Hello UFC fans. This weekend, we have a 12-fight card in Raleigh, including a main event between Curtis“Razor”Blaydes and Junior “Cigano” dos Santos. The main GPP has $25,000 going to first place with a total of $125,000 being paid out. Let’s dig in for some MMA DFS analysis.
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Herbert Burns $7,900 vs. Nate Landwehr $8,300
Cash – Herbert Burns is playable in all formats.
Hebert Burns earned himself a UFC contract this past summer by submitting Luis Gomez in April at Titan FC 54 by first-round rear naked choke. Then he made his way to Dana White’s Contender Series, and there he submitted Darrick Minner by a first-round triangle choke. Burns Is looking forward to joining his older brother Gilbert Burns in the UFC.
Nate Landwehr joined the UFC by way of the M-1 Challenge, where the Russian promotion rewards M-1 champions with a UFC contract. He won his championship by TKO win over then-champion Khamzat Dalglev. Landwehr has defended his title twice with a first-round TKO win over Andrey Lezhnev and a unanimous decision win over Viktor Kolesnik.
MMA DFS Pick – Herbert Burns via Second-Round Submission
Brett Johns $8,000 vs. Tony Gravely $8,200
Cash – Tony Gravely is playable in all formats.
Tony Gravely Is making his UFC debut and is coming in on a seven-fight winning streak. He is the former King of The Cage and CES MMA bantamweight champion. Gravely also competed on Dana White’s Contender Series where he finished Ray Rodriguez by a third-round TKO.
Brett Johns is coming in on a two-fight losing streak. He has not won a fight in almost two years, as his last win was versus Joe Soto at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26 finale. Johns has had some success outside of the UFC as a former Cage Warrior and Titan FC bantamweight champion.
MMA DFS Pick – Tony Gravely via Second-Round TKO/KO
Sara McMann $8,000 vs. Lina Lansberg $7,000
Cash – Avoid (GPP only)
Sara McMann was on a three-fight win streak, including a bonus-winning submission over Alexis Davis who had never been submitted. She then suffered two consecutive submission losses versus Ketlen Vieira and Marion Reneau. McMann is making her way back to the Octagon after a 23-month layoff due to injury and giving birth.
Lina Lansberg has seemingly put her debut loss to Cris Cyborg behind her to win four of her next six fights. Her last fight saw her overcome huge odds to upset Macy Chiasson. Lansberg will be looking to keep this fight off the mat, away from McMann’s world-class wrestling, but she still could be in trouble due to McMann’s knockout power.
MMA DFS Pick – Sara McMann via Unanimous Decision
Montel Jackson $9,400 vs. Felipe Colares $6,800
Cash – Montel Jackson is playable in all formats.
Montel Jackson is coming in on a two-fight winning streak by wins over Brian Kelleher and a submission win over Andre Soukhamthah. Prior to this, Jackson had knocked out five opponents. He is a standout prospect in the Bantamweight division.
Felipe Colares fell to Geraldo de Freitas in his Octagon debut but came back five months later to upset Domingo Pilarte by split decision. Colares is a poor striker and will be outgunned by Jackson. He has a very strong top game but that is unlikely to come into play with Jackson’s superior wrestling.
MMA DFS Pick – Montel Jackson via First-round TKO/KO
Justine Kish $7,500 vs. Lucie Pudilova $8,700
Cash – Avoid
Lucie Pudilova is coming in off a loss to Antonina Shevchenko via rear naked choke in round two. Despite the loss, she still won Fight of the Night bonus. Pudilova was the Gladiator Champion in the bantamweight division in the Czech Republic.
Justine Kish is an orthodox Muay Thai fighter who is coming in on a loss to Ji Yeon Kim via split decision. She is an OK grappler and is taking her opponents to the mat at a rate of 1.04 times per three rounds. She competed in Muay Thai for 10 years prior to pursuing her UFC career.
MMA DFS Pick – Lucie Pudilova via Unanimous Decision
Arnold Allen $9,200 vs. Nik Lentz $7,000
Cash – Avoid.
Arnold Allen was hoping to fight Josh Emmett which would have been the biggest fight of his career thus far. Alas, he gets Nik Lentz instead. Allen is a well-rounded fighter. He is a strong striker and has a solid grappling game. He will be looking to showcase his talents in this fight against Lentz.
Lentz is coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira and is hoping to get back on the winning track. He will be looking to take this fight to mat where he hopes to wear down Allen with his wrestling and grind out a win.
MMA DFS Pick – Arnold Allen via Unanimous Decision
Bevon Lewis $9,300 vs. Dequan Townsend $6,900
Cash – Avoid.
Bevon Lewis is coming in on a two-fight losing streak TKO loss verses Uriah Hall and a unanimous decision loss to Darren Stewart. Lewis is a Muay Thai fighter with solid striking and kickboxing and lands 4.7 strikes per minute. He will be by far the better striker in this fight.
Dequan Townsend will return from a six-month USADA suspension for cocaine and fentanyl. Prior to this, he fought Dalcha Lungiambula and lost by way of TKO. Townsend only lands 1.22 strikes per minute and he absorbs 2.99 per minute.
MMA DFS Pick – Bevon Lewis via Third-Round TKO/KO
Jamahal Hill $8,500 vs. Darko Stosic $7,700
Cash – Avoid.
Jamahal Hill is coming in undefeated 6-0 and he his making his UFC debut. He knocked out Alexander Poppeck on Dana White’s Contender Series, earning a UFC contract. Hill has a significant height and reach advantage on Stosic and he has serious knockout power.
Darko Stosic is coming in on a two-fight losing streak to Devin Clark and Kennedy Nzechukwu, both coming by unanimous decision. Stosic is out for some redemption and will be trying to get back in the win column. He is a solid striker with some legit knockout ability, just not quite to Hill’s level.
MMA DFS Pick – Jamahal Hill via Unanimous Decision
Hannah Cifers $7,600 vs. Angela Hill $8,600
Cash – Angela Hill is playable in all formats.
Angela Hill is stepping in after Brianna Van Buren had to pull out of the fight, Hill is a UFC veteran and will be a far tougher opponent for Cifers. She is coming in off an outstanding TKO win over Ariane Carnelossi. Hill could struggle in this one as her style of kickboxing seems to tire her out at times, and this match could turn into a slugfest.
Hannah Cifers is an exciting prospect, but the problem with her debut was she had to fight Maycee Barber, who had been rolling through her opponents. Cifers is coming in on a two-fight win streak, beating Polyana Viana and Jodie Esquibel and was fighting with a broken arm versus Viana. Cifers has power and has finished half of her opponents via knockout.
MMA DFS Pick – Angela Hill via Unanimous Decision
Jordan Espinosa $7,100 vs. Alex Perez $9,100
Cash – Avoid.
Alex Perez was riding an eight-fight win streak until he met one the best flyweights, Joseph Benavidez, and got finished in the first round via knockout. Perez was able to get back on track in his last fight with a decision win over Mark De La Rosa. Perez is a strong flyweight and is a solid striker with power.
Jordan Espinosa got a unanimous decision win over Eric Shelton in his UFC debut but got his five-fight winning streak snapped by Matt Schnell in his last fight back in August. Espinosa likes to find the neck and lock up front chokes when taking his opponents down.
MMA DFS Pick – Alex Perez via Unanimous Decision
Rafael dos Anjos $8,900 vs. Michael Chiesa $7,300
Cash – Michael Chiesa is playable.
Michael Chiesa has been rolling since moving up to 170 pounds last year with a submission win over Carlos Condit and a decision win over Diego Sanchez. This will be a big step-up in competition facing dos Anjos, who is the former lightweight champion.
Rafael dos Anjos also moved up to welterweight but he has not had the good fortunes as Chiesa. He suffered decision losses to Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman and lost another decision to Leon Edwards in his last fight.
MMA DFS Pick – Michael Chiesa via Unanimous Decision
Curtis Blaydes $9,000 vs. Junior dos Santos $7,200
Cash – Curtis Blaydes is playable is all formats.
Curtis Blaydes is coming in on a two-fight winning streak with his only losses coming to Francis Ngannou twice. Blaydes is an explosive athlete and he finishes his takedowns with power and authority. In top position, Blaydes has devastating ground and pound, throwing heavy punches and elbows.
Junior dos Santos is coming in off a knockout loss to Ngannou. Prior to this, he had three consecutive wins. Dos Santos is a phenomenal athlete and boxer with hand speed and power. He has improved his defensive wrestling but still struggles on the ground at times.
MMA DFS Pick – Curtis Blaydes via Second Round TKO/KO. Blaydes is too explosive with his takedowns.
