Saturday morning in the United States, No. 13 Johnny Walker and No. 14 Zhang Mingyang are headlining a UFC Fight Night in Shanghai, China. Aljamain Sterling takes on Brian Ortega in a 153-pound catchweight fight in the co-main event.
Along with traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can now have more action than ever for UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6! Here are my favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC card.
Johnny Walker More Than 15.5 Significant Strikes
Although Walker has had a tough time in the Octagon recently, he remains a talented and capable fighter. Getting someone with his level of striking to record only 16 significant strikes is excellent value. Walker has hit this mark in two of his previous four contests.
Although Walker has a tough matchup against rising star Zhang Mingyang, Walker still has some advantages in this fight. Walker is taller by four inches with a seven-inch larger standing reach. Although Mingyang is known for quick finishes, Walker can make an impact if he can be aggressive while not allowing Mingyang to land multiple big combinations.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta More Than 47.5 Fantasy Points
Waldo Cortes-Acosta has been an elite fantasy contributor lately, scoring 99.1 and 110.3 points in two of his previous three fights. But now he faces Sergei Pavlovich, who is his most talented opponent. Still, it is surprising to see Cortes-Acosta’s total in fantasy points at 47.5 when he has surpassed that mark in five straight bouts.
Cortes-Acosta has the tools to beat Pavlovich and give him a tough fight. On paper, Cortes-Acosta averages almost six significant strikes per minute at a 48 percent rate, which is better than Pavlovich. Cortes-Acosta needs to neutralize Pavlovich’s power to have a successful outing. If he does so, Cortes-Acosta is in a good spot to score at least 48 fantasy points.
Michel Pereira More Than 77.5 Fantasy Points
From 2020 to 2024, Michel Pereira won eight straight fights and looked like a future title contender. But in the last 10 months, Pereira has suffered two consecutive losses. A significant reason for his losing streak has been his failure to display an aggressive nature.
After facing Abus Magomedov and Anthony Hernandez, Pereira now has a much favorable matchup against Kyle Daukaus. Pereira averages more significant strikes (4.50 vs. 3.22) than Daukaus while having a 51 percent defensive rate. This is an excellent spot for Pereira to bounce back in a big way. Pereira has totaled more than 77.5 fantasy points in three of his last five fights.
SuYoung You More Than 2.5 Takedowns
SuYoung You has won four fights in a row and now faces Xiao Long. You is 8-1 with two no contests in his previous 11 contests. In his last fight against AJ Cunningham, You recorded five takedowns.
In this matchup, You is a much more advanced fighter on the ground, landing nearly four more takedowns per 15 minutes (4.75 vs. 0.84). You has a 55 percent takedown accuracy and must get the fight to the ground to extend his winning streak.
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, 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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