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DraftKings Preview: UFC Fight Night 77

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A trilogy fight doesn’t happen all that often and one as epic as the one in the main event at UFC Fight Night 77 happens once in a lifetime. Vitor Belfort will take on Dan Henderson at the top of the Sao Paolo event in front of the fans at Ginásio do Ibirapuera.

This is a true rubber match, as Belfort lost a unanimous decision to Henderson at PRIDE 32 in 2006 and followed up in the rematch with a knockout victory at UFC Fight Night 32 in 2013. Fast forward two years, get rid of TRT exemptions and we could see a very different fight.

The Fight Night main card is packed with six bouts, with the FOX Sports 1 prelims having four fantastic matches as well.

DraftKings is back at it with some serious dough on the line, so check out our Best Bets and Underdog Bets to stay ahead of the pack.

BEST BETS

Thomas Almeida ($10,900 – FFPG – 95.2) – Many are calling this kid the next big thing in the bantamweight division. He is undefeated at 20-0 and has finished his last two opponents in spectacular fashion. He is taking on Anthony Birchak who has proved his worth in and out of the Octagon, but it is tough to see the Brazilian losing to the American, let alone anyone outside of the top-10. My money is heavily on Almeida and I think he will get it done within the distance.

Corey Anderson ($11,100 – FFPG – 79.3) – The odds in this one are a bit lopsided, which is surprising especially as Fabio Maldonado is one of the better boxers in the division. However if Corey Anderson can implement a game-plan to either smother Maldonado or keep him at bay with jabs then he could eek out a decision. The only reason the TUF 19 winner is on the ‘Best Bets’ list is because he “should” get it done.

UNDERDOG BETS

Dan Henderson ($8,600 – FFPG – 41.4) –  Can you ever count out Hendo? I think not. We’ve seen him come from behind in many outings and a post-TRT Belfort could be one of those times. Whether he’s winning or losing someone is getting knocked out, so with DraftKings you will likely have to pick a few underdogs and the king of the H-Bomb is definitely a go-to on this list.

Abel Trujillo ($9,600 – FFPG – 56.7) – Trujillo hasn’t fought since 2014 when he lost to Tony Ferguson, but prior to that he looked fantastic against Jamie Varner and Roger Bowling — knocking them out. Gleison Tibau is also coming off a loss to Ferguson, so this pins them in an interesting spot. Trujillo lands an impeccable rate of 3.38 strikes per minute, with a 43.4% accuracy. When he wins, he finishes the fight, so why not take a stab at a guy who could notch you big points?

Make sure you get in on the $3 DraftKings game for a chance at $90,000.

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Fight card with DK Amounts:

MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1 – 7pm PT/10pm ET)

Vitor Belfort ($10,800 – FFPG – 71.7) vs. Dan Henderson ($8,600 – FFPG – 41.4)
Patrick Cummins ($8,400 – FFPG – 59.3) vs. Glover Teixeira ($11,000 – FFPG – 83.8)
Thomas Almeida ($10,900 – FFPG – 95.2) vs. Anthony Birchak ($8,500 – FFPG – 59.0)
Piotr Hallmann ($8,900 – FFPG – 95.2) vs. Alex Oliveira ($10,500 – FFPG – 56.8)
Gilbert Burns ($9,400 – FFPG – 75.3) vs. Rashid Magomedov ($10,000 – FFPG – 71.0)
Corey Anderson ($11,100 – FFPG – 79.3) vs. Fabio Maldonado ($8,300 – FFPG – 55.9)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1 – 5pm PT/8pm ET)

Gleison Tibau ($9,800 – FFPG – 49.3) vs. Abel Trujillo ($9,600 – FFPG – 56.7)
Yan Cabral ($8,800 – FFPG – 52.7) vs. Johnny Case ($10,600 – FFPG – 78.0)
Clay Guida ($10,200 – FFPG – 48.3) vs. Thiago Tavares ($9,200 – FFPG – 51.5)
Chas Skelly ($10,100 – FFPG – 66.3) vs. Kevin Souza ($9,300 – FFPG – 88.7)

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass – 3:30pm PT/6:30pm ET)

Viscardi Andrade ($9,500 – FFPG – 63.5) vs. Gasan Umalatov ($9,900 – FFPG – 27.0)
Pedro Munhoz ($10,400 – FFPG – 77.8) vs. Jimmie Rivera ($9,00 – FFPG – 110.5)
Matheus Nicolau ($10,300 – FFPG – 0.0) vs. Bruno Korea ($9,100 – FFPG – 0.0)

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Jeremy Brand is an experienced MMA writer and columnist. He is the founder of MMASucka.com, and has represented the company with media credentials at many mixed martial arts fights. Jeremy is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, training in BC, Canada.

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