For the second time this year, the UFC returns to Canada. Last time, it was for UFC 297, where Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his UFC Middleweight Championship against Sean Strickland. That event was hosted in Toronto; the UFC will be at Rogers Place in Edmonton this Saturday. The Main Event for this Fight Night is former Flyweight champion No. 2 Brandon Moreno against No. 3 contender Amir Albazi.

The former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion No. 5 Rose Namajunas will face No. 3 Erin Blanchfield in the Co-Main Event. This is the first time the UFC has hosted an event in Edmonton since July 2019. That time, it was for UFC 240, headlined by Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar. Eight out of the 28 fighters on this card are from Canada.

The Prelims will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET, with the Main Card starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $300K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]

Studs

Mike Malott ($9,200)

Malott lost his last fight against Neil Magny at UFC 297 in January. Magny finished Malott in the third round. That was his first loss since October 2014. Malott has a one-inch reach advantage while being a more efficient striker and grappler.

Malott is one of nine Canadian fighters competing on this card. During his four fights in the UFC, Malott is 3-1 with two submissions and a knockout. He had over 100 fantasy points in each fight during his three previous wins. Malott is also a -298 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. Although he is the highest-priced fighter on this card, it is warranted because of his elite production, averaging 95 points per contest.

Brandon Moreno ($8,500)

After Moreno beat Deiveson Figueiredo for a second time in January 2023, he lost his title to current UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja. Since then, Moreno suffered his second straight split decision loss to Brandon Royval in February. Now Moreno returns to the Octagon after eight months away to try and win his first fight in 21 months. Moreno faces No. 3 Amir Albazi in the Main Event.

Moreno is only 30 years old, so he has plenty of time left in his career to become a three-time flyweight champion. He has scored at least 80 points in three of his previous four fights and at least 95 points in his last fight against Figueiredo and Pantoja. Moreno is the taller fighter (5’7″ vs. 5’5″) and has the reach advantage (70″ vs. 68″).

Moreno is the more accurate striker, landing 44 percent of his significant strikes, while Albazi lands 39 percent. Also, Moreno lands over one more significant strike per minute than Albazi does. If Moreno can keep Albazi at range and control the pace of the fight while mixing in a takedown or submission attempt, he can provide fantasy lineups with another great performance.

Value Play

Rose Namajunas ($7,800)

The former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion is on a two-fight winning streak after moving up to the flyweight division. Most recently, she defeated Tracy Cortez by unanimous decision in July. If Namajunas wins this fight, she could earn another title fight. Namajunas has a one-inch height advantage (5’5″ vs. 5’4″), but Erin Blanchfield possesses a one-inch larger reach (66″ vs. 65″).

Considering how she has looked lately, Namajunas’ price tag of only $7,800 is unbelievable. She scored at least 105 fantasy points in her previous two contests. Blanchfield started her UFC career on a six-fight win streak but lost her last fight against Manon Fiorot in March. When Blanchfield struggles to take down her opponent, her pathway to victory becomes limited.

Namajunas has an impressive 59 percent takedown defense. If she can slow down Blanchfield’s early takedown attack, she will likely find a lot of success, as she has in her previous two fights. Namajunas is the slight underdog in this fight at +110 on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $300K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]

The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!

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.