DFS considerations for Brad Riddell vs. Alex Da Silva in UFC 253

The final fight on the prelim card, Brad Riddell will take the octagon with Alex Da Silva in a lightweight bout that will be part of UFC 253 live on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and on pay-per-view.

DraftKings DFS Values

Brad Riddell: $9,200
Alex Da Silva: $7,000

Riddell will enter the fight as the heavy favorite at -335 on the moneyline. However, his cost reflects that as his opponent Da Silva, who will enter at +253. In DFS, Riddell’s dominance is also reflected as he averages 85.3 which compared favorably to Da Silva’s 66.

The Brazilian-born Da Silva has just two UFC fights to his name, splitting those 1-1. Even in a win, he scored just 66 points. As for Riddell, he’s 2-0, scoring 70 or more in both bouts. With 4.3 strikes per minutes on 57 percent accuracy, Riddell is the better of the two at striking while Da Silva has the edge in grappling, averaging over two takedowns per 15 minutes.

The style of the fight will decide the winner, but it seems like both may be fine with letting this go the distance. Combining the UFC experience of the two fighters in victories, they’ve gone the distance all three times. That’s not good for fantasy, and although Riddell is a strong candidate and the favorable option of the two, he’ll still be a risky play.

Considering many other fights are narrow edges Riddell, with a clean record in UFC and 8-1 record in MMA along with being the better striker and having the better DFS history, seems like a safe bet.

DraftKings Sportsbook Odds

Brad Riddell: -335 (68% of action, 77% of bets)
Alex Da Silva: +253 (32% of action, 23% of bets)