Allan Fabrykant 
UFC on ESPN 48
STRICKLAND V MAGOMEDOV
After a great card on ABC last week, we’re back on ESPN for today’s action! Today’s card will kick off at 4:00 PM ET. Be sure to tune in to catch all of today’s fights. Read more below to find out my takes on tonight’s matchups! Tonight there will be 12 fights that will end with a heavy-hitting middleweight matchup. Now, with all that out of the way, let’s get right into the action!
SLATE STARTS AT 4:00 PM ET
Exposure to the main event is recommended. DFS production in these fights is usually high as they are five-round fights. I do not recommend branching away from the Main Event, as these fighters are both usually active and can rack up a lot of points. There will be three top plays followed by honorable mentions. Now let’s get ready to make some money!
Tonight I’m here to give you my top three favorite DFS and Sports betting picks for UFC on ESPN 48 Strickland vs Magomedov.
MY UFC VALUE TARGET (CASH&GPP):
Damir Ismagulov vs Grant Dawson
This one was a tough call in my opinion. Although Ismagulov came up short in a decision loss to Tsarukyan in his last bout, there is no doubt that he is a top-tier UFC lightweight. As far as I’m concerned, there is no shame in losing to a guy as talented as Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan’s grappling was simply too much for Ismagulov to handle. Although Dawson is also a grappler, he is nowhere near as good as Tsarukyan and his longtime coach James Krause has recently been banned from participating in UFC events. Dawson also had an embarrassing performance against Ricky Glenn where he struggled to fight for a draw after a brutal gassing out following a strong start. I can’t trust Dawson in this spot, Ismagulov is too tricky for many fighters to handle, even Guram Kutateladze, who will be featured later in the article, couldn’t do enough against Ismagulov to get his hand raised. This looks to me like it will be a close back-and-forth fight but I think Ismagulov has an edge here.
MY UFC DFS PICK: Damir Ismagulov UNANIMOUS DECISION.
MY UFC LOCKED-IN TARGET (CASH):
Guram Kutateladze vs. Elves Brener
As promised, let’s talk about Guram Kutateladze. A longtime training partner of Khamzat Chimaev, the Georgian Kutateladze has had a bit of a hectic run in the UFC with two fights since 2020 both finishing via split decision which saw him pick up a win against top 10 lightweight Mateusz Gamrot and a loss to Damir Ismagulov. Now, Guram is set to return to the Octagon against a relatively unknown Elves Brener. Brener was able to pick up a split decision win over Nurmagomedov’s close friend Zubaira Tukhugov but I did not see enough out of him to see him competing for Guram for an extended period of time. Although Brener may be able to last a round, Guram’s incredible pressure and strike power will eventually overwhelm the Brazilian. With punches, elbows, kicks, and BJJ all at a high level in his arsenal, I see Guram decisively winning this one.
MY UFC DFS PICK: Guram Kutateladze SECOND ROUND KO.
MY UFC TOP SCORING TARGET (GPP):
Joanderson Brito vs. Westin Wilson
This fight is a clear mismatch. Brito was scheduled to compete against Khusein Askhabov who Brito would’ve been a clear favorite against as a top 25 featherweight matching up against a fighter who only has one UFC fight under their belt (… and it was a loss). With Askhabov dropping out on short notice, regional talent Westin Wilson answered the call. I want to stress the word regional over talent. Despite three wins over his last four, Wilson is nowhere near UFC quality, let alone at the level of Brito. Wilson has racked up a lot of losses to mediocre talent and does not have a single notable win to his name. From what I have seen out of Brito, he will make quick work out of his short-notice opponent with heavy strikes as well as lots of takedowns. Hopefully, Brito will find himself competing for a top-15 spot in the featherweight division in the near future after a strong performance tonight.
MY UFC DFS PICK: Joanderson Brito FIRST-ROUND KO.
UFC HONORABLE MENTIONS:
(Not in order)
Sean Strickland 5 ROUNDER
Michael Morales
Melissa Gatto
Bruno Ferreira
Benoit Saint-Denis (BIG UNDERDOG CALL)
Rinat Fakhretdinov
Karol Rosa
Ivana Petrovic
Alexandr Romanov
SUMMARY:
On Saturday’s fourteen-bout MMA UFC DFS slate, I am finally allowed to bet again on UFC as restrictions have now been lifted in my area. As such, I will play 2 Parlays. Remember, to take down a GPP; you have to be different and take risks. Scared money doesn’t make money in tournaments. For any further questions, I will be available until lock in our WinDaily Discord chat. GOOD LUCK, and don’t forget to come back and Win Daily!
PARLAY OF THE DAY
Michael Morales -250
Guram Kutateladze to Finish (KO) -110
Joanderson Brito to Finish (KO) -500
