Ryan Wohl gives his picks for UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder.

The UFC is returning to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi to host a Fight Night event headlined by former Middleweight Champion No. 5 Robert Whittaker vs. No. 12 Reinier de Ridder on July 26.

The Prelims begin at noon with the Main Card starting at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]

Nikita Krylov ($8,700)

From 2022 to 2023, Krylov won three straight fights, with two coming by knockout or submission. In his previous bout, Krylov lost via knockout against Dominick Reyes. He is now facing Bogdan Guskov, who is on the rise. Guskov is talented but hasn’t proven it against a tough veteran like Krylov yet.

Although he only had two fantasy points in his recent loss, Krylov recorded 121-plus points during his recent win streak. Krylov has had at least 90 fantasy points in nine of his last 15 contests.

Krylov averages more significant strikes (4.33 vs. 3.96) while being the better fighter on the ground. He lands 2.24 takedowns per 15 minutes, which should be the difference maker in this bout. Guskov does have a 57 percent takedown defense, so Krylov will need to be aggressive early in this contest. Krylov is in a great position to not only pick up a victory but also put together an outstanding fantasy performance.

Reiner de Ridder ($7,900)

Even though de Ridder’s salary has increased $800 from his previous fight, you can get him at a great value of $7,900 even if it’s against a former champion. On this card, de Ridder averages the most fantasy points per fight (110.2). He has totaled 110, 114, and 106 points in his first three UFC fights.

De Ridder has had one of the best starts to a UFC career for a former champion from a different promotion. Now, he takes a significant step up in competition to face the former 185-pound king, Whittaker. However, De Ridder has the edge in height (6’4″ vs. 6’0″) and reach (78″ vs. 77″) in this matchup, which will give Whittaker difficulties.

Through three bouts in the UFC, de Ridder has averaged 4.74 takedowns per 15 minutes while landing 60 percent of his significant strikes. Both of those are better than Whittaker’s. De Ridder must be aggressive without becoming too complacent on his feet to keep Whittaker guessing. If he does that while delivering relentless takedown attacks throughout the bout, it should lead to success for the former ONE Championship title holder.

Marcus McGhee ($6,900)

McGhee is taking a massive step up in competition, as he faces former champion Petr Yan. At 35 years old, McGhee is wasting no time in his attempt to get an opportunity at UFC gold.

In the UFC, McGhee has scored at least 91 fantasy points in three of four contests. McGhee has totaled 103-plus points in two of his last three bouts. McGhee is the third-cheapest fighter on this card, priced at $6,900.

Even though McGhee is a +295 underdog in this matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, he has a better chance than his odds suggest. McGhee has a two-inch reach advantage (69″ vs. 67″) while being taller (5’8″ vs. 5’7″). On the feet, McGhee lands more significant strikes per minute, absorbs fewer, and has a better defensive rate than Yan. He will need to use his elite takedown defense to make this a striking matchup.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $350K Throwdown [$100K to 1st]