UFC Fight Night 65 will take place today from theAdelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia and the fight card will begin at 7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT on UFC Fight Pass.
The event will be headlined by a heavyweight bout as Stipe Miocic meets Mark Hunt in a battle of fighters current ranked in the top ten heavyweight division.
Take a look at my Draft Kings preview and recommended lineup for today’s event.
(For those that are unfamiliar with the Draft Kings format of daily MMA betting: with a cap of $50,000, the objective is to select 5 fighters – who have been allotted prices – to produce as many points as possible. The rules on how points are scored by a particular fighter can be found on the bottom of this article.)
Stipe Miocic, $10,800 vs Mark Hunt
As long as he doesn’t caught by a big left or right from Hunt, Stipe Miocic should be able to rack up points by landing significant strikes with a heavy output through five rounds. Hunt is obviously a dangerous heavyweight, but Miocic has really impressed me with his progress, especially in his last fight against Junior Dos Santos. He should be able to give Hunt trouble with hand speed, body strikes and leg kicks.
Robert Whittaker, $9,100 vs Brad Tavares
The thinking with this one goes along is similar to the thought process of the Miocic pick. Tavares is really technically sound as a fighter, but Whittaker should be able to earn points with strikes in a three round fight in the worst case scenario or score a knockout in the best case scenario.
Alex Chambers, $8,700 vs Kailin Curran
There was a lot to like about Kailin Curran after her fight against Paige Van Zant, and she look good early on against Chambers, potentially scoring a couple of takedowns. Still, I think Chambers’ veteran savvy and submission skills could end up with her locking on a fight-ending holding amidst a scramble.
Jonavin Webb, $9,400 vs Kyle Noke
The Lyman Good fight aside, Webb has shown a lot of potential on the regional MMA scene. I think that promise shows against Noke. As long as he doesn’t end up on his back, I could see Webb having success with takedowns and potentially a submission.
Sam Alvey, $11,200 vs Dan Kelly
The first four picks leave enough salary to put the rest on the biggest favorite on the card, Sam Alvey. You’ve got to respect the recognition Kelly has outside the cage from being on four different Olympic judo teams, but Alvey is just the better all-around fighter. Look for Alvey to get his third consecutive first round finish.
Draft King’s MMA Scoring System
1st Round Win: 100 points
2nd Round Win: 70 points
3rd Round Win: 50 points
4th Round Win: 40 points
5th Round Win: 40 points
Decision Win: 25 points
Significant Strikes: 0.5 points
Advances: 1 point
Takedowns: 2 points
Reversal/Sweeps: 2 points
Knockdowns: 3 points
