UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver – January 18, 2015 (Sunday 4 p.m.) 

As one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts events of all time due to fast talking, brash and skillfully unmatched main event fighter Connor McGregor this Sunday January 18^th should be a night to remember.  As a native Irishmen fighting in Irish strong Boston the crowd and environment should be exciting and electric.  Known for his amazing finishes and ability to predict mixed martial fans the world over wait with anticipation to see if McGregor can do it again and fulfill his prophesy of a first round knockout.  Regardless of how the main event does play out there are 11 other amazing fights on the card (10 out of 12 fights are being featured on DraftKings) making this the perfect opportunity to play some mixed martial arts (MMA) daily fantasy sports on DraftKings.  Lets take a look at which mixed martial arts fights are offered on the lineup schedule and who we might consider when trying to construct and optimal lineup.

Dennis Siver +816 ($7,500) VS. Conor McGregor -1100 ($12,700)

With all that Conor “Notorious” McGregor has shown in the past it is hard to pass him up.  We can expect a knockout and the fantasy points to stack up.  He is the most expensive fighter on the card but worth price.  The 12 fight win streak is just too hard to ignore especially when 10 out of the 12 fights ended in a KO / TKO.

Donald Cerrone +122 ($9,500) VS. Benson Henderson -135 ($10,400)

Fighting just 15 days after beating Myles Jury at UFC 182 you have to think “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone is in great fight shape and yearning to avenge his first two losses to Benson Henderson.  Based on their last fights against each other the striking should be highly back and forth.  Donald Cerrone is a unique fighter and has a lot to lose so we will take Cerrone at a great price.

Gleison Tibau -138 ($10,300) VS. Norman Parke +125 ($9,700)

Sean Spencer -154 ($10,700) VS. Cathal Pendred +139 ($9,300)

Here we get a fighter with a better record and longer reach at a sweet price so we have to go with Cathal Pendred.  He also coming off a 9 fight and 1 draw win streak and has finished 2 out of his last 3 fights making this a nice value play.  He also hails from Ireland so he should have the home crowd and support behind him as motivation.

John Howard +133 ($9,400) VS. Lorenz Larkin -147 ($10,600)

Here we get a more experienced fighter in John “Doomsday” Howard who has an impressive 22-10 overall mixed martial arts record.  Although he has lost his last two fights they both went to decision so we get a fighter that can go the distance and rack up fantasy points.  When Howard does finish fights it is more often then not by knockout so we get a great vertran striker, with knockout power who should be hungry for a victory in the Octagon.

Chris Wade -475 ($11,800) VS. Lipeng Zhang +404 ($8,000)

Shane Howell +230 ($8,600) VS. Patrick Holohan -259 ($11,400)

Johnny Case -172 ($10,900) VS. Frankie Perez +155 ($9,100)

With only 1 loss to his name which was a title fight against fellow card member Chris Wade, Frankie Perez is a top tier contender at a bargain price.  While he focuses on submission rather then striking a lot 4 out of 9 wins have come in the first round giving us a great chance to stack up those first round win fantasy points.  Here we get a proven winner at a great price so this might be a spot that is hard to pass up.

Sean Soriano +122 ($9,400) VS. Charles Rosa -130 ($10,500)

***Ron Stallings +638 () VS. Uriah Hall -800 ($12,000) – Uriah Hall’s original opponent Louis Taylor was hurt so Ron Stallings was a late substitute.  We pass over this fight due to the injury.

UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver

This Sunday should be an amazing night of fighting and adding daily fantasy sports from DraftKings into the mix only makes it that much more exhilarating. While still relatively new this being only the second fight ever offered as a daily fantasy sport on DraftKings it will be interesting to see how the sport grows within DFS. While it is yet to be seen what changes are on the horizon for mixed martial arts (MMA) on DraftKings one thing is for sure and that is even in its infancy it adds to the allure and mystique to the highly energizing world of fighting. Watching mixed martial arts (MMA) is an amazing experience. Watching mixed martial arts (MMA) while sweating your lineups and fighter picks is one of a kind and priceless. Will you be in mixed martial arts (MMA) action on DraftKings this weekend? Have your lineups built yet? Who is your top pick?