This article is part of our Drake's Takes series.
Daniel da Silva (11-3-0) v. Victor Altamirano (10-2-0)
Daniel da Silva - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 70" - Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 11 finishes in 11 wins
Victor Altamirano - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 70" – Switch
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 5 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: Both guys are exciting prospects still looking for their first UFC wins. If it goes to the judges, I expect Altamirano to win it with volume. Da Silva is more likely to win by finish, which is how I lean. Da Silva made a mistake in his last fight after a quick start, which cost him. I do not see him doing it again. Altamirano is likely to be decently owned for cash and GPP, but I like da Silva for both.
UFC 278 Pick: Da Silva
Aori Qileng (23-11-0) v. Jay Perrin (10-5-0)
Aori Qileng - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 69" - Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 8 finishes in 22 wins
Jay Perrin - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 67" – Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 6 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: This should be a close fight. I give Qileng an edge on the feet and Perrin an edge on the mat. I like Perrin's overall body of work better and like him to take this as a small dog. Both fighters are better left for GPP contests.
UFC 278 Pick: Perrin
Amir Albazi (14-1-0) v. Francisco Figueiredo (13-4-1, 1NC)
Amir Albazi - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 68" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 12 finishes in 14 wins
Francisco Figueiredo - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 68" – Southpaw
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 11 finishes in 13 wins
DFS Perspective: Albazi should be better everywhere and make quick work of Figueiredo. Figueiredo could make a splash and catch the chin, but I think that is the only way he wins this fight. Albazi makes an excellent play for cash and GPP.
UFC 278 Pick: Albazi
AJ Fletcher (9-1-0) v. Ange Loosa (8-3-0)
AJ Fletcher - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 67" - Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 9 wins
Ange Loosa - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 74" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 6 finishes in 8 wins
DFS Perspective: I expect a fast-paced fight with the striking evenly matched between the two. Both guys have power, but Fletcher should have a significant edge on the mat. I do not see this fight seeing the scorecards, making it an excellent fight to target for GPP contests.
UFC 278 Pick: Fletcher
Miranda Maverick (12-4-0) v. Shanna Young (9-5-0)
Miranda Maverick - Height: 5'3" - Reach: 65" - Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 10 wins
Shanna Young - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 65" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus grappling
~ 5 finishes in 8 wins
DFS Perspective: Young does not have the skill set to keep up with Maverick and should get completely dominated in this matchup. Maverick is safe for all contests, even at her high price.
UFC 278 Pick: Maverick
Sean Woodson (9-1-0) v. Luis Saldana (16-7-0)
Sean Woodson - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 78" - Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 4 finishes in 9 wins
Luis Saldana - Height: 5'11" - Reach: 73" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 14 finishes in 16 wins
DFS Perspective: I expect most of this fight to take place on the feet, where Woodson will hold a solid advantage in striking. If Saldana manages to take this fight to the mat, he could keep Woodson down long enough to steal a round or two, but I do not see it happening. Woodson is safe for cash, but without a finish, likely does not score high enough for GPP.
UFC 278 Pick: Woodson
Leonardo Santos (18-6-1) v. Jared Gordon (18-5-0)
Leonardo Santos - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 75" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 12 finishes in 18 wins
Jared Gordon - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 68" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 8 finishes in 18 wins
DFS Perspective: Santos is 42 and clearly does not have much left in the tank. I expect Gordon to have his way with him until he records a knockout or piles up volume. Santos could surprise with a submission if he gets this to the mat, but it is unlikely. Gordon could be lower-owned in GPP and make a sneaky play in DFS.
UFC 278 Pick: Gordon
Marcin Tybura (22-7-0) v. Alexandr Romanov (16-0-0)
Marcin Tybura - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 78" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 15 finishes in 22 wins
Alexandr Romanov - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 75" – Southpaw
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 15 finishes in 16 wins
DFS Perspective: Although Tybura is the toughest opponent so far for Romanov, I do not see him stopping the train in his tracks. Romanov has shown an elite skill set that should see him continue to rise through the ranks. I expect him to start fast and put on another clinic, earning another finish and crushing value for DFS. I love him for cash and GPP contests.
UFC 278 Pick: Romanov
Tyson Pedro (8-3-0) v. Harry Hunsucker (7-5-0)
Tyson Pedro - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 79" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus grappling
~ 8 finishes in 8 wins
Harry Hunsucker - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 75" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus grappling
~ 7 finishes in 7 wins
DFS Perspective: Hunsucker is getting his third, and likely final, UFC fight after being finished in less than two minutes in each of his first two. He could surprise everyone and come out like the hurricane he is, throwing a bunch of volume and dropping Pedro early, but it is unlikely. Pedro is patient and should be able to catch Hunsucker as he comes in, dropping him early again. Pedro is expensive, and without a first-round knockout, he likely does not hit value. Still, he is one of the safest cash plays on the card.
UFC 278 Pick: Pedro
Wu Yanan (12-5-0) v. Lucie Pudilova (8-6-0)
Wu Yanan - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 66" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 11 finishes in 13 wins
Lucie Pudilova - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 67" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 4 finishes in 13 wins
DFS Perspective: Yanan has lost three straight and could be facing the chopping block. Pudilova is making her return to the UFC after going 5-1 with another promotion. I expect this to stay on the feet for 15 minutes with both ladies throwing everything but the kitchen sink. However, Yanan could look for a takedown if she feels down during the round. This fight will be close, but I think Pudilova has the better technical striking and takes it. GPP is the only recommended play for either fighter.
UFC 278 Pick: Pudilova
Jose Aldo (31-7-0) v. Merab Dvalishvili (14-4-0)
Jose Aldo - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 18 finishes in 31 wins
Merab Dvalishvili - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 68" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 4 finishes in 14 wins
DFS Perspective: Aldo is always live to record a knockout or outpoint any fighter on the feet, and he has some of the best takedown defense in the UFC. However, Dvalishvili has endless cardio and is constantly hunting for takedowns. I expect him to suffocate Aldo in the clinch and on the mat, grinding his way to another unreal DFS score. I love Dvalishvili for cash and GPP, but Aldo also makes a solid play for GPP.
UFC 278 Pick: Dvalishvili
Paulo Costa (13-2-0) v. Luke Rockhold (16-5-0)
Paulo Costa - Height: 6'1" - Reach: 72" - Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 12 finishes in 13 wins
Luke Rockhold - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 77" – Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 14 finishes in 16 wins
DFS Perspective: Rockhold has not fought in three years, has not won in five and is now 37 with little to look forward to. His most significant advantage will be on the mat, but Costa has excellent takedown defense and insane power. Costa will be looking to redeem himself from his consecutive losses and record an early knockout. The fight should stay standing long enough for Costa to eventually find it, making him a solid play for cash and GPP.
UFC 278 Pick: Costa
Kamaru Usman (20-1-0) v. Leon Edwards (19-3-0, 1NC)
Kamaru Usman - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 76" - Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 10 finishes in 20 wins
Leon Edwards - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 74" – Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 9 finishes in 19 wins
DFS Perspective: Edwards's last loss came against Usman back in 2015. While he has had an impressive string of wins to get back to Usman, I do not see this fight going much differently. Usman will have the advantage everywhere and just needs a smart game plan to retain his belt once again. Usman is one of the safest plays for cash and GPP contests on the slate.
UFC 278 Pick: Usman
For more MMA DFS-specific content, check out our DraftKings MMA preview, or play around with your favorite combinations of fighters on our DFS MMA Lineup Optimizer.
FANDUEL MMA SCORING
Moves Scoring
Significant Strikes = 0.6 pts
Takedown = 6 pts
Takedown Defense = 3 pts
Knockdown = 12 pts
Submission Attempt = 5 pts
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win = 100 pts
2nd Round Win = 75 pts
3rd Round Win = 50 pts
4th Round Win = 35 pts
5th Round Win = 25 pts
Decision Win = 20 pts
Scoring Notes
- Significant Strikes are distance strikes or clinch/ground strikes that are considered "power strikes" by official scorers.
- A knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider a substantial time.
DRAFTKINGS MMA SCORING
Moves Scoring
Strikes: +0.2 pts
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.2 pts
Control Time: +0.03 pts/Second
Takedown (TD): +5 pts
Reversal/Sweep (REV): +5 pts
Knockdown (KD): +10 pts
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win (1rW+): +90 pts
2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 pts
3rd Round Win (3rW+): +45 pts
4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 pts
5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 pts
Decision Win (WBD+): +30 pts
Quick Win Bonus: +25 pts
(fight is finished in 60 seconds or less)
Scoring Notes
- Significant Strikes are any distance strikes or clinch/ground strikes that are considered "power strikes" by official scorers.
- A Significant Strike will count as both a strike and a significant strike and will be worth a total of 0.4 pts.
- Control Time is the time spent in the dominant position on the ground or in the clinch. +0.03 points are awarded per second.
- A Knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider an appreciable time.
- A Quick Win Bonus is awarded to the winning fighter if they win in the first round in 60 seconds or less.
