Daily Fantasy MMA Picks for UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar – Who to Roster in Abu Dhabi

It has been a bit since I handed out some MMA DFS picks. The UFC had a long break in between events due to the holidays, but it returns in full force with a fun UFC Fight Night event.

Max Holloway faces off with Calvin Kattar in what feels like a pretty underrated fight card. This is certainly a nice headlining bout, but this card also features the veteran Carlos Condit, Santiago Ponzinibbio, and Joaquin Buckley.

Suffice to say, it’s bound to be one worth building some MMA daily fantasy rosters for.

The last time I handed out daily fantasy MMA picks, I scored a few wins. Marcin Tybura knocked out Greg Hardy, and Tafon Nchukwi got a hard-earned win.

My only true gaffe was backing Marlon Moraes, who got stopped by Rob Font. My other fighters all at least went the distance, falling in Decisions defeats.

I have to dust off some rust here, but I’m ready to dive back into the daily fantasy MMA madness. With that, here’s a look at my favorite MMA DFS picks for UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar.

I’ll start things off with the pricey Buckley, who has two knockout wins and is 2-1 in the UFC. This dude is all or nothing so far, which is precisely the kind of guy you want in your MMA DFS lineups when he delivers.

He’s an explosive, violent fighter, and his name will live on forever, no matter where his career goes from here. I mean, you may recall the guy known for perhaps the best KO in MMA history.

Okay, that’s a bit “prisoner of the moment,” but it was a pretty crazy KO.

Buckley is very appealing due to his ability to end the fight early and in a lot of different ways. He’s 4-1 over his last five bouts, with his lone loss in the UFC coming against a very good fighter in Kevin Holland.

I wouldn’t hold that against him. Instead, pay for the upside, as he is a pretty good bet to handle Alessio Di Chirico, who has dropped three in a row and hasn’t finished anyone since 2017.

I went into this assuming I’d stay away from the headlining act. Not only because that’s where a good amount of ownership will probably go, but also because Kattar and Holloway are two insanely skilled fighters who do not go down easily.

Kattar is as crafty as they come, but he feels a bit devalued here. I understand why he’s the underdog, but he’s 4-1 over his last five fights, and he hasn’t been finished in over a decade.

He also has never been KO’d, and between him and “Blessed,” he’s the guy who offers more upside in that regard right now. Don’t forget that Kattar KO’d Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas and has won via stoppage in three of his last five fights.

I’m not really calling for that here, and if you ask in-house MMA betting expert Adam Haynes, Kattar isn’t winning this. Just check out his best bets for UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar.

But maybe he doesn’t need a KO or a win to pay off at this salary.

Kattar issued 105 significant strikes in his last bout, and the guy can inflict a lot of damage. He has the defense to absorb a lot of hits, himself, as well.

I see this one going the distance, but Kattar has KO potential, and it’s worth noting Holloway is in a bit of a slide with three losses in his last four fights.

Based on price alone, I think Kattar is a must for my MMA DFS lineups.

There are a lot of fighters I like ahead of UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar, but I try to highlight the three I like the most before I hand out my lineup for the week.

Todorovic wraps things up as far as my favorite trio goes, as he’s a reasonable price for a guy who is undefeated and scored a KO in his UFC debut.

Here's how Dusko Todorovic stopped Dequan Townsend on the #UFCFightIsland4 main card:pic.twitter.com/2xDeHaFwmj

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) October 4, 2020

Dusko is no joke, as he’s only allowed one fight to go the distance in his career. He owns nine wins by stoppage and six via KO. He gets another unbeaten fighter in Punahele Soriano, but this bout projects as one where the two stay standing up and exchange blows.

If that happens, the advantage lies with the arguably more powerful Todorovic. I think he can take on a bit more punishment, too.

While Haynes and I don’t agree on the headlining act, he does agree Todorovic has a terrific chance of winning this one by stoppage.

When building MMA DFS lineups, you are chasing wins, as well as victories that can score a lot of points. Todorovic offers both.

You have my thoughts on Buckley, Kattar, and Todorovic. I think all three can win, while Buckley and Todorovic probably win by knockout. Kattar might only get a Decision win (or he could lose), but the value makes him well worth the risk.

The other three fighters I’m high on are Tom Breese, Phillip Hawes, and Justin Tafa.

Tafa is just another salary saver that I think has a decent chance to win. He’s extremely inexperienced, but he’s 4-1 with four KO wins. The upside is there, and he’s cheap.

Hawes is considerably more reliable, and that’s baked into his price. He’s 9-2 with seven KO’s, and he’s coming in hot with five straight wins. He’s a dangerous and rising fighter who will likely be a bit too quick and explosive for Nassourdine Imavov.

Breese is somewhere in the middle, but my interest really has to do with his all or nothing ability. That makes him perfect for tournaments, as he’s been involved in an early stoppage in each of his last three bouts and five of his last seven.

That guarantees nothing, and he faces a strong opponent in the experienced Omari Akhmedov. This is by no means a gimme win, but Breese is patient and selective with his striking. I think if he plays his cards right, he may get another stoppage win here.

Nothing is set in stone in MMA, but I love these picks for this weekend’s event. MMA betting expert Adam Haynes and I are aligned for several bouts, but I encourage you to check out the linked UFC betting preview, either way.

If you want to take your MMA DFS interest up a notch, consider betting on UFC Fight Night.

Just make sure you’re using the best UFC betting sites available online. And if you love the UFC, chances are you’ll also love extra MMA content. If so, hit the posts below.