Does this guy know what he's talking about?

no need to apologize for using 198 or K1 rods. What is said in the video is true about the long rod affecting crank to pin angles, but that is a small price to pay to be able to use better lighter pistons that have thin metric rings for less friction and improved sealing. The K1 also gives a nice reduction in rod weight. The long rod concept with 2.2 L pistons also has a built in compression bump, less block and head decking is required. So there is some savings there. There are advantages to the long rod set up.
The long rod discussion was much like everything else in the video, he only gave half the story, and maybe that is as much as he knew.

Exactly, plus enter the the camshaft and everything else in the equation and it's certainly possible the long rod engine could be an improvement. It all depends on how it's built. Rest assured, had K1 thought the short rod was the way to go, they would have made that combination instead. I don't think their decision to make the long rod instead of the short was for marketing only.