MMA DFS Playbook: UFC 228 Woodley vs Till

NOTE: AS OF 230PM EASTERN TIME THE CO-MAIN EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO THE CHAMP NICCO MONTANO BEING HOSPITALIZED. FIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELED AND VALENTINA WILL NOT BE FIGHTING ON THIS CARD.

UFC 228 LIVE FROM DALLAS TEXAS ON PPV 10PM

We have an exciting card that has non-stop action. On the Fight Pass early prelims, we have long time veterans Diego Sanchez and Jim Miller taking on some young and hungry talent that is going to give them a run for their money. In the FX prelims, we have veteran John Dodson and Carla Esparaza taking on some stiff competition. On the main card we have 2 Title fights between 4 amazing fighters. In the co-main event we have the first ever women’s Flyweight Championship Nicco Montano vs Valentina Shevchenko. This is surely going to be a fantastic fight between 2 great women’s fighters. Then in the main event we have champion Tyron Woodley making his 4^th title defense against the undefeated Darren Till. This fight is a classic wrestler vs striker bout.

UFC Fight Pass 6:00pm ET

Geoff Neal 9-2 vs Frank Camacho 21-6

Geoff has 5 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 2 decision wins. He has won 7 of his last 8 fights. He has 5 1^st round wins. He likes to stay on his feet. He has an incredible straight left hand that is very fast and dangerous.

Frank has 16 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 3 decision wins.  He has won 6 of his last 9 fights. He has an incredible 13 1^st round wins. He was on TUF 16. He holds a brown belt in Jiu jitsu and is also a BJJ World Champ.

This fight will spend a majority of the time standing. Geoff needs to keep it that way and utilize his striking and try and avoid Frank’s ground game. Frank does have a good stand up game, but he needs to take it to the ground, so he can overwhelm his opponent. In the end I see Frank using his experience and ground work for the win.

Roberto Sanchez 8-1 vs Jarred Brooks 13-2

Roberto has 7 submissions and 1 decision win. He has 4 1^st round wins. He is a brown belt in Jiu jitsu. He prefers to work his ground game and take his opponent’s back and sink in a rear naked choke.

Jarred has 2 KO/TKO 5 submissions and 6 decision wins. He has 5 1^st round wins and is on a 2-fight losing streak. He has a wrestling background but is also well versed on his feet.

This is going to be a fight that is decided on the ground. Roberto needs to utilize his Jiu jitsu and put Jarred in positions where he can do more damage. Jarred needs to tap into his wrestling and smash his opponent. He needs to control and contain him and then go for the submission. This fight will go the distance with Sanchez getting the nod from the judges.

Irene Acuana 8-4 vs Lucie Pudilova 8-2

Irene has 5 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 1 decision. Seven of her wins have come in the 1^st round. Four of those were in 65 seconds or less. She has a great Jiu jitsu game, and a solid standup game. She has a Fight of the Night Bonus.

Lucie has 2 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 2 decision wins. She has great cardio and has a gas tank for days. She has a great boxing background. She is decent on the ground but has a better standup game.

Should be an amazing fight. This fight is well matched for both girls. I foresee Irene pushing the pace of the fight early and look for another 1^st round win. Lucie needs to slow the fight down and control the tempo of the fight. She needs to stay on her feet and look to keep it that way. Fight will go the 2 rounds before Irene gets another KO win.

Jim Miller 28-12 vs Alex White 12-3

Jim has 4 KO/TKO 14 submissions and 10 decision wins. Jim is on a 4-fight losing streak, so this could be a must win to stay in the UFC. This is an incredible 30^th fight for the UFC which is a record. He has a wrestling and Jiu jitsu background. He holds a black belt in Jiu jitsu. He has wins over Thiago Alves, Joe Lauzon (2x) and Duane Ludwig. He has 6 Fight of the Night, and 3 submission of the night bonuses.

Alex has 5 KO/TKO 5 submissions and 2 decisions. He has 5 1^st round victories. Has a blue belt in Jiu jitsu. Was an amateur boxing champ. He has a win over Artem Lobov.

Should be a great mix of standup and ground work. Jim needs to get the fight to the ground as fast as he can. He doesn’t have the cardio he once did when he first started out. So being on the ground he can control the tempo much easier than on his feet. Alex needs to use his boxing and keep Jim away from him. He needs to be technical against a veteran like Miller. In the end I see White getting a win after 3 rounds.

Diego Sanchez 29-11 vs Craig White 14-8

Diego has 8 KO/TKO 7 submissions and 14 decision wins. He has won 10 of his last 17 fights. He holds a black belt in Jiu jitsu. He was the winner of the very first TUF season 1 in middleweight division. He hasn’t fought since November of 2017, so he may have some ring rust. He holds wins over Clay Guida, Kenny Florian, and Nick Diaz. He has tons of heart and never gives up. He has 6 fight of the night bonuses.

Craig has 5 KO/TKO and 9 submission wins. He has won 4 of his last 5 fights. He has an incredible 11 1^st round wins. He has a background in Tae Kwon Do and has lots of grappling experience.

Another veteran vs up and coming guy fight. Much like the Miller vs White fight, Diego needs to control and dictate how the fight goes. Its another must win situation for the vet as well. Diego has power in his striking but also has explosive takedowns. Craig needs to push the pace and smother Diego both on his feet and on the ground. He needs to utilize his Tae Kwon Do and use leg kicks to break Diego down. I see the young buck Craig with the win tonight.

FX Prelims 8:00pm ET

Charles Byrd 9-4 vs Darren Stewart 8-3

Charles has 3 KO/TKO 5 submissions and 1 decision win. He has won 6 of his last 7 fights. He has 7 1^st round wins. Has dangerous striking. He has an extensive karate background as well as a Muay Thai practioner.

Darren has 6 KO/TKO and 2 decision wins. He has 4 1^st round wins. He likes to keep his fights standing and looks for the big KO. He has 1 Performance of the Night and 1 Fight of the Night Bonus.

Evenly matched fight. I see Charles trying to take it to the ground to avoid Darren’s power punching abilities. Darren will look to keep it on their feet and; look for big bombs to end the fight quick. If this fight gets near the cage look for Charles to utilize his clinch work and takedowns. In the end I see Charles with the victory tonight.

Jimmie Rivera 21-2 vs John Dodson 21-9

Jimmie has 4 KO/TKO 2 submission and 15 decision wins. He has won 20 of his last 21 fights. He has 2 1^st round wins. He has wins over Thomas Almeida and Urijah Faber. He is a well-rounded fighter. He has 1 Fight of the Night bonus.

John has 10 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 9 decision wins. He has won 6 of his last 9. He has wins over Eddie Wineland and Zach Makovsky. He lost a decision title fight against Demetrious Johnson early in his career. Two-time state high school wrestling champ. He has 1 Fight of the Night and 2 Knockout of the Night bonuses.

Very exciting fight. Should be a good mix of standup and ground work. Jimmie must keep Dodson at bay and stay away from his wrestling abilities. John will look to take the fight to the ground and do some ground and pound work for another win.

Aljamain Sterling 14-3 vs Cody Stamann 12-1

Aljamain has 2 KO/TKO 6 submissions and 6 decisions. He has won 3 of his last 4 fights. He has 3 1^st round wins. Has a win over Renan Barao. He has a brown belt in Jiu jitsu. He was a 2-time Division 3 All American wrestler.

Cody has 6 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 4 decision wins. He is riding and impressive 10 fight win streak. He has 4 1^st round wins. He holds a victory over Bryan Carraway. Was a Golden Gloves Boxing Champ.

Another great matchup tonight. Both are looking for impressive wins to keep climbing the ranks. Aljamain will look to take the fight to the ground and use his brown belt and secure a dominate position and look for a submission. Cody needs to use his technical boxing and keep his opponent away from him and avoid any ground work. In the end Aljamain on top by way of judges.

Carla Esparaza 14-5 vs Tatiana Suarez 7-0

Carla has 3 KO/TKO 4 submission and 7 decision wins. She has won 9 of her last 12. She has 3 1^st round wins. She is the former Invicta FC and UFC Strawweight champion. She is also the TUF 20 winner. She has wins over Felice Herring and Bec Rawlings. She has an extensive wrestling background. She wrestled all 4 years in college. She has 1 Performance of the Night bonus.

Tatiana has 1 KO/TKO 4 submission and 2 decision wins. She was the TUF 23 Winner. She is used to tough fights as she is a thyroid cancer survivor. 2- Time Bronze in World Freestyle wrestling. Asics named her High School Wrestler of the year in 2007 and 2008. Has 1 performance of the night bonus.

This fight has fireworks written all over it. 2 high level wrestlers that also do well on their feet. Carla is the veteran, so she needs to dictate the pace of the fight. Tatiana needs to settle in and push the pace. This is a very tough opponent for her, so she needs to be calculated in her movements. In the end I see the fight going the distance and Suarez out on top.

Pay-Per View 10:00pm ET 

Abdul Razak Alhassan 9-1 vs Niko Price 12-1

All of Abdul’s wins are by KO/TKO all in the 1^st round. He has 5 finishes in under 1 minute. He holds a black belt in Judo and has a strong Muay Thai background. He has lots of power and speed. He has 1 Performance of the Night bonus.

Niko has 8 wins by KO/TKO 3 submissions and 1 decision win. He has 8 1^st round wins. He has a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Has a win over Alan Jouban. Lots of cardio and tons of heart. He too has 1 Performance of the Night bonus.

I don’t see this fight lasting very long. Abdul will look to keep reigning havoc on his opponent’s. He has a dangerous striking game as well as his judo. Niko needs to take the fight to the ground as fast as he can. He needs to counter any throw Abdul tries to do and use takedowns. In the end I see Abdul continue his winning ways.

Jessica Andrade 18-6 vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz 13-2

Jessica has 5 KO/TKO 7 submissions and 6 decision wins. She has won 6 of her last 8 fights. She has 7 1^st round wins. Holds wins over Angela Hill, Jessica Penne, Claudia Gadelha, and Tecia Torres. She is very well rounded. Has judo, Jiu jitsu, and Muay Thai background. Loves to strike on her feet or utilize some ground and pound. She has 1 Performance of the Night and 2 Fight of the Night bonuses.

Karolina has 1 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 10 decision wins. She has 3 1^st round wins and is on a 2-fight losing streak. Has wins over Randa Markos, Felice Herring, and current champ Rose Namajunas. She is a Krav Maga instructor, so she will look to close the distance and strike.

Solid fight for both women. Jessica is more well rounded than her opponent. She is comfortable taking the fight to the ground Karolina needs to keep the fight standing. She needs to be technical and shut any takedowns down she can. In the end Andrade comes out on top.

Zabit Magomedsharipov 15-1 vs Brandon Davis 9-4

Zabit has 6 KO/TKO 6 submissions and 3 decision wins. He has 4 1^st round wins. Is on an impressive 11 fight winning streak. Finished 8 of his last 9 opponents. Has a heavy wrestling background. Has 2 Performance of the Night and 1 Fight of the Night Bonuses.

Brandon has 3 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 4 decision wins. Has won 8 of his last 10 fights. Trains under former UFC fighter Alan Belcher and Duke Rofus. Has a great standup game.

Going to be a great fight. Zabit is on a big high right now with his winning streak and will look to continue it. I see Brandon pulling off the upset tonight and close the distance and get a win in the later part of the fight.

Main Event

TYRON WOODLEY (CHAMP) 18-3-1 VS DARREN TILL 17-0-1

Tyron has 7 KO/TKO 4 submissions and 7 decision and 1 draw. He has 9 1^st round wins. This is his 4^th title defense. He has wins over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit and Josh Koscheck. High school state wrestling champion. Was a 2-time Division 1 All American wrestler. Had over 100 collegiate victories. He has a big and powerful right hand. He has 2 Performance of the Night, 1 Fight of Night, and 1 KO of the Night bonuses.

Darren has 10 KO/TKO 2 submissions and 5 decisions and 1 draw. He has 5 1^st round wins. Has a Muay Thai background. Was the K1 European Champ. He has wins over Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone. He has 1 Performance of the Night and 1 fight of the Night bonus.

This will be an explosive fight. The weeks leading up to this has been very intense with a lot of talk back and forth. Tyron has been critized by Dana White in his last few appearances for not performing like a champ should. Maybe that will be some fuel to Tyron’s fire to shut down the undefeated Till. Tryon needs to use his explosive takedowns and get the fight on the ground as fast as he can. He can’t out strike Till be any means. His best chance for a KO is using some ground and pound. Till needs to keep the fight standing and shut the takedown game down. As long as the fight stays up, Till has a better chance of winning. I see this fight going 4 to 5 rounds with a NEW CHAMP being crowned tonight in the young Darren Till.

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