The UFC makes its return to Paris, France for the second straight year in September on Saturday. The event is headlined by No. 10 Renato Moicano vs. No. 11 Benoit Saint Denis. This lightweight Main Event features two of the most popular and entertaining fighters in the division. The winner of this contest will put himself inside the Top 10 of one of the best divisions in the sport. This is the UFC’s third time hosting an event in France after the sport was legalized in the country in 2020.
Major stakes are also on the line in the Co-Main Event. No. 4 Nassourdine Imavov puts his top-five spot on the line against surging submission artist No. 8 Brendan Allen. The winner of this bout could set themselves up for a No. 1 contender fight shortly at 185 pounds. Let’s get into my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineups for UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st].
Studs
Oumar Sy ($9,400)
Sy, 28, is an intriguing prospect in the UFC. He is 10-0 with eight wins by finish and in May he won his UFC debut by submission in the first round. Sy is a well-rounded fighter as he has four wins by submission and four wins by knockout. Sy is facing Da Woon Jung who is on a three-fight losing streak in the UFC. Sy has a five-inch advantage (83″ vs. 78″) in the reach department while both fighters stand at 6’4″.
Even though Sy’s first appearance in the UFC didn’t last long, he still found a way to make a huge impact on fantasy lineups. He scored 107 DK FPTS while having 4:30 minutes of control time leading to the victory. The crowd will be heavily behind Sy in the second-to-last fight on the Prelims. He is fighting in his home country of France, and has a finishing style that is intriguing for fans to watch.
If Sy finds success early on the ground, he will once again be in a position to provide great impact to your daily fantasy lineups. Sy is also a huge -535 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Joanderson Brito ($9,200)
Brito is 5-0 in the UFC with five finishes in a row. His most recent victory came at UFC 301 in his home country of Brazil where he knocked out Jack Shore in the second round. He has a bright future in the talented featherweight division as he is a versatile fighter who wastes little time trying to get his opponent out of there.
Brito is facing William Gomis who has a larger reach (73″ vs. 72″) and is taller (6’0″ vs. 5’8″). Although Brito is the smaller fighter, he is a more efficient standing and on the ground. Brito has a 51 percent accuracy on significant strikes while landing over three per minute. As I previously mentioned, Brito is a finishing machine and has eight wins by TKO/KO and seven wins by submission in his MMA career. Brito’s single UFC loss in 2022 was the last time he entered a third round in a contest.
In four of Brito’s last five fights in the UFC, he has scored over 100 fantasy points. His salary has increased by $700 from his last appearance at UFC 301 in May. Even with the fifth-highest price tag on the card, Brito possesses a versatile skill set that is beneficial for daily fantasy lineups. Brito is +100 to win this fight by KO/TKO or submission.
Value Play
Brendan Allen ($7,300)
To me, this is a 50-50 fight. Both fighters are rising stars in the middleweight division. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Imavov is the -218 favorite as Allen is +118. Imavov has more big fight experience up until this point with his victory against Cannonier a few months ago.
Allen is the more efficient fighter on the ground landing 1.74 takedowns per 15 minutes. He has a 47% takedown accuracy but Imavov has the edge on the feet. Imavov lands 4.5 significant strikes per minute while Allen lands four strikes. Imavov has a striking accuracy of 55 percent, two percent better than Allen.
If Allen can have success getting Imavov to the ground early and often, he will provide your fantasy lineup with great value on Saturday night. Allen and Imavov have a common opponent in Curtis Curtis. Imavov’s fight against Curtis ended in a no contest while Allen beat him in his last fight by split decision.
Allen has scored over 100 FPTS in three of his past five fights and two of his previous two contests. The 28-year-old is on an eight-fight win streak with four of his past five coming by submission. Allen is a fighter who is always looking for a submission when taking down his opponent.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is ryanwohl) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
