UFC Jacksonville Fantasy Lineup
UFC JACKSONVILLE FANTASY LINEUP – There are two mainstays to play DFS for MMA; DraftKings and FanDuel. Each has its own scoring rules and variations, but they are similar. Here are DraftKings’ scoring rules and FanDuel’s scoring rules. I will always list fighters I think should be selected as MVP at the top and will use DraftKings budget to model my projections.
Ilia Topuria $9,500
Ilia Topuria has not had much trouble with any opponent in the UFC. He is fighting Josh Emmett in the main event this weekend and has an advantage on the mat.
Emmett has defended 58% of takedowns in his UFC career and got submitted in the second round of his last fight from the top position.
Topuria should be able to dominate the grappling and find a dominant spot to land heavy ground and pound or cinch up a submission. Either way, the oddsmakers do not project this fight going long, and Topuria is the heavy favorite. He should win within the first two rounds.
Tatsuro Taira $9,400
Taira will fight Kleydson Rodrigues in the second fight of the night.
He will have a two-inch height and three-inch reach advantage over Rodrigues. Taira is 13-0 as a professional and 3-0 in the UFC. He lands an average of 2.62 takedowns and is dominant from the top position.
Rodrigues is skilled and has power in his striking, but Taira can compete enough to force things to the mat. Taira probably has the edge in cardio, which benefits him as the fight goes on.
He should display why he is a highly talented prospect.
Chepe Mariscal $8,000
Trevor Peek was supposed to fight Victor Martinez, but could not go, so Jose “Chepe” Mariscal got the call.
Peek is 8-0 with one no contest as a professional and is a finisher. He has won all eight fights by knockout but has some holes in his game.
He averages 1.19 takedowns landed per 15 minutes but has only defended 42% of takedowns attempted. Mariscal is making his UFC debut on short notice but does not lack experience.
He has faced multiple fighters on the UFC roster and beaten fighters like Pat Sabatini and Youssef Zalal. He is a talented wrestler who can exploit Peek’s weaknesses and get the victory on short notice.
Loik Radzhabov $7,800
Radzhabov is 17-4-1 professionally, and his opponent, Mateusz Rebecki, is 17-1.
They are each experienced, but only have three fights in the UFC between them. Both are grapplers but have power while striking.
Radzhabov has a three-inch reach and a four-inch height advantage. Siding with the slightly better wrestler is the way to go in a fight, which is even in terms of odds.
Rebecki has only defended 66% of takedowns in the UFC, so it is hard to imagine Radzhabov does not land a takedown.
Phil Rowe $7,700
Phil Rowe has a difficult opponent to beat in front of him. Neil Magny is as experienced as it gets in the UFC and has a solid all-around style.
Magny also usually has the height and reach advantage but will not have it in this fight. Rowe is the same height and reach. Phil Rowe also has solid grappling and is an excellent striker.
He has won three consecutive bouts by TKO and has confidence heading into this fight. Magny has lost two of his last three to elite competition but is heading in the wrong direction.
Rowe has the momentum and can prove a lot by beating a veteran like Magny.
Maycee Barber $7,300
Maycee Barber is facing Amanda Ribas in the co-main event on Saturday night.
Barber is 25-years-old and is trending in the right direction. She lost her unbeaten record to Roxanne Modafferi in 2020 and then again to the champ, Alexa Grasso.
Following that two-fight skid, she has won four in a row against quality competition. Ribas has won two of her last four fights but has performed well.
She will likely have the better grappling in this fight, but Barber might have a speed advantage on the feet. Barber can win this fight by keeping it close because the judges will likely decide this bout. She is getting older and more experienced in the cage, which will start to show itself.
