MMA DFS and Betting Breakdown: UFC Fight Night - Moreno vs. Kavanagh
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 – Moreno vs. Kavanagh.
The octagon returns to Mexico City this weekend with a familiar face taking center stage in the main event. Former UFC Flyweight Champion and Mexican MMA standard bearer Brandon “Assassin Baby” Moreno looks to get back on track against short-notice foe Lone’er Kavanagh.
Editor’s Note: Analysis of the remaining fights is coming soon.
Note: All DFS salaries listed are from DraftKings & all odds quoted are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh – MMA DFS Picks & Betting Breakdown
Damian Pinas ($8,800) vs. Wes Schultz ($7,400)
Fight Odds: -290 Pinas vs. +215 Schultz
Weight Class: 185lb. (Middleweight)
Damian Pinas (UFC Debut) was born in Suriname and raised in Aruba. “The Baba Yaga” represents team Stay Thai Fit (Aruba) and team Nova Uniao (Brazil). Pinas is 8-1 in professional bouts, and his only loss was a disqualification due to an “illegal kick” against a much more experienced opponent. Pinas has big power, evidenced by his 6 1st-round stoppages and his explosive highlight reel. Like many green MMA fighters, Pinas has dangerous offense in many positions, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired. Pinas relies on durability more than defense on the feet, and he is liable to make bad choices on the mat. I have seen him mounted, taken down many times, and threatened by submission attempts on his regional footage.
Wes Schultz (UFC Debut) has 2 losses on his professional ledger, but both results were at the hands of UFC-level fighters. Schultz lost an ugly cage-pushing match against Dylan Budka (0-3 UFC), a solid if unremarkable fighter with a wrestling background of his own. He also dropped a back-and-forth fight with Mansur Abdul-Malik (3-0-1 UFC) via TKO2, but not before securing 2 takedowns and more than a minute of control time. Abdul-Malik was a Division One college wrestler and a Maryland State Champion in high school. Schultz is an awkward striker who relies on the threat of the takedown to open up his unorthodox offense. His best skills are on the mat where he is violent with his ground and pound, crafty in scrambles, and capable of snatching submissions.
This fight feels extremely binary to me. Pinas is clearly the more dynamic, athletic, and traditional striker. He has faster hands, he has lethal power, and he has a more energy-efficient process than his opponent. Schultz is the much more pedigreed wrestler and grappler, he has fought the higher quality of competition, and he has attempted 10 takedowns in less than 3 full rounds of fighting on DWCS. Schultz is likely to live or die by the early-round submission in this fight.
Prediction: Schultz via SUB1/2 or Pinas via KO
Francis Marshall ($9,600) vs. Erik Silva ($6,600)
Want to read more? Sign up for MMA Premium!
-
-
-
This content can help you make better MMA DFS picks
- To access this content, subscribe to MMA Premium or purchase a 3-day trial.
- An MMA subscription will allow you to access this content and much more!
About the Author
Liam (aka LiamPicksFights) is a massive combat sports fan with over a decade of experience competing in wrestling and grappling martial arts. Each week, he produces original content about the world of mixed martial arts from a betting perspective alongside an ever-changing panel of guest handicappers. When he’s not handicapping fights or producing content, he’s training jiu-jitsu, coaching youth wrestling, or daydreaming about doing one of the former. Follow Liam on Twitter – @LiamPicksFights