X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

UFC 218: MMA Main Card Predictions and DFS Picks

What's up RotoBallers. In this column, I will be taking a look at the main card for UFC 218. 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: 169-85).

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 UFC 218.

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.

 

Tecia Torres vs Michelle Waterson

This fight will likely go one of two ways. Torres can keep the fight standing and she outstrikes Waterson for three round or Waterson gets this fight to the ground and finds a finish. The former is more likely to happen, though. Waterson has questionable at best striking defense, while Torres is extremely active. Torres also has respectable takedown defense, which should be enough to keep this fight standing for the majority of the three rounds. Torres does not have the finishing ability to put Waterson away, but she should be able to outpoint her for three rounds.

Tecia Torres via Unanimous Decision

 

Eddie Alvarez vs Justin Gaethje

This is the fight I am most looking forward to on this card. Gaethje was a monster in his first fight and I am wondering if Alvarez is on the wrong side of his career. Alvarez is coming off a disheartening loss to Conor McGregor before recording a no contest against Dustin Poirier in a fight that he was losing. Gaethje, on the other hand, beat Michael Johnson in his UFC debut. This fight is fairly simple, honestly. Gaethje is going to walk through punches in hopes of landing his own shot. He continuously has stated that all you have to do is “break your opponents will” to win the fight. That is not the recipe for success late in your career, but Gaethje’s chin is made of something that is no of this world. Alvarez would be wise to turn this into a wrestling match, but when the bright lights are on and fans are cheering for a slugfest, most fighters will oblige. That will be a big mistake by Alvarez.

Justin Gaethje, TKO, 2nd Round

 

Henry Cejudo vs Sergio Pettis

This is arguably the most underrated fight on the card. Pettis is seen as a rising star, while Cejudo is one of the best in the division. Pettis is on a four fight win streak, while Cejudo is 1-2 in his last three fights. With that being said, Cejudo has fought the better competition, as he only lost to Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez. He also looked elite in his last fight against Wilson Reis, and it looks as if Cejudo is trying to rejuvenate his career. I feel at this point in their careers, Cejudo is likely the better fighter regardless of where this fight plays out. He is the more accurate and defensive striker, while he has elite grappling credentials. Pettis will have his day in the sun, but it will not be this weekend.

Henry Cejudo via Unanimous Decision

 

Alistair Overeem vs Francis Ngannou

I feel at this point in their careers, this fight is simply a formality. Ngannou is 5-0 in the UFC, finishing all of his fights with ease. Overeem has been an elite fighter for some time, but there are concerns that his chin is fading. It would be wise for him to try to turn this fight into a decision, in which he does not throw any caution to the wind. Ngannou, on the other hand, has as much power as any heavyweight fighter in the world. He has never fought three rounds, though, and it is not completely known if he has the cardio to do so. With that being said, he has never threatened to gas before, making it likely that he will have no problems fighting for three rounds. Even if Ngannou has a difficult time hitting Overeem, it only takes one punch from the former to result in a knockout.

Francis Ngannou, TKO, 1st Round

 

Max Holloway vs Jose Aldo

Truth be told, I’m not sure this fight should be happening. Holloway won easily enough in the first fight that I don’t think they should be running this back. Aldo is an aging fighter that is still extremely talented. With that being said, he continues to progress further and further away from his prime, while Holloway is still years away from his prime. Holloway is learning at a rapid rate, being only 25 years old. His last loss was a decision to Conor McGregor in 2013. I still enjoy watching someone as good as Aldo fight, but I do not particularly think this fight is going to stay competitive.

Max Holloway, TKO, 2nd Round




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Francisco Lindor10 mins ago

Comes Alive With Two Long Balls
Shohei Ohtani17 mins ago

Three Doubles For Shohei Ohtani
Mike Trout35 mins ago

Cracks MLB-High 10th Homer
Corey Seager2 hours ago

Removed From Game After Being Hit By Pitch
Naz Reid2 hours ago

Named Sixth Man Of The Year
Mitchell Robinson2 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Joel Embiid2 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
DJ LeMahieu2 hours ago

To Be Shut Down For A Week
Zack Gelof2 hours ago

Likely Heading To Injured List
Alec Marsh2 hours ago

Leaves Game After Being Hit By Comebacker
Bam Adebayo2 hours ago

Looks Good In Win Over Boston
Ozzie Albies3 hours ago

Runs The Bases Wednesday
Kristaps Porzingis3 hours ago

Struggles Offensively In Game 2
Jayson Tatum3 hours ago

Has A Decent Showing On Wednesday
J.P. Crawford3 hours ago

Dealing With Oblique Soreness
Jaylen Brown3 hours ago

Leads The Way In Game 2
A.J. Puk3 hours ago

Rejoining Bullpen When Healthy
Zack Gelof3 hours ago

Nursing Abdominal Soreness
Tyler Herro3 hours ago

Gets It Done On Wednesday Night
Thairo Estrada3 hours ago

Experiencing Hamstring Tightness
Manny Machado3 hours ago

Expected To Return Friday
Sean Murphy3 hours ago

Hasn't Resumed Swinging
Cristian Javier4 hours ago

Plays Catch Wednesday
Christian Yelich4 hours ago

Still Not Swinging
Dallas Cowboys4 hours ago

Cowboys Pick Up Micah Parsons' Fifth-Year Option
Ezekiel Elliott5 hours ago

Cowboys Meeting With Ezekiel Elliott
Cincinnati Bengals5 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Requests A Trade From Bengals
Carlos Correa5 hours ago

Could Return Soon
Kevin Kiermaier6 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Framber Valdez6 hours ago

Expected To Start This Weekend
Nic Claxton6 hours ago

Nicolas Claxton The "No. 1 Priority" For Nets In Offseason
Cal Raleigh6 hours ago

To Miss Wednesday's Game
Grayson Allen6 hours ago

Not Ruled Out For Game 3
Nikola Jovic6 hours ago

Available For Game 2
Ryan Lomberg7 hours ago

Could Be Back For Game 3
Cam Talbot7 hours ago

Starts Game 2 For Kings
Logan Thompson7 hours ago

Heads Out For Another Win Wednesday
Jake Oettinger7 hours ago

Tries To Bounce Back Wednesday
Nolan Jones7 hours ago

Not Playing Wednesday
Jani Hakanpaa7 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Tyler Myers8 hours ago

Battling The Flu
Michael Penix Jr.8 hours ago

Could Be Among Top-Four Quarterbacks Selected
Jared Goff9 hours ago

No New Deal “Imminent” For Jared Goff
J.J. McCarthy10 hours ago

Broncos Interested In J.J. McCarthy
Detroit Lions10 hours ago

Penei Sewell Becomes Highest-Paid Offensive Lineman
Justin Fields11 hours ago

Steelers Not Expected To Pick Up Justin Fields' Fifth-Year Option
Rashod Bateman11 hours ago

Ravens Sign Rashod Bateman To Contract Extension
Ja'Marr Chase11 hours ago

Bengals Exercise Ja'Marr Chase's Fifth-Year Option
Amon-Ra St. Brown11 hours ago

Lions Agree To Four-Year Extension With Amon-Ra St. Brown
Nicolas Hague11 hours ago

Out For Vegas On Wednesday
James van Riemsdyk11 hours ago

To Make Series Debut Wednesday
Sam Bennett11 hours ago

To Miss Significant Time
William Nylander11 hours ago

Looking Unlikely For Game 3
Brett Pesce11 hours ago

Likely Out For Remainder Of First Round
Thatcher Demko12 hours ago

Listed As Week-To-Week
Ilya Sorokin12 hours ago

To Start Game 3
Cale Makar14 hours ago

Registers Two Assists In Game 2
Tom Wilson14 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Tuesday's Loss
Alexis Lafrenière15 hours ago

Alexis Lafreniere Collects Two Assists In Game 2 Victory
Filip Forsberg15 hours ago

Leads The Charge As Nashville Ties Series
Victor Hedman15 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Game 2
Carter Verhaeghe15 hours ago

Hits Overtime Winner In Game 2
Sam Bennett15 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury In Game 2
James Harden15 hours ago

Settles For 22 Points In Game 2
Luka Doncic15 hours ago

Leads All Scorers With 32 Points In Game 2
Damian Lillard16 hours ago

Scores 34 Points In Losing Effort
Tyrese Haliburton16 hours ago

Collects A Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Pascal Siakam16 hours ago

In Fantastic Form Once Again Versus Milwaukee
Devin Booker16 hours ago

Leads Suns With 20 Points In Game 2
Anthony Edwards16 hours ago

Struggles In Game 2
Daniel Gafford1 day ago

Returns To Game 2
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Has A Rough Night On Tuesday
Jaden McDaniels1 day ago

Erupts In Game 2
Andrew Peeke1 day ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Trade Remains "Very Much In Play"
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Broncos Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Patrick Surtain II
New England Patriots1 day ago

Patriots Haven't Received "Serious" Offers For No. 3 Pick
Kadarius Toney1 day ago

Still In Chiefs' Plans
Jake Browning1 day ago

Bengals Re-Sign Jake Browning
Brandon Aiyuk2 days ago

49ers Have Received Calls Regarding Brandon Aiyuk
Dak Prescott2 days ago

Not Trying To Be Highest-Paid Player
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Broncos Acquiring Zach Wilson From Jets
Matt Ryan2 days ago

Officially Retires From NFL
Cincinnati Bengals2 days ago

Sam Hubbard Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo3 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR3 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson3 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell3 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric3 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton3 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek4 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano4 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley4 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF