volkanovski's name was mentioned once more. While Peet chose Jim Miller and Pearce selected Molly McCann, Catterall backed the Australian.

"If someone like Brian Ortega puts a choke on you and you decide not to tap and breathe through your ears and manage to survive, and then get up and give them a good beating, you deserve the heart medal for me, Alexander Volkanovski."

Meanwhile, at the weigh-in in Abu Dhabi on Friday, Makhachev weighed in at 155lbs, while Volkanovski was 154.5.

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