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