UFC 282 Picks and Preview: Jan Blachowicz-Magomed Ankalaev Heat

On Saturday, the UFC will be live from T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nev., for UFC 282. The main event is a light heavyweight bout featuring Jan Blachowicz –Magomed Ankalaev. Then the co-headliner is a lightweight bout between Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon. Below are some MMA DFS picks with the help of Stokastic’s UFC DFS projections. Let’s see what’s on tap for UFC 282.

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MMA DFS Picks: UFC 282 Jan Blachowicz-Magomed Ankalaev

Cameron Saaiman $9,300 vs. Steven Koslow $6,900

Cameron Saaiman

Age: 33
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 136 lbs.
Reach: 70 ins.
Record: 6-0-0
Striking Accuracy: 46%
Betting Odds: -400

Cameron Saaiman secured his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he knocked Josh Wang-Kim in Round 3. He also claimed EFC bantamweight gold in only his fifth pro fight. That title fight was his sole trip to the judges as a professional, as he won four via knockout and one via submission. Expect Saaiman to push the pace with high volume and secure another knockout in the later rounds. Stokastic’s UFC DFS projections also are high on him, with 76.3% win odds and a 52.9% chance for a knockout.

Steven Koslow

Age: 25
Height: 5-foot7
Weight: 135 lbs.
Reach: N/A
Record: 6-0-0
Striking Accuracy: N/A
Betting Odds: +285

Steven Koslow is stepping in on less than two weeks’ notice after Ronnie Lawrence dropped out of UFC 282. He is a skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, which should help him exploit Saaiman’s weak ground game. Expect Koslow to wrestle his way to a good start before Saaiman’s finds his rhythm and forces Koslow into uncomfortably waters with heavy pressure and a high pace.

The pick on DraftKings and FanDuel is Saaiman. Expect Saaiman’s sharp striking, high pace, pressure, power and gas tank to be too much for Koslow to withstand.

UFC DFS Pick: Cameron Saaiman via Second-Round KO/TKO.

Raul Rosas Jr. $9,000 vs. Jay Perrin $7,200’

Raul Rosas Jr.

Age: 18
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 134 lbs.
Reach: 67 ins.
Record: 6-0-0
Striking Accuracy: 64%
Betting Odds: -250

Raul Rosas Jr. joined the UFC after beating Mando Gutierrez via unanimous decision on Dana White’s Contender Series. He will be making his UFC debut at 18 years old and is looking to make a statement with another early finish. He is the youngest fighter in history to be officially signed by the UFC. Rosas has four wins via submission, one via knockout and one via decision. He remained unbeaten during all his UWC bouts, winning all but one fight inside the first five minutes. Expect Rosas to be looking to make a statement in his UFC debut with an early finish over Jay Perrin.

Jay Perrin

Age: 29
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 136 lbs.
Reach: 67 ins.
Record: 12-5-0
Striking Accuracy: 52%
Betting Odds: +190

Jay Perrin is a slick fighter who likes to show off his boxing skills inside the Octagon. He throws solid combinations to the head and body and will use his jab effectively to slow his opponents’ attacks. Perrin has tremendous sweeps, trips and hip tosses in the clinch. He will have the crisper, cleaner boxing, and if Rosas leaves himself exposed when he commits forward, then Perrin could find huge success in his boxing game. On the feet, expect Perrin to land more and find the cleaner shots.

The lean on DraftKings and FanDuel is Rosas. Expect Rosas to work fast, looking for any openings to put Perrin on the mat. That will be his best path to victory, taking Perrin to the canvas and looking for another submission victory. Stokastic’s projections give him 67.9% win odds.

UFC DFS Pick: Raul Rosas Jr. via Second-Round Submission

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Bryce Mitchell $7,800 vs. Ilia Topuria $8,400

Bryce Mitchell

Age: 28
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 145 lbs.
Reach: 70 ins.
Record: 15-1-0
Striking Accuracy: 76%
Betting Odds: +120

Bryce Mitchell is one of the most polarizing athletes in the UFC due to his tendency to fight a grueling, high-pace, wrestling-heavy style, with a dangerous and nasty submission game. Mitchell’s striking is improving fight by fight, as he showed by beating Edson Barboza on the feet. Expect Mitchell to demonstrate his superb wrestling and nasty submission skills while using his ever-improving striking to drag Ilia Topuria into deep waters to secure another victory.

Ilia Topuria

Age: 25
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 145 lbs.
Reach: 69 ins.
Record: 12-0-0
Striking Accuracy: 52%
Betting Odds: -154

Ilia Topuria is extremely dangerous when he steps into the cage, combining dangerous grappling with high-end striking. In his last fight against Jai Herbert, Topuria showed little respect at defending strikes and found himself almost being finished in the first round. Luckily for him, the first round ended moments before Herbert could deliver the fight-ending blow. Topuria will bring his top game when stepping into the Octagon on Saturday, showcasing his powerful kicks, elite striking, dangerous grappling and nasty submission game.

The lean on DraftKings and FanDuel is Mitchell. Expect his striking, timing, wrestling and ability to keep himself safe against high-level strikers, as he showed in his last bout to seal the victory. Stokastic’s UFC DFS projections give Bryce Mitchell 44% win odds.

UFC DFS Pick: Bryce Mitchell via Unanimous Decision

Paddy Pimblett $9,100 vs. Jared Gordon $7,100

Paddy Pimblett

Age: 27
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 155 lbs.
Reach: 73 ins.
Record: 19-3-0
Striking Accuracy: 58%
Betting Odds: -250

Paddy Pimblett will be making his long-awaited USA debut in the UFC when fights in the co-main event at UFC 282. He is gaining popularity with each fight and becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the UFC. When Pimblett steps inside the Octagon expect an electrifying performance with wild haymakers that can end the fight in minutes. However, Pimblett’s bread and butter is his slick submission game, having won three of his last four via submission. Throwing with wild intent is all part of Pimblett’s game plan, which allows him to get in close clinch against the cage and find a way to sink hooks while always looking for the submission. Expect Pimblett to put on another electrifying show on his way to a possible Performance of the Night bonus.

Jared Gordon

Age: 34
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 155 lbs.
Reach: 68 ins.
Record: 19-5-0
Striking Accuracy: 71%
Betting Odds: +190

Jared Gordon is fresh off a dominant decision win against Leonard Santos in August. Prior to that, Gordon was submitted by Grant Dawson and knocked out by Charles Oliveira, Joaquim Silva and Diego Ferreira. His striking is extremely accurate but with little power behind it. Expect Gordon to be aggressive and look to force pressure on Pimblett with his usual high output of strikes, but he will have to use combinations to negate the five-inch reach advantage.

The pick on DraftKings and FanDuel is Pimblett. He should look to push the pace early, looking to land his devastating haymakers before resorting to his dominant grappling to get the submission early on.

UFC DFS Pick: Paddy Pimblett via First-Round Submission

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