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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

UFC222: MMA Main Card Predictions and DFS Picks

What's up RotoBallers. In this column, I will be taking a look at the main card for UFC222. My analysis will help you with your DraftKings MMA lineups. I will be keeping track based on picking winners and losers, starting fresh for 2018. I will also predict how the fight will be finished, but that will not reflect in the records (Justin's 2018 Record: 16-11).

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 my DFS lineup picks and DraftKings analysis for the main card at UFC222.

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.

 

Cat Zingano vs Ketlen Vieira

If Zingano ever fought more than once every year, this would be somewhat of an easy pick for me. That is not the case, though, so I have no clue of what to make of this fight. Zingano is a powerful fighter, who has wins over top-level fighters, including Amanda Nunes and Miesha Tate. She has also only lost to top-level fighters, which you have to assume Ketlen Vieira is at this point. She is coming off a submission victory over Sara McMann, who has seemingly become lost in some grappling exchanges recently. I expect Zingano to keep this fight standing, where she is efficient and powerful. If she is able to do that, she will have the advantage over the younger fighter.

Cat Zingano, TKO, 3rd Round

 

Stefan Struve vs Andrei Arlovski

Stefan Struve and Andrei Arlovski are two of the most inconsistent fighters in the UFC, which makes this an extremely difficult fight to pick. With that being said, Struve has found some success recently, while Arlovski is 1-5 in his last six fights. Both fighters feature questionable chins to go along with fight ending power. I feel Struve should definitely win this fight, but he has proven to be such a hittable opponent that I question if he can deal with Arlovski’s power. Still, I think his size and reach are going to give Arlovski quite a bit of trouble. The edge goes to Struve, but not by a large margin.

Stefan Struve, TKO, 2nd Round

 

Sean O'Malley vs Andre Soukhamthath

Both of these fighters do a bit of showboating, but they tend to do it in different ways. Sean O’Malley loves talking trash before his fights, but is generally business once the door in locked. Andre Soukhamthath is often quiet in the media, but is known for knocking a fighter down three times with a jab before losing a decision because he did not capitalize on it. This fight essentially comes down to the power of Soukhamthath. O’Malley is the significantly more active fighter, and that will be the case throughout this fight. The question is whether or not Soukhamthath can land the power shot that puts O’Malley away or not. O’Malley has been extremely hittable early in his career, but he is young and gaining skills at a rapid rate. I expect O’Malley to utilize defense more in this fight, but still throw at a high pace. That will be enough to gain the edge on the judge’s scorecards.

Sean O’Malley via Unanimous Decision

 

Frankie Edgar vs Brian Ortega

This is one of the hardest fights that I feel I have ever had to pick. Brian Ortega is one of my favorite fighters because of his combination of skill and will to finish the fight. Frankie Edgar is no slouch either, winning seven of his last eight fights. Ortega is a fighter that is willing to give rounds away in hopes of finding a submission or knockout at some point throughout the fight. He has finished every fight in the UFC, and showed that he does not need the fight to hit the ground to find a submission. He is arguably the most impressive submission artist I have ever seen, but he is facing a fighter that knows exactly what Ortega’s game plan is. Edgar has never been submitted, or knocked out for that matter. Edgar should have no problems out-pointing Ortega on the feet, and I doubt Edgar is going to play the grappling game this weekend. As long as Edgar can stay out of the grasp of his opponent, which is easier said than done, I expect him to pick up the win.

Frankie Edgar via Unanimous Decision

 

Cris Cyborg vs Yana Kunitskaya

This is a throw-in fight to make the PPV have a title fight. Yana Kunitskaya should not truthfully be fighting for this title, and she has a very small chance of winning. She is not a counterstriker, but rather tends to pressure her opponents, while mixing in grappling exchanges. Pressure does not work against Cyborg, as he has the ability to “out-pressure” anyone she is up against. She is the crisper striker with more power, and the result is simply another formality.

Cris Cyborg, TKO, 1st Round




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Fried8 hours ago

Pitches Six No-Hit innings Monday
Justin Turner8 hours ago

Homers Twice In Monday Win
NFL9 hours ago

Seahawks, 49ers Interested In Jamal Adams
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Bengals Not Close To Tee Higgins' Contract Demands?
Gunnar Henderson9 hours ago

Cranks 10th Homer Monday
Chase Brown9 hours ago

Enters 2024 As Backup
Josh Lowe10 hours ago

Gets Good News On MRI Exam
Luis Severino11 hours ago

Flirts With No-Hitter In Eight Brilliant Innings
Cody Bellinger11 hours ago

Ramping Up Activity
Cristian Javier11 hours ago

Resumes Throwing Off The Mound
Zac Gallen11 hours ago

Throws Bullpen With No Issues
Tommy Edman11 hours ago

Swinging From Both Sides Of A Tee
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Available For Game 5
Kristaps Porzingis12 hours ago

To Undergo Imaging Tuesday
Seiya Suzuki12 hours ago

Not Ready For Rehab Assignment
Kristaps Porzingis12 hours ago

Doubtful To Return To Game 4
Michael Gallup12 hours ago

Intends To Sign With Vegas
Zack Gelof13 hours ago

Shut Down From Baseball Activities
Paul Sewald13 hours ago

To Throw Bullpen On Wednesday
Jesús Luzardo13 hours ago

Jesus Luzardo Dealing With Mild Flexor Strain
Patrick Beverley13 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Tuesday
Tim Anderson13 hours ago

Injured Monday
Christian Yelich13 hours ago

Playing Catch From 120 Feet
Khris Middleton13 hours ago

Probable For Game 5
Starling Marte13 hours ago

Expected To Return Tuesday
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

Unlikely To Play Tuesday
John Means13 hours ago

Orioles To Activate John Means This Week
Craig Kimbrel14 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Back Tightness
Giannis Antetokounmpo14 hours ago

Doubtful For Game 5
Gerrit Cole14 hours ago

Still Throwing On Flat Ground
Tyrese Haliburton14 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Game 5
Jo Adell14 hours ago

Hitting Second On Monday
Justin Steele14 hours ago

Might Only Need One Rehab Start
Bojan Bogdanovic14 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Mitchell Robinson14 hours ago

Questionable For Game 5
Jalen Brunson15 hours ago

Considered Probable For Game 5
Joel Embiid15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Kyle Pitts15 hours ago

Falcons Pick Up Kyle Pitts' Fifth-Year Option
Delon Wright15 hours ago

Back For Game 4
Matt Martin16 hours ago

To Miss Game 5
Derek Forbort16 hours ago

Could Play In Game 5
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Notches Another Top-Five Finish At Dover
Alex Bowman16 hours ago

Frustrated After Finishing Eighth At Dover
Jaylen Waddle17 hours ago

Fifth-Year Option Picked Up By Dolphins
Matheus Nicolau18 hours ago

Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 91
Travis Kelce18 hours ago

Chiefs Agree To Two-Year Extension With Travis Kelce
William Byron19 hours ago

Botched Pit Stop and Crash Eliminate William Byron From Contention at Dover
NASCAR19 hours ago

Martin Truex, Jr. Faded to Third at Dover, but Remains Fastest Driver of 2024
Kyle Larson19 hours ago

Late-Race Charge at Dover Comes up Short
Denny Hamlin19 hours ago

Takes Checkered Flag at Dover for Third Win of Season
Jarvis Landry19 hours ago

Expected To Try Out For Jaguars
Alex Perez19 hours ago

Scores Second-Round Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 91
MMA19 hours ago

Ariane Lipski Loses A Decision At UFC Vegas 91
Karine Silva19 hours ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Jonathan Pearce20 hours ago

Suffers Decision Loss
David Onama20 hours ago

Wins Second Fight In A Row
Brad Keselowski20 hours ago

A Tire Issue On Lap 118 Impacts Brad Keselowski's Day At Dover
Ryan Blaney21 hours ago

Finishes Seventh At Dover
Mika Zibanejad22 hours ago

Collects Two Points Sunday
Artemi Panarin22 hours ago

Notches Game-Winning Goal Sunday
Auston Matthews22 hours ago

Uncertain For Game 5
Ezekiel Elliott22 hours ago

Back With Cowboys
Noah Gragson23 hours ago

Nabs A Quality Top 10 Finish At Dover
Brock Boeser23 hours ago

Nets Hat Trick Sunday
Kyle Busch23 hours ago

Scores His Second Top-10 Finish Of The Year At Dover
Kevin Durant23 hours ago

Nets 33 Points In Game 4 Loss
Stuart Skinner23 hours ago

Blanks Kings On Sunday
Devin Booker23 hours ago

Racks Up 49 Points As Suns Go Down
Karl-Anthony Towns23 hours ago

Bags Second Consecutive Double-Double In Game 4 Win
Anthony Edwards23 hours ago

Crushes Suns
Jarred Vanderbilt23 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Delon Wright23 hours ago

On Track To Return Monday
Terry Rozier23 hours ago

To Remain Out For Game 4
Daniel Hemric1 day ago

Ends Up Ninth At Dover
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Sneaks Into Tenth At Dover On Sunday
Khris Middleton1 day ago

Can't Lift Bucks To A Win
Tank Dell2 days ago

In "Good Spirits" After Being Shot
Connor Hellebuyck2 days ago

Struggles Again Sunday
Nathan MacKinnon2 days ago

Cale Makar Each Notch Two Points In Game 4
Derek Ryan2 days ago

To Make Postseason Debut Sunday
Alexandar Georgiev2 days ago

Stands Tall Sunday
Valeri Nichushkin2 days ago

Notches Hat Trick Sunday
Vladislav Namestnikov2 days ago

Takes Puck To The Head Sunday
Auston Matthews2 days ago

Dealing With Illness
David Rittich2 days ago

To Start Game 4
Nick Jensen2 days ago

Rasmus Sandin, Nick Jensen Likely For Game 4
Casey DeSmith2 days ago

Out For Game 4
Kirk Cousins2 days ago

Still Atlanta's Unquestioned Starting QB
Justin Jefferson2 days ago

Vikings Optimistic Regarding Justin Jefferson's Contract Talks
J.J. McCarthy2 days ago

Vikings Won't Rush J.J. McCarthy Into Starting Role
Travis Etienne Jr.2 days ago

Jaguars Pick Up Fifth-Year Options On Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr.
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Is One Of The Top DFS Plays At Dover
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Will Start Fourth At Dover
Michael McDowell2 days ago

Fade Michael McDowell For the Wurth 400 At Dover
Joey Logano2 days ago

Will Not Cause Much DFS Excitement At Dover
Noah Gragson2 days ago

Is Noah Gragson A Sneaky Tournament Play At Dover?
Uros Medic2 days ago

Returns To Win Column At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane2 days ago

Winless In The UFC
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Wins UFC Debut
Ryan Spann2 days ago

Suffers Third Straight Loss
Bogdan Guskov2 days ago

Gets Upset Win At UFC Vegas 91
Kyle Larson2 days ago

the Favorite to Win at Dover Despite Qualifying 21st
Chase Elliott2 days ago

a Core DFS Play at Dover
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Always Strong at Dover
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Has DFS Place Differential Upside at Dover
NHL3 days ago

Jets Recall Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
Bobby McMann3 days ago

Progressing Well
Mathew Barzal3 days ago

Bags OT Winner Saturday
NHL3 days ago

Nick Robertson Moving To Fourth Line Saturday
Troy Franklin3 days ago

Broncos Trade Up To Select Oregon Receiver Troy Franklin
Deebo Samuel3 days ago

49ers Set To Keep Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk?
Luke McCaffrey3 days ago

Selected By Commanders 100th Overall
Jalen McMillan3 days ago

Heads To Tampa Bay
Tip Reiman3 days ago

Cardinals Take Tip Reiman At No. 82
Roman Wilson3 days ago

Selected 84th Overall By Steelers
Blake Corum3 days ago

Rams Select Blake Corum With 83rd Pick
Alex Perez4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau4 days ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
Ariane da Silva4 days ago

Ariane Lipski Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva4 days ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Uros Medic5 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane5 days ago

Searching For First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF