The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale will take place tonight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and the fight card will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT with one preliminary bout on Fight Pass before the televised preliminary card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on FOX Sports 1.
The main card on FOX Sports 1 will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will he headlined by welterweight bout as Jake Ellenberger meets Stephen Thompson.
Take a look at my Draft Kings preview and recommended lineup for tonight’s event.
Jake Ellenberger ($8,900) and Hayder Hassan ($9,000)
Taking the underdogs in the top fights of a card probably isn’t the greatest strategy – and I may still be on a high from last night’s UFC, but I like the value on Ellenberger and Hassan. Firstly with the Ellenberger and Stephen Thompson fight, I think the current perceptions of Ellenberger and Thompson are inaccurate relative to their true talent level.
Thompson may give Ellenberger some fits on the feet, no doubt. Still, I expect Ellenberger to catch Thompson with a powerful shot and win his second in a row. With the Hassan fight, Kamaru Usman should be able to control where the fight takes place with his wrestling. And while a few takedowns from Usman will probably come to fruition, Hassan impressed me greatly on the Ultimate Fighter. He should be able to catch Usman with strikes at some point in the fight.
Maximo Blanco ($10,100) vs. Mike De La Torre
Taking Blanco here bears some risk given that he’s an inconsistent fighter that can amaze you in one bout and frustrate you with the next. It’s especially risky when you account for De La Torre who finally had a nice showing in his last UFC fight. Blanco has put together a nice run as of late, which usually is a precursor to a questionable performance, but I think he bucks the trend and puts on a performance of the night-worthy showing.
Josh Samman ($9,100) vs. Caio Magalhaes
This is a really close fight between two fighters that have shown recently to have a propensity for ending fights early with their finishing ability. Both Samman and Magalhaes have put their power on display, and I anticipate an entertaining fight that ends with someone being rescued by a referee. Given his chin, potential and value, I feel comfortable putting Samman on my team.
Michelle Waterson ($11,500) vs. Angela Magana
Coming off of her first loss in six fights, Waterson should respond with an incredible performance in her UFC debut against Angela Magana. While Waterson will be moving up in weight, the talent gap between her and Magana is wide enough to feel comfortable putting her on your team. Magana showed durability against Tecia Torres, although I think Waterson will be able to put her away in what should be an impressive promotional debut.
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
