UFC Fight Night 71 will take place tonight from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California and the fight card will begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with two preliminary bout on Fight Pass before the televised preliminary card begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on FOX Sports 1.
The main card on FOX Sports 1 will begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will he headlined by former UFC champion Frank Mir meeting Todd Duffee in a heavyweight bout.
Take a look at my Draft Kings preview and recommended lineup for tonight’s event.
Josh Thomson ($8,700) vs. Tony Ferguson
Based on age, momentum and physical frame, Tony Ferguson is the deserved favorite. Ferguson is 5 years younger than Thomson, has progressed greatly during his 5-fight win streak and has 5″ reach advantage over the former Strikeforce champ. So with that being said, I’m putting Thomson in my line-up. Even though he’s nearing the end of his career, Thomson has impressed me in his last two split decision losses to Bobby Green and Benson Henderson. If he has maintained his focus since losing to Green and maintains his health, I think Thomson has the arsenal to pull off the upset against Ferguson.
Marion Reneau ($9,000) vs. Holly Holm
Since making the transition to MMA, there’s been an incredible amount of hype surrounding Holly Holm. In most cases that kind of hype tends to overvalue a fighter, and I believe that’s the case with Holm. Clearly, Holm is a high-level striker. With that being said, she’s been underwhelming in her last few performances, whereas Marion Reneau made an emphatic statement in her last UFC fight against Jessica Andrade. As long as she doesn’t try to strike with Holm, Reneau should be able to pull off the upset by turning the contest into a grappling match.
Andrew Craig ($8,100) vs Lyman Good
In order to create a bigger opportunity with the other two selections, the pick is a major underdog in Andrew Craig. Lyman Good has gone unbeaten in his last five to earn a shot in the UFC, but I think he’ll run into trouble against Craig. Aside from maybe Jonavin Webb, Craig represents a tougher challenge than anyone Good has faced in his streak. Good clearly is the superior striker of the two, but Craig has the ability to neutralize Good with wrestling and make him uncomfortable en route to a victory.
Alan Jouban, $11,800 and Jessica Andrade, $11,200
Saving money on the initial three picks creates the opportunity to put two of the biggest favorites on the card in the lineup. After starting off his UFC career with 1-1, the lanky Canadian Matt Dwyer takes on the toughest opponent he’s faced to date in Alan Jouban, and while there promises to be some back-and-forth exchanges early on, the aggressive and successful nature of Jouban’s striking should lead to a finish for the American. Andrade is a high-volume striker both on the feet and from the top position, and she should rack up a great amount of points against Sarah Moras. Expect Andrade to come out with a chip on a shoulder after her last fight saw the end of her 3-fight UFC win streak.
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
