UFC Fight Night DFS MMA cash picks and strategy for Ortega vs Rodriguez on July 16th starts here! This time we have an 12-fight card taking place in Long Island, New York. There are several very close matches on this card which will make for some interesting choices in your tournament builds. But, that’s not what this article is about. My goal is to help navigate you through this interesting card and find some solid fighters to begin your cash game construction with.
For you 1st time readers, welcome and I hope you enjoy the article. For all you regular readers, you will notice a change. Moving forward I am going to gear this article for cash games. If you want my full thoughts on the entire card, you can find them in our MMA coaches notes Yes, I know everyone wants to win that big tournament win! But a major point we make here at DFS Army is proper bankroll management. A major part of that is, of course, cash games. It may not be the sexiest way to build your bankroll but, over time it can be the most consistent. I would love to hear any feedback on this new format, and I look forward to helping everyone learn the art of creating a solid cash game lineup.
We have been on a huge run in all sports at DFS Army! Plus the 2020 NBA season has started off right where we left off last season. We just had a huge win by a member last Saturday in MMA! You name the sport from NBA to MMA, and we cover it! If you want to join in on the winning use promo code “FORSLUND” to save 20% on your membership.
As always have some fun in tournaments this week. Just remember the Golden Rule! While chasing after the big payout is enticing always remember bankroll management. I am a firm believer in the 80-20 rule. Which is 80% of your allocated bankroll for the night in cash games and 20% in tournaments. Remember to take advantage of our Research Station and Domination Station. Plus check out the podcast, and follow me on Twitter (@MMACashAssassin) for the latest MMA and DFS Army news!
MMA UFC Cash Game Basics for DFS
In cash games, unlike tournaments, we are trying to build a solid floor with our lineups. Many times that may mean using a fighter with great odds to win or taking someone who is severely mispriced. Cash games are often times card dependent. For example, if a fighter is expected to be chalky in cash games and I feel they are in a good spot I have no problem eating the chalk and just rostering him. After all, he’s chalky for a reason. One major difference between cash and tournament play is getting past your aversion to play the chalk. Often times, the chalk makes a lot of sense. (I’m going to use the word “chalk” a lot, if new, chalk is slang for “popular player.”) If you ever have any questions pertaining to cash games feel free to reach out to me on Twitter, or if you are a VIP shoot me a dm.
Sep 25, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Brian Ortega moves in for a hit against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 266 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
DFS MMA UFC Fight Night Cash Core Plays
Su Sumudaerji (-265) 9.1k
Su finds himself the 2nd biggest favorite on the card and priced as the 3rd most expensive. He is my favorite cash play in this 9k. Sumudaerji is the safest play for a win in the 9k range. Plus he also carries plenty of upside when you factor in his prop to win Inside The Distance of -120 (the best ITD line on the entire card). Sumudaerji is the 1st fighter I am locking into my cash game builds and you need to strongly consider him in yours as well.
Brian Ortega (-170) 8.5k
Brian is another fighter I like on this card for cash game purposes. This fight is expected to end ITD according to Vegas with a Fight Ends ITD prop of -150. Ortega historically scores well in fights he finishes early and he is live to slap on a submission at a moments notice. Overall Brian sets up to have a nice floor/ceiling combo, both great options to have in cash games!!. That’s the route I am personally taking. If you choose to follow my lead I think it will lead to a profitable cash game night for you!!
Li Jingliang (+130) 7.6k
In order to fit the higher-priced favorites on this card you are going to have to punt with an underdog or 2 on this card. Li is my favorite cash punt on the entire card. This fight is expected to go into the later rounds, with a Fight Starts 3rd round prop at -190. I see no reason he doesn’t reach 30-40 DraftKings points in a decision loss and I wouldn’t be shocked if he got the win (I am picking him to get the win). That’s all we need from Jingliang at this salary and by using him in your cash builds it allows more flexibility with the rest of your lineup construction. This is the route I am taking on this card and I think you should entertain the thought as well.
Sure, these are MY favorite cash game plays, but maybe you play GPPs or like others. That’s fine…..you need tools, though. Our MMA UFC Research Station is locked and loaded with every related statistic in an easy to read, color coded fashion that cuts your research time down. It allows several fighters, like the ones I mentioned, to really pop at you and make DFS life easier. But, to access this beast, you need to become a member at DFSA…
And, if you are already a member, we have podcasts related to this UFC MMA card, as well as premium articles breaking down strategy and advice even further to #RaiseYourEdge over your competition. I’m sure you’ve seen our army helmets all over the leaderboards. We have not one, not two, but THREE of the top-ranked MMA players in the world coaching our members up on a weekly basis and helping them become better MMA DFS players. See Marley’s UFC Breakdown article here.
MMA UFC Fight To Target In Hybrids/Tournaments
Now that we covered some cash plays. Let’s breakdown 1 fight I really think you should get exposure to in your hybrid and tournament lineups.
Jack Shore (-150) 8.4k vs Ricky Simon (+130) 7.8k
This fight carries a Fight Goes To Decision Prop of -190. Both fighters have paths to putting up strong DFS scores and the winner of this fight has a strong chance to be on the optimal lineup (especially with them priced close to the mid-range). I will personally have a good amount of exposure to this fight in tournaments (north of 75%). This fight will score well for DraftKings purposes. My preferred play is Shore. He has never scored less than 87.2 DraftKings points in any of his UFC wins. Plus he lands at an extremely high rate of 7.95 Significant Strikes per minute. In turn be sure to hedge with some exposure to Simon as well. If he gets the win it will most likely be via a decision with a ton of TD’s (He lands 6.76 TD’s on average per fight). Which would obviously score well for DFS purposes. If you plan on playing multiple lineups in tournaments this is a great fight to target both sides of in my opinion.
DFS MMA UFC Standing 8-Count
Ok, that was a boxing reference to make sure you are still paying attention. I hope you all enjoyed the new format and I look forward to hearing your feedback. Be sure you check out our VIP Podcast! If you are new to the sport of MMA, let us teach you the fundamentals to go along with this be sure you check out our new tutorial on how to MME for MMA by our CEO Geek. Become a VIP at DFS Army right now!! Our mixture of content, tools, and coaching can take the best NBA player and teach him MMA like a boss in a very short time. We have NFL guys learning Nascar, and we even have people learning how to dominate the silent sport of tennis! That’s right…..major edge in tennis, and I help out there, too.
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Good Luck Army!
