We’re back at the Apex this weekend for UFC Fight Night, headlined by a short-notice heavyweight clash between Waldo Cortes Acosta and Johnny Walker.
Cortes Acosta enters as a -238 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. Walker is a +195 underdog, with the fight total set at O/U 4.5 rounds.
Beyond traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can get more action than ever for UFC Fight Night: Cortes Acosta vs. Walker. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6 for my favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC event.
Top DraftKings Pick6 Plays for UFC Vegas 124
Waldo Cortes Acosta | More Than 0.5 Knockouts
Longtime light heavyweight Johnny Walker (23–10 MMA, 9–7 UFC [1 NC]) has been knocked out more times than you can count on one hand (six). While the UFC veteran had a smooth transition to heavyweight earlier this year, he benefitted greatly from a friendly matchup with Mick Parkin, who hadn’t fought in well over a year. While still powerful and wildly athletic, Walker now faces his first true test at heavyweight against No. 6-ranked contender Waldo Cortes Acosta (17–4 MMA, 10–4 UFC). Before dropping a pair of decisions to Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes, Cortes Acosta had rattled off three straight knockout wins — including against the promotion’s KO king Derrick Lewis. Walker’s compromised chin should be no match for Waldo’s heavy hands.
Tatiana Suarez | More Than 2.5 Takedowns
Tatiana Suarez (13–1 MMA, 9–1 UFC) has established herself as a fixture in the women’s strawweight division behind her tenacious wrestling pressure, only ever being thwarted by dominant former champion Zhang Weili. She’s landed three takedowns in three of her last four fights and will likely follow a similar blueprint against Virna Jandiroba (23–4 MMA, 9–4 UFC). Although Jandiroba is a formidable jiu-jitsu specialist, she heads into Saturday night at 38 and faces a considerable size disadvantage. Suarez should shoot early and often and find success in getting things to the mat.
Lucas Fernando | More Than 31.5 Significant Strikes
Light heavyweight prospect Lucas Fernando (14–3 MMA, 1–0 UFC) heads into his second UFC fight as a sizable favorite, though he may need more than 31.5 significant strikes to get the job done. Coming off a stoppage win in his promotional debut against Rafael Tobias, Fernando landed 69 significant strikes before finishing his opponent with a third-round knee to the body. Fernando now faces a competitive upgrade in Billy Elekana (10–2 MMA, 3–1 UFC), who has won three straight fights and has never been finished by KO/TKO. In his last fight, Elekana survived 38 significant strikes — including a knockdown — to rally for a submission win.
Nina Milosevic | More Than 104.5 Fantasy Points
Women’s bantamweight prospect Nina Milosevic (9–1 MMA, 1–0 UFC) made an emphatic first impression in the UFC earlier this year, folding Hailey Cowan with a body shot for a first-round TKO win, a Performance of the Night bonus, and 108.5 fantasy points. Three of her last four pro wins have come by KO/TKO in the opening round. Milosevic is well-positioned to extend her highlight reel on Saturday night against the beleaguered Priscila Cachoeira (13–9 MMA, 5–9 UFC). The 38-year-old veteran has dropped five of her last six fights — four by finish — and is coming off a first-round submission loss to Chelsea Chandler.
Murtazali Magomedov | Under 25.5 Significant Strikes
Featherweight prospect Murtazali Magomedov (11–0 MMA, 1–0 UFC) heads into Saturday with a perfect record, a 100 percent finish rate, and seven first-round stoppages — known for making quick work of his opponents. In his Octagon debut, he landed only five significant strikes before submitting Melsik Baghdasaryan in just over a minute. Given his track record, he could certainly keep the trend alive by bulldozing Jose Delano (17–3 MMA, 1–0 UFC). But even if he can’t score another quick finish, Magomedov’s chances of clearing 25.5 significant strikes seem incredibly slim. Questions linger about Magomedov’s chin and long-game durability — a potential nightmare against an absolute Muay Thai sniper in Delano, who should hold all the cards on the feet.
Seokhyeon Ko | More Than 0.5 Knockouts
Welterweight Seokhyeon Ko (13–3 MMA, 2–1 UFC) is coming off his first UFC loss — and first pro defeat since 2021 — dropping a competitive unanimous decision to formidable prospect Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani. He now has a prime opportunity to get right back on track, facing the embattled Wellington Turman (18–8 MMA, 3–6 UFC). Turman, hampered by numerous shoulder injuries, has not fought since December 2023. He has already been knocked out twice in the UFC and heads into his comeback matchup on a three-fight skid.
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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.
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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.
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