UFC is back for the first time this calendar year in a non-championship event. The sport made its awaited return just two weeks ago, debuting on Paramount+. After back-to-back significant events, UFC Fight Night returns to the now-branded Meta APEX in Las Vegas. As of now, the event has 13 fights scheduled. That gives us plenty of chances towards DFS MMA gold.

Michael Oleksiejczuk, Middleweight (185lb) — $19 (FanDuel) | $9,100 (DraftKings)

Given how this fight matches up, Oleksiejczuk has the advantage in every area of the octagon. He is 51% accurate in striking, compared to Barriault’s 47%. He has 59% striking defense, opposed to Barriault’s 50%. Oleksiejczuk also had 16 career knockouts (76%) while Barriault has been knocked out three times. This fight should mostly remain on the feet, and the man from Poland projects dominance.

Daniil Donchenko, Welterweight (170lb) — $23 (FanDuel) | $9,600 (DraftKings)

Donchenko is the most expensive fighter on the entire card. This is for good reason, as he must be used. Donchenko is 12-2 in his MMA career with 10 finishes; 8 by knockout and 2 by submission. He is now with the UFC, on a 7-fight winning streak, including key fights in NAIZA FC, with two title-fight victories in the promotion.

Jailton Almeida, Heavyweight (265lb) — $13 (FanDuel) | $8,500 (DraftKings)

Almeida is a bit cheaper than expected. This is given his shallow -160 betting line against Rizvan Kuniev. Given the key statistics and strength of the opponent, Almeida is favored to win this fight.

In the UFC, Almeida has a record of 9-2, with his losses coming to Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov. In that time, Almeida is 62% accurate in striking and over 60% accurate in takedowns, with over 60% takedown defense. 95% of his wins have come by finish, with 8 wins by knockout, and 13 by submission in his 26-fight professional career.

In Kuniev’s career, he is 2-1 in the UFC, with one loss to Curtis Blaydes by split decision, and a no-contest in the PFL. Kuniev has had only one victory since 2022. Rust, experience, and the betting line indicate he is expected to lose. Given Almeida’s strong finishing rate, he is a great play.

Wang Cong, Women’s Flyweight (125lb) — $20 (FanDuel) | $9,200 (DraftKings)

Cong is a notable favorite in this fight at -350 odds. In her five-fight UFC career, Cong is 57% accurate in striking and 63% in striking defense. On top, she lands 7.5 significant strikes per minute. The only slight concern will be her finish rate, which is 50%.

The opponent here is Eduarda Moura. She is terrible at striking with a 37% strikes landed rate. Moura will test with her ground game, which is quite good with 3.7 takedowns per 15 minutes. This is not much of a concern, as Cong is 75% accurate in takedowns and 100% in takedown defense. Her team knows what is coming, and they will be well prepared to perhaps catch a knockout or submission to a desperate ground-game opponent.

More Fantasy Sports On SI News: