This Saturday’s Fight Night features an exciting and pivotal matchup in the Flyweight division. The Main Event features No. 1 Brandon Royval and No. 5 Tatsuro Taira. Although the UFC didn’t officially announce this as a No. 1 contender fight, the winner will likely challenge UFC Undisputed Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja in 2025. This event will take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Co-Main Event features two UFC veterans in the middleweight division: Brad Tavares vs. JunYong Park. Also, Grant Dawson, who is 9-1-1 in the UFC, looks to win his second fight in a row against Rafa Garica in a 155-pound bout. “D-Rod” Daniel Rodriguez is trying to get back in the win column for the first time since September 2022 after losing his previous three fights. Rodriguez faces veteran Alex Moreno, who has lost two of his last three fights.
This card’s start time is earlier than usual. The Prelims will start at 4:00 p.m. ET, with the six-fight Main Card beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira this Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]
Studs
Themba Gorimbo ($9,200)
Gorimbo, 33, is 3-1 in the UFC and on a three-fight winning streak. Most recently, in May, Gorimbo defeated Ramiz Brahimaj by unanimous decision. In this fight, Gorimbo displayed his impressive ability on the ground, totaling 10 minutes of control time while completing five of six takedown attempts. Gorimbo outlanded Brahimaj by 40 significant strikes.
Gorimbo now faces a veteran, Niko Price. Price is 8-7 in the UFC and is returning after a victory over Alex Moreno at UFC 302 in June. Gorimbo has an inch height and reach advantage. During Gorimbo’s three-fight win streak, he has scored over 100 FPTS in each fight. The last time he had a price tag of ($9,200) against Pete Rodriguez in February, he exploded for 130 points in fantasy contests. If Gorimbo is aggressive enough to start this contest like he has done in the past, another impressive performance against Price should be in store.
Gorimbo is a big -375 favorite, while Price is +295 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
JunYong Park ($8,500)
Park is taking on 13-year UFC veteran Brad Tavares in the Co-Main Event of this fight card. Although Tavares has a two-inch height edge (6’1″ vs. 5’10”) and a one-inch reach advantage (74″ vs 73″), Park is the more efficient striker and grappler. Park has landed 50 percent of his significant strikes while having a 50 percent takedown accuracy. Both fighters in this contest lost their previous fights and are in a must-win situation.
Even though Park only scored 31 points in his previous contest, he totaled at least 100 FPTS in his previous four bouts. He also has won his last three fights by submission in the first or second round. Park is 7-3 in the UFC, while Tavares is 13-9 in the promotion. Park must implement takedowns early in this fight while landing meaningful punches to be a valuable fighter in fantasy lineups.
Value Play
Brandon Royval ($7,200)
Royval has excelled in the past as the underdog. On Saturday, he will face the most formidable up-and-coming contender in the division. Tatsuro Taira is only 24 years old and is taking a massive step up in competition. He last knocked out Alex Perez, the No. 6 contender in the Flyweight division. But Royval has big fight experience, as he fought for the title last year and will give Taira a massive test.
Royval is two inches taller than Taira. He is less of a technical fighter than Taira, and if he can use his aggressive and fast-paced style, he will succeed. Royval has scored at least 90 fantasy points in his previous four fights. In two of those wins, Royval had over 100 points. Royval’s last three losses in the UFC were against current Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja and former titleholder Brandon Moreno. The last time Royval lost a fight to someone not named Pantoja or Moreno was in 2018 against Casey Kenney in LFA.
Royval is a great value play in this contest as he is the more experienced fighter and is an excellent addition to fantasy lineups at the low price tag of ($7,200). Royval is a +235 underdog as Taira is -290 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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.
