2 days agoMagomed Ankalaev (18-1) has finally received his ideal UFC opportunity, a shot at the UFC light-heavyweight championship. The matchup comes against a former champion in Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title in Saturday night's main event. On fire after a literal last-second submission loss to Paul Craig, Magomed has won nine straight fights, with five of them coming by finish to showcase his ability to earn big fantasy points on the UFC stage. Overall in his career, 10 of his 18 wins have come by the finish, with nine via knockout/TKO. DraftKings sees Ankalaev as a big favorite with a salary of $9,200. Throughout his UFC career (10 bouts), he is averaging 90.0 fantasy points per contest. This looks like the right moment for Ankalaev to become the champion.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoWith an opportunity to regain his crown after a defeat at UFC 267, former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9) will face off against Magomed Ankalaev in Saturday night's main event with the vacant UFC light-heavyweight championship hanging in the balance. After dropping the title to Glover Teixeira in October of last year, Blachowicz was victorious in his last bout in May when he defeated Aleksandar Rakic. Overall in his career, Blachowicz has proven to be a finisher, with 18 of his 29 wins coming by the finish -- nine via knockout/TKO. DraftKings sees the former champion as the big underdog, though, with a salary of $7,000. Throughout his UFC career (18 bouts), he is averaging 68.8 fantasy points per contest. The much younger Ankalaev is on a nine-fight winning streak and has looked impressive the whole way.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoJared Gordon (19-5) will walk into the co-main-event spotlight of Saturday's Pay Per View at UFC 282 with an opportunity to derail the hype train of Paddy Pimblett. With four wins in his last five Octagon appearances, Gordon has proven he can make a fight gritty and go the distance to earn a victory. Overall as a professional, 11 of his 19 wins have come by decision. DraftKings, however, sees him as a big underdog with a salary of $7,100. Throughout his UFC career (11 bouts), he is averaging 78.4 fantasy points per contest.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoAs advertised thus far since joining the UFC, Paddy Pimblett (19-3) will face off against Jared Gordon in Saturday night's co-main event at UFC 282. Making quick work in the UFC, all three of his bouts have ended with a finish, two in the first round. Overall in his career, 15 of his 19 wins have come via the finish, with 10 coming by submission. DraftKings sees Pimblett as the big favorite with a salary of $9,100. Throughout his UFC career (three bouts), he is averaging 101.6 fantasy points per contest. Look for Pimblett to continue his dominant ways in this showcase co-main event.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoUndefeated since leaving KSW and joining the UFC, Dricus Du Plessis (17-2) will face a former title challenger in Darren Till on the main card of UFC 282 this Saturday. With two of his three UFC wins coming via knockout/TKO, Du Plessis has proven that his finishing ability around the world translates just fine to the talent of the UFC. The former KSW champion has finished 16 of his 17 career wins, with nine of them coming by submission. DraftKings sees Du Plessis as the favorite with a salary of $8,800. Throughout his UFC career (three bouts), he is averaging 99.3 fantasy points per contest. Du Plessis should be one of the safer starts you can have this weekend.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoWith only one win in his last four contests, Darren Till (18-4-1) enters UFC 282's main card on Saturday against a very dangerous, young talent in Dricus Du Plessis. It has also been 15 months since we have seen Till in action. Maybe the layoff provided him some well-needed rest, or maybe it created a bit of ring rust. Typically a finisher when victorious, 12 of Till's 18 career wins have come by the finish, with 10 of them coming via knockout/TKO. DraftKings sees Till as the underdog with a salary of $7,400. Throughout his UFC career (11 bouts), he averages 46.7 fantasy points per contest. This is a contest we would steer clear of with the former title challenger.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoTwo undefeated fighters will meet to open up the main card of UFC 282 on Saturday when Ilia Topuria (12-0) meets Bryce Mitchell. Since joining the UFC, Topuria has gone 4-0 with two knockout victories in his last two contests. One of those was against a ground wizard in Ryan Hall, not too much different from the ground ace he will face in Mitchell. DraftKings has El Matador as the favorite with a salary of $8,400. Throughout his UFC career (four bouts), he is averaging 97.5 fantasy points per contest. Hall had never been finished until he met Topuria, which could prove to be a problem for Mitchell.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

2 days agoSet to open up the main card of UFC 282 on Saturday, the undefeated Bryce Mitchell (15-0) will look to earn his seventh UFC victory when he faces off against Ilia Topuria. Since an exhibition loss on TUF 27 in 2018, Mitchell has done nothing but impress by going the distance with several impressive names. His lone finish in this time frame was a first-round Twister submission, showing his dangerous ground game. Overall, nine of his 15 career wins have come by submission, though he has only one finish in the UFC. DraftKings has Thug Nasty as the underdog with a salary of $7,800. Throughout his UFC career (six bouts), he averages 91.4 fantasy points per contest. Topuria is undefeated as well and has finished some big names.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoSuffering an injury to his hand in the first round of Saturday's main event against Stephen Thompson, Kevin Holland's corner stopped the fight prior to the fifth round to award the win to Thompson. In 20 minutes of action, Holland landed 119 significant strikes (123 total strikes). He was only able to land two of his six takedown tries, though. If the injury would not have been sustained, the main-event outcome could have been different, as Holland actually took the first frame on all three scorecards.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoAfter four rounds of action, Stephen Thompson was declared the winner of his main-event contest against Kevin Holland on Saturday. Holland's corner stopped the fight before the fifth round due to an injury sustained somewhere in the first round. In 20 minutes of action, Thompson was already up on the scorecards and out-struck Holland overall with 178 total strikes compared to Holland's 123 total strikes. In the significant-strikes department, Thompson was also in control 163-119. Thompson has shown he can still compete with the best young talent the division has to offer.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoHoping to keep the contest off the mat on Saturday, Bryan Barberena was unable to do so and took a second-round submission loss to Rafael dos Anjos, who is now in the UFC's all-time top-five wins list. Barberena did land more total strikes with 61 compared to dos Anjos' 36. The loss snaps Barberena's three-fight winning streak. A very gritty fighter, Barberena is always someone to consider when seeking an underdog for your fantasy lineups if the value is right.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoEarning his 21st UFC victory came easy to former champion Rafael dos Anjos, who took Saturday night's co-main event over Bryan Barberena by way of second-round submission. In 8:20 of action, dos Anjos also controlled the striking by landing 20 significant strikes compared to Barberena's 14. Overall, Barberena landed more total strikes with 60 compared to dos Anjos' 36. The victory also moved dos Anjos into the UFC's all-time top-five wins list.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoContinuing to flip-flop wins for losses since August of 2019, Matthew Christopher Schnell suffered his third loss in four contests on Saturday, this time by second-round TKO against Matheus Nicolau. In 6:44 of action, Nicolau out-struck Schnell by landing 32 significant strikes (40 total strikes) compared to that of Schnell's 20 significant strikes. When competing at the top of the flyweight division, Schnell is showing he's not worth the start on your fantasy roster. Should he get a matchup in the bottom part of the top 15, it's likely he can get back to his winning ways.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoNow on a six-fight winning streak, Matheus Nicolau continues to impress after his second-round TKO victory over ranked flyweight Matthew Christopher Schnell. In 6:44 of action, Nicolau tallied 32 significant strikes (40 total strikes) compared to that of Schnell's 20. Dropping Schnell a few times throughout the contest, Nicolau continues to rack up impressive wins in the flyweight division's top 10.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC

4 days agoOn a slight skid now, Tai Tuivasa suffered his second straight loss, again by TKO, on Saturday's main card of action. Tuivasa's night came to an end in less than one minute (54 seconds), when he fell victim to the streaking Sergei Pavlovich. Only tallying two significant strikes, he was out-struck by Pavlovich, who landed 23 significant strikes. Tuivasa can always earn fantasy managers big points when he's victorious. If he wins, it's going to be via a knockout. Let's just see how he is matched up from here on out.--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC