Here’s a breakdown of UFC Fight Night 89’s DraftKings Main Card only contest, which will go down at 10 PM ET/ 7:30 PM PT tonight, only on FOX Sports 1.
In the main event, former title challenger Rory MacDonald will face the number two ranked welterweight in the world, Stephen Thompson. This fight has the potential to be an absolute war and the winner of the bout will most likely get the next title shot.
In the co-main event, Donald Cerrone will be fighting at welterweight for the second time against Patrick Cote.
This breakdown will be short, simple and will go into detail on who are the best choices from each of the five fights that are associated with the main card tonight. Considering that there is only five fights on the main card, you have to create the right combination of fighters in your lineup to have the best success, even if it is picking a huge underdog.
If you want a breakdown of the full fight card, check it out here.
Rory MacDonald ($9,600)
The Red King’s opponent tonight, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, is definitely no easy matchup. This fight could go either way depending on who employs their game plan better. But, MacDonald has more tools at his disposal. He’s the better pure boxer and has the grappling advantage. He’ll have to keep the pressure on Thompson through the course of five rounds and look to score points with his striking and grappling. He’s a high pace fighter and is always looking to stay busy, making him a potential fantasy points machine if he’s in your lineup. He’s also a great value play at his price.
Donald Cerrone ($10,200)
Being the favorite in this matchup, he has all the tools to win against Patrick Cote. Although Cote has heavy hands and can cause some trouble for Cowboy if he puts the pressure on him, it still leans in Cerrone’s favor. His grappling will be the difference in this fight. Although he has great striking with his kicking game, he also has great submissions both from the top position and off of his back. Look for Cerrone to pick up the submission victory here in the second round, providing a great amount of fantasy points in your lineup. He’s also at a reasonable price being the betting favorite, making him a great pickup. A finish is unlikely, but MacDonald will be the busier fighter throughout the course of five rounds.
Steve Bosse ($10,700) or Sean O’Connell ($8,700)
Being a heavy hitter, Bosse will be facing another heavy hitter in O’Connell. This is a tough one to decide on since both fighters can end the bout with one perfectly placed shot. If it’s in the first round, that’s an automatic 100+ points in your lineup, which gives it that must needed boost. Bosse is the favorite and he definitely has the advantage here because of his speed. But, as stated before, O’Connell can also end the bout because of his power. Bosse is probably the better choice, but O’Connell is potentially a great value play. Either way, it’s hard seeing this fight get out of the first round.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($11,000) or Thibault Gouti ($8,400)
OAM will have the advantage with his grappling in this bout, but Gouti is definitely a more well-rounded fighter. The thing is that OAM is so good with his grappling that he usually neutralizes all of his opponents and gets the win by submission or by smothering them on the mat. He’s very expensive though and looking at his fighting style, he may not be such a good choice at his price. Gouti is worth the look because of his underdog status, which makes him a great value play. OAM is the favorite for a reason and could definitely get the win with his style of fighting, possibly a submission or a decision, but taking a chance on Gouti is a decision that could pay off in your lineup.
Valerie Letourneau ($10,100) or Joanne Calderwood ($9,300)
Both fighters are extremely evenly matched. They’re both primarily strikers and are very high volume strikers, which will score a lot of points based on significant strikes. There’s no doubt that this fight will be a striking war, so it all depends on who out-strikes who. Being the underdog, Calderwood usually starts off slow, but picks up as the fight progresses. Letourneau starts off strong in most of her fights and gets straight into the action, scoring a lot of points with her striking. Calderwood is a great value play, but Letourneau is reasonably priced as the favorite in this matchup. This will be a three-round war and both fighters are good choices in your lineup because of their high output.
First Optional Lineup
- Steve Bosse ($10,700)
- Donald Cerrone ($10,200)
- Valerie Letourneau ($10,100)
- Rory MacDonald ($9,600)
- Thibault Gouti ($8,400)
Second Optional Lineup
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier ($11,000)
- Donald Cerrone ($10,200)
- Rory MacDonald ($9,600)
- Joanne Calderwood ($9,300)
- Sean O’Connell ($8,700)
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