RADIO
DraftKings MMA, UFC DFS Lineup Picks - UFC Azerbaijan: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. on 6/21/25. MMA DFS analysis to build winning daily fantasy UFC lineups.
The UFC heads to Azerbaijan for the first time this weekend as former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill takes on Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event from the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hill and Rountree Jr. were originally expected to meet at UFC 303 in June 2024, but the bout was scrapped as Rountree Jr. withdrew from the event after unintentionally ingesting DHEA in a tainted supplement. They were then booked to headline UFC Kansas City, but this time, Hill was forced to pull out due to an injury. The UFC Azerbaijan co-main event features Azerbaijan’s own Rafael Fiziev taking on Ignacio Bahamondes in the lightweight division.
To open up the main card, we have Muhammad Naimov facing off against Bogdan Grad. We have two lightweight fights on the main card, not including Fiziev vs. Bahamondes, as Azerbaijan's own Nazim Sadykhov takes on Nikolas Motta, and hometown hero Tofiq Musayev takes on Myktybek Orolbai. Also on the main card, we have Curtis Blaydes taking on UFC newcomer Rizvan Kuniev.
In this article, I will be providing you with my fantasy MMA lineup picks for UFC Azerbaijan: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. on 6/21/25. Give me a follow on X @sumpor5. Good luck!
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
DraftKings MMA Light Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Khalil Rountree Jr., $8.4K - vs. Jamahal Hill
Khalil Rountree Jr. is scheduled to take on former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Azerbaijan on Saturday. Both Rountree Jr. and Hill are looking to return to the win column and get one step closer to a title shot.
He's a scary scary dude 😤
Watch Khalil Rountree in the #UFCBaku main event this weekend!
[ LIVE SAT 3pmET on @ABC ] pic.twitter.com/EYPoGpfdtX
— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2025
Although he lost his last fight, Rountree Jr. earned heaps of praise by showcasing his striking, his toughness, and his heart. He was last seen in action back in October at UFC 307, where he lost to then-champion Alex Pereira via fourth-round TKO. Before his loss to Pereira, Rountree Jr. was on a tear, winning five consecutive fights.
Out of those five wins, four ended by TKO. Rountree is known as a forward-pressing power Muay Thai fighter who is explosive on offense and who carries knockout power, but he lacks appropriate striking defense.
His opponent and former champion, Hill, is in a tough spot. He was forced to vacate the title after rupturing his Achilles and has gone winless in two appearances. First, he fought Pereira in a light-heavyweight title fight, which he lost via first-round knockout, and then he lost to former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka via third-round TKO after a back-and-forth fight. Hill has three inches of height and five inches of reach over his opponent, Rountree Jr.
Rountree Jr. enters this fight with an MMA record of 13-6. He averages 3.73 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 38%. Rountree Jr. absorbs 4.51 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 48%. In regards to his grappling, Rountree Jr. never landed a takedown in the UFC. He does, however, defend takedowns 58% of the time.
Hill enters this fight with an MMA record of 12-3 with one NC and 6-3 with one NC in the UFC. He is averaging 7.05 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 53%. Hill absorbs 4.02 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 45%. In terms of grappling, Hill has yet to show any in the UFC, but he has a takedown defense of 73%.
I think Rountree Jr. is a more polished striker than Hill, but he does get hit a lot. On the other hand, Hill has been knocked out in his previous two fights, and he always keeps his chin in the air, which I think is going to result in a TKO victory for Rountree Jr.
Hill is the much higher-volume guy with more five-round experience and success fighting top-level competition, but I think those two previous losses will affect Hill psychologically coming into this fight. Not including his loss to Pereira, Rountree Jr. had momentum on his side, and it seems that he keeps on getting better while Hill stays the same.
Hill's been cracked recently, and Rountree Jr.'s knockout power should be too much if he lands clean. My prediction is that Rountree Jr. will knock Hill out within three rounds.
DraftKings MMA Lightweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Rafael Fiziev, $8.0K - vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Rafael Fiziev is set to make his return to the Octagon at UFC Azerbaijan, facing Ignacio Bahamondes in a highly anticipated co-main event. Fiziev looks to remain relevant in the lightweight division and get back in the win column, while Bahamondes looks to extend his win streak.
Everybody loves a wheel-kick 😮💨@RafaelFiziev & @JaulaBahamondes rate each other's KOs!
[ #UFCBaku | Live on ABC | 3pmET ] pic.twitter.com/fJRfqafS4T
— UFC (@ufc) June 20, 2025
After impressive wins over Bobby Green, Brad Riddell, and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, Fiziev looked poised for a title run. But unfortunately for Fiziev, he is now facing a skid after losing his last three fights.
First, he lost a back-and-forth fight to Justin Gaethje by unanimous decision, and then he lost to Mateusz Gamrot via second-round TKO after injuring his knee. He was last seen in action in March at UFC 313, where he again lost to Gaethje via unanimous decision after a back-and-forth fight.
Bahamondes has quietly been climbing the lightweight rankings. He is on a three-fight finishing streak, each of which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Those include a head-kick knockout on Christos Giagos, a right hook TKO over Manuel Torres, and more recently, a triangle choke on Jalin Turner. Bahamondes has gone 6-1 in his last seven bouts, and he's deserving of facing tougher competition. Fiziev is exactly that, and without a doubt, Bahamondes' biggest test and biggest name of his career.
Fiziev enters this fight with an MMA record of 12-4 and 6-4 in the UFC. He is averaging 4.85 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 52%. Fiziev is absorbing 4.95 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 48%. In regards to his grappling, Fiziev is averaging 0.50 takedowns every 15 minutes. Fiziev has a takedown accuracy of 57% and a takedown defense of 90%.
Bahamondes enters this fight with an MMA record of 17-5 and 6-2 in the UFC. He is averaging 7.09 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 47%. Bahamondes absorbs 4.36 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 57%. In regards to his grappling, Bahamondes has a takedown defense of 85%.
This bout has the Fight of the Night award written all over it. Both fighters are strikers and are most likely going to put on a show for fans. Bahamondes has won three straight, while Fiziev has lost three straight. Although Bahamondes has looked great thus far, I'm still not confident that he's ready for Fiziev, who is an elite striker.
Bahamondes is younger and has height and reach on his side, but Fiziev is used to fighting people who are bigger than him. Fiziev will likely have more pressure, considering his losing streak and the fact that he's fighting in Azerbaijan, his adopted home. Even though I'm not confident, I still think Fiziev will get back in the win column. My prediction is that Fiziev will win via unanimous decision.
DraftKings MMA Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Curtis Blaydes, $9.1K - vs. Rizvan Kuniev
Curtis Blaydes is scheduled to face off against UFC newcomer Rizvan Kuniev on the main card of UFC Azerbaijan on Saturday. The bout has been rescheduled a few times, but it appears Blaydes is now fully recovered from an illness to compete in June. Blaydes will look to get back in the win column while Kuniev looks for his first UFC win.
Heavy hands reign supreme 👊@RazorBlaydes265 is searching for another finish this weekend 💥
[ #UFCBaku | 3pmET on @ABC ] pic.twitter.com/ywyE3lH1rK
— UFC (@ufc) June 17, 2025
The former Eagle FC heavyweight champion Kuniev earned a contract from "The Contender Series" back in August with a last-second first-round TKO finish over Hugo Cunha. Before that, he earned a unanimous decision win over former champ Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut in 2023. However, his win was overturned to a no-contest after Kuniev tested positive for banned substances. Out of his 12 wins, six have come by way of knockout/TKO, three via submission, and three via unanimous decision.
For years, Blaydes has been one of the best heavyweights in the UFC. He has won over the likes of Jailton Almeida and Alexander Volkov. It is said that he has a suspect chin, but those five knockout losses have arguably come against the four most powerful punchers in the division’s history, like Derrick Lewis, Sergei Pavlovich, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou twice.
He’s likely the best wrestler in the heavyweight division with pretty solid striking, and unlike most of the division, he has cardio to go full 15 minutes.
Blaydes enters this fight with an MMA record of 18-5 with one NC and 13-5 with one NC in the UFC. He is averaging 3.54 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 50%. Blaydes is absorbing 1.91 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 58%. His grappling has been elite throughout his UFC career, averaging 5.69 takedowns every 15 minutes. Blaydes has a takedown accuracy of 53% and a takedown defense of 31%.
Kuniev enters this fight with an MMA record of 12-2-1. He is averaging 5.82 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 72%. Kuniev is absorbing 1.25 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 55%. In regards to his grappling, Kuniev is averaging 2.82 takedowns every 15 minutes. Kuniev has a takedown accuracy of 75% and a takedown defense of 100%.
I just don't see how Kuniev can win this fight. Blaydes is a better wrestler and a better striker than Kuniev. I don’t think Kuniev will just be able to hold Blaydes against the fence for three rounds or be able to outwrestle him. Considering these two are heavyweights, of course, this fight can end in a knockout, but I don't think it will. My prediction is that Blaydes will win via unanimous decision.
