This article was spot on last week in both the fights to target and my personal leans – depending on how you interpreted me saying that Riberio’s value was hard to ignore. It would be outstanding to go back-to-back weeks picking out the most important fights to have exposure to in your contests, so let’s make that happen.
UFC Charlotte has taken some hits so far with the Mackenzie Dern and Angela Hill fight being moved to another card and now with the Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez fight being scratched. We still have a few exciting spots here, but on paper, this card is lacking a bit. Regardless, we will attempt to find the fights to focus on for your FanDuel lineups.
Below you will see my recommended fights to target on the FanDuel slate for UFC Charlotte. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to tweet @WeWantPicks on Twitter and they will definitely get back to you ASAP.
FIGHT #1 TO TARGET (-1400 FDNGTD)
JAILTON ALMEIDA ($23) vs. JAIRZINHO ROZENSTRUIK ($12)
This is one of the more exciting fights on this slate. We have a powerful striker in the heavyweight division and an exciting grappler that fights in the heavyweight division despite being much more of a light heavyweight.
Jailton Almeida has set the UFC on fire since arriving and has done so progressively at light heavyweight, catch weight, and for the last two fights in the heavyweight division. Almeida is a dominant grappler with powerful takedowns, and he is looking to finish from the very start of the fight. Almeida uses his strength to secure slam-style takedowns early in fights and then displays plenty of patience and skilled grappling once on top. Jailton will hunt for the submission through ground and pound, just waiting for you to turn away from the strikes and offer up your back.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is an accomplished kickboxer who packs plenty of power. Rozenstruik has seven knockout wins in the UFC and also has an adequate 75% takedown defense. The glaring issue however is that he hasn’t beaten anyone really good in the division, except for a few aging fighters that were near the end of their run. Also, he has been taken down by everyone that has quality wrestling as well, so the numbers on paper are a bit misleading.
Almeida has yet to give me a reason not to play him in everything and the reasons are abundant with Rozenstruik. Obviously, if Jairzinho can catch Almeida coming in for that blast double, then things could get out of hand quickly, but I don’t believe that will happen. For me its Almeida at nearly 100% exposure.
FIGHT #2 TO TARGET (-500 FDNGTD)
JOHNNY WALKER ($16) vs. ANTHONY SMITH ($15)
Between these two fighters, we are looking at almost an 80% finish rate. Someone from this fight is all but guaranteed to find the optimal lineup. With salary that is right next to each other you basically have your pick without worrying about who is more expensive.
Johnny Walker has been up and down since coming into the UFC, but he has rarely failed to provide a wildly entertaining fight. Walker is long, and aggressive, and should put the type of pressure on his opponent that can cause fighters to fold.
On the other side of the cage, we have Anthony Smith who has probably seen his best days already in the UFC, despite being surprisingly young when you think how long he has been fighting. Anthony Smith is pretty skilled everywhere except pure wrestling and has been a bit back and forth himself recently in the UFC.
I personally am firmly on the Johnny Walker side here because I believe that Anthony Smith is on the decline and settling into his broadcasting career. Of course, since Walker has been fairly inconsistent, a Smith win is certainly on the table as well. Pick your side in singles, and make sure to have exposure in both directions for your multiple-entries.
FIGHT #3 TO TARGET (-400 FDNGTD)
CARLOS ULBERG ($22) vs. IHOR POTIEIRA ($9)
Continuing down this pretty straightforward slate we have what should be the most entertaining stand-up fight of the night. Both of these guys want to stand and bang, and that is a real treat for us fans. On one side we have technique and power with Ulberg, and on the other, we have unpredictable aggression and power from Potieira. That is about as deep as this fight breakdown needs to go.
Ulberg’s line is about right in my opinion, as Ihor has only really been impressive against a shell of a fighter that used to be Shogun Rua. In fact, it would be perfect justice for his celebration dance after knocking out Shogun if Potieira gets dispatched quickly. Potieira only being $9 though makes him pretty appealing as well with the type of upside he has. For single entry, I would suggest being firmly on the Ulberg side, but when it comes to multiple entry you would likely benefit by taking a few stabs at Ihor just in case.
GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND
Good look to all heading into this event. If you are watching it at home make sure to follow along with @WeWantPicks on YouTube for live bets. Also, make sure to tweet your winning lineups at us and we will do our best to recognize your greatness.
Enjoy the event, and make sure to keep it locked on We Want Picks for tons of great MMA content.
