This Saturday, Merab Dvalishvili defends his Bantamweight title against former champion Petr Yan in the Main Event of UFC 323. Dvalishvili beat Yan in their first fight in 2023 by unanimous decision. The second title fight on the card features a Flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van.
The Early Prelims begin at 6:00 p.m. ET, with the Prelims starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. The UFC 323 Main Card starts at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC 323 PPV.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $500K UFC 323 Special [$100K to 1st]
Studs
Merab Dvalishvili ($9,500)
Although he is the defending champion and the second most expensive fighter on this card, Merab Dvalishvili is too good to pass up. Dvalishvili averages 125.5 fantasy points per fight, over 25 more than the second-best fighter on this card. He continues to evolve his game and improve, coming off a 219.5-point performance against Cory Sandhagen in October.
Dvalishvili dominated Yan in their first contest, with all three judges scoring it 50-45. In that fight, Dvalishvili landed 72 more significant strikes while recording 11 takedowns against Yan. Yan does have an 85 percent takedown defense, but Dvalishvili proved that, although it is difficult, he eventually can get the fight to the ground with his relentless attacks. The champion averages 6.40 takedowns per 15 minutes while landing 4.33 significant strikes per minute. Another elite part of Dvalishvili’s game is his defense on the feet, as he absorbs only 2.55 per minute.
In their first matchup, Dvalishvili finished with 167.2 fantasy points against Yan. Since then, Dvalishvili has continued to improve and enters this fight more dangerous than ever. Although he is expensive at $9,500, Dvalishvili’s consistency is on a different level than anyone else at this event.
Grant Dawson ($8,900)
Grant Dawson has gone 11-1-1 in his 13 contests in the UFC and has been a fantasy scoring machine during that span. He has scored at least 100 points in three straight bouts and five of his previous seven contests. Dawson has won three consecutive fights since his lone UFC loss against King Green in October 2023.
Dawson is taking on Manuel Torres in a three-round Lightweight contest in the Featured Prelim of UFC 323. Torres is coming off a first-round knockout victory against Drew Dober in March. He is a tremendous striker, but Dawson is the better all-around fighter.
Torres averages 7.87 significant strikes, which is impressive, but Dawson has the tools to limit his production in that area, as he only allows 2.11 per minute. Dawson does his best work on the ground, where he is totaling nearly four takedowns per 15 minutes at a 40 percent rate. If Dawson can slow Torres’ aggressive game plan early in the fight, he will be well-positioned to deliver an elite performance.
Value Play
Terrance McKinney ($7,600)
Terrance “T-Wrecks” McKinney is one of the exciting fighters in the UFC. He truly has a kill-or-be-killed mindset, as all 24 of his professional MMA fights have ended via knockout or submission. He is currently on a two-fight winning streak, with both coming in the first round, and recently beat Viacheslav Borshchev at UFC 317 in June.
McKinney has totaled 121 fantasy points in back-to-back fights and has recorded at least 100 points in four of his last five contests. His opponent, Chris Duncan, is also on a good run, winning three straight fights. McKinney has a two-inch reach advantage in this contest (73″ vs. 71″).
In this contest, McKinney averages more significant strikes per minute and takedowns per 15 minutes than Duncan does. Even though McKinney is facing a tough opponent, adding him at only $7,600 adds a ton of upside to your lineup. McKinney has proven he can finish his opponents anywhere and has the necessary skills to not only defeat Duncan but continue to be a positive fantasy contributor.
Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $500K UFC 323 Special [$100K to 1st]
