X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fight Night 116: MMA Main Card Predictions and DFS Picks

Justin Bales gives his DraftKings MMA DFS lineup picks for the Fight Night 116 Main Card. Get a head start on your UFC DFS lineups for DraftKings.

What's up RotoBallers. In this column, I will be taking a look at the main card for Fight Night 116. Our analysis will help you with your DraftKings MMA lineups. We will be keeping track based on picking winners and losers. We will also predict how the fight will be finished, but that will not reflect in the records (Justin's Record: 146-73).

MMA has one of the best sweats in DFS. Two fighters compete at a time with only one coming out as the winner. It's the best feeling in the world when you are watching the main event of a show and know you need a first round knockout to win the entire tournament. And nothing feels worse than when you need a first round knockout by Stipe Miocic to win thousands of dollars in a tournament, but when he lands that knockout punch, you realize that you placed 14th because Jacare Souza was too dominant in a previous fight. This was a serious scenario that I had to live through when Miocic won the Heavyweight Championship. Without anymore waiting, here are our DFS lineup picks and DraftKings analysis for the main card at Fight Night 115.

Editor's Note: Interested in RotoBaller's MMA DFS Cheat Sheet with advanced fighter statistics, deep analysis and detailed insights from MMA DFS Expert Justin Bales? Let us know here.

 

Justin Ledet vs Zu Anyanwu

Anyanwu will be stepping in as a late replacement in this fight. In his last fight, he displayed good power on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He did not receive a UFC contract that night, but he looked good enough to be called in for this fight. Ledet, on the other hand, is an undefeated fighter, who is currently 2-0 in the UFC. He has displayed good cardio to go along with an active striking attack. He has also displayed a solid ground game in limited opportunities in the UFC, as well. Anyanwu is a powerful striker, who also has a couple submissions to his credit. With that being said, this is Ledet’s fight to lose. He has tremendous defense, and the pure volume of his striking game should overwhelm Anyanwu in his debut. Ledet also has multiple ways to win this fight.

Justin Ledet, Submission, 2nd Round

 

Kamaru Usman vs Sergio Moraes

Usman is a dominant wrestler that that comes with efficient striking, as well. Wrestling is his bread and butter, though, as he is one of the top wrestlers in the UFC. He gets a tough matchup against Moraes, who has displayed tremendous submission skills throughout his career. Usman is a suffocating wrestler, though. He will keep Moraes is poor positions throughout the fight, which will limit the number of submission attempts Moraes will be able to putt off. Usman’s wrestling has looked unbeatable early in his UFC career, and there is no reason to believe Moraes will be the first fighter to shut it down.

Kamaru Usman via Unanimous Decision

 

Gregor Gillespie vs Jason Gonzalez

This is a matchup made to showcase Gillespie. He’s a powerful striker, who comes with relentless grappling, as well. Ultimately, Gillespie should have the advantage anywhere this fight goes. With that being said, Gonzalez is a finisher, who can win with his striking or submissions. He’s always looking for finishes, but one will be hard to find against Gillespie, who has yet to lose in his career. Look for Gillespie to work his striking for a bit before showcasing grappling in a dominant victory.

Gregor Gillespie, Submission, 2nd Round

 

Hector Lombard vs Anthony Smith

Smith has won two fights in a row now, while Lombard is currently on a three fight losing streak. Lombard has faced much better talent over that span, though. Both fighters have solid striking credentials. Smith is a bit more accurate, while Lombard features slightly better striking defense. This fight will be decided with Lombard’s grappling, though. He possesses good takedown accuracy and Smith has struggled to stay on his feet throughout his UFC career. If Smith can continuously get back to his feet, he has a good chance to win this fight. That is not the most likely scenario, though, as Lombard is too aggressive of a grappler to give up on takedowns.

Hector Lombard via Unanimous Decision

 

Mike Perry vs Thiago Alves

This matchup is going to feature fireworks. Both fighters love throwing heavy shots while looking for the knockout in their fights. Perry has only ever won his fights by knockout. Alves is the more experienced fighter, who has displayed elite power, as well. Alves has only ever been knocked out once in 33 fights, while Perry has never been knocked out. Perry had a questionable chin coming into this UFC career, but he has taken plenty of power shots in his four fights that put those questions to rest. This fight is as close to a 50/50 fight as I have seen, but I will side with Perry, who is coming into this fight with a ton of confidence.

Mike Perry, TKO, 2nd Round

 

Luke Rockhold vs David Branch

This fight is a bit shocking. Rockhold was recently on top of the division before losing the title after getting clipped by Michael Bisping in a short notice fight. Branch, on the other hand, has been on an elite winning streak, but the majority of that took place in World Series of Fighting. He won his last UFC fight by split decision. Rockhold is the more active fighter, and he should have no problems out-pointing Branch in this fight. Rockhold also comes with tremendous finishing potential. Realistically, this is a fight made for him to get a win under his belt before likely contending for the title once again.

Luke Rockhold, Submission, 3rd Round




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brock Bowers

Pete Carroll Classifies Brock Bowers Among His Best Players Ever
De'Von Achane

Lingering Calf Injury Poses Concerns for De'Von Achane
Adam Thielen

Vikings and Panthers Struggling to Finalize Adam Thielen Trade
Malik Monk

Kings "Not Actively Engaged" in Trade Discussions Involving Malik Monk
P.J. Washington

Mavs Likely to Offer P.J. Washington a Contract Extension
Kenny Pickett

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Give Trey Hendrickson a Raise
Amari Cooper

Signs One-Year Deal With Raiders
NHL

Jan Rutta Lands in Switzerland
Kirby Dach

Skates on Monday
COL

Tyson Barrie Retires From NHL
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Back in Toronto's Lineup
Joe Mixon

to Start Season on Non-Football Injury List
Jaylen Wright

Not Expected to Play in Week 1
Jakobi Meyers

Requests Trade
Jauan Jennings

Not Practicing on Monday, has Avoided IR for Now
Matthew Stafford

Taking 11-On-11 Reps on Monday
Zhang Mingyang

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Johnny Walker

Gets Back In The Win Column
Brian Ortega

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Aljamain Sterling

Proves Too Much For Brian Ortega
Chris Sale

Penciled in to Start on Saturday
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Sergei Pavlovich

Wins Decision At UFC Shanghai
Terry McLaurin

Signs Three-Year Extension with Commanders
Kevin Borjas

Drops Decision At UFC Shanghai
Sumudaerji

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Still Winless In The UFC
Taiyilake Nueraji

Gets His First UFC Win
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Daytona Cup Series Win
Tyler Reddick

Locks Into the 2025 Playoffs Despite Underwhelming Daytona Performance
Erik Jones

Misses the 2025 Playoffs Despite Top-Five Run at Daytona
Justin Haley

Best Performance of 2025 Falls Short of Victory at Daytona
Chase Burns

To Throw Bullpen on Tuesday
Kyle Larson

Enters Playoffs As Co-Points Leader
Alex Bowman

Advances to Playoffs Despite Crashing at Daytona
Cole Custer

Finally Shows Signs of Life at Daytona
Daniel Suarez

Lame-Duck Daniel Suarez Delivers Clutch Second-Place Finish
Logan Gilbert

Punches Out 13 in Victory
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez Battling Arm Soreness
Marcus Semien

Out 4-6 Weeks, Could Miss Rest of Season
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 11 in Win
Cal Raleigh

Sets Catcher Home Run Record
Yordan Alvarez

Likely to Return on Tuesday
Jacob deGrom

to Start on Monday
Kyle Tucker

Homers Twice in Win
Chris Sale

Likely to Return Next Weekend
Brian Robinson Jr.

to be RB2
Najee Harris

to be Ready Week 1?
De'Von Achane

Making Good Progress
Jaylen Wright

Considered "Week-to-Week"
Marcus Semien

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Merrill

Heads to 10-Day Injured List
Jordan Love

Says He'll Play in Week 1
Brice Turang

Absent on Saturday, "Touch-and-Go" With Wrist Injury
Chase Elliott

Despite Being Winless at Daytona, Chase Elliott is Probably the Best DFS Option
Ryan Blaney

Will Likely Lead a Lot at Daytona
Kyle Larson

a Poor DFS Option at Daytona
Christopher Bell

Consistent Enough to Consider for DFS
Chris Buescher

Now Must Win His Way Into Playoffs
Ryan Preece

Being One of the Slowest-Starting Fords Makes Ryan Preece a Strong DFS Option
Ross Chastain

Leads a Lot on Drafting Tracks
Daniel Suarez

Now in Desperation Mode With his Career on the Line
Chase Briscoe

Tendency to Finish Better Than He Runs May Reap Dividends at Daytona
Lamar Jackson

Should Practice on Monday
Carson Hocevar

Hard to Forecast Since He's Rarely Given 100 Percent at Daytona
Michael McDowell

has a Solid Drafting Record
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Arguably Starting Too Well for Place-Differential Points
Austin Dillon

Will Likely Be Too Conservative for DFS Consideration
Matt Chapman

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Moses Moody

Warriors Not Interested in Trading Moses Moody
Kevin Durant

Rockets Expected to Agree on New Contract
Trey Murphy III

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
Zack Wheeler

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Yoán Moncada

Yoan Moncada Hits a Pair of Home Runs on Friday
Willy Adames

Belts Two Solo Home Runs on Friday
CAR

Luke Kunin Joins Panthers on One-Year Deal
Auston Matthews

Says His Health is "Good" Before Start of Season
Roope Hintz

"Feeling Good" Ahead of New Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Recovering From Surgery
Marco Rossi

Wild Re-Sign Marco Rossi to Three-Year Deal
Bubba Chandler

Records Four-Inning Save in Debut
Walker Buehler

Officially Moving to Bullpen
NBA

Malik Beasley Now Drawing Interest from Teams
Brian Robinson Jr.

Traded to 49ers
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Shanghai Main Event
Johnny Walker

In Dire Need Of Victory
Brian Ortega

An Underdog At UFC Shanghai
Aljamain Sterling

Set For UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Set for UFC Shanghai Main-Card Bout
Sumudaerji

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Set To Open Up UFC Shanghai Main Card
Taiyilake Nueraji

Set For His UFC Debut
Connor Ingram

Clears Player Assistance Program
Frank Nazar

Inks Seven-Year Extension With Blackhawks
COL

Victor Olofsson Signs One-Year Deal With Avalanche
Tee Higgins

has Injury Scare on Thursday
Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons Expected to Play in Week 1
Dru Smith

Aims to Be Healthy for Training Camp
Jayson Tatum

Provides Injury Update
RJ Barrett

Considered a Trade Candidate
Golden State Warriors

Warriors "Remain Very Confident" About Signing Al Horford
Jahmir Young

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Hideki Matsuyama

Looks to Bounce Back at Tour Championship
Corey Conners

Looking to Reverse Struggles at East Lake
Cameron Young

Stays Hot Ahead of Tour Championship
Harris English

Aims for Complete Game at East Lake
Sepp Straka

Back in Action at East Lake
Ben Griffin

a Strong Value Play at East Lake
Rory McIlroy

Chasing Another Win at East Lake
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for 30th at BMW Championship
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Seventh at BMW Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley

Finishes Tied for 17th at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at BMW Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 23rd at BMW Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Wins BMW Championship
Harry Hall

Hot at the Right Time for Tour Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound at Tour Championship
Jacob Bridgeman

has One Weakness Heading to Atlanta
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Not Expecting to Be Moved Before the Season
Nick Taylor

a Long Shot to Win Tour Championship
Josh Giddey

Bulls Not Interested in Sign-and-Trade Deal Involving Josh Giddey
Brian Harman

Trying to Crack Top 20 at Tour Championship
Andrew Novak

Attempts to Bounce Back in Atlanta
Oscar Tshiebwe

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Justin Rose

Seeks Even More Success at Tour Championship
Washington Wizards

Alondes Williams Joins Wizards for Training Camp
Washington Wizards

Wizards Add Skal Labissiere for Training Camp

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP