NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/3)
Alex Christenson
The UFC takes over São Paulo, Brazil, this weekend, which gives the fight fans in the States a 6 p.m. ET start time and a main event packed with dynamite. Derrick Lewis makes the trip to Brazil after cashing in a flying knee in his last fight. He takes on rising star Jailton Almeida, who finds himself in a main event spot once again after beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a main event spot his last time out.
The main card also features brothers Gabriel Bonfim and Ismael Bonfim out of Brazil, who are on the rise and looking to prove why they are future contenders for the belt. Gabriel is perfect in the UFC octagon, while his older brother Ismael looks to bounce back after his first setback in the UFC octagon his last time out against Benoit St. Denis. The main card also features a pair of grappling aces when the fighting nerds Caio Borralho takes on Abus Magomedov and Jiujitsu Legend Rodolfo Viera toes the line against Armen Petrosyan.
There are 13 fights on the card this weekend, and below I’ve listed my favorite fighters for your DFS lineups and contests.
Viera has improved every time he steps into the octagon. He initially had problems with managing his gas tank but since has not only improved his game plans going into fights but also added a sharp jab to create entries for his takedowns. Petrosyan has little to no takedown defense, and he has done well in the past to get back up quickly. The pressure Viera applies is world-class, and I find it hard for him to get up quickly and escape the submission attempts coming his way throughout a 15-minute fight. The biggest worry was Viera’s gas tank. Those problems are solved now.
It’s another grappler vs. striker matchup where Petrino has the edge based on size, aggression and speed. He also averages nearly 110 fantasy points per contest and has a high upside to find a finish in this fight, considering that outside of one loss, all of Bukauskas’s losses have been by finish.
Don Tale Mayes has the makeup of a great fighter but lacks the killer instinct needed to finish fights or notice when an opponent is hurt. He’s all flash with no delivery and one of the most frustrating fighters to back on any platform. Nascimento is the opposite of that, and I expect him to find a finish inside of two rounds.
Hill can be frustrating to back, mainly because of how inconsistent her career has been. Granted, she has been on the end of some ugly decisions, but still, Angela Hill has the skill and experience to humble a young up-and-comer like Gomes. She’s durable and will score enough to round out a good total.
Fernandes has the size and reach to make this a problematic fight early and stay ahead on the scorecards. As long as he doesn’t play into a wrestling match with Diakese, he should do enough to get the nod on the scorecards and even a late finish, considering how boneheaded Diakese can sometimes be.
The MMA community’s favorite dog this week seems to be Brenner, and against his original opponent, I couldn’t get behind him. But against a late-notice replacement making his debut on a week’s notice. I think it’s a safe spot to take Brenner and hope he produces magic in front of his hometown crowd.
