The UFC heads to San Antonio for this weekend’s card, which will run live from the AT&T Center. The main card and prelims will air on ESPN and ESPN+. The main event is a bantamweight bout between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. In the co-main event, Holly Holm returns to the octagon to face Yana Kunitskaya in a women’s bantamweight bout. Below are some UFC Fight Night DFS picks, including key Marlon Vera–Cory Sandhagen DFS plays, with the help of Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections.
Let’s see what is on tap and find some of the best UFC on ESPN DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.
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UFC on ESPN DFS Picks: Marlon Vera-Cory Sandhagen
Top-End Pick: C.J. Vergara | DraftKings: $9,300, FanDuel: $20
C.J. Vergara arrived in the UFC on a five-fight knockout streak but got stopped by Ode Osbourne via unanimous decision. He then bounced back with a split-decision win over Kleydson Rodrigues in May 2022. Vergara then got a tough matchup against Tatsuro Taira in October and lost via a second-round submission. Expect Vergara to show he belongs in the UFC with an early knockout over Daniel da Silva. According to The Top Fighters Tool, Vergara ranks as the third-highest projected fighter with 69.4% win odds and a 43.3% chance of being a top-six fighter.
Mid-Priced Pick: Chidi Njokuani | DraftKings: $8,800, FanDuel: $18
Chidi Njokuani debuted in the UFC with two spectacular first-round knockouts over Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic. He came up short his last time out against Gregory Rodrigues in one of the year’s best bouts. He is an aggressive fighter with plenty of power who can put anyone’s lights out. Expect Njokuani to bounce back with a possible Fight of The Night performance. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give him a 60.2% chance of winning with a 47.7% chance for a knockout.
Mid-Priced Pick: Cory Sandhagen | DraftKings: $8,600, FanDuel: $22
Cory Sandhagen ranks as a top-five bantamweight fighter. He has gone 3-3 in his last six fights but fought the best of the best. He has three spectacular knockouts in this span, including a spinning wheel kick that finished Marlon Moraes and a flying knee that ruined Frankie Edgar’s night. His last time out was a tough matchup against Yadong Song, but Sandhagen showed he belonged with a nasty knockout. According to Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections, Sandhagen has a 60.3% chance of winning with a 44% chance of finishing as a top-six fighter.
Value Pick: Austin Lingo | DraftKings: $6,800, FanDuel: $11
Austin Lingo is coming in off two unanimous decision wins over Jacob Kilburn and Luis Saldana. Nate Landwehr makes for a tough matchup and seemingly never runs out of gas. That said, Lingo has solid cardio, which could lead to a three-round brawl — if it gets that far. Lingo has plenty of power and hits extremely hard, and if Landwehr doesn’t protect his chin, he could find himself going to sleep. There is some risk in rostering Lingo in your DFS lineups, but he could pay off big with a finish at only $6,800. Stokastic’s MMA DFS projections give him a 33.7% chance of winning with a 22.1% chance for a knockout.
Quick Pick: Maycee Barber | DraftKings: $9,100, FanDuel: $22
Maycee Barber looked good in the weight-ins, and she will be looking to make a statement in this matchup with Andrea Lee. She could pay off her steep price tag by finishing of Lee.
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