UFC St. Louis: Best Bets, Fight Previews, and Daily Fantasy Picks

If you crave violence, artistry, and competition in its purest form, the Ultimate Fighting Championship might be for you.

Colloquially known as "UFC," the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion holds around a dozen MMA fights a vast majority of weekends throughout the year. The promotion has fathered some of the largest combat-sport stars of the 21st century, including Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jon Jones.

There are plenty of ways to get in on the action every Saturday. FanDuel Sportsbook provides MMA odds including moneylines, round totals, and prop bets for each fight, and FanDuel Fantasy has several UFC daily fantasy contests with lucrative prizes. Regardless of your preferred way to play, we'll break down the environment, chances for each fighter to win, and matchup specifics for each bout.

Without further delay, let's break down the 12 fights at UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento, taking place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday.

Veronica Hardy vs. JJ Aldrich

Women's Flyweight (125 Pounds)

The night starts in women's flyweight with a tightly lined bout. It should be a good scrap.

Veronica Hardy's resurgence at 125 pounds has her the slight favorite to win it. Hardy, the wife of former UFC welterweight Dan, has beaten Juliana Miller (1-2 UFC) and Jamey-Lyn Horth (1-1 UFC) at the entry level to advance to multi-time UFC winner JJ Aldrich.

Hardy has increased her wrestling volume upon returning, landing four takedowns on five attempts. Overall, I'm still a bit wary of her striking given a -0.83 striking success rate (SSR) and 46% striking defense. The two matchups since returning that weren't really going to test it.

Aldrich might.

The Colorado native's SSR (-0.48) undersells what is a modest striking accuracy (46%) and defense (60%). She's just had a significantly different level of competition, facing ranked 125ers like Maycee Barber, Ariane da Silva, and Erin Blanchfield through her schedule. When outgunned on the feet by all, her takedown accuracy (25%) wasn't good enough, but a 66% takedown defense isn't a true weakness.

This fight is -410 to go the distance, which makes sense in a women's flyweight division with the highest decision rate of any division since the start of 2022 (65.2%). That indicates a close competitive fight -- as my model does.

Betting Verdict

• I'm not currently seeing betting value in this fight. Aldrich is +118 to win, which is right around her 45.7% chances in my model.
• My model also has the fight 82.3% likely to go the distance, which isn't far off FanDuel's -410 odds. I'd prefer not to split hairs at such a lofty price.

DFS Verdict

• You could argue fading this fight altogether in a fantasy setting, but Aldrich's salary is $2 lower with a near-identical forecast for fantasy points. She's a decent plug at $14.

Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson

Men's Flyweight (125 Pounds)

I thought both of these two had ranked potential upon joining UFC, but they're quietly battling to stay off the chopping block now.

Jake Hadley is England's best prospect in this division, but his two UFC wins came over foes 2-7 in UFC and have since been cut. He disappointed as a -200 favorite in his last bout against Cody Durden (5-4 UFC). Hadley's primary attack is through his jiu-jitsu, but three others have submitted Durden, so his 2.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes have been a bit more sizzle than substance to this point.

In the striking realm, "Kong" is responsible behind a 60% striking defense, but it's not his forté given a +0.22 SSR. Charles Johnson, with a +1.30 SSR, should have the edge when striking.

"Inner G" Johnson hasn't been finished as a pro in 19 fights, surviving Mohammad Mokaev (5-0 UFC) among others in UFC. This is ostensibly a home game for the Topeka, KS native off a huge win over Azat Maksum (1-1 UFC) in which his wrestling defense shined. He stuffed five of Maksum's seven takedown attempts.

Johnson has ceded 7.25 takedowns per fight in his four UFC losses compared to 1.33 in his wins. That's really the dynamic that has swung his UFC career, and the elephant in the room is that Hadley has posted just 0.32 per 15 minutes with poor accuracy (22%).

I don't believe the Englishman is capable of replicating Johnson's previous undoings.

Betting Verdict

• My model still has the younger Hadley favored to win (54.4%), but Johnson is being given a 74.9% chance to win the distance striking differential when neither of these guys is particularly fluent in wrestling. I think there's good value in Johnson's moneyline (+110).
  • Though supported by zero UFC data, Johnson, as a former boxer, had four standing KOs in 13 regional bouts. He's yet to have one in UFC. I've bet his knockout prop (+650) on the basis of regression and delighting the home crowd.

DFS Verdict

• This fight is -235 to go the distance given Johnson's historical durability. Frankly, I haven't seen enough special from Hadley ($17) to believe he's the first one in UFC to break through with the finish required at salary.

Trey Waters vs. Billy Goff

Welterweight (170 Pounds)

This fight might not have a lot of name value, but the fans in Missouri are in for a treat as these 170-pound prospects collide. Trey Waters and Billy Goff were both incredibly impressive in their debuts.

On seven days' notice, Waters turned back Josh Quinlan (1-2 UFC) using a formula that should be a common one for him. Waters' 6'5" frame and 77" reach in this division are enormous, and Quinlan couldn't mount quality offense, landing just 39% of his strikes to Waters' 51%. He also stuffed seven of eight takedowns. That all wrapped into a +54 striking differential and a clean win.

As a UFC winner, Quinlan probably represented a stiffer test than Goff's debut against Yusaku Kinoshita (0-2 UFC), but Goff also passed his test a bit more convincingly. He needed just 229 seconds to finish Kinoshita behind a +23 striking differential himself.

The 25-year-old has already earned a reputation as a junkyard dog with offensive metrics that are pretty absurd. He's attempted 22.22 significant strikes per minute and landing a decent clip (46%) of them, and he's added 4.04 takedowns per 15 minutes. I think there's a misconception that it's reckless offense, but a 64% striking D and 100% takedown D to this point couldn't be much better.

Frankly, we don't have a sample of what these two fighters might have to improve. Waters was taken down and submitted by Gabriel Bonfim (2-1 UFC) on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS), but that's not Goff's style with zero pro wins or losses by submission. In a striking battle, picking a winner here feels like a total guess.

Betting Verdict

• In general, I'd line this fight closer to a pick 'em, so Goff's moneyline (+138) seems a bit wide when he's showing excellent pace and the wrestling upside of these two. I haven't gotten to the window yet, though.
  • I'd just bet his inside-the-distance prop (+260) with minimal decision history and having such athletic disadvantages to overcome to win minutes.
• Goff hasn't been outside the first round compared to Waters' more methodical approach. Under 2.5 rounds is -180, which is a modest balance between the two. I've got no particular read here.

DFS Verdict

• This fight could be volatile and important in DFS because of Goff's enormous pace. Should Goff ($12) find the finish, he'll be a crucial value piece. Should his gas tank expire, the door could be open for a mammoth score from Waters ($19).

Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington

Women's Strawweight (115 Pounds)

It's been a pretty great trip around the sun for Tecia Pennington's household. In addition to 135-pound champion Rocky Pennington's title triumph in January, the couple welcomed their first child late last year.

Tecia Pennington (formerly Torres) now returns from that maternity absence, and she was a top-10 strawweight before exiting. Losing a close decision to Mackenzie Dern snapped her three-fight winning streak -- all over multi-time UFC winners. Pennington's size (5'1") has always had her working uphill as more of a natural atomweight, but all six of her UFC losses have come to fighters who have held a top-five ranking since the COVID break.

"The Tiny Tornado" is an efficient striker (+1.15 SSR), but her 61% takedown D has been inconsistent in the past. Showing improvement, she enters this fight having defended 25 of the last 32 takedowns she's faced. That'll have to hold to beat Tabatha Ricci.

Ricci suffered her first strawweight loss to Loopy Godinez (7-4 UFC) in December, but many are still high on the 29-year-old from Brazil. "Baby Shark" has proven to be too much with her wrestling for most, landing 3.39 takedowns per 15 minutes with 41% accuracy. Ricci's loss to Godinez once again showed a discomfort striking, though -- just as her -0.45 SSR would suggest.

My model agrees with oddsmakers' lofty -330 odds this fight goes the full distance, and these two have combined for decision in 17 of their 21 UFC bouts. This fight's winner is solely predicated on who wins when Ricci attempts takedowns. Pennington will win on the feet, but Ricci will triumph if she can secure ground control time.

As MMA judging criteria shifts to favor striking damage, I don't hate plus money with the new mom.

Betting Verdict

• Age and Pennington's overall wrestling defense stats have Ricci at -130 (56.4% likely to win) in my model. With the recent sample of the underdog's takedown defense being much better, I agree that a look at Pennington's moneyline (+112) could pay dividends here.
• This fight is overwhelmingly likely to go the distance, but rather than take a stab at FanDuel's short number on the total, I'd simply recommend just taking your projected winner by points.
  • Pennington's decision prop (+170) adds a bit of value when I've got it at +165.

DFS Verdict

• Like Hardy-Aldrich, this is another mid-range fight with minimal upside overall. You could easily avoid this one, or Pennington ($15) could snatch a win bonus with decent striking volume. Lacking punt options I can tolerate, I'm not sure I can avoid using one of these ladies.

Esteban Ribovics vs. Terrance McKinney

Lightweight (155 Pounds)

This fight contained the very first bet I made this weekend.

Esteban Ribovics has ceded 14 takedowns in his first two UFC fights entering this bout with a really solid wrestler in a larger sample. The Argentinian must have won plenty of folks over with a gritty, come-from-behind effort against Kamuela Kirk (1-2 UFC), but Kirk is a former 145-pounder -- and not a particularly successful one.

"El Gringo" is a high-volume striker with a +2.76 SSR and modest efficiency behind an identical 52% striking accuracy and defense. I'm just concerned his 60% takedown D proves to be his undoing against Terrance McKinney.

McKinney became a star with a seven-second KO of Matt Frevola (6-4-1 UFC) in his debut, but his momentum was halted with losses via finish in three of his next four. McKinney's endurance cost him badly against Drew Dober and Ismael Bonfim (2-1 UFC) -- both excellent fighters -- but the Nazim Sadykhov loss was a controversial one.

He enters this one off consecutive first-round KOs with his hands, and that is part of the package that makes him so lethal. In addition to a gigantic 2.26% knockdown rate, McKinney has added 3.52 takedowns and 1.0 submission attempts per 15 minutes. No one is safe in either realm with "T-Wrecks", who has yet to see a third round in nine fights.

Ribovics' path to win this fight exclusively runs through McKinney's gas tank expiring just as Kirk's did. Until then, he's a more dominant wrestler than Kirk, who easily won Round 1 on the ground, and his power is a substantial advantage.

Betting Verdict

• I bet McKinney's moneyline (+134) at +165 but endorse plus money of any kind. I believe he should be favored. While things could get hairy for him late, that's no reason to make the clearly more dangerous and experienced fighter a 'dog.
• Despite concerns about McKinney's endurance, Ribovics has been brutally difficult to submit or knockout in precarious positions. McKinney's decision prop (+1500) is absurdly long when this fight is just three rounds.

DFS Verdict

• McKinney ($12) is my favorite value plug on the card. I believe he's got knockout and submission upside in a fight that better matches his historical tempo than Ribovics'. The favorite has gone to a decision in his first two bouts.

Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Chase Hooper

Lightweight (155 Pounds)

Taking the data-driven approach I do, an improving 24-year-old like Chase Hooper can be a nightmare to forecast.

"The Dream" joined UFC at 19, so we've seen his ups and downs in real time. Hooper's first four UFC wins had zero wins at his weight class between them, so they were protecting him --as they should have -- quite a bit. He's now entered a "real" realm of the promotion with a quick submission of Jordan Leavitt (4-3 UFC) in his last bout.

Leavitt went straight to Hooper's dojo by grappling from the jump. Four of his five wins are by a ground finish of some variety, but Hooper's striking defense (36%) is a complete disaster, which led to getting dropped three times and finished by Steve Garcia (5-2 UFC). Hooper also needs help getting to his grappling when his own takedown game (22% accuracy) is so poor.

Viacheslav Borshchev will do him no such favors. Borshchev's takedown defense (36%) is poor, and he's been planted 27 times across six UFC-affiliated appearances. On the flip side, the Russian is a masterful kickboxer, posting a +1.75 SSR and massive 1.39% knockdown rate to this point. He dropped Mahashate (2-2 UFC) three times en route to a second-round KO.

This is masterful matchmaking by the UFC. If Borshchev gets taken down, Hooper likely dominates him in his area. Yet, Chase has had trouble doing so, and he's facing his toughest striking test yet when already failing out of previous ones.

This number is a bit wide in a proverbial coinflip, but there's no real value at this current betting number.

Betting Verdict

• There is no way that I'll actually bet this fight correctly, so I will not.
  • Backing Borschev will likely mean his takedown D falters, but a bet on Hooper could see him flattened and unable to wrestle. Whichever I decide will lead to the opposite outcome.

DFS Verdict

• Both of these fighters have sky-high upside in this realm, which makes not selecting a winner harrowing. At salary, I might end up on Hooper ($13) simply because of the bevy of other favorites I prefer elsewhere.

Robelis Despaigne vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Heavyweight (265 Pounds)

Anytime an Olympic medalist steps foot in the octagon, it's exciting. Robelis Despaigne delivered on that hype in his UFC debut.

The 2012 bronze medalist in taekwondo needed just 18 seconds to knock out a previously durable Josh Parisian, which left him with a hilarious +16.66 SSR entering his second test. The sample size is small but elite. His physical tools, such as his height (6'7") and reach (84") are also far from normal in this division, and Parisian's futile effort was a reminder of how hard that can be to overcome.

Of course, this is mixed martial arts, and while Despaigne could likely be had in a wrestling or grappling setting, UFC intentionally made this matchup with Waldo Cortes-Acosta to avoid that question for another few months. "Salsa Boy" has a kickboxing background himself with no UFC takedown or submission attempts to this point.

Cortes-Acosta was once the hot prospect in this division, but an ugly fight with 45-year-old Andrei Arlovski took plenty of steam out of his hype train. WCA's +2.11 SSR is still elite, but it's been more of a volume game with striking accuracy (47%) and defense (52%) marks that aren't elite.

Facing a six-inch reach deficit, Cortes-Acosta's usual advantages are absent in this fight. There's a reason Despaigne was -180 on Sunday yet has ballooned to -250 by Friday. He's a world-class striker in an Olympic setting that likely embarasses a fine-but-not-excellent striker by MMA standards.

Betting Verdict

• Despaigne still has questions about his endurance given taekwondo rounds are much shorter, but the 35-year-old has needed fewer than 20 seconds to win his last four pro fights. He's absurdly gifted compared to the average MMA striker in terms of both size and ability.
  • I don't mind his moneyline, but his first-round-knockout prop (+100) seems wholly appropriate.

DFS Verdict

• More forgiving to uncertainty in this realm, how do I not put a guy quickly wiping out everyone in his path at this week's top MVP candidate? Despaigne ($20) hasn't needed a second round yet.

Sean Woodson vs. Alex Caceras

Featherweight (145 Pounds)
Austin's Fight of the Night

Choices for "Fight of the Night" don't come much easier than this one.

Featherweight strikers Sean Woodson and Alex Caceras should throw down in a striking match just outside of the rankings. The two have combined for just 1.32 takedowns per 15 minutes in lengthy careers with solid defense themselves.

As the younger guy, I'm not surprised to see "The Sniper" a decent sized favorite here. He'll also have a five-inch reach advantage. It's hard to critique Woodson's +1.40 SSR with length over most in this division -- especially coming off an easy decision win over Charles Jourdain in which he carried a +20 striking differential.

Woodson's 6-1-1 UFC record was only blemished with a submission by Julian Erosa, but that was before his takedown D has now climbed to an outstanding 84%. He's a hard guy to beat -- and even tougher to stop.

Luckily, Caceras isn't usually trying to do that. He's got just a 0.36% knockdown rate with minimal power, but he's a volume striker who wins on points behind an excellent 53% striking accuracy and 60% defense. "Bruce Leeroy" has been to a decision in 8 of his last 12 fights with three of the exceptions being submissions. Both of these guys lack fight-changing power and tend to not grapple offensively.

That's why I'm a bit surprised to see such a wide moneyline in what should be a back-and-forth, competitive kickboxing match. Woodson should be favored to win it, but he also surrendered 26 leg kicks in his last fight. If Caceras could hinder Woodson's movement, it'll negate the range and allow him to win exchanges when the two fight at a similar pace.

Betting Verdict

• I've got Woodson at 56.1% likely to win this fight, which pales in comparison to his implied odds to win (68.3%). That is showing value on Caceras' moneyline (+172), but I don't have great conviction he actually overcomes his disadvantages to get the nod.
• Moreover, this fight is -220 to go the full distance, which I've got at -200 (66.5% likely). That's the angle of this fight of which I'm more confident.

DFS Verdict

• I love this fight in this realm. Overs on significant-strike props would be wise, and Woodson ($19) and Caceras ($11) have an extremely high floor at their salary. The last knockout loss by either came back in 2015.

Mateusz Rebecki vs. Diego Ferreira

Lightweight (155 Pounds)

Poland's Mateusz Rebecki is the largest favorite on Saturday's card, and he's trying to follow the footsteps of his countryman Mateusz Gamrot into the lightweight rankings.

Gamrot defeated Diego Ferreira via a second-round knockout after he landed four takedowns on the Brazilian. That's been a constant them for Ferreira, who has ceded at least four takedowns in each of his last three losses before rebounding with a standing KO of Michael Johnson last year. His takedown defense (63%) leaves a bit to be desired overall.

That's the primary reason for the betting line when Rebecki has been such an efficient grappler himself. The black belt has posted 4.16 takedowns per 15 minutes with stellar efficiency (72%), and he's added 1.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

However, I'm just not doubting the prospect's hands, either. "Rebeasti" has a 53% striking accuracy, 63% defense, and a +3.30 SSR to his name, too.

At 39 years old, the aging Ferreira has lost several consecutive times over in this type of matchup. Perhaps his experience can buy him length to see the end of the fight, but Rebecki is the talented, analytically flawless fighter in his prime -- and primed to be in control.

Betting Verdict

• I parlayed Rebecki's moneyline (-500) earlier this week and wouldn't be opposed to be straight betting him at this number. Ferreira's sample in this style of matchup -- in or outside the rankings -- is both voluminous and poor.
  • He's an elite ground fighter with a history of submission volume. I know Ferreira has never been submitted, but he's also 39 and the worst version we'll have seen in the octagon. Rebecki's submission prop (+500) stood out right away.

DFS Verdict

• Rebecki ($23) is actually third in the MVP mix for me despite the heavily implied chances to win. I've got two other finishers that seem better positioned for violence when a decision without much activity beyond empty control time is a potential outcome here.

Carlos Ulberg vs. Alonzo Menifield

Light Heavyweight (205 Pounds)

Carlos Ulberg's chance to enter the rankings has arrived.

The City Kickboxing teammate of Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya has a 6-1 record with his only setback coming in a fight where had a +64 striking differential and got clipped by Kennedy Nzechukwu (8-5 UFC). He's crushed opponents with a +3.70 SSR and elite kickboxing skills, and his 75% takedown defense has also stood strong.

His pace (12.36 significant strikes attempted per minute) just isn't common in this 205-pound division that is arguably UFC's weakest. "Black Jag" is looking to snatch Alonzo Menifield's #11 ranking.

Menifield might be a bit fortunate to have it, squeaking out a split decision over Dustin Jacoby in his last bout despite a -25 striking differential. The judges deemed his power was enough, and a 1.17% knockdown rate provides plenty of that. However, his 49% striking D is fairly gettable with a pace (6.88 significant strikes per minute) that Ulberg dwarfs.

Moreover, we've yet to see an opponent get the best of Carlos at distance, and Menifield (0.67 takedowns per 15 minutes) has historically shown an unwillingness to wrestling himself.

He's going to attempt to outgun Ulberg on the feet, which I believe ends poorly. Ulberg has a one-inch reach edge and a superior knockdown rate (1.45%). I don't know where Menifield wins this fight besides a stray punch to the Aussie's chin.

Betting Verdict

• Though this moneyline is a touch wide, my model still has healthy conviction Ulberg wins on Saturday. It assigns a 63.6% chance to win -- but a 52.9% chance it happens by knockout. With that in mind, Ulberg's KO/TKO prop (-105) makes the card.
• Adding to the case for that prop, the model expects these heavy-handed light heavyweights to go the full distance just 17.7% of the time.

DFS Verdict

• Light heavyweight's early-finish rate since the start of 2022 (61.8%) is the highest of any division. This is a good place to be in DFS, and I'm siding with the more efficient favorite as an MVP candidate.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev

Welterweight (170 Pounds)

After months of pleading, Joaquin Buckley will realize his dream to fight in his native St. Louis. He just better hope it doesn't turn into a nightmare.

Buckley entered the welterweight rankings after an odd March bout where Vicente Luque pulled guard in the second round and turtled to allow Buckley to end the fight. I've just still got questions about "New Mansa" at this level of competition that are all predicated from a load-up-and-fire style of haymaker seeking -- evidenced by a horrid 36% striking accuracy.

He's added 1.33 takedowns on decent accuracy (33%), and that could be an element he uses to win this fight. I also wonder, though, if he's a bit hesitant to go to the ground with no career UFC submission attempts when Nursulton Ruziboev enters this fight with 20 (!) pro wins via sub.

"Black" Ruziboev is Uzbekistan's latest combatant with the promotion, and at middleweight, he needed just a combined 275 seconds to dispatch his first two opponents by KO. The lanky, 6'5" fighter's home might be at welterweight, which would make him the tallest active 170er on the roster.

I can't help but wonder if this matchup was made in bad faith by UFC after Buckley criticized them for not headlining this card. It feels like Ruziboev has an answer to each of Buckley's strengths. To fend off his power, Ruziboev has an 80% striking D and has been knocked out just once in 42 pro fights almost a decade ago. His submission skills seem like an obvious threat to Buckley's limited wrestling attacks.

St. Louis' own might be red in this instance, but I can't help but bet on "Black".

Betting Verdict

• Though unable to model Ruziboev's small sample, Buckley has been a fade from it for several consecutive fights. This seems like a brutal matchup for him to a point where I took a dart at Ruziboev's moneyline (+110) earlier this week.
• This fight is -320 to not go the distance when the underdog has yet to head to a second round. Ruziboev also has a 94.1% finishing rate as a pro. Length would favor Buckley, but I'm not expecting much of it.

DFS Verdict

• This is a rare instance where I'm expecting Ruziboev ($14) to slide a bit under the radar despite averaging 114.4 FanDuel points in his first two starts. He's been dominant.

Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento

Heavyweight (265 Pounds)
Five-Round Main Event

Once flustered by the proposition of a Derrick Lewis coinflip, I now embrace and am excited for this weekend's latest spin of the variance wheel.

"The Black Beast" is UFC's all-time knockout leader with 14, but outside of his gargantuan power, Lewis is one of the least skilled fighters on the roster. His striking defense (40%) is poor, and he's had an especially difficult time with grapplers in this division given a 53% takedown D and a pair of UFC losses via submission.

Yet, I think the 39-year-old's fleeting durability is his largest issue. He's lost five of his last seven fights, and four of those were by early finish. The "glass cannon" aspect of his fights has become even more prevelent.

At this stage, Rodrigo Nascimento is a fascinating matchup for him because Nascimento's striking defense (43%) is there to be hit. That was evident in a 2020 loss to Chris Daukaus (4-4 UFC) where he was dropped twice. Yet, averaging 1.20 takedowns per 15 minutes with 33% accuracy, "Yogi Bear" brings the grappling upside to potentially re-ignite those problems for Lewis. Nascimento's first two UFC wins were subs.

This is a tough fight to call in terms of simply who wins. Nascimento could easily get floored at any point in the bout, and Lewis has -- easily -- fought stiffer competition. I can't help but remember when Lewis also fought Daukaus, and he walked him right down not fearing power. Nascimento's 0.00% knockdown rate creates that similar dynamic.

My model has this fight nearly 50-50. I wouldn't bet Lewis' moneyline when there's really an obvious path to support him at a better number.

Betting Verdict

• My model has Nascimento 51.6% likely to win this fight on the basis of his grappling upside and age, but I wouldn't forgive myself if his 43% striking defense got pummeled by Lewis. It's a huge red flag.
  • It helps that, because of endurance issues, Lewis' sole win condition is wrapped in his first-round KO (+220) or second-round KO (+500) props. He's likely lost if this fight is prolonged.

DFS Verdict

• Lewis ($21) carries a high salary with obvious first-round upside. As the week progressed, I marinated on Nascimento having just three takedowns in his last five fights. I don't think he'll give Lewis significant issues grappling as top-10 heavyweights have.

Take your sports betting to the next level with the FanDuel Parlay Hub! Explore a curated selection of popular parlays for trending games on FanDuel Sportsbook. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for the latest UFC odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to see the lines for all upcoming fights.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.