This article is part of our Drake's Takes series.
Tamires Vidal (6-1-0) v. Ramona Pascual (6-4-0)
Tamires Vidal - Height: 5'5" - Reach: N/A - Orthodox
~ 2 finishes in 6 wins
Ramona Pascual - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 66" – Southpaw
~ 5 finishes in 6 wins
DFS Perspective: Vidal gets a winnable matchup for her UFC debut. Pascual has not looked great in her two UFC fights. She throws decent volume but tirelessly looks for takedowns to flatten fighters on the mat. I expect Vidal to avoid or reverse nearly all of them and strike her way to a decision.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Vidal
Carlos Candelario (8-2-0) v. Jake Hadley (8-1-0)
Carlos Candelario - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 68" - Southpaw
~ 5 finishes in 8 wins
Jake Hadley - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" – Southpaw
~ 6 finishes in 8 wins
DFS Perspective: Hadley was dominated on the mat to a decision loss in his previous fight, but I do not expect that to happen again. He should come out hot in search of a takedown before looking for the neck for an early sub. Candelario would be wise to take notes from his loss and look to keep Hadley on his back, but I do not think he will be able to.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Hadley
Liudvik Sholinian (9-3-0, 1NC) v. Johnny Munoz (11-2-0)
Liudvik Sholinian - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 71" - Orthodox
~ 4 finishes in 9 wins
Johnny Munoz - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 71" – Orthodox
~ 9 finishes in 11 wins
DFS Perspective: Sholian was ragdolled in his UFC debut, and his second fight does not get any easier. Munoz puts out a relentless pace, and I expect him to record an early takedown and either control the round or find an early submission.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Munoz
Polyana Viana (12-5-0) v. Jinh Yu Frey (11-7-0)
Polyana Viana - Height: 5'5" - Reach: 67" - Orthodox
~ 12 finishes in 12 wins
Jinh Yu Frey - Height: 5'3" - Reach: 65" – Southpaw
~ 3 finishes in 11 wins
DFS Perspective: Both ladies are coming off a tough loss, and each has a solid path to win this fight. Viana needs to gain early control from a takedown, not accept a position from her back and lock in a sub. Frey needs an early takedown and top control to keep Viana on her back, leading to a decision. I would expect Viana to avoid making the same mistake two fights in a row and get back on track in this one.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Viana
Mario Bautista (10-2-0) v. Benito Lopez (10-1-0)
Mario Bautista - Height: 5'9" - Reach: 69" - Switch
~ 7 finishes in 10 wins
Benito Lopez - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 73" – Switch
~ 5 finishes in 10 wins
DFS Perspective: Lopez has not fought since July 2019 and will likely experience plenty of ring rust in this one. Bautista has already fought twice in 2022, both wins, and I expect him to spoil the return with an early finish.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Bautista
Miranda Maverick (12-4-0) v. Shanna Young (9-5-0)
Miranda Maverick - Height: 5'3" - Reach: 65" - Southpaw
~ 7 finishes in 10 wins
Shanna Young - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 65" – Orthodox
~ 5 finishes in 8 wins
DFS Perspective: This should be one of the easiest calls on the card. Young needs to land something clean and hard early to have any shot at stopping Maverick. Maverick should be able to avoid anything that comes her way by chaining takedowns and working control or landing heavy ground-and-pound.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Maverick
Darrick Minner (26-13-0) v. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (38-10-0)
Darrick Minner - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 69" - Orthodox
~ 23 finishes in 26 wins
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke - Height: 5'8" - Reach: 69" – Orthodox
~ 28 finishes in 38 wins
DFS Perspective: I expect this to be a 15-minute grappling match with whoever maintains the most control time winning a decision. However, these two combine for over 30 submission victories, and I would not be surprised if one of them earned another. I slightly lean toward Nuerdanieke for better striking and cardio, but Minner always makes a fun dog play.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Neurdanbieke
Grant Dawson (18-1-1) v. Mark Madsen (12-0-0)
Grant Dawson - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 72" - Switch
~ 16 finishes in 18 wins
Mark Madsen - Height: 5'8 - Reach: 72" – Orthodox
~ 6 finishes in 12 wins
DFS Perspective: Madsen will likely look to wrestle his way to another win here, but I expect Dawson to be the one pushing the pace and shooting takedowns. Dawson should be better anywhere this fight goes and should score another big win.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Dawson
Tagir Ulanbekov (14-2-0) v. Nate Maness (14-2-0)
Tagir Ulanbekov - Height: 5'7" - Reach: 70" - Southpaw
~ 7 finishes in 13 wins
Nate Maness - Height: 5'10" - Reach: 72" – Orthodox
~ 8 finishes in 14 wins
DFS Perspective: Maness will need to land something clean early and avoid getting put on his back to have any chance in this fight. Ulanbekov has been given a blueprint on how to win this fight, and I expect him to follow it to a T. He'll record an early takedown and let Maness struggle off his back. Ulanbekov should win this fight and score well if he follows the game plan.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Ulanbekov
Chase Sherman (16-10-0) v. Josh Parisian (15-5-0)
Chase Sherman - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 78" - Orthodox
~ 15 finishes in 16 wins
Josh Parisian - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 79" – Orthodox
~ 13 finishes in 15 wins
DFS Perspective: Someone is going down in this fight, and it will be whoever gets hit flush first. Both guys throw a lot of volume, and I expect them to come out swinging. Each has a solid chin, so it may just come down to who backs whom up first. I lean towards Parisian, expecting him to have 10 to 15 pounds on Sherman come fight night.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Parisian
Neil Magny (26-10-0) v. Daniel Rodriguez (17-2-0)
Neil Magny - Height: 6'3" - Reach: 80" - Orthodox
~ 10 finishes in 26 wins
Daniel Rodriguez - Height: 6'1" - Reach: 74" – Southpaw
~ 12 finishes in 17 wins
DFS Perspective: If D-Rod comes out as he did in his previous matchup, with how little activity he had, he loses this fight. Magny will eat away at him with volume while trying to mix in a takedown. However, I think we see a more vintage Rodriguez with high volume and a blistering pace that eventually sinks Magny early.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: D-Rod
Marina Rodriguez (16-1-2) v. Amanda Lemos (12-2-1)
Marina Rodriguez - Height: 5'6" - Reach: 65" - Orthodox
~ 7 finishes in 16 wins
Amanda Lemos - Height: 5'4" - Reach: 65" – Southpaw
~ 10 finishes in 12 wins
DFS Perspective: Lemos will need a knockout to win this fight, and I do not think she gets it. Rodriguez is the best striker in the division and quite possibly in women's UFC, and I expect her to use range to pick Lemos apart. She should eclipse the 100 SS mark once again and cruise to another decision win, likely earning her title shot.
UFC Vegas 64 Pick: Rodriguez
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FANDUEL MMA SCORING
Moves Scoring
Significant Strikes = 0.6 pts
Takedown = 6 pts
Takedown Defense = 3 pts
Knockdown = 12 pts
Submission Attempt = 5 pts
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win = 100 pts
2nd Round Win = 75 pts
3rd Round Win = 50 pts
4th Round Win = 35 pts
5th Round Win = 25 pts
Decision Win = 20 pts
Scoring Notes
- Significant Strikes are distance strikes or clinch/ground strikes that are considered "power strikes" by official scorers.
- A knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider a substantial time.
DRAFTKINGS MMA SCORING
Moves Scoring
Strikes: +0.2 pts
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.2 pts
Control Time: +0.03 pts/Second
Takedown (TD): +5 pts
Reversal/Sweep (REV): +5 pts
Knockdown (KD): +10 pts
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win (1rW+): +90 pts
2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 pts
3rd Round Win (3rW+): +45 pts
4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 pts
5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 pts
Decision Win (WBD+): +30 pts
Quick Win Bonus: +25 pts
(fight is finished in 60 seconds or less)
Scoring Notes
- Significant Strikes are any distance strikes or clinch/ground strikes that are considered "power strikes" by official scorers.
- A Significant Strike will count as both a strike and a significant strike and will be worth a total of 0.4 pts.
- Control Time is the time spent in the dominant position on the ground or in the clinch. +0.03 points are awarded per second.
- A Knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider an appreciable time.
- A Quick Win Bonus is awarded to the winning fighter if they win in the first round in 60 seconds or less.