This article is part of our Drake's Takes series.
Ramona Pascual (6-3-0) v. Joselyne Edwards (10-4-0)
Ramona Pascual - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 66" - Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 5 finishes in 6 wins
Joselyne Edwards - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 70" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Decent grappling
~ 8 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: Both ladies have a decent path to victory in this one. Pascual has a significant edge on the mat and should look to get it there early and often. Edwards will have a slight advantage on the feet with her striking. Pascual can likely hang in with Edwards in the striking department, giving her more ways to win. I do not expect a high-scoring outcome from this fight and would only use each in GPP contests.
UFC 275 Pick: Pascual
Na Liang (17-5-0) v. Silvana Gomez Juarez (10-4-0)
Na Liang - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 67" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 17 finishes in 19 wins
Silvana Gomez Juarez - Height: 5'3" - Reach: 65" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: Juarez has shown little in her UFC opportunities, and this fight might be the end of the line. She has the power to end it early, but her striking has looked sloppy. Liang has decent striking herself but will find an immense advantage on the mat when she gets it there. I expect her to change levels early and find a takedown, where she should have complete control and potentially land an early sub. I like the slight underdog Liang for cash and GPP contests, given her price and upside.
UFC 275 Pick: Liang
Kyung Ho Kang (17-9-0, 1NC) v. Danaa Batgerel (12-3-0)
Kyung Ho Kang - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 73" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 13 finishes in 17 wins
Danaa Batgerel - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Decent wrestling
~ 10 finishes in 12 wins
DFS Perspective: Kang will have an edge on the mat and should look to take it there early. If he does, an early sub is possible. However, Danaa has massive power and will be looking to keep the fight on the feet. Kang did not look great in his return to the ring last time out, and I would rather ride the powerful striking of Danaa to an early finish. Expect an early knockout by Danaa or a tightly-contested decision after 15 minutes.
UFC 275 Pick: Danaa
Andre Fialho (16-4-0, 1NC) v. Jake Matthews (17-5-0)
Andre Fialho - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 74" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 14 finishes in 16 wins
Jake Matthews - Height: 5'11" - Reach: 71" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 11 finishes in 17 wins
DFS Perspective: Fialho has been impressive on the feet and has immense knockout power, but his wrestling and grappling will get tested in this one. Matthews will look to exploit the deficiencies Fialho has on the mat and score takedowns early before looking to end it via submission. A finish is likely in this one, making both guys great for GPP; Fialho by knockout or Matthews by submission.
UFC 275 Pick: Matthews
Hayisaer Maheshate (6-1-0) v. Steve Garcia (12-4-0)
Hayisaer Maheshate - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 71" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 4 finishes in 8 wins
Steve Garcia - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 75" – Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 9 finishes in 12 wins
DFS Perspective: Maheshate is making his debut and looks to be a pure striker. Garcia is a striker with considerable power and has wrestling chops if he chooses to take it to the mat. Maheshate has not impressed me much in any previous fight, and I do not think he is UFC-ready. I love Garcia for cash and GPP contests, as I think he dominates.
UFC 275 Pick: Garcia
Brendan Allen (18-5-0) v. Jacob Malkoun (6-1-0)
Brendan Allen - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 75" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 15 finishes in 18 wins
Jacob Malkoun - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 73" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 2 finishes in 6 wins
DFS Perspective: Malkoun has done well in consecutive UFC fights, chaining takedowns and keeping control on the mat. However, that was against strikers, and it should end here. Allen is a far superior grappler and striker, and he should control where the fight takes place. Malkoun will find himself in trouble attempting to taking Allen down and could get himself submitted early. If Allen chooses to keep the fight on the feet, it will likely be a slow, low-scoring 15-minute decision.
UFC 275 Pick: Allen
Seungwoo Choi (10-4-0) v. Josh Culibao (9-1-1)
Seungwoo Choi - Height: 6'0" - Reach: 74" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Decent wrestling
~ 6 finishes in 10 wins
Josh Culibao - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 73" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 5 finishes in 9 wins
DFS Perspective: This is expected to be a 15-minute striking match. Choi will have an edge in power and volume, and he is my pick to win. Culibao has decent striking and could crack the chin, but I think Choi overwhelms him with pressure early. Choi would score well with an early finish, but a decision is likely a lower score. Nevertheless, I like him for both cash and GPP contests.
UFC 275 Pick: Choi
Jack Della Maddalena (11-2-0) v. Ramazan Emeev (20-5-0)
Jack Della Maddalena - Height: 511" - Reach: 73" - Switch
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 10 finishes in 11 wins
Ramazan Emeev - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 76" – Southpaw
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 10 finishes in 20 wins
DFS Perspective: Maddalena will sport a considerable edge on the feet and could also find success with his grappling. Emeev is a wrestler and will be looking to chain takedowns and keep Maddalena controlled on the mat. I imagine that Maddalena will be able to stuff most takedowns or get back up quickly after being taken down. He will dominate the matchup on the feet, and another early finish is possible, making him safe for cash and GPP.
UFC 275 Pick: Maddalena
Rogerio Bontorin (17-4-0, 1NC) v. Manel Kape (17-6-0)
Rogerio Bontorin - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 67" - Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 14 finishes in 16 wins
Manel Kape - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 68" – Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Decent wrestling
~ 16 finishes in 17 wins
DFS Perspective: Bontorin's path to victory will come from control time or finish on the mat. Kape has a significant advantage on the feet and has serious knockout potential. If it stays on the feet, it will be an easy win for Kape. However, if his takedown defense fails him, he will be in for a long day getting dominated on the mat. Given their pricing, I like Bontorin for cash and GPP contests. I think Kape will get tested in a big way, and Bontorin has the chance to score a big upset win.
UFC 275 Pick: Bontorin
Zhang Weili (21-3-0) v. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4-0)
Zhang Weili - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 63" - Switch
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling
~ 17 finishes in 21 wins
Joanna Jedrzejczyk - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 65" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Decent wrestling
~ 5 finishes in 16 wins
DFS Perspective: This fight is a rematch from one of the best fights in UFC history, and I expect there to be more fireworks in this one. Unfortunately, this will only be three rounds instead of five. This fight should be similar to their first, with both women going to war. Expect another close 15-minute striking affair, with Zhang having a slight advantage in power. I do not see a high-scoring coming out of this fight with only three rounds, at least compared to their first matchup.
UFC 275 Pick: Zhang
Valentina Shevchenko (22-3-0) v. Taila Santos (19-1-0)
Valentina Shevchenko - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 66" - Southpaw
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 15 finishes in 22 wins
Taila Santos - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 68" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 13 finishes in 19 wins
DFS Perspective: Santos should be able to provide a decent challenge for Shevchenko but ultimately should fall to the world champ. She has some power and could rattle Shevchenko or potentially get some ground control time. However, Shevchenko is a machine and the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. She has a complete game, and I would not be surprised if she finished Santos off during the five rounds. Moreover, Shevchenko is the most expensive fighter on the DraftKings slate, and without a ton of volume or a finish, she likely does not hit value. Therefore, she is safe for cash but needs to be in the optimal in GPP contests.
UFC 275 Pick: Shevchenko
Glover Teixeira (33-7-0) v. Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1)
Glover Teixeira - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 76" - Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 23 finishes in 33 wins
Jiri Prochazka - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 80" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Decent wrestling
~ 27 finishes in 28 wins
DFS Perspective: Teixeira will struggle on the feet against Prochazka and will look for takedowns to control on the mat. He will have a slight advantage there and could find a submission but will likely have difficulty getting successful takedown attempts. Prochazka will have the advantage everywhere but grappling, and the longer this stays on the feet, the more likely a knockout is. With five rounds, it is almost a guarantee that Prochazka finishes Glover unless he gets submitted first. I like Prochazka for cash and GPP, but Glover is worth a look in GPP due to that slight chance of an upset.
UFC 275 Pick: Prochazka
FANDUEL 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 SCORING
Moves Scoring
Strikes: +0.2 pts
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.5 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.
