I hope the double dose of fights of the year we got at UFC 236 satiated your hunger for quality MMA. This card is taking place in St. Petersburg Russia and features a newcomer or fighter off of a long layoff in almost every fight. The region is also suspect for performance enhancers, suspect judging, and ulterior motives. That makes for a pretty wild series of events typically. Don’t go heavy on any one fighter and mix in some just for the sake of differentiation.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS SLATE LOCKS AT 10 AM ET

Case for Overeem: No fighter has made the transition from the steroid era quite as well as Overeem. His striking accuracy is unparalleled at any weight but especially at heavyweight. He generally avoids getting hit well on top of that.

Case for Oleinik: One of the all-time great Russian fighters gets to go out in front of his home crowd one more time. His ability to submit anyone is only rivaled by his willingness to risk anything for a win. He will be bloodied and pressing forward the entire fight.

The play: Oleinik is always dangerous but Overeem is just too tall a task. Oleneik’s record betray’s the state of his fight game. A crazy sub of Junior Albini and win over a washed Mark Hunt aren’t really positives. The Dutch kickboxer will be picking the old Russian apart for a few rounds before a likely finish.

Case for Makhachev: Yet another Dagestani who’s been Draftkings gold thanks to takedown and early finishes. His wrestling is his best weapon with seven subs, but he showed you need to respect his hands with a 57 second KO of Gleison Tibau.

Case for Tsarukyan: The much-anticipated prospect gets to debut in his home country. Like most Ruskies, he’s well rounded as evidenced by 5 KOs and subs apiece. The choice of opponent makes no sense to me.

The play: My spidey-sense is tingling here. It’s pretty odd to have a fighter debut in a co-main. That a large portion of public money is coming in on Tsarukyan makes me even more nervous. Makhachev is the better fighter and a deserving favorite, I’m just tempering my ownership.

Case for Pavlovich: I’ll say this, Pavlovich is a mountain of a man. He made Overeem look small in their fight. He dropped that fight and looked lost when he wasn’t able to bully an opponent for a change. Debuting agaisnt Reem is an oddly tough fight, though.

Case for Golm: He was where Pavlovich is now: a prospect who didn’t measure up in the UFC at first. He’s continued to fall short against mediocre fighters. Being backed into a corner could make him dangerous.

The play: I’ll back the hometown boy Pavlovich here. He’s likely to overwhelm a suddenly gunshy Golm and the KO is live.

Case for Shtyrkov: Aptly nicknamed the Oral Hulk, he’s a beast of a human. He’s also undefeated and has plenty of former UFC names on his list. He’s a threat to finish opponents in any fashion.

Case for Clark: Brown Bear is basically the MMA equivalent of the FitzMagic Bucs. All offense, toast defense. He comes out of the gate on fire most rounds, though he’s faded against the likes of Jan Blachowicz. He might have lost his last fight to Aleksander Rakic, but Rakic had no idea how to handle his aggression before lucking into back control and a KO.

The play: This is a great fight to mix both sides of. Hulk and Clark will both be keen on a finish. It’s very hard to pick a winner with confidence here. I’m willing to take a chance on Clark to surprise Shtyrkov early.

UPDATE: IVAN SHTYRKOV HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CARD DUE TO AN ILLNESS.

Case for Modafferi: For someone who looks like the last person to be a good fighter Modafferi is a low-key savage. She’s always coming forward, throws with volume, and is constantly looking to get her opponent to the ground where she’s dangerous. She’s also been around the block and is calm in any storm.

Case for Shevchenko: Sister to Champion Valentina Shevchenko, Antonina is no slouch herself. She’s spent more time on the Muay-Thai circuit but is getting back into MMA with success. Striking is her strength

The play: As much as I love Roxi she seems outgunned here. I wouldn’t be shocked if she gave Shevchenko some trouble, but the Russian is the better striker and should win a decision.

Case for Jotko: An 0-3 recent record may scare some off but all three came to quality opponents. We don’t know if that can be said about Amedovski yet. Jotko is strong in all arena’s and is looking to get back on track in what seemed like a promising UFC career.

Case for Amedovski: He’s making his UFC debut but won two fights in Bellator, so it’s not like he’s that green. All of his wins have been KOs.

The play: I like both sides here. I think Jotko could be popular and he’s a decent bet. Amedovski’s finish rate makes him intriguing as well.

Case for Evloev: A veteran of the M-1 promotion, he won and defended is bantamweight title. He steps in a months notice and is actually favored. He’s got a bright future with his grappling skills.

Case for Choi: The Korean can bang. If you aren’t careful he’ll put you to sleep.

The play: Unless Evloev gets sloppy early expect him to dominate the fight with top control. He’s one of the safer bets on the card, despite being unproven in the Octagon.

Case for Aliev: Aliev has had a hard time getting to the Octagon. He’s gone 1-2 inside it when he has. A really low striking output tells a different story than his 10 KOs.

Case for Nakamura: On his second UFC run he’s gone 4-3 against mostly decent competition. He relies on the RNC a bit much.

The play: If Nakamura can’t get to Aliev’s back he may not be able to pull out the win. It could be a plodding afair, so not the greatest fight to target with a submission finish.

Case for Yakolev: He’s beat no one of worth in the UFC and lost to some guys not much better. We haven’t seen him fight in 29 months. In his prime, he employed a grinding style based in wrestling.

Case for Da Silva: His resume is padded even for a Brazilian prospect. Despite that fact, he’s still a very dangerous striker. Da Silva is a replacement on about a month’s notice.

The play: Maybe Yakolev turns back the clock and turns in a good performance. I’m not holding my breath, though. Give me the young Brazilian to show some aggressive striking.

Case for Tybura: A rare deliberate heavyweight makes Tybura a risky play. He’s a solid kickboxer but has fewer paths to victory. He’s also one of the few better-known names on the card, so look out for high ownership.

Case for Abdurakhimov: Another heavyweight with little interest in the finish. He won’t be throwing haymakers very often. He is accurate in his limited output.

The play: This could be a fairly boring fight. Both men are content to circle. Abdurakhimov gets a slight edge in accuracy. I think Tybura pushes the gas just enough to secure a win, though.

Case for Antigulov: The man is a grappling maniac when the bell sounds. Partially because he can’t strike with an opponent. His strategy is crank away until he gets a sub or gases.

Case for Oleksiejczuk: The Pole has looked pretty mean in two UFC appearances. He smoked the uber-tough Gian Villante with a nasty body shot.

The play: This is an easy one to analyze. Oleksiejczuk needs to shirk some early takedowns and he can whale on Antigulov. We don’t know what kind of takedown defense he possesses, though, since it hasn’t been tested in the UFC yet.

Case for Mustafaev: A UFC vet who’s coming off a two-year layoff. He doesn’t bring much volume or wrestling. He can thump with some kicks, though.

Case for Fiziev: A Muay-Thai fighter out of a great camp has led to the betting line flipping in Fiziev’s favor. He’s yet to fight anyone of any repute in MMA, though.

The play: I’m leaning towards following the herd and backing Fiziev here. If you want a natural pivot, Mustafaev is going to be very low owned.

Cash Plays: Overeem, Evloev, Fiziev, Oleksiejczuk

There aren’t many safe bets on this card. I don’t have saving salary with Modafferi.

GPP Plays: Pavlovich, Da Silva or Yakolev, Clark or Shtyrkov, Jotko or Amedovski

The GPP pickings are slim, too. Plenty of fights have the potential to end in a finish, though.

Favorite Bets: Overeem -250, Clark +145

Favorite Props: Oleksiejczuk via KO -105, Da Silva ITD +260, Amedovski ITD +240

Live Dogs: Clark, Amdovski, Da Silva, Abdurakhimov, Modafferi