Ilia Topuria is fighting Charles Oliveira in the Main Event of UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Topuria is attempting to become a two-division champion, while “Do Bronx” is seeking his second Lightweight title.
Along with traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can now have more action than ever for UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6! Here are my five favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC PPV.
Ilia Topuria More Than 40.5 Significant Strikes
Seeing Topuria have a low significant strike total of 40.5 might be weird, but it is a testament to his greatness and how quickly he finishes his opponents in the Octoagon. Topuria is 16-0 with 14 finishes in his MMA career and most recently knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
But even though “El Matador” is a lethal finisher, he has still totaled more than 40.5 significant strikes in two of his previous three bouts. It could be risky to take Topuria to record at least 41 significant strikes since he has 13 victories in the first two rounds. This fight could be slightly different from the start, since he is fighting former champion Oliveira, who hasn’t been finished in the first round in the last 10 years.
Joshua Van More Than 71.5 Fantasy Points
Joshua Van is fighting on back-to-back PPVs after knocking out Bruno Silva in the third round at UFC 316. He has won 12 of his last 13 fights and, at 23 years old, seems destined for greatness. After having three straight wins via decision, Van reminded everyone how powerful he is on the feet.
Van’s rise has been quick, and he will be thrown straight in the deep end of the flyweight division on Saturday as he faces Brandon Royval. Even though Van has a tough fight in front of him, getting this over in fantasy points at 71.5 is still surprising. Van scored 131.6 points in his last fight while recording 100-plus in three of his previous four bouts.
In this matchup, Van is the smaller fighter but is much more efficient on the feet and the ground. Van averages over eight significant strikes per minute at a 54 percent accuracy rate. Both of those statistics are better than Royvals. The one thing Van doesn’t have is a ton of UFC experience, which Royval does. If Van can pressure Royval and display his unbelievable pace at UFC 316, another big outing should be incoming.
Renato Moicano More Than 60.5 Fantasy Points
Money Moicano is back after facing Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title on short notice at UFC 311. Before that, Moicano won four straight contests and emerged as one of the most exciting fighters in the division. Moicano’s total in fantasy points is set at 60.5. Since Moicano has totaled 95-plus points in four of his last five fights, backing him to surpass 60.5 seems easy.
Moicano is facing Beneil Dariush, who is also 36 years old. But Dariush has been knocked out twice and hasn’t fought since December 2023. With Dariush’s inactivity, it will be hard for him to keep up with Moicano. Moicano has a 71 percent takedown defensive rate on the ground, making it hard for Dariush in his takedown attempts. If Moicano can make this a striking battle, it will favor him heavily since he has legitimate power.
Jack Hermansson More Than 54.5 Significant Strikes
“The Joker” is coming off a big victory against rising star Joe Pyfer but will now face Gregory Rodrigues. Hermansson is 3-3 in his previous six contests and hasn’t won back-to-back fights since 2019. Rodrigues has won four of five fights but was recently knocked out by Jared Cannonier in February.
Hermansson has landed 100-plus significant strikes in three of his last four fights. He has also hit this mark in strikes in four of five. Hermansson has a tremendous 56 percent defense rate on the feet and will need to use that against Rodrigues, who lands 5.6 significant strikes per minute. If Hermansson can keep Rodrigues at a distance while establishing his own offense, finishing with 55 significant strikes or more should be doable.
Terrance McKinney More Than 74.5 Fantasy Points
McKinney is a finishing machine every time he fights. “T-Wrecks” has 16 career wins with 16 finishes. He has won three of his previous four fights by knockout. McKinney has scored at least 100 fantasy points in three of his last four bouts. McKinney is fighting Viacheslav Borshchev at UFC 317.
Borshchev is taller by one inch, but McKinney has a four-inch reach advantage (73″ vs. 69″). McKinney averages 5.91 significant strikes per minute at a 56 percent rate. He is a versatile fighter with the tools to win his second fight in a row. Getting McKinney’s over in fantasy points at 74.5 is an excellent play since he has been dominant lately.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice,e and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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