2 years agoLight heavyweights are set to kick off the main card of UFC 279 on Saturday when Johnny Walker (18-7) takes to the Octagon to battle Ion Cutelaba. Very few fighters need a win as badly as Walker, who has lost four of his last five contests, including his last two. The 30-year-old has shown dangerous knockout ability in the Octagon and throughout his career, with 15 of his 18 career wins coming by KO/TKO. DraftKings sees Walker as the underdog with a salary of $7,600. Throughout his UFC career, Walker averages 65.8 fantasy points per contest. Coming off of a loss of his own, Cutelaba will be just as hungry for a victory.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC
2 years agoThough Tai Tuivasa was unable to make it six straight wins after Saturday's main event, he did send Ciryl Gane to the mat for the first knockdown of his career. In 14:23 of action, Tuivasa only tallied 29 significant strikes compared to the 110 of Gane. After a body shot and a series of big hands finding their mark, Tuivasa had his night come to an end via TKO stoppage. With knockout power in his hands, he is always a threat to score big for fantasy managers on fight night, and he should be matchup-dependent.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoMaking the most of a main-event slot on his home soil in France, Ciryl Gane earned a third-round TKO stoppage over a very tough opponent in Tai Tuivasa on Saturday night. Though Gane was dropped by Tuivasa for the first time in his career, Gane showed poise and rebounded to earn a TKO victory. In 14:23 of action, Gane tallied an astounding 110 significant strikes, nearly 80 more than his opponent. With his only professional loss coming to the champion in his previous bout, it's likely we see Gane continue to improve and eventually capture the heavyweight crown.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoMarvin Vettori was unable to rebound from his title defeat, taking a loss in Paris' co-main event to former champion Robert Whittaker on Saturday. In 15 minutes of action, Vettori only tallied 33 significant strikes, 41 less than Whittaker. Though Vettori has lost two of his last three fights, they come to the champion and the No. 1 contender. Anyone else in the division could prove to be a worthy rebound opponent for Vettori.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoShowing why he's a former UFC champion, Robert Whittaker put on a show in Saturday's co-main event in Paris to earn a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over Marvin Vettori. In 15 minutes of action, Whittaker tallied 74 significant strikes, over 50 more than Vettori. The win was a nice rebound for Whittaker, who was coming off of a failed bid to regain his championship from Israel Adesanya. With another win or two, Whittaker could find himself right back in title talks. It really seems that the only man with Whittaker's number is the champion.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoThe downhill struggle continued for Alessio Di Chirico, who suffered a third-round TKO loss on Saturday in Paris to Roman Kopylov, who was previously winless in the UFC. In 11:09 of action, Di Chirico only tallied 39 significant strikes compared to the 59 of Kopylov. The loss now gives Di Chirico five losses in his last six contests, and we very easily could see him on his way out of the UFC. If we see him compete again, it could be in a similar situation while facing a fighter with a ton of potential in need of a win to turn around their fortunes.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoVery few fighters on Saturday's card in Paris needed a win as badly as Roman Kopylov, and a win is just what he got. In the third round of action, Kopylov landed a big strike that floored Alessio Di Chirico before eventually leading to a TKO victory. In 11:09 of action, Kopylov tallied 59 significant strikes while stuffing all four of Di Chirico's takedown tries on the night. Let's see if this big win is exactly what the former Fight Nights Global champion needed to begin a run of fantasy relevance for your Saturday rosters.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoIt was not the debut Jarno Errens was hoping for as he dropped a majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29) to fellow newcomer William Gomis on Saturday. In 15 minutes of action, Errens spent the majority of the time (8:04) in the control of Gomis' ground game and only tallied 20 significant strikes throughout the contest. The Dutch fighter has a handful of finishes in his career and will need to show more of that in his next outing if he wants to become fantasy relevant.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoIt was all about the ground game for William Gomis as the Frenchman was successful in his UFC debut on his home soil on Saturday in Paris. Gomis earned a majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29) over fellow debuting fighter Jarno Errens. Gomis tallied only 32 significant strikes (69 total strikes) in 15 minutes of action, but he had over eight minutes of control time, which greatly contributed to his victorious performance. He was also 3-for-5 on his takedown tries on the night. With six of his career wins coming via knockout/TKO, it looks like Jaguar still has a lot to show us in the Octagon.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoIt's now back-to-back losses for Charles Jourdain after he dropped the main-card opener of UFC's Paris card this past weekend via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 28-29). In 15 minutes of action, Jourdain tallied 86 significant strikes, just 11 less than his opponent, Nathaniel Wood, who collected 97. The takedown game hurt Jourdain, as he only stuffed three of Wood's eight takedown attempts. This marks the first time in Jourdain's UFC tenure that he has lost back-to-back bouts in the Octagon.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoContinuing to look solid in the UFC, former Cage Warriors champion Nathaniel Wood opened up Saturday's main card of action in Paris with a unanimous-decision win (27-30, 27-30, 28-29) over veteran Charles Jourdain. In 15 minutes of action, Wood tallied 97 significant strikes (128 total strikes) and landed five of his eight takedown tries on the night. The win gives Wood back-to-back victories inside the Octagon. Wood is turning into a very solid fighter in the UFC's featherweight division.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 years agoTai Tuivasa (15-3) is on a hot streak right now, riding a five-fight knockout victory streak into Saturday's main event against Ciryl Gane in Paris. Tuivasa will need to depend on his heavy hands and a big storm attack early on if he wants to finish Gane. Proven to be his regular game plan, 14 of his 15 career wins have come by knockout/TKO. DraftKings sees Tuivasa as the night's biggest underdog, though, with a salary of $6,700. Throughout his UFC career, he averages 79.8 fantasy points per contest. Tuivasa really needs to finish Gane early if he wants a chance to pull off the big surprise victory on Gane's home ground.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC
2 years agoFormer interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (10-1) will be given the opportunity of a lifetime Saturday when he headlines UFC's Paris show against a dangerous opponent in Tai Tuivasa. Gane is coming off of a failed opportunity to unify a title with champion Francis Ngannou in January. With the ability to finish a fight anywhere, seven of his 10 career wins have come by the finish, with four coming via knockout/TKO. DraftKings sees this as a huge opportunity of Gane to rebound, listing him as the night's biggest favorite with a salary of $9,500. Throughout his UFC career, Gane averages 84.9 fantasy points per contest. Tuivasa could prove to be a tricky opponent, and he is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, all by KO/TKO. Gane needs to weather the early storm, then it should be smooth sailing toward a decision or late finish.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC
2 years agoLooking to get on the fast track for another shot against the champion, Marvin Vettori (18-4-1) will first have to get through former champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC's Paris show on Saturday. Dangerous on the mat, nine of Vettori's 18 career wins have come by submission, with an additional two coming via knockout. With only two losses since 2016, both have come to the division's current champion, Israel Adesanya. DraftKings sees Vettori as the sizable underdog with a salary of $7,400. Throughout his UFC career, Vettori averages 86.4 fantasy points per contest.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC
2 years agoFormer middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (23-6) returns to action on Saturday after a failed attempt to recapture his championship from Israel Adesanya in February. A veteran of the UFC since 2012, 14 of his 23 career wins have come by the finish, with nine of them coming via knockout/TKO. With only Adesanya appearing to have the number of the former champ, Whittaker is a big favorite in the night's co-main event with a salary of $8,800. Throughout his UFC career, Whittaker averages 76.3 fantasy points per contest. Facing another title challenger in Marvin Vettori, Whittaker will try to give Vettori his first loss to someone not named Adesanya since 2016.
--Matt Bricker - RotoBallerSource: UFC
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