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The UFC returns on Saturday night and will once again take place from the APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, it will be the classic striker versus grappler as the heavy-handed Derrick Lewis will take on submission artist Aleksei Oleinik.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy MMA lineup picks for FanDuel for UFC Fight Night on 8/8/2020. 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.
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FanDuel MMA Featherweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Youssef Zalal, $19 - vs. Peter Barrett
Zalal is the massive -450 (Bovada) favorite over Pete Barrett entering Fight Night. There is a reason for that, nonetheless, as "The Moroccan Devil" has been on a roll. He has won twice already in 2020, holding recent wins over Jordan Griffin and Austin Lingo so far this year. This will be his third bout in only six months and is a late-replacement after Steve Garcia withdrew.
Peter Barrett is relatively unknown to most casual fans despite being 33 years old. He made an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series last summer and defeated Sang Hoon Yoo, a fighter who had not lost a fight up to that point.
Understandably, Barrett is ramped up and ready to roll at Fight Night and has prophesized an "ugly, disgusting, and savage fight" against Zalal. While that sounds good for fans, it may not come true, as Zilal should be able to weather the storm of punches coming his way, while also having plenty of skill to score a submission win over the UFC newcomer.
FanDuel MMA Middleweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Omari Akhmedov, $17 - vs. Chris Weidman
In the co-main event, Omari Akhmedov will go toe-to-toe with former middleweight champion of the world, Chris Weidman. While the Russian is coming into this bout as the underdog, things may not be as close as they appear.
Akhmedov hasn't suffered a loss in over four years, with his most recent defeat transpiring back in April of 2016 when he fell to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos by TKO. Since then, he has a 5-1 record and is coming off his most recent win over Ian Heinisch by decision at UFC 245 last December. He is very well-rounded, and while he left some of his fights in the hands of the judge's scorecards, he has no issues finishing fights either.
While Akhmedov's career appears to be trending north, Weidman hasn't been as fortunate. A former champion who holds wins over Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva (twice), the 36-year-old has secured a victory just once in his previous six bouts. A loss on Saturday night may be the end of his career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Weidman is a world-class wrestler who will desperately need to take this fight to the ground if he is looking to get back in the win column. Though he absorbs more punches than he throws--3.15 to 3.23, respectively--he has been able to take his opponents down nearly four times throughout his tenure. If "The Wolverine" can get him down and control him, he could finish this one by ground and pound. However, two scenarios may play out, with Akhemdov winning this one either by knockout or taking home yet another decision victory.
FanDuel MMA Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Aleksei Oleinik, $16 - vs. Derrick Lewis
No. 4 ranked heavyweight, Derrick Lewis, will look to remain on the winning path on Saturday night. After making a name for himself in Bellator nearly a decade ago, the Texas native has had a seesaw career. Lewis, who could be fighting for a future shot against the world heavyweight titleholder with a win, has prevailed in his last two, albeit in unconvincing fashion. He defeated Blagoy Ivanov by split decision at UFC 244 and followed that up with a unanimous decision victory of Ilir Latifi at UFC 247.
Aleksei Oleinik, the No. 10 ranked combatant in the heavyweight division, has spent almost 25 years in the sport, compiling an impressive 59-13 record, with 46 of those wins coming by submission, his bread, and butter over the years. Similar to Lewis, he has also emerged the victor in his last two battles. However, unlike Lewis, those two wins occurred in 2020, dispatching Maurice Greene via armbar and earning a win via the judge's scorecards over the legendary Fabricio Werdum back in May.
Lewis has a significant size advantage, at least in weight, over "The Boa Constrictor." While Oleinik has won his fair share of bouts standing, he has also lost most of his fight by punches. His only shot at defeating Lewis is to take this one to the mat, which may be possible considering Lewis' subpar 53 percent takedown defense. The Russian also averages nearly 2.5 takedowns per contest, so it is reasonable to conclude that this one may end with Oleinik eating a few punches to close the gap and winning this fight with an upset submission.
Also Consider: Derrick Lewis ($21), Irwin Rivera ($18), Beneil Dariush ($18), Gavin Tucker ($18), Wellington Turman ($17), Darren Stewart ($17), Laureano Staropoli ($17), Yana Kunitskaya ($16), Alex Munoz ($11)
