This article is part of our DraftKings MMA series.
The UFC makes its first ever trip to Utah on Saturday, featuring a featherweight contender matchup between two young and explosive fighters.
If you're hoping to turn the event into an opportunity to build your DFS bankroll, DraftKings.com has you covered with a full slate of contests. Players get a $50,000 budget to select five fighters, and the scoring is distributed as follows:
Moves Scoring
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.5 PTS
Advance (ADVC): +1 PT
Takedown (TD): +2 PTS
Reversal/Sweep (REV): +2 PTS
Knockdown (KD): +3 PTS
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win (1rW+): +100 PTS
2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 PTS
3rd Round Win (3rW+): +50 PTS
4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 PTS
5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 PTS
Decision Win (WBD+): +25 PTS
Scoring Notes
Significant Strikes are any Distance Strike or Clinch/Ground Strikes that are considered "Power Strikes" by official scorers.
Advances include: To Half Guard, To Side Control, To Mount, To Back Control
Now, on to the fights...
Main Event – Featherweight
Yair Rodriguez (8-1-0) v. Alex Caceres (12-8-0, 1NC)DraftKings Salaries: Rodriguez ($10,500), Caceres ($8,900)
Vegas Odds: Rodriguez (-325), Caceres (+265)
In an effort to build up Rodriguez, who is one of the brightest young stars in the company, the UFC has given him the main event spotlight on Saturday, and they smartly booked him against an opponent that he should defeat. The 24-year-old Rodriguez is 4-0 in the UFC, and his lone professional loss came back in December 2012. His striking style is reminiscent of Conor McGregor's in the sense that he throws countless punches and kicks from unorthodox angles. An explosive athlete, Rodriguez does a terrific job of keeping his opponents off balance. It isn't the style of fighting that you would teach a newcomer to employ, but it works great for Yair. Caceres is just 28 years old, but Saturday will somehow be his 14th fight with the company. The results have been mixed (7-6, 1NC), although Caceres is currently riding a two-fight winning streak and is coming off a clear unanimous-decision win over Cole Miller in June. Opponents typically have a difficult time keeping up with Caceres on the feet because he also employs an unorthodox style of striking, not unlike that of Rodriguez. While Bruce LeeRoy has five submission wins under his belt, three of them came very early in his career against no-name opponents. Caceres has shown flashes of brilliance, but it has all come against weaker competition. Not to say a win here is impossible, but there's nothing in his background to suggest that he is ready to pull off an upset against a more talented fighter on a big stage. Between his athletic ability and his future potential, Rodriguez has to be the pick in this one.
THE PICK: Rodriguez
Co-Main Event – Featherweight
Dennis Bermudez (16-5-0) v. Rony Jason (16-5-0)DraftKings Salaries: Bermudez ($10,400), Jason ($9,000)
Vegas Odds: Bermudez (-240), Jason (+200)
Bermudez lost his UFC debut to Diego Brandao in December 2011, and followed it up with a seven-fight winning streak that included a victory over Max Holloway. He was then elevated into the featherweight title picture, where he lost back-to-back fights to Ricardo Lamas and Jeremy Stephens. He later rebounded with a win over Tatsuya Kawajiri in his last bout in February. Since Bermudez has nothing gain in this fight from a rankings perspective, he better figure out a way to beat Jason. A very strong 145-pounder, everything Bermudez is does is the result of a strong wrestling background. He frequently trains with the Hofstra University wrestling team on Long Island and has averaged over four takedowns per fight -- an insane number -- over his UFC career. Jason defeated Damon Jackson in his last fight in May 2015, but he tested positive for a banned diuretic following that bout and the result was changed to a no-contest. Jason is a Brazillian jiu-jitsu black belt and a wizard on the mat, so it's going to be crucial for Bermudez to watch himself every single time he is able to get the Brazilian to the floor. The 32-year-old Jason lost a split decision to Renan Barao in his third professional fight in November 2006, and that has been the highlight of his career up until this point. Jason gets a decent amount of publicity for a guy who has never done anything. He hasn't fought in more than 14 months and has just one win dating back to June 2013. An athlete as talented and relentless as Bermudez is not someone a fighter wants to face in their first fight back after a layoff, especially if they're badly in need of a win.
THE PICK: Bermudez
Middleweight
Thales Leites (25-6-0) v. Chris Camozzi (24-10-0)DraftKings Salaries: Leites ($10,700), Camozzi ($8,700)
Vegas Odds: Leites (-160), Camozzi (+140)
As difficult as it is to believe, Leites fought the current UFC Middleweight Champion (Michael Bisping) to a split decision less than a year ago. Prior to his loss to Bisping (and a subsequent loss to Gegard Mousasi), Leites was riding an eight-fight winning streak. A highly decorated BJJ black belt, Leites has 14 career wins by submission and has been a pro for nearly 13 years. Camozzi was actually released by the UFC in 2014 following a four-fight losing streak, but he was the only lunatic crazy enough to face Jacare Souza on a week's notice last April, so they re-hired him. He lost to Jacare, of course, but Camozzi has run off three wins in a row since. He is also strong on the mat, which is a necessity for a guy who has little power in his hands. I'm not high on either of these fighters moving forward, and since their strengths seem to cancel each other out, this is the type of fight that I tend to avoid at all costs. I trust Leites' striking game a bit more than Camozzi's, which is the sole reason he is my pick, but taking a look at the DraftKings salaries, there is no question that Camozzi is one of the better value plays around Saturday.
THE PICK: Leites
Featherweight
Cub Swanson (22-7-0) v. Tatsuya Kawajiri (35-9-2)DraftKings Salaries: Swanson ($10,300), Kawajiri ($9,100)
Vegas Odds: Swanson (-400), Kawajiri (+325)
It's happening on Fight Pass and it's the second bout of the night, but this may very well be the most entertaining fight on the card. I understand the UFC's desire to plug their streaming network, but when you have a card as weak as this one, it's difficult to justify putting a fighter as good as Swanson on the prelims. Cub was on the verge of fighting for the UFC Featherweight Championship when he met Frankie Edgar in November 2014, but he was thoroughly whopped by The Answer, effectively ending his quest for UFC gold. He followed that poor effort with a submission loss to Max Holloway before rebounding to take a decision from the underrated Hacran Dias in April. Swanson is a terrific all-around fighter and although he isn't on the level of the top guys in the division, a case can be made that he remains a top-five 145-pounder. Kawajiri has had a storied career, particularly in his native Japan. He has fought the best in the world for more than 16 years. He has had bouts against current UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, in addition to Gilbert Melendez and Takanori Gomi, among others. That being said, The Crusher is now 38 years old, and his movements have understandably slowed considerably. Kawajiri remains one of the strongest featherweights in the world, and if he is to have success in this fight, it figures to be due to takedowns. He has averaged 3.6 takedowns per fight throughout his UFC career, and Swanson's takedown defense (51 percent) is suspect. Still, Cub should have the advantage in just about every other area. Kawajiri makes for a difficult DK value play because if he wins, it figures to be via decision.
Other Bouts
Welterweight
Santiago Ponzinibbio (23-3-0) v. Zak Cummings (19-4-0)DraftKings Salaries: Ponzinibbio ($9,400), Cummings ($10,000)
Vegas Odds: Ponzinibbio (-150), Cummings (+130)
THE PICK: Ponzinibbio
Middleweight
Trevor Smith (13-6-0) v. Joseph Gigliotti (7-0-0)DraftKings Salaries: Smith ($10,100), Gigliotti ($9,300)
Vegas Odds: Smith (+115), Gigliotti (-135)
THE PICK: Gigliotti
Women's Strawweight
Maryna Moroz (7-1-0) v. Danielle Taylor (7-1-0)DraftKings Salaries: Moroz ($10,900), Taylor ($8,500)
Vegas Odds: Moroz (-255), Taylor (+215)
THE PICK: Moroz
Welterweight
Viktor Pesta (10-2-0) v. Marcin Tybura (13-4-0)DraftKings Salaries: McGee ($11,400), Steele ($8,000)
Vegas Odds: McGee (-210), Steele (+175)
THE PICK: McGee
Heavyweight
Viktor Pesta (10-2-0) v. Marcin Tybura (13-4-0)DraftKings Salaries: Pesta ($9,900), Tybura ($9,400)
Vegas Odds: Pesta (+130), Tybura (-150)
THE PICK: Pesta
Lightweight
David Teymur (4-1-0) v. Jason Novelli (11-1-0)DraftKings Salaries: Teymur ($9,200), Novelli ($10,200)
Vegas Odds: Teymur (-135), Novelli (+115)
THE PICK: Teymur
Featherweight
Teruto Ishihara (9-2-2) v. Horacio Gutierrez (3-2-0)DraftKings Salaries: Ishihara ($11,500), Gutierrez ($7,900)
Vegas Odds: Ishihara (-240), Gutierrez (+200)
THE PICK: Ishihara
Heavyweight
Chase Sherman (9-1-0) v. Justin Ledet (6-0-0)DraftKings Salaries: Sherman ($9,700), Ledet ($9,700)
Vegas Odds: Sherman (+135), Ledet (-155)
THE PICK: Ledet