Top MMA DFS Picks and Strategies for UFC Shanghai<\/p>\n
UFC DFS expert picks for this Saturday’s UFC Shanghai card are up, as well as fight-by-fight breakdowns, plus betting and lineup strategy for the entire event. Welcome to Drake’s Takes.<\/p>\n
UFC Shanghai Picks & Career Results:<\/p>\n
2026 Overall Picks:\u00a0233-98-2\u00a0
2025 Overall Picks:\u00a0345-152-2\u00a0
DFS Lock of the Week:\u00a0Nurmagomedov
Fanduel Captain: Nurmagomedov<\/p>\n
Umar Nurmagomedov<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’8″ \u2013 Reach: 69″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 20-1 (2 KO\/TKO, 7 submissions)Elite wrestler with relentless takedowns, suffocating control, and excellent scrambling abilityExtremely difficult to hit clean while seamlessly mixing his striking and grappling together<\/p>\n Yadong Song<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’8″ \u2013 Reach: 67″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 23-9-1 (9 KO\/TKO, 4 submissions)Explosive striker with fast hands and legitimate knockout powerStrong and physical with solid takedown defense, but faces an entirely different level of wrestling here<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Nurmagomedov<\/p>\n Think Nurmagomedov rolls and want to play his takedown prop for this fight on pick’em sites? Check out the Best MMA Picks & Prop Bets<\/a> by comparing actual betting lines to our projections using the RotoWire Picks & Props tool.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Xiaonan Yan (19-5-0) v.\u00a0Denise Gomes\u00a0(12-3-0)<\/p>\n Yan Xiaonan<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’5″ \u2013 Reach: 63″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 19-5 (8 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Technical striker with fast combinations, excellent movement, and plenty of experience against the division’s bestDoes her best work when she can control the range and turn the fight into a technical striking battle<\/p>\n Denise Gomes<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’2″ \u2013 Reach: 63″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 12-3 (7 KO\/TKO)Aggressive striker with legitimate power and a willingness to push the pace from the opening bellContinues to improve and enters this matchup with the recent body of work to make her a dangerous underdog<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Gomes<\/p>\n Backing the underdog in Saturday’s co-main event? See the salary relief it creates in DFS and generate up to 150 unique builds with our DraftKings UFC Lineup Optimizer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aoriqileng (26-13-0) v.\u00a0Kai Asakura\u00a0(22-6-0)<\/p>\n Aori Qileng<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’7″ \u2013 Reach: 69″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 26-13 (9 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Aggressive pressure fighter with solid durability and a willingness to turn fights into high-volume exchangesExperienced and difficult to discourage, but can be hit clean when he gets overly aggressive moving forward<\/p>\n Kai Asakura<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’8″ \u2013 Reach: 69″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 22-6 (14 KO\/TKO, 3 submissions)Explosive striker with fast hands, dangerous combinations, and legitimate knockout powerExcellent offensive instincts and is especially dangerous when opponents are willing to stand and exchange with him<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Asakura<\/p>\n Alex Perez (26-10-0) v.\u00a0Sumudaerji\u00a0(19-7-0)<\/p>\n Alex Perez<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’6″ \u2013 Reach: 65″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 26-10 (7 KO\/TKO, 7 submissions)Well-rounded veteran with strong wrestling, dangerous submissions, and plenty of experience against high-level competitionNeeds to close distance consistently and turn this into a grappling fight to take away Sumudaerji’s advantages at range<\/p>\n Su Mudaerji<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’8″ \u2013 Reach: 72″ \u2013 Stance: SouthpawRecord: 19-7 (13 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Long, dangerous striker with fast hands and legitimate finishing powerOwns a significant size and reach advantage that should allow him to control distance and punish Perez on the way inside<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Sumudaerji<\/p>\n Levi Rodrigues Jr. (5-1-0) v.\u00a0Ce Liu\u00a0(3-1-0)<\/p>\n Levi Rodrigues<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 6’0″ \u2013 Reach: 76″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 5-1 (5 KO\/TKO)Powerful, athletic prospect with dangerous striking and legitimate finishing abilityStill relatively inexperienced but has shown plenty of upside when he can dictate the pace and fight at range<\/p>\n Liu Ce<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 6’5″ \u2013 Reach: 77″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 3-1 (3 KO\/TKO)Young, aggressive striker with solid power and a willingness to exchangeExtremely inexperienced at the professional level and faces a difficult test against a more proven finisher<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Liu<\/p>\n Bilal Hasan (9-0-0) v.\u00a0Nilson Rojas\u00a0(9-0-0)<\/p>\n Bilal Hasan<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’7″ \u2013 Reach: 70″ \u2013 Stance: SwitchRecord: 9-0 (7 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Undefeated, well-rounded prospect with dangerous finishing ability everywhere the fight goesPushes the action and has shown the ability to capitalize quickly when opponents give him an opening<\/p>\n Nilson Rojas<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’5″ \u2013 Reach: N\/A \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 9-0 (7 KO\/TKO)Undefeated prospect with a balanced skill set and plenty of finishing upsideComfortable mixing his striking and grappling, making him difficult to prepare for<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Hasan<\/p>\n Andre Lima (11-1-0) v.\u00a0Namsrai Batbayar\u00a0(10-1-0)<\/p>\n Andre Lima<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’7″ \u2013 Reach: 67″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 11-1 (5 KO\/TKO, 1 Submission)Technical striker with sharp combinations, good power, and a composed approach on the feetRightfully favored with the cleaner UFC r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and a well-rounded skill set that makes him difficult to exploit<\/p>\n Namsrai Batbayar<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’4″ \u2013 Reach: 68″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 10-1 (5 KO\/TKO, 5 submissions)Aggressive, dangerous striker with solid power and a willingness to push the paceHas continued to impress and brings enough offensive upside to make him an intriguing underdog<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Lima<\/p>\n Rei Tsuruya (11-1-0) v.\u00a0Kevin Borjas\u00a0(11-5-0)<\/p>\n Rei Tsuruya<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’6″ \u2013 Reach: 68″ \u2013 Stance: SouthpawRecord: 11-1 (4 KO\/TKO, 5 submissions)Explosive grappler with strong takedowns, quick transitions, and dangerous submission abilityAt his best when he can consistently force grappling exchanges and use his athleticism to control the fight<\/p>\n Kevin Borjas<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’5″ \u2013 Reach: 68″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 11-5 (8 KO\/TKO)Aggressive striker with legitimate power and a willingness to turn fights into high-paced exchangesMost dangerous when he can keep the fight standing and force opponents to trade with him<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Tsuruya<\/p>\n Long Xiao (27-11-0) v.\u00a0Francesco Nuzzi\u00a0(11-2-0)<\/p>\n Long Xiao<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’8″ \u2013 Reach: 70″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 27-11 (5 KO\/TKO, 9 submissions)Extremely experienced, well-rounded fighter who is comfortable mixing his striking and grapplingTough and durable with the ability to turn fights into gritty, high-paced battles<\/p>\n Francesco Nuzzi<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’6″ \u2013 Reach: 69″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 11-2 (5 KO\/TKO, 3 submissions)Well-rounded prospect with a balanced attack and solid finishing abilityTechnical fighter who is comfortable working on the feet or turning to his grappling when needed<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Xiao<\/p>\n Jack Jenkins (14-4-0) v.\u00a0Sean Woodson\u00a0(13-2-1)<\/p>\n Jack Jenkins<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’7″ \u2013 Reach: 68″ \u2013 Stance: SwitchRecord: 14-4 (6 KO\/TKO, 3 submissions)Well-rounded pressure fighter with damaging leg kicks, solid wrestling, and good physicalityDoes his best work when he can close distance and prevent longer opponents from settling into their striking rhythm<\/p>\n Sean Woodson<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 6’2″ \u2013 Reach: 78″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 13-2-1 (4 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Extremely long striker with crisp boxing, excellent volume, and a massive frame for the divisionUses his range effectively and can frustrate opponents by constantly touching them from the outside<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Woodson<\/p>\n Lawrence Lui (8-1-0) v.\u00a0Hector Santiago\u00a0(6-1-0)<\/p>\n Lawrence Lui<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’7″ \u2013 Reach: 72″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 8-1 (4 KO\/TKO)Aggressive finisher with solid power and the ability to put together combinations when moving forwardStill developing, but has shown enough versatility to be dangerous in multiple areas<\/p>\n Hector Santiago<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’6″ \u2013 Reach: 69″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 6-1 (5 KO\/TKO)Athletic prospect with legitimate power and a willingness to engage in aggressive exchangesDangerous early, but remains relatively inexperienced against higher-level competition<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Lui<\/p>\n Jingnan Xiong (19-3-0) v.\u00a0Julia Polastri\u00a0(14-6-0)<\/p>\n Jingnan Xiong<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’4″ \u2013 Reach: 63″ \u2013 Stance: SwitchRecord: 19-3 (10 KO\/TKO, 1 submission)Powerful, experienced striker with excellent boxing, pressure, and legitimate finishing abilityHas spent years competing at a championship level and is comfortable pushing a hard pace deep into fights<\/p>\n Julia Polastri<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 5’2″ \u2013 Reach: 63″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 14-6 (5 KO\/TKO, 3 submissions)Well-rounded fighter with solid grappling and the ability to make fights competitive in multiple areasTough and experienced, but can struggle when opponents consistently pressure her and dictate the striking exchanges<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Xiong<\/p>\n Meng Ding (35-10-0) v.\u00a0Cameron Nelson\u00a0(7-1-0)<\/p>\n Ding Meng<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 6’2″ \u2013 Reach: 73″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 35-10 (28 KO\/TKO, 2 submissions)Extremely experienced fighter with a massive advantage in professional cage timeComfortable in extended fights and has seen far more situations against a wide variety of opponents<\/p>\n Cameron Nelson<\/a><\/p>\n Height: 6’1″ \u2013 Reach: 75″ \u2013 Stance: OrthodoxRecord: 7-1 (2 KO\/TKO, 3 submissions)Young prospect with good athleticism and plenty of upside despite limited professional experienceFaces a major jump in experience against an opponent who has nearly six times as many professional fights<\/p>\n DFS Perspective: UFC Shanghai pick: Ding<\/p>\n Note: All odds accurate as of time of posting, and taken from the DraftKings Sportsbook, if available. Check out DraftKings to bet on <\/a>MMA Odds<\/a> and use the <\/a>DraftKings promo code<\/a> for a great welcome offer.<\/p>\n In search of a new, legal sportsbook? Get in on the action with our\u00a0best sportsbook promo codes<\/a>, as well as these selections for the best sports betting sites and\u00a0sports betting apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n FANDUEL MMA SCORING RULES<\/p>\n Moves Scoring Fight Conclusion Bonuses Scoring Notes<\/p>\n Significant Strikes are distance strikes or clinch\/ground strikes that are considered “power strikes” by official scorers.A knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his\/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider a substantial time.DRAFTKINGS MMA SCORING RULES<\/p>\n Moves Scoring Fight Conclusion Bonuses Scoring Notes<\/p>\n Significant Strikes are any distance strikes or clinch\/ground strikes that are considered “power strikes” by official scorers.A Significant Strike will count as both a strike and a significant strike and be worth 0.4 points in total.Control Time is the time spent in the dominant position on the ground or in the clinch. +0.03 points are awarded per second.A Knockdown is awarded to a fighter who knocks his\/her opponent down due to debilitation for what the official scorers consider an appreciable time.A Quick Win Bonus is awarded to the winning fighter if they win in the first round in 60 seconds or less.<\/p>\n The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including \u2013 but not limited to \u2013 games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Drake Burden plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Dburdz, DraftKings: Dburdz. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Top MMA DFS Picks and Strategies for UFC Shanghai UFC DFS expert picks for this Saturday’s UFC Shanghai…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":873762,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,193229,638,82],"class_list":["post-873761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-minor-league-stats","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=873761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/873761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/873762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=873761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=873761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=873761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Song needs a knockout to pull off the upset, and I just don’t see it happening. Nurmagomedov should be able to dictate where this fight takes place, pile up takedowns and control Song for long stretches. Song’s power always gives him a chance, but outside of landing something big, I don’t see a clear path for him. Nurmagomedov should roll and profiles as one of the best DFS plays on the card.<\/p>\n
Yan has the experience and technical striking advantage, but I like what I’ve seen from Gomes recently. She’s the dog here, but her pressure and power give her a real opportunity to disrupt Yan’s rhythm and turn this into her type of fight. This is another step up, but I think Gomes is ready for it. I’ll take a shot on the dog to pull off the upset.<\/p>\n
This feels like a good matchup for Asakura. Aoriqileng is tough and will bring pressure, but that should give Asakura plenty of opportunities to land his power shots. I expect Asakura’s speed and cleaner striking to separate the two, and the longer Aoriqileng is willing to exchange, the more likely a finish becomes. Asakura is one of the better finishing targets on the card.<\/p>\n
I like the size difference for Sumudaerji here. Perez has the wrestling to make things interesting, but he’s going to have to consistently close a massive reach disadvantage to get to it. I expect Sumudaerji to use his length, keep Perez at range and land the more damaging shots. I’ll side with Sumudaerji to get his hand raised.<\/p>\n
This is a good fight to target for DFS because I don’t expect it to last very long. Both guys have power and are willing to exchange, making a knockout on either side very likely. I like the size and physicality from Liu to be the difference. I’ll side with Liu to get this done early and put up a big DFS score.<\/p>\n
Someone’s undefeated record has to go here, and this should be a competitive prospect matchup. Both guys have shown finishing ability and can get it done wherever the fight goes, but I slightly prefer Hasan’s overall game. I think his pressure and ability to create offense in multiple areas will be the difference. Slight lean Hasan in a fight with solid DFS upside.<\/p>\n
Lima is rightfully favored and absolutely has the skill set to win this fight, but I’m going to take a flier on Batbayar. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him, and I think he has enough power and aggression to make Lima uncomfortable. This isn’t a safe pick by any means, but at the underdog price, I’ll take my chances on Batbayar pulling off the upset.<\/p>\n
Borjas has the power to make Tsuruya pay if this stays standing, but I like Tsuruya’s grappling advantage. He should be able to pressure, get inside, and consistently force Borjas into defensive wrestling. If Tsuruya gets his takedowns going early, the control and submission opportunities should follow. I like Tsuruya to get the win with solid DFS upside through his grappling.<\/p>\n
Nuzzi has the cleaner record, but Xiao has a massive experience advantage and has seen just about everything at this point. I like Xiao’s ability to mix up his attack and make this a gritty fight where that experience matters. Nuzzi is talented enough to keep it competitive, but I lean Xiao to do enough to get his hand raised.<\/p>\n
The size difference is impossible to ignore here, and Jenkins will have to work hard just to consistently get inside. His wrestling and leg kicks give him paths to make this competitive, but I like Woodson’s length and volume to create problems over three rounds. If Woodson can keep Jenkins at the end of his punches, I expect him to pile up strikes and get the win. Lean Woodson, although the lack of consistent finishing upside keeps me from loving him for DFS.<\/p>\n
There are still plenty of unknowns with both guys, but this feels like another fight worth targeting for its finishing potential. Both have shown power, and neither has much experience, which could lead to some wild exchanges. I slightly prefer Lui because he’s a little more proven at this point and has shown more ways to win. Lean Lui in a fight that could produce a strong DFS score if we get an early finish.<\/p>\n
I like Xiong quite a bit here. She brings a level of experience, pressure, and power that I don’t think Polastri has dealt with often. Polastri has enough grappling to potentially create some problems, but if this stays standing for extended stretches, Xiong should have a clear advantage. I expect Xiong to control the striking and potentially find a finish as the damage starts to pile up.<\/p>\n
This is a massive experience gap, but that doesn’t automatically make Ding the better DFS side. Nelson is the younger, less proven fighter, but he has the athleticism to make this interesting and an opportunity to show he belongs at this level. I slightly prefer Ding because of the experience advantage, but there are enough unknowns here that I don’t have much interest in forcing either side into my DFS builds.<\/p>\n
Significant Strikes = 0.6 pts
Takedown = 6 pts
Knockdown = 12 pts
Submission Attempt = 5 pts<\/p>\n
1st Round Win = 100 pts
2nd Round Win = 75 pts
3rd Round Win = 50 pts
4th Round Win = 35 pts
5th Round Win = 25 pts
Decision Win = 20 pts<\/p>\n
Strikes: +0.2 pts
Significant Strikes (SS): +0.2 pts
Control Time: +0.03 pts\/Second
Takedown (TD): +5 pts
Reversal\/Sweep (REV): +5 pts
Knockdown (KD): +10 pts<\/p>\n
1st Round Win (1rW+): +90 pts
2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 pts
3rd Round Win (3rW+): +45 pts
4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 pts
5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 pts
Decision Win (WBD+): +30 pts
Quick Win Bonus: +25 pts
(fight is finished in 60 seconds or less)<\/p>\n