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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings MMA, UFC DFS Lineup Picks - UFC Vegas 102: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues

Jared Cannonier - UFC MMA DFS Lineup Picks, MMA Value Plays

DraftKings MMA, UFC DFS lineup picks for UFC Vegas 102: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues on 2/15/25. MMA DFS analysis to build winning daily fantasy UFC lineups.

After last week's UFC 312 event, UFC is headed back to the UFC Apex facility on Saturday for UFC Vegas 102. In the main event, former title challenger Jared Cannonier is scheduled for a five-round middleweight bout against Gregory Rodrigues. Cannonier looks to bounce back from a two-fight losing skid while Rodrigues looks to win his fourth fight in a row. Meanwhile, UFC Vegas 102’s co-main event features surging featherweight Youssef Zalal taking on UFC veteran Calvin Kattar.

Also on the main card, Edmen Shahbazyan squares off with Dylan Budka at middleweight after an intriguing lightweight contest sees Ismael Bonfim take on fellow "Dana White's Contender Series" signee Nazim Sadykhov. Rodolfo Vieira squares off against Andre Petroski at middleweight. Plus, Connor Matthews is set to take on Jose Delgado at featherweight. The preliminary card will close with a women's strawweight clash as Angela Hill faces Ketlen Souza after Jared Gordon and Mashrabjon Ruziboev meet in a lightweight bout.

In this article, I will be providing you with my fantasy MMA lineup picks for UFC Vegas 102: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues on 2/15/25. 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 Middleweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks 

Jared Cannonier, $7,600 - vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier is set to take on rising Gregory Rodrigues in the main event of UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday. Cannonier looks to avoid the first three-fight losing skid of his MMA career while Rodrigues will look to extend his winning streak to four and enter the top 15.

Cannonier joined the UFC more than a decade ago as a heavyweight. He then moved down to light heavyweight before moving to middleweight for good in 2018. He then went 6-1 before challenging Israel Adesanya for the title, losing only to former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

After losing his title shot against Adesanya in 2022, Cannonier earned two more clear decision wins against Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori. Cannonier was last seen in action at UFC Vegas 96, where he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Caio Borralho. Before that, Cannonier was stopped by Nassourdine Imavov via a controversial fourth-round TKO.

In contrast to Cannonier, Rodrigues has won three in a row and five of six. Rodrigues was last seen in action at UFC 304 where he outpointed Christian Leroy Duncan to earn a unanimous decision across three rounds. Before that, Rodrigues defeated Brad Tavares at UFC Vegas 86 via third-round TKO. Boasting a 7-2 record at the UFC level with five highlight knockouts, the rising Brazilian has a chance to earn a number beside his name if he can extend his winning streak to four.

Cannonier enters this fight with an MMA record of 17-8 and is 10-8 in the UFC. He is averaging 4.49 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 50 percent. Cannonier is absorbing 4.39 strikes per minute and he has a striking defense of 56 percent. In regards to his grappling, Cannonier is averaging just 0.42 takedowns every 15 minutes. He has a takedown accuracy of 46 percent and a takedown defense of 62 percent.

Rodrigues enters this fight with an MMA record of 16-5 and 7-2 in the UFC. He is averaging 5.52 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 56 percent. Rodrigues is absorbing 4.69 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 51 percent. When it comes to his grappling, Rodrigues is averaging 2.74 takedowns every 15 minutes. He has a takedown accuracy of 41 percent and a takedown defense of 100 percent.

Rodrigues is eight years younger and on a three-fight win streak, but he's also looked bad against Brunno Ferreira and Armen Petrosyan, who aren't as good as Cannonier. Also, he has never faced the level of competition Cannonier faced. In contrast, Cannonier has been in the Octagon with some of the best in the middleweight division and has gone the full five rounds in four of his last five fights.

There’s always a chance that this is the fight where Cannonier starts to show his age, but I think he's extra motivated considering he's lost his last two fights and he's probably still good enough to beat guys outside the top 10. My prediction is that Cannonier will pick up a unanimous decision win over Rodrigues.

 

DraftKings MMA Featherweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks 

Youssef Zalal, $9,400 - vs. Calvin Kattar

Youssef Zalal is scheduled to take on Calvin Kattar in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday. Zalal will put his six-fight winning streak on the line while Kattar looks to get back in the win column after losing his last three.

Zalal was released by the UFC in 2022 after amassing a 3-3-1 record, including losses to Ilia Topuria, SeungWoo Choi, and Sean Woodson. The 28-year-old was brought back into the UFC last year and went 3-0, submitting Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, and, most recently, Jack Shore, earning himself performance bonuses in his last two outings. He has finished each of his past six opponents inside two rounds. Now, he will get the opportunity to face his first ranked opponent when he takes on Kattar.

Kattar has gone 7-6 in the UFC since 2017 en route to becoming one of the best featherweights on the planet. Once a top contender in the UFC's featherweight division, Kattar is winless in his last three fights, which includes a split-decision defeat to Josh Emmett, the injury he suffered against Arnold Allen, and his one-sided defeat to former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300. His last victory came by way of a unanimous decision over Giga Chikadze in January 2022.

Zalal enters this fight with an MMA record of 16-5-1 and 6-3-1 in the UFC. He is averaging 2.84 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 49 percent. Zalal is absorbing 1.71 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 65 percent. His grappling is solid, averaging 2.34 takedowns every 15 minutes and 1.5 submission attempts during the same period. His takedown accuracy is 35 percent and his takedown defense is 59 percent.

Kattar enters this fight with an MMA record of 23-8. He is averaging 4.76 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 39 percent. Kattar is absorbing 6.75 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 54 percent. In regards to his grappling, Kattar is averaging 0.39 takedowns every 15 minutes. He has a takedown accuracy of 29 percent and a takedown defense of 72 percent.

It’s hard to know where Kattar stands right now after injuring his knee and losing three straight. His most recent setback against Sterling was by far the most concerning performance to date as Kattar was dominated and taken down eight times by Sterling.

Kattar likes to keep the fight on the feet and he's the more technical striker, with an excellent jab and much better defense than his statistics indicate. In contrast, Zalal likes to mix his striking with wrestling but I think Zalal is going to use his wrestling a bit more in this fight, considering how dangerous Kattar is on the feet.

Kattar is extremely durable and I don't think Zalal will be able to finish him. My prediction is that Zalal will outwrestle Kattar en route to a unanimous decision win.

 

DraftKings MMA Featherweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks 

Jose Delgado, $9,000 - vs. Connor Matthews

Featherweights Jose Delgado and Connor Matthews are set to open up the UFC Vegas 102 main card on Saturday. Delgado is set to make his UFC debut while Matthews looks to get back in the win column and earn his first UFC win.

Delgado is a rising prospect who has yet to allow any of his wins to go the distance. He earned his UFC contract when he landed a perfectly timed knee on "Dana White's Contender Series," knocking out Ernie Juarez in the second round. Delgado is on a five-fight winning streak, having finished five straight opponents.

His opponent, Matthews, enters this bout with an MMA record of 7-2. Matthews was last seen in action at UFC on ESPN 54 where he lost his UFC debut to Dennis Buzukja via third-round TKO. A two-time "Dana White's Contender Series" alum, Matthews earned his UFC contract by defeating Jair Farias via unanimous decision. Despite being the underdog, Matthews' versatility makes him a dangerous opponent.

Delgado enters this fight with an MMA record of 8-1. He is averaging 6.23 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 44 percent. Delgado is absorbing 4.21 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 48 percent. In his lone "Contender Series" fight, Delgado averaged 7.01 takedowns every 15 minutes. He has a takedown accuracy of 75 percent and a takedown defense of 100 percent.

Matthews enters this fight with an MMA record of 7-2 and 0-1 in the UFC. He is averaging 5.30 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 44 percent. Matthews is absorbing 6.19 strikes per minute and has a striking defense of 56 percent. In regards to his grappling, Matthews is averaging 2.97 takedowns every 15 minutes. He has a takedown accuracy of 53 percent and a takedown defense of 50 percent.

Compared to Matthews, who has struggled and gone 1-1 on "Dana White's Contender Series," Delgado dominated his "Contender Series" fight. He has a very high level of wrestling and Matthews was taken down six times by Marshall in his first "Contender Series" bout.

Delgado uses his wrestling to force his opponents to trade hands with him, and his ability to overwhelm opponents with his aggressive style will be too much for Matthews to handle. My prediction is that Delgado will win his UFC debut by second-round knockout.

More DFS Analysis & Lineup Picks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF