The UFC returns to London, England on Saturday, March 22, for a Fight Night headlined by former UFC Welterweight champion No. 1 Leon “Rocky” Edwards against No. 5 Sean Brady. Edwards is coming off a title loss at UFC 304 against Belal Muhammad. A highly intriguing light heavyweight matchup between No. 3 Jan Blachowicz and No. 6 Carlos Ulbergis 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: Edwards vs. Brady! Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6! Here are my five favorite picks for Edwards vs. Brady.
Sean Brady Less Than 9:30 Control Time
Although Brady is dominant on the ground, he hasn’t totaled 9:30 or more control time in his previous five fights. With Edwards’ 65 percent takedown defense, it will be tough for Brady to control Edwards for long periods, as few have done so lately.
Brady’s statistics match up well against Edwards. He averages 2.24 more takedowns per 15 minutes while taking down opponents at an impressive 52 percent rate. This total of 9:30 seems a little high, as two of Edwards’ last three opponents failed to hit this mark. Muhammad finished with over 12 minutes of control time against Edwards. After Muhammad held down Edwards in their fight, he will likely have a different game plan against a grappling-heavy fighter in Brady.
Carlos Ulberg More Than 90.5 Fantasy Points
Ulberg is on a six-fight win streak in the UFC. He most recently beat Volkan Oezdemir in July at UFC 304. He has been a very productive fantasy scorer throughout his win streak, totaling 90.5 or more points in four of his previous five bouts.
In this matchup, Ulberg is taller (6’4″ vs. 6’2″), but Jan Blachowicz has the more significant standing reach (78″ vs. 77″). Ulberg is the more advanced striker on the feet, landing 7.20 significant strikes at a 56 percent rate. Ulberg has a tremendous 83 percent takedown defense, and if he defends Blachowicz’s takedowns,’ he should be in for another elite fantasy showing.
Gunnar Nelson Less Than 9:30 Fight Time
This is Nelson’s first fight in over two years, as he last fought Bryan Barberena at UFC 286. Nelson is on a two-fight win streak and will face one of the most active fighters in the UFC, Kevin Holland. Holland last fought two months ago and was submitted by Reiner de Ridder at UFC 311.
Although Holland has lost four of his last five fights, he is still a dangerous striker on the feet. Holland’s last three fights have ended in the first round, and seven of his previous 11 contests have lasted a maximum of two rounds. Nelson’s last five fights all lasted less than 9:30. Getting Nelson vs. Holland under 9:30 is a good play, considering both are accustomed to finishes.
Christian Leroy Duncan More Than 54.5 Significant Strikes
Leroy Duncan faces UFC debutant Andrey Pulyaev, who is coming off a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. Leroy Duncan, the Englishman, is coming off a loss but is 2-1 in his last three bouts.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Leroy Duncan is a massive -550 favorite against Pulyaev. Leroy Duncan has hit this total of significant strikes in two of his last three fights. As Pulyaev is making his UFC debut in this fight, he hasn’t experienced this level of competition until now. Leroy Duncan should find success on the feet if he uses his longer reach to his advantage.
Marcin Tybura Less Than 1.5 Takedowns
Tybura averages 1.42 takedowns per 15 minutes, but he hasn’t recorded more than 1.5 of them in his last five contests. His opponent, Mick Parkin, has a 50 percent takedown defensive rate, and it isn’t easy to get to the mat. Tybura is the smaller fighter in this heavyweight matchup. Parkin is one inch taller while possessing a more extensive reach.
This is a close matchup. Parkin is a -142 favorite, with Tybura being a +120 underdog. Parkin is 10-0 and is the younger fighter by 10 years in this matchup. Tybura is 2-2 in his last four fights, and it seems like he will need to find success in a different area than on the ground to succeed in this fight.
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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.
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