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This article originally appeared on Lucky Trader: UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili DraftKings Reignmakers Breakdown.
This week, DraftKings Reignmakers is offering up $125,000 in prizes between its five tiers of contests: CORE, RARE, ELITE, LEGENDARY, and REIGNMAKER.
All players from DraftKings’ Heatwave, UFC 281, UFC 282, and Genesis sets are eligible to compete in these contests.
It is worth noting that the Genesis Standard, Genesis Premium, and Genesis CORE Add-On packs are all still available for purchase. These packs contain top UFC fighters and a random distribution of most of the fighters stepping into the octagon this weekend.
The UFC Fight Night: Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili event set goes on sale today at 1 p.m. ET.
With that said, this article breaks down the best fighters to consider adding to your team via the Reignmakers’ marketplace. All listed prices refer to CORE tier unless otherwise noted, but the recommendations can be agnostically applied to all other tiers.
The Good
Below are the best fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili event.
Petr Yan ($4.50 - Genesis)
Merab Dvalishvili needs one more win over a big-name opponent for title contender consideration after his impressive 8-fight winning streak, and he gets that opportunity this weekend against Petr Yan. Unfortunately for Dvalishvili, Yan is on another level. The Russian-born striker is 1-3 in his last four fights, but two of those losses came to Aljamain Sterling and the third was a clear victory against Sean O’Malley. The judges decided otherwise. Yan is the better striker and crafty enough to stay out of the clinch against Judo-expert Dvalishvili. This is a fun fight for UFC fans, but Yan does have the edge, as shown by his -250 line on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nikita Krylov ($1.95 - UFC Fight Night 2.25.23)
Nikita Krylov’s fight against Ryan Spann was postponed two weeks ago during the live UFC event due to illness. To make up for the unfortunate event, DraftKings added holders of Krylov and Spann’s NFTs to a free DFS contest and will allow the UFC Fight Night 2.25.23 NFTs to be used in contests this week for UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili. Krylov is currently listed at $1.95 on the secondary marketplace and is a slight favorite over Spann. This fight is happening at catchweight, which will help Krylov who has struggled with weight cuts in the past. For more on why Krylov should pick up the victory, see the UFC Fight Night: Krylov vs Spann article here.
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The Bad
Below are the worst fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili event.
Jonathan Martinez ($2.98 - Genesis)
Jonathan Martinez gets a tough matchup this weekend against Said Nurmagomedov (one of very few Nurmagomedovs not related to Khabib). The lack of relation doesn’t mean Said isn’t a top-level fighter, though, as he’s currently on a 4-fight winning streak with great odds to make it five. Martinez is going to struggle to get Nurmagomedov to the ground and Said will win the striking battle. Martinez’s one saving grace is his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu talents but it likely won’t be enough to put Nurmagomedov in consistent difficult situations. Said should cruise to victory as a -245 favorite via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Austin Lingo (N/A)
Austin Lingo is not yet available on the secondary marketplace, but it doesn’t matter because he’s one of the worst plays this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili. Lingo gets a tough matchup against BJJ specialist Ricardo Ramos. Ramos lived in a gym in Brazil for seven years and is a black belt with decent striking and solid takedown offense. If Lingo is going to win this fight, he needs to consisently stay off the mat. His realistic upside is a 3-round decision victory while his downside is a first-round submission loss. Ramos will look to avoid strikes and control Lingo on the ground, which is frustrating for fighters and those watching in hopes of accumulating fantasy points. Avoid that frustration this weekend.
The Obvious
Below are the most obvious fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili event.
Mario Bautista ($21 - Genesis)
Mario Bautista looks to end 43-year-old Guido Cannetti’s winning streak this weekend, and he sits at -1050 odds to do so via DraftKings Sportsbook. Cannetti lost three consecutive fights from 2018 to 2021, has been undefeated since 2022. His last fight against Randy Costa won Performance of the Night, and the UFC is looking to give a little rub to Bautista after Cannetti’s success. Bautista is 5-1 in his last six fights, including three consecutive wins. He should rather easily pick up the victory in this one and when he does, it’s time to step up in competition again. Bautista has previously lost in the UFC to both Cory Sandhagen and Trevin Jones, and will look for a similar opponent in his next fight after this quick tune-up.
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