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Austin Swaim's UFC DFS lineups picks for UFC Shanghai - Nurmagomedov vs. Song. Top MMA fighter picks this week include Bilal Hasan, Lawrence Lui, Xiao Long, Song Yadong, and Kevin Borjas.
Every week, DraftKings Daily Fantasy has MMA contests featuring the full schedule of UFC fights. The DFS slate for UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song locks Saturday at 3 a.m. EST on Paramount+.
Saturday's main event is a bantamweight title eliminator between unstoppable Russian wrestler Umar Nurmagomedov -- the cousin of Khabib. He's taking on China's Song Yadong, who will certainly have the home crowd behind him.
Here is a full breakdown of my favorite picks on the card in each pricing tier.
UFC Shanghai DraftKings DFS Studs to Target
Bilal Hasan ($9,600)
UFC's advertisement of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) rolls into yet another main card spot for a debutant. This time, it's flyweight Bilal Hasan that will open the featured bouts on Saturday.
Hasan's fervent pace was on display with a ridiculous 35.00 significant strike attempts per minute in a 45-second beatdown of his DWCS opponent. That marked the eighth time in his last nine fights that he's finished an opponent inside 10 minutes.
The biggest favorite in #DWCS history only needed 45 seconds to get this one done!
Bilal Hasan is UNBELIEVABLE inside the Octagon! 😮💨
[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/uyiENO9ltD
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 12, 2026
That's what we're looking for here: tempo and upside to finish the fight. The "Indoninja" might have a tough time putting away undefeated Nilson Rojas with strikes, but he's the type of fighter that can score in a decision, too. That's ideal for cash games.
Lawrence Lui ($9,100)
Because Lawrence Lui was dropped twice in his Road to UFC (RTU) debut, I think he's a bit riskier than some of these other favorites, but he's got plenty of paths to a monster score in DFS.
Lui battles Hector Santiago, a former boxer, in his debut, and Santiago was finished by body kicks in karate and a submission in his only pro MMA setback. Lui fired 16 body kicks in the RTU finale, and we know he can grapple (5.30 takedowns landed per 15 minutes).
If Lui can avoid the debutant's early right hand, he's got a floor in fantasy from his takedown volume, and the ceiling could come from a first career sub.
Julia Polastri ($8,900)
Though coming off a fight where she disappointed as a favorite, I still like Julia Polastri's formula for a big number -- which is rare at women's strawweight.
The obvious downside to her profile is that her odds to go the distance are -360 at DraftKings Sportsbook. But the Brazilian has shown she can score in DFS during decisions -- especially when there's no grappling threat coming back her way.
Polastri has posted a whopping 6.22 significant strikes landed per minute, the highest in this stud tier outside of Hasan.
It should be a striker's delight against China's Xiong Jingnan, but don't forget that Polastri's DWCS bid ended with a second-round submission. I think she's sneaky at a discounted salary in tournaments.
UFC Shanghai DraftKings DFS Mid-Tier Picks
Liu Ce ($8,700)
The most volatile fight on the card is the light heavyweight battle between Liu Ce and Levi Rodrigues Jr.
Ce is a championship kickboxer from China with devastating kicks and mammoth knockout power. Not many 205ers in the world can strike with him for more than a handful of minutes:
Taking his act from the ring to the Octagon! 🦵💥
Chinese kickboxing champ Liu Ce is set to make his UFC debut in #UFCShanghai!
[ 🎥: @k1wgp_pr ] pic.twitter.com/98IQHjihIF
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) August 27, 2026
But as a pro MMA fighter, Ce already lost to a grappling-heavy approach, and Rodrigues Jr. won his DWCS bid with a ground finish.
There is variance and risk to Ce, but he's -135 to win by first-round knockout, and Rodrigues Jr.'s 29% striking defense is abysmal. It's significantly more likely that the Brazilian runs onto a big shot than successfully floors this fight and finds a submission.
Xiao Long ($8,600)
At 1-3 in the UFC, China's Xiao Long needs a win in his backyard to save his UFC contract. I think he's got the right opponent.
Long is a marauder, landing 5.06 significant strikes per minute with a stand-and-bang attitude. The problem? He's been matched with Cody Garbrandt, SuYoung You, and Chang Ho Lee, who are all in the damage avoidance game.
Italy's Francesco Nuzzi is a bit of a mystery at this level, but he was submitted in his only PFL appearance and knocked down less than 30 seconds into his last fight in Cage Warriors with Manoel Silva.
I've got some durability concerns, and that is an issue against what should be the hungriest version of Long yet.
Jack Jenkins ($7,800)
As I mentioned in my UFC Shanghai betting picks, Jack Jenkins is a spreadsheet darling.
He checks every box with elite striking accuracy (61%) and defense (59%). He's added 1.98 takedowns per 15 minutes and scores them at an efficient clip (60%). It's just not always the most amazing daily fantasy formula, winning three of four fights by decision.
At $7,800, that risk is lessened. A win with a couple of takedowns will be just fine, and he'll likely bring the fight to Sean Woodson. The American boxer has a 10-inch reach edge over Jenkins but has had endurance issues in each of his last two fights.
I've got Jenkins modeled as 51.9% likely to win as an underdog, so I like his floor in cash games.
UFC Shanghai DraftKings Underdog Plays
Namsrai Batbayar ($7,200)
This weekend's card also marked the conclusion of RTU Season 5, which is why an alum -- Namsrai Batbayar -- has been given the featured prelim.
The flyweight knockout artist is looking to make good on the opportunity. He scored (T)KOs in all three appearances on the show, but there are no easy fights in this division once you're here. Andre Lima definitely isn't one.
"Mascote" Lima is coming off his first UFC loss to Kevin Borjas, as a continued issue of maintaining offense late in fights persisted.
That could spell trouble against a guy with Batbayar's historical pace (9.87 significant strike attempts per minute), durability, and persistence -- especially in front of a home crowd.
Song Yadong ($6,700)
In a 25-minute fight that is -250 to go the distance, per DraftKings Sportsbook, the floor for Song Yadong has to be at least somewhat defined. I expect he'll be a popular punt for many because of this.
But, as I called attention to in my UFC Shanghai betting picks, Yadong shouldn't be written off to win this fight outright. He's stuffed 31 of his last 37 takedown attempts faced and showed a new wrinkle to defending those in his last fight:
That tap was QUICK😮💨@SongYadongLFG went for the guillotine choke at #UFCMacau ... what will he try this weekend at #UFCShanghai ?
[ SAT AUG 29 | 6amET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/KBwJAgNMUW
— UFC (@ufc) August 25, 2026
Given the expected duration, I expect a stack featuring both Umar Nurmagomedov, a takedown specialist with 25 potential minutes to control, and Yadong to be a popular build in all formats. I want to get different by using just Yadong and seeing if he can indeed spring the upset.
Kevin Borjas ($6,500)
Kevin Borjas defeated the aforementioned Lima as a +600 underdog in May. Here he is in a similar position again.
I'm not sure why the Peruvian ranked contender is being written off in these fights when he's a proven boxer who has denied 13 of the last 17 takedown attempts he's faced. Proven submission specialists like Lima, Victor Dias, and Alessandro Costa didn't tap out Borjas, either.
Rei Tsuruya is coming off a breakout performance: a first-round submission of Luis Gurule. But Gurule went 1-4 in the UFC, and Borjas has faced the division's champion (Joshua Van) and one of its top prospects (Imanol Rodriguez), competing with both.
Borjas's ceiling isn't great, but his salary is quite friendly for access to other finishers, and Tsuruya should be one of the most popular fighters as the card's largest moneyline favorite (-850).
