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Daily Fantasy MMA: DraftKings Picks for Cormier vs. Gustafsson UFC 192 Card

The main event for UFC 192 on Saturday is light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson. The fight has the potential to be a great scrap, and for what it’s worth, Cormier is my pick to win. That said, DraftKings players would …

Cormier’s salary is a whopping $11,000, which will drastically handicap your ability to fill out the rest of your lineup with winners. Gustafsson has a shot to win—or at least go the distance. Either of those scenarios would be bad for DraftKings players who take Cormier.

The best selection for the UFC 192 card is Sage Northcutt ($10,500). The dynamic 19-year-old lightweight has a bright future and a fantasy-friendly opponent in front of him for his UFC debut.

Francisco Trevino is a rugged competitor who will oblige Northcutt if he wants to stand and trade. If the fight goes to the ground, Trevino does defend chokes well, but he can be sloppy with his positioning. Against a big and strong young fighter like Northcutt, that could be the difference between surviving a scrum on the mat and being stopped with vicious ground-and-pound.

Northcutt is a dynamic striker who has captured three of his five wins by knockout. The other two wins came by way of submission. No fighter has gone the distance with him as of yet, and Trevino won’t be the first.

The takedown might be the best approach for Northcutt in this one. Trevino has only stopped 43 percent of takedown attempts in the UFC. There’s the potential for a slip-up from Northcutt as he tries hard to impress in his debut, but his talent level and versatility will shine through and rack up fantasy points.

Here’s a look at the rest of the ideal lineup for UFC 192.

Viktor Pesta ($10,000)

Derrick Lewis is a one-trick pony and made to order for Viktor Pesta. Lewis is looking to land a massive right hand in the first two minutes of a fight. If he doesn’t connect, his chances of winning are greatly reduced.

He has 12 wins in his MMA career, with six of them by first-round KO. Two of his three wins in the UFC have come from strikes in the first frame. Stamina is the main issue with Lewis, and that’s not a problem for Pesta.

The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic brings a diverse skill set into the Octagon. He has seven stoppages (four KOs, three submissions) in his 11 professional fights. While he can thump with his hands, he sets up almost everything with the takedown.

While he hasn’t been accurate in that regard just yet in the UFC (22 percent), that should change against Lewis, who has only stopped 50 percent of the takedown attempts against him.

Before the clinch or a shot takes place, Pesta may have to prove himself momentarily on the feet. Lewis has major power, so Pesta will have to be careful. However, Lewis’ defense has been non-existent (36 percent strike defense).

He’s also been knocked out twice (Shawn Jordan and Matt Mitrione) in just over a year. There are just too many reasons to like Pesta in this fight. He wins and gets the finish within the first two rounds—one way or the other.

Islam Makhachev ($9,700)

The fight between Islam Makhachev and Adriano Martins is a toss-up as both fighters are slotted at $9,700. This is a classic clash of styles as Makhachev is similar to his countryman and teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev wants to take his opponents down, but that may not be so easy against Martins.

The Brazilian has 80 percent takedown defense in his UFC career. In Martins’ last fight, he took on another of Makhachev’s countrymen, Rustam Khabilov.

Martins was able to stuff all four of Khabilov’s attempts to take him down. In fact, he countered by securing all four of his own takedowns. That gives reason to believe in Martins a bit in this fight, and it explains why the salaries are so close. Something has to give in this area, as there’s seemingly no way Makhachev is going to abandon his sambo background.

Makhachev is a different animal than Khabilov. The latter prefers to strike and hasn’t finished a fight via submission in over five years. Makhachev’s last three wins have come by submission, and his takedown accuracy is better than Khabilov’s (60 percent to 43).

To put it plainly, Martins is facing the next level of the fearsome Russian lightweight trifecta (Khabilov, Makhachev and Nurmagomedov), and we’ll be able to tell the difference on Saturday.

Makhachev will win a highly competitive bout via third-round submission.

Julianna Pena ($10,700)

Jessica Eye is one tough cookie, but she will crumble under the pressure, grappling prowess and determination that Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena brings into the Octagon.

Pena is a whirlwind and has been a DraftKings player’s dreams in her two UFC fights by averaging a whopping 124 fantasy points per fight. Eye has only stopped 57 percent of the takedowns attempted against her, and most of her opponents have been inferior to Pena when it comes to grappling.

In Pena’s two UFC bouts, she’s a perfect 3-for-3 in takedowns. She could have more, but once she gets opponents to the mat, they generally don’t get back to their feet.

Bank on a first- or second-round stoppage win for The Venezuelan Vixen.

Alan Jouban ($9,100)

There has to be one lower-salaried pick on any DraftKings UFC contest, and Alan Jouban is the one for this event. He faces another promising young Russian fighter in Albert Tumenov. Unlike Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, Tumenov likes to get the job done standing as opposed to leaning on a grappling-based discipline.

Jouban is also primarily a striker—and a dynamic one at that. His fights are often among the most exciting when he performs. Both men attempt less than 0.5 takedowns per 15 minutes of Octagon action.

If this fight is sounding like a potential classic stand-up scrap to you, then we’re on the same page here. In that type of fight, things can go either way, but Jouban has demonstrated resolve and toughness that will aid him in this fight. He’s quicker and more explosive than Tumenov, and in this matchup, those qualities should make the difference.

Jouban has already won two Fight of the Night bonuses for his work against Matt Dwyer and Seth Baczynski. Another thrilling win is in the cards for him on Saturday.

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Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley Scrapped from UFC 192

One of the most anticipated fights of UFC 192 and the co-main event of the card is now officially scrapped.

Friday morning, UFC president Dana White took to Twitter to announce that due to weight-cutting issues with former UFC welterweight champi…

One of the most anticipated fights of UFC 192 and the co-main event of the card is now officially scrapped.

Friday morning, UFC president Dana White took to Twitter to announce that due to weight-cutting issues with former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, the fight against Tyron Woodley would be off the event entirely.

Coming into the weekend, this fight between elite contenders looked to be a title eliminator at 170 pounds. Both Hendricks and Woodley were passed over in favor of the returning Carlos Condit. Hendricks told MMAJunkie.com that if he knocked Woodley out at UFC 192, he would be upset if a title shot didn’t come next.

That is now completely moot.

There is no official word from the UFC regarding what comes next. Do they reschedule this fight? Does Woodley get his show money? Is Woodley now next in line following Hendricks’ inability to make the contracted weight for this event? Those questions will be answered in due time.

For now, all we are left with is the empty feeling of having one of the better fights on the docket pulled from the card.

Hendrick’s manager, Ted Ehrhardt, gave a statement to Ariel Helwani regarding the situation citing a blockage in his intestine, in addition to a kidney stone. Hendricks was taken to the emergency room and given an IV.

UFC vice president of public relations Dave Sholler relayed information from the matchmakers, Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, that Ali Bagautinov vs. Joseph Benavidez would move up to the main card for UFC 192. The light heavyweight tilt between No. 4-ranked contender Ryan Bader and No. 5-ranked Rashad Evans will be the new co-main event in Houston.

UFC 192 takes place this Saturday, Oct. 3, and Bleacher Report will have continuing coverage of all the happenings surrounding the event.

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UFC 192 Fight Card: Odds, Predictions for Cormier vs. Gustafsson and Top Fights

If UFC 192 doesn’t do great numbers, it won’t be for a lack of high-profile fights. The live audience at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, will see a card that should have serious title ramifications in multiple divisions.
Obviously, it all co…

Obviously, it all comes down to the first title defense for Daniel Cormier as the light heavyweight champion. The Louisiana-born champion shouldn’t have a problem attracting a crowd to Texas when he takes on Alexander Gustafsson in the night’s main event.

The light heavyweight division will likely see its next contender on Saturday night as well. Barring the return of Jon Jones as a part of the title picture, the winner of the fight between Rashad Evans and Ryan Bader should be in position to challenge for the title.

Throw in a co-main event between elite welterweights in Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley and this card is a can’t-miss event.

Here’s a look at the complete card with the latest odds from Odds Shark.

Bader vs. Evans

The light heavyweight tilt between Rashad Evans and Ryan Bader should be the odds-on favorite for Fight of the Night honors.

Not only is it among the closest fights in terms of the odds, but it has so much gravitas for both fighters that it’s hard not to see them both go out on their shield to win.

For Evans, this is finally his opportunity to show that he’s still a top light heavyweight. Due to several injuries, we haven’t seen him in action since late 2013 when he defeated Chael Sonnen via first-round TKO. A win here shows he’s just as deserving as ever to fight for a title.

For Bader, this fight is about finally taking the next step. If it feels like Bader has constantly been in the periphery of the division, it’s because he has. Every time Bader has built up some momentum in his career he’s suffered a devastating loss. In 2011, it was Jon Jones who derailed his hype train. In 2012, it was Lyoto Machida. In 2013, Glover Teixeira.

Now a four-fight win streak has Bader once again in position to take that next step. This time, he believes it’s his motivation that will be the advantage against Evans, per Dana White:

Projecting this bout all comes down to how much you think Evans has left in the tank. Given Evans’ lengthy hiatus from the Octagon, he’s a relatively unknown commodity at this point.

Both fighters are adept at wrestling, which means they’re likely to cancel each other out in that department. That means a firefight on the feet between the two.

In that scenario, Bader might have what it takes to spring the minor upset. Evans has always depended on his quickness in the striking department to allow him to jump in and out of exchanges unscathed. With a few more miles on the tires than Bader, he might just show he doesn’t have the spring in his step to win those exchanges anymore.

Prediction: Bader via third-round TKO

Hendricks vs. Woodley

Rashad Evans won’t be the only former UFC champion trying to keep someone from their first UFC title shot. Johny Hendricks draws a similar task when he takes on Tyron Woodley in the co-main event.

After beating Matt Brown in his first fight since his title loss, it would be understandable that Hendricks isn’t all that excited about this matchup. However, he sounds like a man who has taken the necessary time studying his opponent to show why he deserves another shot at the title, per Matt Erickson and John Morgan of MMAjunkie:

“The way Tyron is, he’s two different fighters. He’s either a very aggressive fighter, or he’s a very defensive fighter. We had to train for two different fighters because we don’t know which one is going to show up. We have a feeling which one is going to show up – the one that’s very aggressive. So that’s the one we trained for first.

“… I’m sort of grateful for this fight because it’s really changed my striking. Some of the things I’m going to be doing in the octagon will be different than in the past.”

Hendricks’ analysis of Woodley as a fighter isn’t wrong. He’s difficult to project because sometimes he’s the fighter who has earned three of his last four wins by knockout. Sometimes he’s the fighter who landed just 26 strikes in a three round fight with Rory MacDonald.

It’s difficult to tell which one it will be on Saturday night.

One thing that isn’t hard to tell is what Hendricks will try to do. Regardless of whether his gameplan involves a lot of wresting, striking or a combination of both, he’s going to bring the pressure.

Woodley is dangerous and should be looking to counter and move. If he doesn’t crack Bigg Rigg coming in on a counter, he’s going to have a difficult time dealing with the sheer volume that Hendricks brings to the table.

Prediction: Hendricks by decision

Cormier vs. Gustafsson

The light heavyweight title has been held by some great fighters over the years. The question surrounding Saturday’s main event is whether Alexander Gustafsson can add his name to that list while Jon Jones isn’t in the picture or whether Daniel Cormier can maintain his status as the best 205er not named Jon Jones.

As MMA Infographics points out, both fighters have very similar resumes heading into the bout:

As a 5-2 underdog according to Odds Shark, it feels like Gustafsson is being underestimated in this spot. Yes, he’s lost two of his last three fights, but one loss came to Jon Jones and the other was a TKO loss to Anthony Johnson.

Jones also soundly defeated Cormier, and very few men have taken a solid punch from Rumble Johnson and lived to tell about it.

What will tell the story in this fight is space. Gustafsson will need to create it with is footwork and angles. According to FightMetric, he will hold a seven-inch reach advantage (79-72).

Conversely, Cormier lives for the grind of wearing down his opponents in the clinch and on the mat. As Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics notes, only Ryan Bader relies more on his wrestling in the cage at UFC 192:

With both fighters looking to impose their opposite wills against each other, this should play out as an intriguing fight for as long as it lasts. Gustafsson‘s finishing rate is actually much higher than Cormier‘s, but DC has proven to be durable over the years as he’s never been finished.

Gustafsson will have his moments and make it interesting, but it’s hard to pick against someone as imposing as Cormier.

Prediction: Cormier by decision

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Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson: Odds, Predictions Before Weigh-in

Although Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier are headlining UFC 192 on Saturday night, the mere thought of a return to the Octagon for Jon Jones is dominating much of the discussion heading into this weekend.
The former champion pleaded guilty to a…

The former champion pleaded guilty to a charge stemming from his alleged hit-and-run this past summer.

The UFC didn’t outright confirm it will lift Jones’ suspension but said in a statement it “will thoroughly review [Jones’ plea] agreement before discussing Jones’ possible reinstatement to return to competition,” via MMA Mania’s Jesse Holland.

Former UFC fighter and current Fox Sports analyst Brian Stann told FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin:

You couldn’t have drawn up a better narrative for this thing to take place. Whether Gustafsson wins this fight, people have been clamoring to see a rematch there with Jon Jones, and obviously if Daniel Cormier defends his title and wins, it’s going to be him versus Jon Jones again. It’s going to be ridiculous in terms of the buildup for that fight and the trash talk that would take place.

Gustafsson vs. Cormier is absolutely the fight that needs to happen in UFC’s light heavyweight division and should be extremely entertaining. But in a sense, it’s really only the appetizer for the inevitable Jones return bout.

Prediction

According to Odds Shark, Cormier is a 1-2 favorite to win, while Gustafsson is the underdog, albeit with relatively good 17-10 odds.

While Gustafsson is the No. 3 light heavyweight in UFC’s official rankings, he lost to Jones via unanimous decision at UFC 165 and then to Anthony Johnson in a first-round TKO at UFC on Fox 14. Sandwiched between those two fights is a second-round victory over Jimi Manuwa at UFC Fight Night 37.

Cormier said of his opponent, per Martin:

If I looked at his career and his resume, I would say he beat the guys he’s supposed to beat and any time it’s a toss-up fight he loses. In the fights that he’s not overwhelmingly favored, he really hasn’t done as well as he should outside of the fight with (Jon) Jones where he was a huge underdog and he really fought outside of himself and I truly do believe it was him fighting his best fight and Jones might have fought his worst fight and it was super close.

Meanwhile, Cormier’s one loss in his competitive MMA career was to Jones at UFC 182. He followed that up with a third-round submission win over Johnson at UFC 187 for the light heavyweight title.

Since he’s the challenger, Gustafsson will need to find a delicate balance between being aggressive and cautious so he doesn’t open himself up and allow Cormier to win quickly via knockout or submission.

Gustafsson will also want to keep a safe distance so as to avoid getting in clinches, where Cormier is at his most effective. The tighter the quarters, the more Cormier dominates.

Given Gustafsson’s wrestling prowess and overall agility, staying on the outside shouldn’t be a major issue.

To a certain extent, it feels as if the 28-year-old Swede isn’t getting the respect he deserves; even Cormier is seemingly underselling Gustafsson’s accomplishments based on his above comments. Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman firmly believes Gustafsson is capable of winning this fight:

However, Cormier is the top guy in the light heavyweight division for a reason. He possesses a great blend of technique, strength and skill. He also proved against Jones he’s able to close the distance between himself and an opponent who tries to stay on the outside.

Plus, the onus is on Gustafsson to go above and beyond to prove he’s the better fighter. The champion’s advantage isn’t technically a real thing that’s supposed to exist, but you often see judges giving the benefit of the doubt to the guy holding the belt. If a fight is close, nine times out of 10 the champ retains.

Cormier is too good to get himself caught in a compromising situation, and he’ll do enough in the Octagon to sway the judges.

Prediction: Cormier via split decision

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UFC 192 Weigh-in Results: Cormier vs. Gustafsson Fight Card

Saturday night in Houston, there will be a light heavyweight title tilt between Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson. However, to make that official, they must first step on the scale to make weight.
The event features 13 fights in all with many int…

The event features 13 fights in all with many intriguing and meaningful contests. The main card also has Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena, Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans, and Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley. The stacked fight card should deliver great action, if all fighters come in prepared and on weight.

The UFC 192 weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. ET, and Bleacher Report will chronicle the proceedings as they happen. Come back for full coverage when the fighters tip the scale.

UFC 192 Fight Card

Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Johny Hendricks vs. Tyron Woodley
Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans
Shawn Jordan vs. Ruslan Magomedov
Jessica Eye vs. Julianna Pena
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ali Bagautinov
Yair Rodriguez vs. Dan Hooker
Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov
Rose Namajunas vs. Angela Hill
Adriano Martins vs. Islam Makhachev
Francisco Trevino vs. Sage Northcutt
Chris Cariaso vs. Sergio Pettis
Derrick Lewis vs. Viktor Pesta

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UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is on a mission to validate himself as a legitimate titleholder in the promotion. He can’t complete that task without beating Jon “Bones” Jones in a rematch somewhere down the line, but he can move closer to that potential scrap by defending his title against Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson on Saturday night in Houston in the main event of UFC 192.

Before Jones was stripped of the title and Cormier beat Anthony “Rumble” Johnson for the vacated strap in May, DC and Gustafsson had given Bones his most competitive fights. Now the two meet in the Octagon in a bout that will likely determine the man who gets to defend the title against Jones when and if he returns to the sport as expected in 2016.

Per Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting, Cormier, Rashad Evans and others discussed Jones’ re-insertion into the light heavyweight title picture.

The Cormier-Gustafsson title fight will cap off what looks like a solid lineup of intriguing and potentially exciting fights. Here’s the full card with viewing information and predictions for each bout. Check out the upset specials just below the table.

Upset Specials

Overkill Will Outlast Overrated Namajunas

Per Odds Shark, Rose Namajunas is listed as a minus-350 favorite over Angela “Overkill” Hill. Namajunas gained some respect during her time in The Ultimate Fighter 20 as she advanced to the final and lost to eventual champion Carla Esparza.

Namajunas has some talent and a mean streak, but she has shrunk when the lights have come on. Before losing to Esparza in December 2014, she dropped a decision to Tecia Torres when the two were in Invicta in July 2013.

Namajunas is beatable—especially on this level. Hill is a tireless worker and a relentless striker. She has a strong background in kickboxing and muay thai. This explains why her striking is solid. The key for her will be to keep the fight standing. That may not be too difficult as Namajunas prefers to strike as well.

She’s only attempted 1.31 takedowns per 15 minutes of action. That approach will play into Hill’s hands. Despite Las Vegas’ lack of belief in Hill, I’m still tabbing her as the mildly surprising winner via unanimous decision.

Jouban Will Stop Tumenov in Fight of the Night

Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen. Alan Jouban vs. Albert Tumenov has the potential to be the best fight of the night. Both of these men love to finish with strikes. Neither man attempts more than 0.42 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Jouban is quicker and throws more kicks. However, Tumenov is strong and aggressive; if he can get his opponents into ground-and-pound situations, he’s in a perfect space. Expect both men to have their moments throughout the bout, but Jouban’s edge in athleticism will be the difference as he scores a third-round TKO.

The Big Fights

Evans Will Edge Bader

What happens when two world-class wrestlers meet in the Octagon? More than likely, the fighter with the better striking game will gain the advantage. In this case, that would be Rashad Evans. He has fast hands and good snap on his punches inside, though he is dealing with a long layoff after battling a series of injuries.

Evans last fought almost two years ago when he stopped Chael Sonnen with punches in November 2013. Despite a near two-year layoff, Evans will prove to be too quick for Bader when it comes to the stand-up battle.

Bader will secure more takedowns, and that’ll make the judges’ decision difficult, but Evans will escape with the split-decision victory.

Hendricks Too Good for Woodley

Tyron Woodley has a major bone to pick with Johny Hendricks. The two met on the collegiate wrestling mat when Hendricks was at Oklahoma State and Woodley attended the University of Missouri. The two had a bitter battle in the Big 12 tournament, but Hendricks prevailed.

Woodley hasn’t quite gotten over that loss, and he’d love to avenge it at UFC 192. Unfortunately for him, Hendricks’ wrestling, chin and pursuit are just too good for Woodley.

Few—if any—welterweights are as explosive as Woodley, but as quick and powerful as he is, he doesn’t throw a lot of strikes. He lands 2.56 strikes per minute in the Octagon with 50 percent accuracy.

He also has a tendency to fight cautiously against elite opponents. Because he’s amped to face and beat Hendricks, it’ll only tighten him up even more. That’s going to lead to a relatively easy win for Hendricks via third-round submission or unanimous decision.

Cormier Will Break Gustafsson

Gustafsson’s loss to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson was a career-changing defeat. While the Swede had lost before, he’d never been manhandled quite like that. Because of the psychological effect that could still linger from that fight, Gustafsson may not have the same resolve he once did.

Cormier is a machine fueled by motivation to validate himself as champion. He’ll break Gustafsson and finish him off with a TKO or submission in the second round.

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