The MMA Daily

Best Plays

9k Range

David Onama ($9,300) – The highest priced fighter on the slate, Onama is a worthy pick. Well rounded and with a 100% finishing rate, the Ugandan is a sure bet to rack up the points. Fighting a familiar foe, who comes into this on short notice and up a weight class, the ingredients are ripe for Onama to show out in this spot.

Jamie Mullarkey ($9,100) – While the price tag is a tad high, Mullarkey is a relentless fighter, who will mix up his attack and score finishes. Averaging 118.25 in victory, with a low of 109, the floor for Mullarkey is safe. Add in the fact that he is fighting Michael Johnson, who has won four of his last thirteen fights, and I’m certainly riding with the Aussie in this fight.

8k Range

Caio Borralho ($8,900) – The Brazilian may be a bit too expensive for my taste, but there is no doubting that his grappling gives him an advantage over Armen Petrosyan. My only concern is whether he will land enough strikes or score a submission finish. Two aspects that he did not do in his last fight, leading to an under 80 point performance.

Ricky Turcios ($8,800) – If anything is certain about Turcios, it’s that the man is a workhorse. Always active, Turcios is capable of landing over 100 strikes and landing a few takedowns every fight. A recipe that makes for big points and a very happy owner.

Ronnie Lawrence ($8,400) – Leading the card in career points, average points in victory and the lowest point total in victory, Lawrence is going to be a very popular play. A wrestler by trade, in two fights, Lawrence has landed 14 takedowns. Which alone is worth 70 points. At this price tag, it’s hard to fade the man – other than the fact that everyone and their grandmother is playing him.

Tresean Gore ($8,300) – He may lack the experience and his UFC debut wasn’t the greatest, but the man is refined and powerful. Given Gore’s wrestling and seemingly Cody Brundage’s path to victory being reliant on taking Gore down, I’d say Brundage could be in some trouble. Especially considering his vulnerability is standing.

Kennedy Nzechukwu ($8,200) – Despite lacking in several categories, Nzechukwu is someone I’m eyeballing. With a four inch height and nine inch reach advantage, and against a former Middleweight in Karl Roberson, Nzechukwu will look like goliath in the octagon. Throw in the fact that Roberson is a striker and Nzechukwu doesn’t have to worry about takedowns, and I smell some big striking totals and a good chance for a knockout victory.

7k and Under Range

Saidyokub Kakhramonov ($7,800) – Despite having Ronnie Lawrence up there as a play, Kakhramonov is a solid pivot. A stone cold finisher, who is well adept wherever the fight goes, Kakhramonov isn’t going to make it easy for Lawrence to wrestle. With good takedown defense, scrambling ability, grappling and submissions, Kakhramonov may even neautralize Lawrence. If so, on the feet, the power of Kakhramonov will show true.

Rafael dos Anjos ($7,200) – The former Champion may be the most popular play aside from Ronnie Lawrence. For good reason too, as in relation to the card is 6th in career points, 4th in average points scored in victory and 1st in highest points scored in a fight. Throw in the fact that his durability and gas tank are made for five rounds, whereas Fiziev is an unknown past three, and this price tag for dos Anjos is a no brainer.

Fades

Rafael Fiziev ($9,000) – A solid fighter, but statistically not someone known to rack up the points, I’m personally not willing to shell out 9k for Fiziev. Against a durable Rafael dos Anjos, who is made for five rounds too, it seems very risky to side with this half of the main event. Averaging a mere 77.94 in victory, Fiziev ranks in the bottom four on the card.

Antonina Shevchenko ($8,700) – If there is one positive about Shevchenko, it’s that she is facing a fellow striker. Other than that, the average career points of 53.3 and the average points in victory of 92.87, isn’t enticing me to dish out 8.7k.

Karl Roberson ($8,000) – Roberson has lost three straight and five of his last eight fights. Jumping up to Light Heavyweight, a division in which he is 3-3 in, I have very little faith that his fortunes will change. Especially given his low output and against someone in Kennedy Nzechukwu, who only has a minor four inch height and nine inch reach advantage.