UFC 280 DraftKings Picks, Fantasy UFC

Oh boy, is UFC 280 jam-packed. There’s not a dud in the bunch on both the main card and the prelims of Saturday’s pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi. But, more importantly, I’ve cobbled together a UFC 280 DraftKings lineup that I’m liking. Let’s get in the money on Saturday.

UFC 280 DraftKings Picks, Fantasy UFC

Muhammad Mokaev – $9,600

We’ll start things off by coughing up a large chunk of our budget for Muhammad Mokaev. But he’s proven to be worth whatever price tag is attached to him. A former world champion wrestler, Mokaev has transitioned seamlessly to MMA, going a perfect 8-0 (or 7-0 depending on who you trust), with just one No Contest due to an accidental groin kick as his only blemish. This includes two fabulous UFC performances, where he scored 126 and 120 fantasy points. Malcolm Gordon probably stands no chance on Saturday.

Manon Fiorot – $8,900

Next up is a personal favorite, Manon Fiorot. A winner of nine straight (she hasn’t lost since her first pro MMA fight), she’s gone through all four of her UFC opponents thus far. She gets her toughest test this week as she’s matched up with former UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship challenger Katlyn Chookagian. While Chookagian is a points fighter, Fiorot is a finisher, and she vows to make this fight an entertaining one. I like her to finish Chookagian inside the distance.

Sean Brady – $8,200

I’m in on another undefeated fighter, this time welterweight Sean Brady. 15-0 in his pro career, Brady has beaten a gradual increase in the level of opponents throughout his five-fight UFC career, and will have another tough test in Belal Muhammad on Saturday. However, I think Brady’s wrestling and grappling are better than Muhammad’s and he can beat him. For a fighter who has scored in triple-digits in three of his five UFC fights, and never scored less than 83 points, the $8,200 price for Brady could look like a steal in hindsight.

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Lucas Almeida – $7,900

Time for the underdog portion of my UFC 280 DraftKings lineup. First off, I’m liking Lucas Almeida in his featherweight fight against Zubaira Tukhugov. The kid hits really, really hard, and has finished all 14 of his pro MMA wins (nine knockouts and five submissions). Tukhugov can get too comfortable trading on the feet rather than relying on his strong grappling, which could get him in trouble here. And earn us some nice points for only $7,900

Charles Oliveira – $7,800

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira is an underdog heading into his fight against Islam Makhachev for the vacant title this Saturday, which is fine by me because I can add him to my lineup for only $7,800. He’s a better striker than Oliveira, has proven to be extremely tough and resourceful, and if Makhachev leans on his wrestling he could get himself in trouble, as Oliveira’s grappling and submissions are as dangerous as it gets.

Volkan Oezdemir – $7,600

Finally, I’ll take a chance on former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. I wrote him off before his last fight against Paul Craig, and he proved me wrong. Now I’m backing him to beat Nikita Krylov this week. He’s got dynamite in his hands, so Oezdemir is always a threat in a fight. Let’s hope some of that dynamite goes off on Saturday.