MMA DFS and Betting Breakdown: UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott

by Liam Heslin (LiamPicksFights) Last Updated 2026-04-17 01:06:17 Premium Content Part of the product MMA Premium

Liam Heslin (aka LiamPicksFights) is a massive combat sports fan with over a decade of experience competing in wrestling and grappling martial arts. For each UFC event, he produces the MMA DFS and sports betting breakdown for RotoGrinders. Read below for his in-depth analysis on UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott.

The UFC is returning to the Great White North this week with more of a whimper than a bang. Canadians will be featured from the curtain jerker to the main event, but the decline of Canadian MMA is felt by the quality of the fighters on the card. There are 6 debutants and 5 fighters with losing records in the UFC. Despite these shortcomings, we have 13 fights to break down, and many of the bouts should be competitive and violent if not high level.

Editor’s Note: Analysis of remaining fights is coming soon.

Note: All DFS salaries listed are from DraftKings & all odds quoted are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott – MMA DFS Picks & Betting Breakdown

Jamie Siraj ($9,100) vs. John Yannis ($7,100)

Fight Odds: -330 Siraj vs. +240 Yannis
Weight Class: 145lb. (Featherweight)

Jamie Siraj (UFC Debut) has overcome a tremendous amount of adversity to make it to his UFC debut. After winning 8 of his first 10 professional fights, he was placed in a medically induced coma as a result of Hyper IGE Syndrome. Somewhat miraculously, Siraj has not only recovered, but he has also regained momentum in his fighting career, posting a 6-1 record since returning including wins over regional veterans Donny Matos (27-13 Pro), Gustavo Erak (25-10-2), and Nemat Abdrashitov (19-9 Pro). His only loss since returning was against the highly credible Diego Brandao (6-4 UFC; 32-22 Pro; 7-2 in L9 Fights) via first-round knockout while defending the Tuff’N’Uff Featherweight Championship in Las Vegas. This is a fighter you will want to watch on the scales, just because he is cutting down to 135 pounds for the first time since 2019. Siraj is a BJJ black belt who looks to force fights to the mat by any means necessary. His striking is serviceable but more of a means to an end than a selling point of his game.

John Yannis (0-1 UFC) lost his short-notice UFC debut against Austin Bashi (1-1 UFC; 14-1 Pro) after replacing an injured Francis Marshall (3-3 UFC). That fight was at featherweight, but now Yannis is returning to the bantamweight division where he has competed in all but 2 of his 13 professional fights (1-1 at 145lb.). Yannis was selected for this fight because he is fighting an inspirational, local Canadian and he doesn’t have the best ground game. Yannis was awarded his BJJ purple belt in 2023, while his opponent Jamie Siraj earned his black belt in 2021. I rate “The Juice” as the better striker with more power and superior durability, but I worry about his ability to scramble, his ability to prevent hooks, and his ability to consistently defend takedowns. Against Nick Aguirre, Yannis would dominate the first three minutes of the round, only to allow easy takedowns late that disrupted his momentum. Yannis had good enough cardio and submission defense that he survived until finding the finish in round 4, but you can’t expect to give good guys your back consistently without paying the price. His best attributes are his cardio, his boxing, and his ability to put strikes together in combination.

As far as I am concerned, this fight is very binary. On the feet, I expect Yannis to be a bit faster, more confident, crisper, more powerful, and better able to absorb return fire. On the ground, I expect Siraj to be the superior grappler, the better decision maker, and the much more likely party to win the fight via submission. I have to favor Siraj here because he has more professional experience, he should have the crowd behind him, and he has a clear path to victory with consistent back takes or a submission. That being said, the market seems much more confident in him than I am comfortable with. I have seen him flat back himself while wrestling multiple times, I have seen him hurt/rocked/dropped with strikes, and I have seen him lose rounds against journeymen opponents. Yannis has the upside of damage over control. Siraj needs the top position early and often to justify this price. The longer the fight stays upright, the more likely he will be wearing damage and fighting from behind.

Prediction: Jamie Siraj via SUB/SDEC or John Yannis via KO

Mark Vologdin ($8,200) vs. John Castaneda ($8,000)

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