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The Ultimate Fighting Championship will make its return back to the United States after the promotion hosted several events at Yas (Fight) Island in Abu Dhabi. Taking place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, the latest installment of Fight Night will feature two ranked competitors in the middleweight division as No. 9 Edmen Shahbazyan will take on No. 8 Derek Brunson in the main event of the evening.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy MMA lineup picks for FanDuel for UFC Fight Night on 8/1/2020. 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.
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FanDuel MMA Middleweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Edmen Shahbazyan, $20 - vs. Derek Brunson
Edmen Shahbazyan and Derek Brunson will square off in the main event, with both competitors looking to climb the rankings in the middleweight division.
Shahbazyan has been dominant throughout his career as a mixed martial artist. The 22-year-old currently holds an undefeated 11-0 record and will be taking on his first fight since November. His latest victory came at the expense of Brad Tavares at UFC 244, knocking out the Xtreme Couture protege with a massive kick to the head. Before that, he scored a submission victory over Jack Marshman at UFC 239 and a TKO stoppage over Charles Byrd at UFC 235. With a win on Saturday night, The Golden Boy could be in the conversation for a middleweight championship opportunity somewhere soon down the line.
Brunson has had a seesaw career over the last few years. Dating back to November of 2016, he has a record of four wins and four losses. After dropping consecutive fights to Robert Whittaker and Anderson Silva, he bounced back with two knockout victories over Dan Kelly and the legendary Lyoto Machida in 2017. After losing the following two contests, he is now back on the winning path after defeating Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch. both by decision, in the middle of 2019.
Without a doubt, Brunson has more experience inside the octagon while also having bouts against some of the most well-known names in the sport. However, Shahbazyan's statistical output is impressive, to say the least. He has won 82 percent of his bouts by knockout and lands 60 percent of his significant strikes. Even more stellar, he averages nearly eight takedowns per 15 minutes of action. Brunson isn't a stranger to having his matches stopped prematurely, making it highly possible that Shahbazyan will take home a victory by either knockout or TKO.
FanDuel MMA Middleweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Holland, $19 - vs. Trevin Giles
Some heavy-hitters will enter the octagon on Saturday as Kevin Holland and Trevin Giles will mix it up in an attempt to possibly enter the top-15. Holland is coming into this one having recently dispatched Anthony Hernandez by TKO back in May. He has won nearly 50 percent of his fights by knockout and is always a hit away from a speedy victory.
Giles is 1-2 in his previous three bouts. He lost two consecutive battles in 2019, falling to Zak Cummings and Gerald Meerschaert by submission. He was able to rebound, however, taking home a win by decision over James Krause at UFC 247.
Holland isn't just a one-dimensional combatant and is capable of pulling off a win in a variety of ways. He has the experience edge over Giles, who may end up making a costly mistake somewhere during the contest. Odds favor Holland to walk away from the APEX with a W.
FanDuel MMA Welterweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Vicente Luque, $17 - vs. Randy Brown
No. 12 ranked welterweight, Vicente Luque, will look to remain in the win column against veteran Randy Brown. The 28-year-old will be heading into Saturday night with 26 career fights, accruing a record of 18-7-1. His last fight happened only a few months ago at UFC 249 in May, which resulted in the Brazilian defeating Niko Price via doctor stoppage and racking up 149 fantasy points in the process.
While Brown has had some noteworthy contests under the UFC banner, his tenure in the company hasn't been as smooth as Luque's. He is coming off consecutive victories, with his most recent wins coming against Bryan Barberena by TKO and Warlley Alves by triangle choke.
Though Brown (or anyone for that matter) has a chance to win, the likely verdict should result in Luque successfully building off of his most recent win. With over five significant strikes per minute for Luque, this one could end relatively quickly.
Also Consider: Lando Vannata ($18), Markus Perez ($18), Timur Valiev ($18), Gerald Meerschaert ($17), Jonathan Martinez ($17), Ray Borg ($17), Joanne Calderwood ($16), Ed Herman ($13), Bobby Green ($12)
