Jim Thomson 
UFC MMA Fight Night is one of the few sporting events scheduled to continue as planned this weekend amid the global coronavirus outbreak. The 11-bout event expected to start at 6 p.m. ET at the Jacksonville Arena in an empty arena due to the pandemic sweeping the world. Only necessary individuals will be allowed in the building. This fight card is highlighted by the main event of Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira. This article is my top three targets that I will be using in most of my Daily Fantasy lineups and my top money line bets. The fight by fight breakdown can be found in our DISCORD chat.
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#1 TARGET: BEN ROTHWELL (7500) (37-12) (+120) VS. OVINCE SAINT PREUX (8700) (24-13) (-130).
Here it is my favorite target of the night. A lot of people will be all over OSP in this fight, due to the fact that Rothwell has looked terrible in the last few contests. Rothwell is 38 years old, and there is not a doubt in my mind that his best days are behind him. In this fight, though, I believe Rothwell could hold his own. Styles make fights, and this could be a tough stylistic fight for OSP. OSP is a single shot fighter, he throws one big kick or one big hook, hopes his opponent feels it, goes defensive and gives him some time to stand back and take a deep breath. OSP is like a video game character; He needs to energize after taking or producing damage. Rothwell is the complete opposite. Rothwell will literally walk down his opponent and block punches with his face (yes, I know, not ideal). He has an amazing chin and can take a beating. He has almost 50 fights under his belt in the UFC and has competed with some of the best heavyweights in the world. Noone has really knocked him out from what I can remember. He has two stoppages out of 50 fights, and those were against two of the all-time greats (In my opinion) at that weight (Valasquez and Arlovski). He can hang in there and take their best shots with no problem. Even though OSP is very dangerous, I think Rothwell is going to eat his punches and wait for an opportunity to rush him when he smells blood in the water. I believe Big Ben Rothwell is going to win by KO in the first or second round.
MY UFC PICK: BIG BEN ROTHWELL. FIRST OR SECOND ROUND KO.
2 TARGET: CHASE SHERMAN (8400) (11-6) (-155) VS. IKE VILLANUEVA (7800) (0-0) (+145).
This fight is a battle between Chase “The Vanilla Gorilla” Sherman and newcomer Ike Villanueva. Sherman has experience on his side and has a decent record of eleven wins and six losses. Sherman is by far the bigger force in this fight coming in at six foot four inches tall and a 78-inch reach, which is a massive difference to the wingspan of Villanueva (72’). Sherman is a lot bigger and will prove to Ike and the world that there are weight classes for a reason. Both fighters are taking this fight on short notice and are going to give it everything they have. Villanueva is debuting in the UFC and could potentially be dealing with some pre-fight jitters. Before the UFC, Ike has faced a bunch of fighters with losing records, and Sherman is going to be a quick wake up call, in my opinion. Villanueva tends to lean heavily on his front leg, which could be a massive problem considering the devastating leg kicks and leg power produced by Sherman. Sherman can also use his length as an advantage and is more than capable of fighting around his opponent. Sherman should take this fight, and I believe it will be due to a stoppage in the second round.
MY UFC PICK: CHASE SHERMAN. SECOND ROUND TKO.
#3 TARGET: MICHAEL JOHNSON (8000) (20-15) (-105) VS. THIAGO MOISES (8200) (12-4) (-105).
A traditional fight between a striker (Johnson) and a grappler (Moises). Johnson is by far the more established and the veteran of this duo, who has been a force in 35 fights in his career. Johnson knows how to take a punch and also knows how to battle with the best of them. One of his most notable wins was versus the powerhouse of Tony Ferguson. He is a super sharp and technical fighter who can control the distance between him and his opponent. His particular set of skills will most definitely come in handy versus his high-level Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist opponent (Moises), who is coming into this fight on a short three-week notice. My first thoughts were to POUND the books with a ton of Thiago Moises. I quickly realized that it was not necessarily the best play. Even though Moises is a monster grappler that can give Johnson a tough time if this fight gets to the ground, I believe that Johnson is going to come out guns blazing and in better shape than Moises. Moises is the type of fighter who will go extremely hard at the beginning of the fight but will get gassed out by the middle of the second. The middle of the second round is where Johnson should separate himself with his persistent warrior type fighting, pressuring Moises on every punch or kick. If this fight gets out of the first round, Moises is in trouble. Johnson will throw everything he has putting a striking clinic together while he’s cornering his opponent. Thiago tends to get gassed pretty quickly, and this is where Johnson’s outstanding stamina will come into play. Moises will eventually become flat-footed and frustrated that he can not take down Johnson, who has a fantastic 78 percent initial takedown defense. I believe that Johnson will out work, outstrike, and ultimately dominate this fight in the second round, forcing a stoppage en route to a second-round TKO.
MY UFC PICK: MICHAEL JOHNSON. SECOND ROUND TKO.
SUMMARY:
In this 11 bout fight card, I am focusing on the projected high scoring fantasy point fights. I will be attempting to use fighters at lower ownership in my builds. I am going to lock in Ben Rothwell in about 75% of my lineups. My lineups will have a remaining salary of anywhere from 100 to 2,500. Good Luck, and don’t forget to come back and WinDaily!
