RADIO
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday for the third--and final--event within a seven-day window. The card will showcase 11 bouts, and will be headlined by the legendary Alistair Overeem taking on the hard-hitting Walt Harris. With UFC 249 garnering a massive 700,000-plus Pay-Per-View buys, and UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira also delivering in terms of ratings, the organization should continue to receive plenty of interest, primarily from the collective sports-betting and DFS community as the demand for live sporting events is higher than ever.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy MMA lineup picks for FanDuel for UFC Fight Night on 5/16/20. You can check out our DraftKings MMA DFS picks as well. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced fighters and value picks on FanDuel. Give me a follow on Twitter @DennisMClausen. Good luck.
NOTE: Mike Davis withdrew from his fight with Giga Chikadze due to medical reasons as a result of weight-cutting measures. Please adjust your lineup(s) accordingly.
UFC Fight Night Heavyweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Walt Harris, $22 - vs. Allistair Overeem
Harris will step into the octagon for the first time since the tragic kidnapping and eventual murder of his step-daughter, Aniah Blanchard, in Alabama back in the fall of 2019. Without a doubt, emotions will come into play, and while that would be a hindrance to many fighters, the 36-year-old will surely be ready to go against the former Strikeforce and DREAM Heavyweight Champion.
Though Overeem's resume is impressive, with career wins over such combatants as Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Brock Lesnar, and Frank Mir, his best days are undoubtedly behind him. Spanning back to his UFC Heavyweight Championship bout against Stipe Miocic in September of 2016, the kickboxer has lost four of his last eight fights by either knockout or TKO, with his most recent loss coming at the hands of Jairzinho Rozenstruik back in December.
Harris' most recent win occurred last summer after he dispatched Russian submission specialist Aleksei "The Boa Constrictor" Oleinik in 12 seconds. Before that, Harris recorded a TKO victory over Sergey Spivak after a barrage of knees and punches in addition to a June 2018 TKO win over "Sik-Jitsu" practitioner Daniel "Daddy Long Legs" Spitz. Had "The Big Ticket" not tested positive LGD-4033 and had his UFC 232 decision victory of Andrei Arlovski overturned, he would be currently riding a four-fight win steak leading up to this one.
Though "The Demolition Man" can stand with anyone, as evident by his days in K-1, Harris has been on a roll. While it is easy to fathom that this fight could go the distance, it isn't out of the question for it to end quickly, giving the edge to the red-hot Harris to come out the victor by way of knockout or referee stoppage.
UFC Fight Night Welterweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Miguel Baeza, $20, vs. Matt Brown
The Welterweights will be in action as the veteran Brown will be going toe-to-toe with the up-and-coming Baeza. Baeza has remained undefeated throughout his Mixed Martial Arts career, compiling a 7-0 record, with his most recent victory coming at UFC Fight Night 161 after "Caramel Thunder" defeated Hector Aldana in the second round.
Baeza will undoubtedly have his toughest challenge to date in Brown. "The Immortal" is currently sitting on 25 fights in the 170-pound division, winning 15 of them, the most among active fighters. He has also finished 13 fights, recorded 11 KO/TKO wins, amassed 859 significant strikes, attempted 24 submissions, and has won his last two contests.
Though Baeza is the favorite to win this one, Brown is still in the running. However, his inactivity between his last two bouts may come into play. Nonetheless, regardless of the outcome, there should be plenty of fantasy points to go around in this one without a doubt.
UFC Fight Night Heavyweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Rodrigo Nascimento Ferreira, $15 - vs. Don'Tale Mayes
Nascimento will be making his official Ultimate Fighting Championship debut after appearing in Season 3 of Dana White's Contender Series, defeating the heavy hands of Michael Martinek via an Arm-Triangle Choke.
Representing American Top Team, Nascimento has a clear advantage in the grappling department and has won five of his seven fights by way of submission. He is proficient on the mat, but Mayes, who lost his most recent bout to Ciryl Gane at UFC Fight Night 162, could still deliver a debilitating blow or two.
Nonetheless, "Ze Colmeia" should end up taking him down and submitting him, with that submission potentially coming as early as the first round. For only $15, his generous price could provide budgetary relief to help offset the cost of more expensive competitors.
UFC Fight Night Strawweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Angela Hill, $12 - vs. Claudia Gadelha
Gadelha, a 2nd degree BJJ black belt, will look to climb the Strawweight rankings with a win over Hill, who will be fighting again for the third time this year. While Gadelha is favored by the oddsmakers, this fight, which features two contradicting disciplines, may not be as one-sided as many are anticipating.
Hill will head into Saturday night with a three-fight win streak, with her most recent victories coming at the expense of Ariane Carnelossi (TKO), Hannah Cifers (TKO), and Loma Lookboonmee (unanimous decision).
In terms of her tenure in the UFC, her accolades speak for themselves, compiling seven wins, tied for first among active Strawweight competitors, while also ranking second in significant strikes landed, fifth in strikes landed per minute, third in significant strike defense, and second in total strikes landed.
Gadelha, on the other hand, ranks near the top in many areas when it comes to her prowess as a submission scholar. However, unlike Hill, she hadn't fought since July 6, 2019, when she defeated Randa Markos at UFC 239.
If this contest heads to the mat, "Claudinha" has the advantage without a doubt. Taking down "Overkill" won't be easy, nonetheless, as she has avoided being taken down 73 percent of the time throughout her UFC career. Hill may be able to keep this one vertical, and though this bout could go all three rounds, she may be able to score a stoppage against a less efficient striker.
Also Consider: Edson Barboza ($17), Kevin Holland ($16), Nate Landwehr ($15), Marlon Vera ($14), Cortney Casey ($14), Eryk Anders ($13)
