DraftKings MMA: UFC Stockholm Preview

DraftKings MMA: UFC Stockholm Preview

This article is part of our DraftKings MMA series.

Heading to Stockholm will be a nice home-turf advantage for Alexander Gustafsson but it may not be enough to take down Glover Teixeira. As the No. 2 and No. 3 light heavyweights in the UFC clash, spectators will be waiting on the edge of their seats to see who will take home the win.

If you're hoping to turn the event into an opportunity to build your DFS bankroll, DraftKings.com has you covered with a full slate of contests. Players get a $50,000 budget to select five fighters, and the scoring is distributed as follows:

(Please note that DraftKings has altered their scoring system. The new point values are listed below and the rosters will now expand from 5 to 6 fighters).

Moves Scoring
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.5 PTS
Advance (ADVC): +3 PT
Takedown (TD): +5 PTS
Reversal/Sweep (REV): +5 PTS
Knockdown (KD): +10 PTS

Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win (1rW+): +90 PTS
2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 PTS
3rd Round Win (3rW+): +45 PTS
4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 PTS
5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 PTS
Decision Win (WBD+): +30 PTS

Scoring Notes
Significant Strikes are any Distance Strike or Clinch/Ground Strikes that are considered "Power Strikes" by official scorers.

Advances include: To Half Guard, To Side Control, To Mount, To Back Control

Now, on to the fights...

Main Event - Light Heavyweight

Alexander Gustafsson (17-4-0) v. Glover Teixeira (26-5-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Gustafsson ($9,200), Teixeira ($7,000)
Vegas Odds: Gustafsson (-330), Teixeira (+270)
Odds to Finish: -180

The Mauler hasn't had a competitive fight in nearly two years. He fought Jan Blachowicz last September, but that was the lopsided affair that everyone expected. The Swede has fallen victim to the circumstances of the UFC's barren light heavyweight division. He finally gets a decent opponent in Teixeira, but this is a fight that Gustafsson should win. He has a three-inch height advantage, a three-inch reach advantage, and Gustafsson's durability (he has only been knocked out once in his career) should eliminate Teixeira's biggest weapon, his power.

Glover handled Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision in February in one of the most boring fights that you will ever see. It was a fight that he was expected to win easily and he ended up struggling. Teixeira, at age 37, remains a threat because he retains his power and he keeps himself in great shape, but this is a tall task. Glover has a chance if he lands one big shot, but you can say that about any fighter in any fight.

This seems fairly straightforward. It should be a Gustafsson win in front of a raucous crowd in his native Stockholm, and he then gets the winner of the upcoming Cormier/Jones fight. Nothing else makes any sense.

THE PICK: Gustafsson

Co-Main Event - Light Heavyweight

Volkan Oezdemir (13-1-0) v. Misha Cirkunov (13-2-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Oezdemir ($6,900), Cirkunov ($9,300)
Vegas Odds: Oezdemir (+335), Cirkunov (-420)
Odds to Finish: -290

Although it's getting no publicity, this is a pretty interesting fight. Oezdemir made his UFC debut in February and defeated Ovince Saint Preux via split decision. It wasn't a brilliant effort, but it was pretty impressive considering no one gave him any chance of winning. The win bumped him up to No. 5 in the UFC's light heavyweight rankings. That's ridiculous in and of itself, but he is a fighter to keep an eye on moving forward. Oezdemir hits hard and 10 of his 13 finishes have been via first-round KO. He also stuffed all four of OSP's takedown attempts, but he is going to be facing a more powerful opponent here in Cirkunov.

Cirkunov, who was born in Latvia and resides in Toronto, has won all four of his UFC bouts with ease. He became a free agent recently and dabbled with other organizations before ultimately deciding to re-sign with the company. Cirkunov is an explosive athlete and as powerful as any fighter in the division. He has averaged nearly five (4.96) takedowns per fight, and is so physically strong that he can complete takedowns even when his technique isn't perfect. He has little experience against top competition, but his ceiling is extremely high.

As long as he avoids consistent power shots from Oezdemir, Cirkunov should win this fight. In a division that lacks top-flight talent, he is one. That ultimately means little in the long run, but I imagine he is going to have enough to handle Oezdemir. Cirkunov's tendency to rack up quick finishes make him a solid DraftKings play.

THE PICK: Cirkunov

Welterweight

Peter Sobotta (16-5-1) v. Ben Saunders (21-7-2)
DraftKings Salaries: Sobotta ($7,800), Saunders ($8,400)
Vegas Odds: Sobotta (+100), Saunders (-120)
Odds to Finish: +110

This card falls off considerably after the first two fights. Although Sobotta is 3-1 in his last four fights, he has defeated nobodies. His grappling skills are legitimate, but he offers so little on the feet that he makes for nearly an impossible DFS play. He'll eek out a win here and there against weaker competition, but he really isn't a UFC-caliber fighter.

Saunders, at age 35, is trending downward, although his recent results (4-1 in his last five fights) have been positive. He's tall for the division at 6-foot-2 and does a good job of using his long limbs in the striking game. He tends to land considerably more on the feet than Sobotta, and Killa B would be wise to try to keep this fight standing.

Fights like this scare me because neither man has one elite skill to fall back on if needed. Saunders is probably the better fighter and thus my pick, but that is more the result of me having little to no faith in Sobotta than anything else. In comparison, I would be picking countless other welterweights over Saunders in different circumstances.

THE PICK: Saunders

Other Fights

Welterweight

Abdul Razak Alhassan (7-0-0) v. Omari Akhmedov (16-3-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Alhassan ($9,100), Akhmedov ($7,100)
Vegas Odds: Alhassan (-260), Akhmedov (+220)
Odds to Finish: -465
THE PICK: Alhassan

Welterweight

Oliver Enkamp (7-0-0) v. Nordine Taleb (11-4-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Enkamp (-550), Taleb (+425)
Vegas Odds: Enkamp (-550), Taleb (+425)
Odds to Finish: +125
THE PICK: Enkamp

Middleweight

Jack Hermansson (14-3-0) v. Alex Nicholson (7-3-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Hermansson ($8,300), Nicholson ($7,900)
Vegas Odds: Hermansson (-115), Nicholson (-105)
Odds to Finish: +100
THE PICK: Hermansson

Bantamweight

Pedro Munhoz (13-2-0, 1NC) v. Damian Stasiak (10-3-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Munhoz ($9,500), Stasiak ($6,700)
Vegas Odds: Munhoz (-650), Stasiak (+475)
Odds to Finish: -130
THE PICK: Munhoz

Middleweight

Trevor Smith (14-7-0) v. Chris Camozzi (24-12-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Smith ($7,300), Camozzi ($8,900)
Vegas Odds: Smith (+205), Camozzi (-245)
Odds to Finish: +135
THE PICK: Camozzi

Lightweight

Reza Madadi (14-5-0) v. Joaquim Silva (9-1-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Madadi ($7,500), Silva ($8,700)
Vegas Odds: Madadi (+160), Silva (-185)
Odds to Finish: +145
THE PICK: TBD

Welterweight

Nico Musoke (13-4-0, 1NC) v. Bojan Velickovic (14-4-1)
DraftKings Salaries: Musoke ($8,500), Velickovic ($7,700)
Vegas Odds: Musoke (-140), Velickovic (+120)
Odds to Finish: +110
THE PICK: Musoke

Welterweight

Darren Till (13-0-1) v. Jessin Ayari (16-3-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Till ($9,000), Ayari ($7,200)
Vegas Odds: Till (-325), Ayari (+265)
Odds to Finish: +115
THE PICK: Till

Lightweight

Marcin Held (22-6-0) v. Damir Hadzovic (10-3-0)
DraftKings Salaries: Held ($9,600), Hadzovic ($6,600)
Vegas Odds: Held (-350), Hadzovic (+290)
Odds to Finish: -130
THE PICK: Held

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jon Litterine plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: JLitterine.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jon Litterine
Jon Litterine is RotoWire's lead MMA Writer and MMA Editor. He has covered numerous MMA events live. He's also RW's NHL Prospect Analyst. Jon has been writing for RotoWire since 2005. He is a graduate of U Mass-Lowell.
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