UFC 191 will take place tonight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada 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 pay-per-view will begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will he headlined by a title fight rematch as Demetrious Johnson defends the flyweight title against John Dodson.
Take a look at my Draft Kings preview and recommended lineup for today’s event.
Andrei Arlovski ($10,300) vs. Frank Mir
Any Draft Kings team that cashes in big tonight will likely feature either Arlovski or Mir. Recently, both veteran heavyweights have shown an ability to finish their opponents and finish them early. Although my rule of thumb is to take the slight underdog in close heavyweight fights, I think Arlovski has a real edge on the feet, and I expect Mir to be content with trading heavy leather with Arlovski. Regardless of who wins, don’t expect this bout to make it to the second round.
Anthony Johnson ($11,500) vs. Jimi Manuwa
It’s important to respect the power of Jimi Manuwa. He has the hands to put away anyone at 205 in an instant. With that being said, as long as Johnson stays away from danger, he should win comfortably and definitively. Since he resurgence in the UFC, Johnson has looked like an absolute monster against the vast majority of the UFC’s light heavyweights. Look for Johnson to dictate where the fight takes place and utilize his speed and power to secure a lot of points.
Joe Riggs ($9,500) vs. Ron Stallings
Both Riggs and Stallings have left a whole lot to be desired in their past few fights. For whatever advantage Stallings have physically, Riggs’ skill and experience should lead to his long-awaited UFC win since his return to the promotion.
Francisco Rivera ($9,600) vs. John Lineker
You can’t really go wrong with either Rivera or Lineker. This is set up to be a high-volume striking contest that goes the distance. Lineker may actually land the higher volume of strikes in this match-up, but Rivera should be able to utilize his reach and technique to score with far more significant strikes. If this fight actually does end in an knockout, it’s probable that Rivera is the one that will end up with his hand raised.
Alex Chambers ($7,100) vs. Paige VanZant
Because this line-up doesn’t feature a major underdog up until this point, the last spot has to go to a less-than-desirable selection. For all intents and purposes, VanZant should be able to convincingly outpace Chambers with wrestling, aggression and athleticism. The hope with Chambers is that she can survive VanZant’s early pace and ground strikes in order to secure a late submission and play the role of spoiler.
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
