What's up RotoBallers. In this column, I will be taking a look at the main card for Fight Night 117. 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: 151-74).

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 117.

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.

 

Mizuto Hirota vs Charles Rosa

This is an interesting matchup. Hirota has looked good recently, as he has a 4-1-1 record over his last six fights. Only three of those fights were in the UFC, though, and he has a 1-1-1 record in those fights. He’ll take on Rosa, who has a 2-3 record in the UFC. Rosa has a slight edge everywhere this fight goes, though. Rosa is the more active striker with better defense on the feet. He is also the more active grappler, and I expect him to have a slight edge during the grappling exchanges. Furthermore, Rosa is a submission threat in all grappling exchanges, while Hirota exclusively works striking while grappling. Simply put, this is Rosa’s fight to lose.

Charles Rosa via Unanimous Decision

 

Teruto Ishihara vs Rolando Dy

Ishihara had the look of a top prospect in his first couple UFC fights, but he has since lost two decisions to Artem Lobov and Gray Maynard. Dy looked overmatched in his first fight, but that was against Alex Caceres, who is a significant step up in competition from the fighters Ishihara has faced. Dy showed the ability to take punishment, and Ishihara is a fighter that has a questionable gas tank. If Ishihara cannot finish this fight in the first half, Dy should be able to take advantage with his grappling later in the fight.

Rolando Dy via Unanimous Decision

 

Gokhan Saki vs Henrique da Silva

Saki will be making his debut with a terrible 0-1 MMA record. With that being said, that fight took place in 2004. He was an elite kickboxer, though, as he has compiled an 83-12 record with 59 knockouts. He gets a matchup this weekend against da Silva, who has primarily been a striker throughout his UFC career. Sake simply did not need to train striking for this fight, as he’s already an elite striker. He likely spent the most of his training camp drilling takedown defense. If he can keep this fight standing, which is highly likely, Saki should find success with a knockout in his UFC debut.

Gokhan Saki, TKO, 1st Round

 

Takanori Gomi vs Dong Hyun Kim

Gomi has had a solid career, but he looks like the shell of his former self. He has not won a fight since 2014, and he has been finished in the first round in each of his last four fights. Kim has looked far from elite throughout his career, but he has essentially won winnable fights and lost tough matchups. Kim has multiple ways to win this fight, and there is no reason to bet against him. This fight will finish, it just depends on how Kim is able to finish Gomi.

Dong Hyun Kim, Submission, 1st Round

 

Claudia Gadelha vs Jessica Andrade

Gadelha and Andrade are two of the best in the strawweight division. Both fighters have yet to lose against anyone besides Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Gadelha has great striking defense, but Andrade is an active striker that comes with elite power. I expect this fight to take place most on the ground, though. Gadelha has elite grappling, and while Andrade has displayed great takedown defense, she has yet to fight anyone with the same grappling pedigree as Gadelha. If this fight stays standing, Andrade will have a slight advantage. The more likely scenario is that Gadelha is able to continuously get this fight to the ground where she is the clear favorite.

Claudia Gadelha via Unanimous Decision

 

Ovince Saint Preux vs Yushin Okami

Saint Preux is an extremely frustrating fighter to predict. He comes with elite level athleticism, but he often times last concentration. In these types of fights, he has often lost. Okami, on the other hand, will be taking this fight on short notice, and he has not fought in the UFC since 2013. He looked good during that time, but that was quite some time ago. This is essentially Saint Preux’s fight to win, and he has multiple ways to win it. He should have a distinct striking advantage, though.

Ovince Saint Preux, TKO, 3rd Round