When T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao finally square off for a second time live on FOX this Saturday, much more than Dillashaw’s UFC Bantamweight Championship will be on the line. With fantasy MMA rapidly increasing in popularity, weekly Kountermove contests have become all the rage, giving MMA fans yet another way to feel even closer to the action.
UFC on FOX: Dillashaw vs Barao 2 – Winning Kountermove Selections
As weekly participants continue to grow in numbers, it has become more and more difficult to select that killer team that will crush all opponents. Luckily, resident MMA gambling expert Joseph Garner has you covered.
Here is Joseph’s “Winning Team” that meets the salary cap restriction of $25,000:
Ramsey Nijem ($5100)
His opponent: Andrew Holbrook ($4500)
Why Nijem?: Sure, Ramsey may not be the most reliable name that you see on this fight card, but there’s no denying his skill. Ramsey is a very good wrestler and a solid offensive striker. The main hole in his game would have to be his striking defense, as he is hittable and has proven to be a bit chinny in the past, but his opponent Holbrook is not known as a dangerous striker. In fact, Holbrook flourishes in the submission game, but has had trouble with good grapplers in the past. Nijem will be the stiffest test of his career thus far, and I don’t think we see him pass it in his UFC debut. I think Nijem has a decent shot of actually scoring a finish here as well, which means the potential for big points.
Kenny Robertson ($4800)
His opponent: Ben Saunders ($4800)
Why Robertson?: Kenny Robertson is one of those guys who is seemingly always undervalued, and this time it’s no different. Ben Saunders is undoubtedly more flashy that Robertson, but “Killa B” is also much more susceptible to being neutralized here. Robertson is a far superior wrestler, and he will be able to get Saunders down to nullify Ben’s greatest advantage, his power striking. Once on the ground, Saunders does have a very active guard, but Robertson has a very solid grappling game of his own, and I expect him to be able to avoid danger and eventually break Saunders down. We’ve seen Ben quit in the past when the going gets tough, and I’m banking on that here as I like Robertson to grind out a clear decision or potentially a late stoppage.
Gian Villante ($5000)
His opponent: Tom Lawlor ($5000)
Why Villante?: This one’s all about value. Villante is over a two to one betting favorite, yet he is evenly priced with Lawlor here? That’s odd to me. Lawlor hasn’t fought in over two years, and he’s moving up to light heavyweight for the first time in his UFC career. Villante is no world beater, but he will be the superior athlete in this contest, and actually showed some unexpected improvements in his last bout, starching Corey Anderson late in the bout. I think Lawlor already has one foot out the door, and this is probably his last hurrah inside the octagon. I expect Villante to send him packing in a not so pleasant fashion, and secure us a stoppage win and a solid amount of fantasy points.
Paul Felder ($4600)
His opponent: Edson Barboza ($5000)
Why Felder?: Perhaps this is going a bit against the grain, as Barboza is an established veteran and Felder is only at fight number three in the UFC, but I think Felder is well on his way to being a top ten fighter. Felder has proven in his first two UFC contests that he is a devastating striker 8-limb striker with solid movement and a very good ability to cover distance. Barboza is an excellent striker in his own right, but has shown in the past that he can struggle against those who push the pace against him and cut off the cage. I do believe Felder is capable of dictating this fight, and as a result of this I do favor him to pick up the win. Couple that with the fact that Barboza has a suspect chin and is capable of being put down by strikes, and I think we have quite the value in Felder at such a cheap asking price.
TJ Dillashaw ($5400)
His opponent: Renan Barao
Why Dillashaw?: I’m in the party that believes that TJ Dillashaw simply is a bad style matchup for Renan Barao. When Barao has been most successful, his opponents have sat down in the pocket and exchanged blows with him, or he’s simply been the superior grappler. Dillashaw doesn’t oblige to either of those scenarios, as he has some of the best footwork and movement in the game and is also a fantastic wrestler. Dillashaw was able to pick Barao apart at will in the first fight, which was never close after Dillashaw hurt Barao badly midway through the first round. Perhaps the fight is more competitive this time and it takes TJ longer to pull away, but I believe inevitably his skillset will be simple too much for Barao. While I’m not positive he will succeed in scoring a finish this time around, Dillashaw has landed over 100 strikes in three straight bouts (including his last fight against Barao) and I don’t expect that to change here. Either way, I anticipate TJ filling that stat sheet for us come Saturday night.
So to run it back we have:
- TJ Dillashaw ($5400)
- Paul Felder ($4600)
- Gian Villante ($5000)
- Kenny Robertson ($4800)
- Ramsey Nijem ($5100)
Total salary used = $24,000 of $25,000
Enjoy the fights and good luck!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: (L-R) UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw and Renan Barao face off during the UFC Welcome To The Show Launch Event at L.A. Live Event Deck on February 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)
