UFC Fight Night: Yadong Song vs Ricky Simon Reignmakers Breakdown
This week, DraftKings Reignmakers is offering up $125,000 in prizes between its five tiers of contests: CORE, RARE, ELITE, LEGENDARY, and REIGNMAKER.
All players from DraftKings’ Heatwave, UFC 281, UFC 282, and Genesis sets are eligible to compete in these contests.
It is worth noting that the Genesis Standard, Genesis Premium, and Genesis CORE Add-On packs are all still available for purchase. These packs contain top UFC fighters and a random distribution of most of the fighters stepping into the octagon this weekend.
With that said, this article breaks down the best fighters to consider adding to your team via the Reignmakers’ marketplace. All listed prices refer to CORE tier unless otherwise noted, but the recommendations can be agnostically applied to all other tiers.
The Good
Below are the best fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Song vs Simon event.
Yadong Song ($1.54 - Event)
This weekend’s main event is as close as they get, with the line set Yadong Song (+100) and Ricky Simon (-120) via DraftKings Sportsbook. Song, however, is the better striker and has higher upside. If the fight finishes inside the distance, Song has a better likelihood of success than Simon. He recently beat Casey Kenney, Julio Arce, and Marlon Moraes, the latter two inside the first two rounds. He lost a 4th-round knockout to Cory Sandhagen, but Sandhagen is leagues above Simon. Simon also has an impressive list of wins over his last few fights, defeating Brian Kelleher, Raphael Assuncao, and Jack Shore. He’ll lean on his wrestling to wear down Song, but Song has good takedown defense, and if he has enough opportunities to find the knockout, he will. Either fighter is worth rostering, but the slight edge goes to Song.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima ($2.24 - Event)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima is 3-2 in his last five fights, but his upside is high. In two of those three victories, he won in the first round. Rogerio de Lima has decent takedown offense and powerful hands. When he rocks opponents, instead of finishing via a flurry of punches, he throws in a submission. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is fun to watch, and he is going to push the pace of this fight on the feet, but he hasn’t fought anyone with the power and striking of Rogerio de Lima. His last war against Chase Sherman was one for the ages, but he ends his undefeated streak in the UFC this weekend. Rogerio de Lima should find a first- or second-round finish.
The Bad
Below are the worst fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Song vs Simon event.
Irina Alekseeva ($0.32 - Event)
Irina Alekseeva, otherwise known as the “Russian Ronda,” gets a tough matchup this weekend against Stephanie Egger. Egger is relentless on takedowns, and Alekseeva doesn’t have the experience necessary to weather that storm. Egger is a big -300 favorite via DraftKings Sportsbook, and it makes sense given her opponent. She has three wins and three finishes in the UFC, tapping out Jessica-Rose Clark in the first round and Ailin Perez in the second round, as well as knocking out Shanna Young in the second round via elbows. She is going to shoot early, and Alekseeva could spend most of this fight on her back, which doesn’t help her accrue any fantasy points. Avoid at all costs.
The Obvious
Below are the most obvious fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Song vs Simon event.
Caio Borralho ($4.80 - Event)
Caio Borralho is semi-surprisingly expected to finish his fight against Michal Oleksiejczuk early this weekend. It’s surprising because Borralho has five wins in the UFC and only one finish (he knocked out Jesse Murray in the first round). He tends to bully his opponents into submission with his takedowns and ground game, and that’s what he is expected to do against Oleksiejczuk, too. Oleksiejczuk never defends takedowns (well), and Borralho also has an advantage on the feet. There are very few paths to victory for Oleksiejczuk, and Borralho is the most obvious win on the UFC Fight Night: Song vs Simon fight card.
