Betting
UFC 313 Best Bets | DraftKings Sportsbook
Tim Finnegan of DraftKings Breaks Down UFC 313 And Gives Bets To Consider On DraftKings Sportsbook.
UFC 313 is taking place on Saturday from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the card is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. There is some extra juice leading into this fight, as Pereira challenged Ankalaev to put up $200,000 with the money going to the winner’s charity of choice— Ankalaev ultimately said their managers would handle a charitable donation behind the scenes. Justin Gaethje is also making his return for the first time since his epic BMF fight against Max Holloway, taking on Rafael Fiziev in a lightweight bout.
A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor cashed in during UFC 312, turning only $5 into over $4,800 with a UFC Parlay Bet featuring the following picks:
- Quillan Salkilld Moneyline
- Jonathan Micallef Moneyline
- Rongzhu Moneyline
- Aleksandre Topuria to win and over 1.5 Total Rounds
- Wang Cong vs Bruna Brasil over 1.5 Total Rounds
- Jack Jenkins vs Gabriel Santos over 1.5 Total Rounds
- Jake Matthews Moneyline
- Tallison Teixeira to win by KO/TKO/DQ or Decision
- Weili Zhang to win by Decision or Submission
- Dricus Du Plessis to win by Decision or Submission
As a result of all of these outcomes hitting in the Parlay Bet, the UFC bettor took home $4,879.45.
DraftKings is hosting a huge fantasy UFC 313 tournament that pays out $700,000 in total prizes, including $200,000 to first place. Enter the contest for only $25 here.
UFC 313 Picks
Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev
Pereira has dominated the light heavyweight division since becoming the champion in November 2023, winning four straight title fights by KO/TKO. Pereira is one of the most elite strikers in the sport and has a diverse striking skill set with several standout strikes. Pereira is best known for his left hook, which is arguably the greatest left hook in UFC history. Pereira helps set up his left hook with a long, stinging jab that he alters between the body and the head. Pereira’s jab/hook combo is an excellent double-attack that leaves opponents vulnerable to one or the other depending on their defensive reaction. If opponents guard against the left hook, Pereira’s stinging jab sneaks through. If opponents reach to parry the jab, Pereira throws his left hook into the vacated area to connect to the jaw and temple. Pereira also has one of the best calf kicks in the UFC and has consistently crippled the bases of his opponents with it. Part of the reason his calf kick is so effective is because he does not telegraph it, and it only takes a few to land to dramatically alter his opponent’s base.
Pereira’s matchup with Ankalaev is interesting stylistically because Pereira has primarily faced strikers in the UFC who had little to no interest in taking Pereira down. Pereira has not faced a single takedown attempt by an opponent in each of his three most recent fights, which has allowed him to utilize his superior striking and dominate his opponents at distance. Pereira’s defensive wrestling is by far his biggest weakness, and if someone is going to dethrone Pereira, it will likely have to be through offensive grappling.
Ankalaev has the skills to initiate an offensive wrestling-based game plan and put Pereira on his back, which would largely negate Pereira’s offense. Ankalaev is from Dagestan, which is well-known for its wrestling culture, and while Ankalaev’s wrestling is not nearly as strong as wrestlers such as Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, it’s still good enough to give Pereira major problems.
Cold Open | UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev
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Cold Open | UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev
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Ultimately, this bout will likely come down to whether the fight stays on the feet long enough for Pereira to rack up significant strikes or land a fight-ending KO shot. Ankalaev must blend in offensive wrestling to have a strong chance to win this fight, as he is unlikely to get the better of Pereira in a distance striking match. However, it’s unclear if Ankalaev will actually commit to this strategy. Ankalaev has primarily been a striker in the UFC and is averaging under one takedown per 15 minutes, which is low takedown output. Ankalaev has also claimed he plans to test Pereira on the feet.
If Ankalaev does decide to wrestle, it’s possible that this fight could end up looking similar to Pereira’s fight against Jan Blachowicz. In that fight, Blachowicz had success with takedowns and control time, finishing three takedowns and controlling Pereira for approximately half of the octagon time. This helped make Pereira far less dangerous, as Pereira spent significant amounts of time in defensive grappling positions. However, Pereira has a black belt in jiu-jitsu from Glover Teixeira, so he has capable survival skills on the ground, which he also showcased in his fight against Blachowicz. If Ankalaev elects to use this strategy, this fight could be a good candidate to go into the deeper rounds and go past the over/under of 2.5 total rounds.
Something else to note is that Ankalaev has been highly susceptible to calf kicks in the past, most notably getting his calf battered by Jan Blachowicz in their fight. As mentioned above, Pereira has one of the best calf kicks in UFC history, so Ankalaev could be further motivated to initiate grappling and avoid getting his calf battered.
Pick: Over 2.5 Total Rounds (-160)
Other bet to consider: Magomed Ankalaev +5.5 Point Spread (-150)
Read about UFC Point Spread betting at DraftKings Network: How to Bet UFC Point Spreads on DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Fantasy UFC
Ankalaev is priced at only $7,900 in DraftKings fantasy UFC contests, which could be a good value play. DraftKings fantasy UFC scoring includes points awarded for takedowns and control time, which Ankalaev could be in a strong position to generate in his fight vs. Pereira for the reasons mentioned above. This fight is also five rounds, which could potentially create 10 extra minutes to generate fantasy scoring if the fight goes the distance.
The main DraftKings fantasy UFC tournament has a huge prize pool of $700,000 this week, with the winner getting $200,000. Enter the contest for only $25 here.
DraftKings UFC Pick6
UFC Pick6 is a new peer-to-peer fantasy UFC contest where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two fighters and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Listed stat projections include significant strikes, takedowns, control time, knockdowns and more. For each fighter, simply select if you think they’ll have MORE or LESS than their listed stat projection. Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ cash prizes!
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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