This article is part of our Drake's Takes series.
UFC London Fight Breakdowns & DFS Picks: Drake's Takes
The top UFC betting and DFS plays for this weekend's UFC London card are up, as well as breakdowns of betting and lineup strategy, plus predictions for the entire event.
2025 Overall Picks: 77-30-1 ~ Dog Picks 17-4-1
Drake's Bet of the Week: Nathaniel Wood +130 ~ 7-1-1 +885
DFS Lock of the Week: Gunnar Nelson - 8-0
Fanduel Captain: Nelson/Ulberg
Guram Kutateladze (13-4-0) v. Kaue Fernandes (9-2-0)
Guram Kutateladze - Height: 5'11" - Reach: 72" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 13 wins
Kaue Fernandes - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 73" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 9 wins
DFS Perspective: If Fernandes had more experience against better fighters, I would be more inclined to take a chance on him. He displayed good power and speed in his last fight, but against a grappler. Now, he draws Kutateladze, who will provide more tenacity on the feet. Kutateladze could arguably be 1-3 in the UFC but was awarded a decision win last time out. He should still be more than capable of winning this fight but would need an early finish to score well for DFS.
UFC London: Kutateladze
Nathan Fletcher (9-1-0) v. Caolan Loughran (9-2-0)
Nathan Fletcher - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 9 wins
Caolan Loughran - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 68" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 9 wins
DFS Perspective: This is a big fight for Loughran, as a loss brings him to 1-3 in the UFC, while Fletcher is looking to move to 2-0. Loughran is great when he can unleash his hands but is easily put off by pressure, which he will likely see a lot of from Fletcher. Fletcher has good hands but is best on the mat, and I see no reason he won't succeed in getting it there. He could end this early by sub or rack up points with takedowns and control, making him a solid option in DFS.
UFC London: Fletcher
Shauna Bannon (6-1-0) v. Puja Tomar (9-4-0)
Shauna Bannon - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 65" – Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 2 finishes in 6 wins
Puja Tomar - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 59" – Southpaw
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 6 finishes in 9 wins
DFS Perspective: I'm taking this fight out of my DFS pools. This low-level fight could go either way and is likely to be 15 minutes of striking. Neither has an impressive resume, and Bannon should not be as big of a favorite as she is. I expect it to be close, but I could see a split decision with Tomar edging in volume.
UFC London: Tomar
Christian Leroy Duncan (10-2-0) v. Andrey Pulyaev (9-2-0)
Christian Leroy Duncan - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 79" – Switch
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 9 finishes in 10 wins
Andrey Pulyaev - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 78" – Southpaw
~ High volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 9 wins
DFS Perspective: Pulyaev is making his UFC debut against a competitor levels ahead of what he has faced in his career. He will have his chances as a dangerous finisher, but Duncan should have every edge in this fight. He will likely be popular for DFS, given his knockout potential. I would expect him to get the job done early.
UFC London: Duncan
Marcin Tybura (26-9-0) v. Mick Parkin (10-0-0)
Marcin Tybura - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 78" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 17 finishes in 26 wins
Michael Parkin - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 79" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: Tybura looked rejuvenated in a knockout win last time out. However, he is 39, and we have seen him slow down at times in fights, which will not be a good recipe against Parkin. Parkin looked the most confident and comfortable he has been in four UFC fights in his most recent win. Not only that, he recorded his first UFC knockout and looks primed for a long run. After this fight, I expect him to be 5-0 in the UFC.
UFC London: Parkin
Lone'er Kavanagh (8-0-0) v. Felipe dos Santos (8-2-0)
Lone'er Kavanagh - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 67" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 5 finishes in 8 wins
Felipe dos Santos - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 5 finishes in 8 wins
DFS Perspective: Dos Santos has been one of the more disappointing fighters since joining The UFC. He will be headed to another loss and likely early departure from the promotion if he cannot use his grappling. The striking is just not there for him right now. Kavanaugh would love a striking match and would likely showcase his speed and power again in that scenario. He impressed in his debut, but will need more volume or an early finish to score well for DFS.
UFC London: Kavanagh
Jai Herbert (13-5-1) v. Chris Padilla (15-6-0)
Jai Herbert - Height: 6'1" - Reach: 77" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 10 finishes in 13 wins
Chris Padilla - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 74" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 13 finishes in 15 wins
DFS Perspective: Herbert is the only guy in the UFC to have a knockdown on current champ Ilia Topuria. However, it's one of his only highlights. He has excellent power but lacks just about everything else. One trick ponies only get so far in the UFC. Padilla has been the complete opposite since joining the promotion. He has cruised to consecutive wins and a perfect UFC record after impressing with a submission win followed by a knockout win. It's curious to find him the dog but I am loving it.
UFC London: Padilla
Nathaniel Wood (20-6-0) v. Morgan Charriere (20-10-1)
Nathaniel Wood - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 69" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 13 finishes in 20 wins
Morgan Charriere - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 69" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 15 finishes in 20 wins
DFS Perspective: This should be a fun matchup between two exciting strikers. It will easily be Charriere's toughest opponent to date, and while he has the tools to win, Wood's experience is more likely to carry him. Wood will have an edge in speed and volume, which should carry him to a win. However, Charriere has a little more power. Wood would also be more likely to shoot and look for takedowns. I expect him to get the job done.
UFC London: Wood
Like this underdog play? Try it out with different lineup combinations on our DraftKings UFC Lineup Optimizer.
Jordan Vucenic (13-3-0) v. Chris Duncan (12-2-0)
Jordan Vucenic - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 73" – Orthodox
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 13 wins
Chris Duncan - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 71" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 9 finishes in 12 wins
DFS Perspective: Duncan will need to find another gear to continue climbing in this division. He looks gun-shy at times and only looks comfortable when he succeeds with takedowns. Vucenic lost his UFC debut, but it could have gone either way. He is dangerous everywhere and is likely to cause Duncan to shell up early. This fight is better left for GPP, and odds are the winner scores well for DFS.
UFC London: Vucenic
Molly McCann (14-7-0) v. Alexia Thainara (11-1-0)
Molly McCann - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 62" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 14 wins
Alexia Thainara - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 67" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 7 finishes in 11 wins
DFS Perspective: McCann is great against lesser competition, often dominating where she goes with the fight. However, against tougher competition, she crumbles and gets beaten up everywhere. Although Thainara is making her debut, I would say she is better competition, particularly on the mat. Her reach advantage should keep McCann on the outside looking in while the fight is upright and wrapped around her body when it's on the ground. No matter where the fight is, it will not be good for McCann.
UFC London: Thainara
Gunnar Nelson (19-5-1) v. Kevin Holland (26-13-0)
Gunnar Nelson - Height: 5'11" - Reach: 72" – Switch
~ Low volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 17 finishes in 19 wins
Kevin Holland - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 81" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 22 finishes in 26 wins
DFS Perspective: As with every Holland fight, I have zero trust in him and think he is there more for the paycheck than fighting. It proved true again when I went against him last fight, and I see no reason to go against it this fight. It has been two years since Nelson last fought, but I do not expect it to hinder his performance. He should not have any issue taking Holland down and either controlling or submitting him.
UFC London: Nelson
Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1) v. Carlos Ulberg (12-1-0)
Jan Blachowicz - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 78" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 18 finishes in 29 wins
Carlos Ulberg - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 77" – Orthodox
~ High volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 11 wins
DFS Perspective: Blachowicz has had a great career, but now, at 42, there is little left to offer besides power. Ulberg has been dominant on his seven-fight win streak, and he should have no issue pushing it to either. I expect another early stoppage from the fast-rising favorite. He is likely to put up another solid DFS score.
UFC London: Ulberg
Leon Edwards (22-4-0) v. Sean Brady (17-1-0)
Leon Edwards - Height: 6'2" - Reach: 74" – Southpaw
~ Low volume
~ Minimal wrestling/grappling
~ 10 finishes in 22 wins
Sean Brady - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 72" – Orthodox
~ Moderate volume
~ Plus wrestling/grappling
~ 8 finishes in 17 wins
DFS Perspective: Brady is a step away from a title fight, while Edwards just lost his belt. While Brady is a solid striker in his own right, I expect this to play out more like a grappler vs striker fight. Edwards was just taken down nine times and controlled for 12 minutes in his recent loss. Brady has the blueprint to win this fight, and I think he is up to the challenge. However, Edwards is a former champ and should not be taken lightly.
UFC London: Brady
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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 be worth 0.4 points in total.
- 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.
