UFC Daily Fantasy: The 15 Best Pound-for-Pound Fighters on FanDuel in 2023

UFC is so new as a sport -- founded in November of 1993 -- that even this stuff seems hard.

In any other sport, it's very obvious who the best players in fantasy are. Davante Adams has been catching touchdowns for years. LeBron James has been a stat stuffer since 2003. Mike Trout has been near the top of fantasy drafts his entire career.

Even in individual sports, Rory McIlroy and Kyle Busch have been winning golf tournaments and NASCAR races for over a decade. UFC is very different. Its brightest stars and even many of its champions aren't the best fighters for a spot on FanDuel.

We also just see them less often than other athletes during a calendar year. Even the most active UFC fighters will appear only three or four times a year. The average is less than two fights per turn of the calendar. With so much on the line, fighters take every ounce of reasonable time to prepare for a match.

When they come around onto a FanDuel card, these stars are worth consideration in any matchup. There's just no salary that's too high in any structure for a dominant favorite who will push the pace and score points.

This is the second edition of a yearly check-in I hope to do every Memorial Day week -- as this is a weekend UFC historically will always take off in observance -- where we look at the cream of the crop.

Here are the pound-for-pound top-15 fighters in UFC -- for fantasy purposes -- right now in 2023.

Baseline Criteria

In order to be eligible, the fighter must be ranked in UFC's official rankings in at least one weight class. While these rankings aren't perfect (or, trust me, the least bit scientific), there is a baseline level of experience and success required to find the top-15 spots of any UFC weight class.

After all, if they're posting these numbers against ranked competition, they'd destroy lower-level foes. Due to a lack of experience in some of the women's divisions, I've also instituted a three-fight minimum for those ranked.

The calculation of evaluating these fighters came from a representation of what they provide in terms of FanDuel scoring over the course of 15 minutes.

This starts with their rate of FanDuel Points Per Minute Excluding Bonuses (FDPPM). This metric takes the fighter's rate of FanDuel points per minute excluding bonuses, compiled by significant strikes, takedowns, and submission attempts. I've multiplied this figure by 15 in the calculation to represent the fighter's level of activity throughout a normally-scheduled UFC bout.

In addition to per-minute scoring, I've also calculated an Average Win Bonus (AWB) for the fighter's last five appearances. Some fighters did not quite have five appearances, but it was an average of what they've had. Some have jumped the line into the rankings from their work in other promotions.

Finally, I needed to add a Knockdown Bonus (KB) to represent the average knockdown bonus they've received in their past five fights. Knockdowns are an indication of fight-ending power and -- at 12 FanDuel points a pop -- go a long way towards finding the optimal MVP candidate on FanDuel.

The following rankings are an unbiased representation of those three things added together, labeled FanDuel Points Per 15 Minutes (FDPP15) below.

15. Jiří Procházka

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
FDPP15: 130.9
Last Year's Rank: 5

A year (mostly) on the sidelines saw the former light heavyweight champ slip to here.

#15 Jiří Procházka defeated Glover Teixeira to win the belt in June 2022, but he's been on the sidelines since with a nasty shoulder injury. Still, he's almost assuredly next in line after vacating the belt in January, and that title went to #19 Jamahal Hill after he defeated the now-retired Texiera in a much more convincing fashion.

Procházka showed wrestling and grappling chops in his fight with Teixeira, though. Hill just avoided those situations. It should be a closely lined fight with plenty of action between two top-20 FanDuel scorers.

We may never see either on this list again. As you'll see meeting new names and faces, it's hard to stay here against championship-level competition.

14. Ian Machado Garry

Weight Class: Welterweight
FDPP15: 131.0
Last Year's Rank: NR

Ireland, you've got your next guy.

I was skeptical about #14 Ian Machado Garry based on the poor level of competition, but Garry is significantly improving between fights -- as you'd expect from a 25-year-old. He just was the first to dispatch Daniel Rodriguez (7-3 UFC) by knockout, taking his rank and, therefore, becoming eligible for this list.

Garry's style is excellent for fantasy. He's a striker averaging 6.85 significant strikes per minute with excellent 55% accuracy. His striking defense (53%) is good, too.

As he heads up the ranks, "The Future" will need to improve on a 63% takedown defense to stay here. If larger welterweights are able to take him down and hold him on the mat, his skills won't be useful, and he'll drop off this list as he's unable to land strikes.

His next matchup should be a viable measuring stick, but we already know we can count on him in a projected kickboxing affair.

13. Tatiana Suarez

Weight Class: Women's Strawweight
FDPP15: 132.9
Last Year's Rank: NR

Women's 115 has bounced the belt around for a while, but there's a set of people -- yours truly among them -- that believe once #13 Tatiana Suarez wins it, it's going to be hers for a while.

Due to injuries, Suarez made her first start since 2019 back in February, which re-inserted her into the rankings. Some may scoff at a win over the unranked flyweight Montana De La Rosa in her return, but I see easily taking the larger De La Rosa down and submitting her as a notch in her cap as a wrestler.

When she returns to strawweight as planned, we've seen how dominant she can be. She mauled #141 Carla Esparza, who was the last woman to battle #54 Zhang Weili for this belt, for nine takedowns and a submission. She also submitted flyweight champion #82 Alexa Grasso in short order.

Weili's power and strength have been on the rise, and she'll need every bit of them to turn back Suarez if her health allows for a run to the belt.

12. Casey O'Neill

Weight Class: Women's Flyweight
FDPP15: 138.2
Last Year's Rank: 6

#12 Casey O'Neill's last fight proved you don't have to be great to make this list. You just have to bring the fight to your opponents.

In a losing effort, O'Neill still landed 138 significant strikes on #165 Jennifer Maia, who is one of the worst fantasy performers on the list. Shockingly, Maia outworked Casey, landing 145 of her own despite O'Neill defending an excellent 59% of Maia's incoming strikes.

O'Neill's pace will make her a force in fantasy whether she's a heavy favorite or a significant underdog. That's seen by how much she propped up the low-volume Maia. She's landed 8.77 significant strikes per minute thus far and added 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes. That's an insane amount of activity.

"King" Casey is only 25 years old, so she'll probably continue to round out her skills to challenge for the title one day. Until then, we'll need to pay attention if she's on the FanDuel main slate.

11. Ilia Topuria

Weight Class: Featherweight
FDPP15: 138.3
Last Year's Rank: 9

Though #11 Ilia Topuria only added one fight onto his resume since last year's rankings, it was a statement.

He dominated #99 Bryce Mitchell in his own domain, taking him down and submitting him via arm triangle. Mitchell's mangled exterior told the extent of how the fight went on the feet before that, too.

That was a lone test against Mitchell, who is known as a limited fighter in the striking department. He's still got a ways to go to reach #75 Alexander Volkanovski, but the ability to out-grapple Mitchell and the size to score a knockout at lightweight (as he did over Jai Herbert) are both notches in his belt that most featherweights don't have.

Topuria might be the first guy I pick to dethrone Volkanovski if his defensive peripherals follow the obvious activity that's left him here. His 62% striking defense and 92% takedown defense are both excellent, as well.

10. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Weight Class: Welterweight
FDPP15: 138.9
Last Year's Rank: NR

Quickly, #10 Shavkat Rakhmonov has established himself as the welterweight boogeyman no one wants to battle.

Rakhmonov's finishing streak -- now at 17 straight to start his pro career -- has continued through ranked battles with #135 Geoff Neal and #144 Neil Magny. As long as that stays the case, he'll be viable in daily fantasy, too.

Admittedly, Rakhmonov's peripheral stats lag behind most of his contemporaries here. On their own, 4.45 significant strikes per minute and 1.49 takedowns per 15 minutes aren't that impressive. Combining the two provides decent output, and Rakhmonov (1.5 submission attempts per 15) also adds points looking for chokes, too.

I have a ton of respect for Neal, so Rakhmonov's +44 striking differential in that bout let him into my proverbial nightclub of top contenders at 170. I'd love to see him matched up with #111 Colby Covington given his unnatural strength for the division -- and 100% takedown D.

9. Erin Blanchfield

Weight Class: Women's Flyweight
FDPP15: 143.1
Last Year's Rank: NR

By the end of 2024, I expect #9 Erin Blanchfield to hold the belt at women's 125.

Blanchfield's opening fight against Sarah Alpar in 2021 was a warmup before she'd meet four straight opponents that had held a ranking at some point in UFC. She dominated all four, including the launch of a three-fight finishing streak as she awaits one or two potential fights.

Theoretically, the UFC could now match her up with #87 Taila Santos as Grasso defends her belt against longtime flyweight champion #115 Valentina Shevchenko. Shevchenko's longevity has earned a rematch. However, Erin could also be an injury to either away from a title opportunity herself.

As is the case with most top contenders on this list, in addition to her insane fantasy output, she's got a strong striking defense (61%) and takedown defense (77%) that I'm not overly concerned could be beaten. This is the weakest division in UFC, and Blanchfield is a well-rounded star that's already won a UFC main event.

8. Jalin Turner

Weight Class: Lightweight
FDPP15: 143.6
Last Year's Rank: NR

Despite UFC being a domestic promotion, Blanchfield and #8 Jalin Turner are the only Americans in the top-15 spots of this list.

Turner isn't a title contender in one of the promotion's toughest divisions. He's coming off a tough-luck loss to #60 Mateusz Gamrot, and the 28-year-old is definitely still polishing up his defense. He ceded four takedowns to Gamrot, and his 43% striking defense is poor overall.

Still, you can't teach Turner's gifts. He's 6'3" with a 77" reach at lightweight (155 pounds), and he seems to comfortably make this weight with minimal cardio issues. We saw his power in both domains before the Gamrot fight; he rode a five-fight finishing streak into that one.

Turner is set for a date with #131 Dan Hooker in July, and I'd guess he mows through the veteran that's been finished in three of his last five fights. His trajectory from there is worth watching.

7. Umar Nurmagomedov

Weight Class: Men's Bantamweight
FDPP15: 150.6
Last Year's Rank: NR

If you thought you'd escape this name when undefeated legend Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in 2021, you thought wrong.

His cousin, #7 Umar Nurmagomedov, is only 27, and he's set fire to the UFC's bantamweight division already. Nurmagomedov has comfortably won all four fights with the promotion, and the most impressive stat I could give you is that he's only absorbed 23 total significant strikes in those four bouts.

He's also dished out plenty of offense. Nurmagomedov seems equally capable when striking (4.85 significant strikes landed per minute) or wrestling (4.26 takedowns per 15). A whopping 7 of his 16 pro wins have come via submission, too.

Nurmagomedov hasn't actually faced a fighter that's currently ranked themselves. There aren't too many top contenders wanting to shout his name when he's been as dominant as his cousin, who never even faced real adversity with his insane pressure wrestling.

Winning fights can move you up the ranks, but so can other fighters refusing to fight you. Nurmagomedov is likely closing in on a title shot simply because no one below that level will agree to face him.

6. Dricus Du Plessis

Weight Class: Middleweight
FDPP15: 154.7
Last Year's Rank: NR

This is another recently ranked fighter moving toward the championship in his division.

#6 Dricus Du Plessis has a fight lined up in July with former middleweight champion #147 Robert Whittaker, and if he wins it as a heavy underdog, he'll almost certainly be next for #139 Israel Adesanya at the top.

To be transparent, I will pick Du Plessis to beat Whittaker on his standing here. His relentless pace (6.72 significant strikes landed per minute) hasn't relinquished against anyone, bringing his bantamweight-level pace to 185 pounds. He's yet to be truly rocked by a punch behind a decent 53% striking defense, too.

"Stillknocks" can also wrestle a bit, averaging 2.83 takedowns and 1.5 submission attempts per 15. Whittaker's low standing on this list tells the story; I think he'll just be outpointed by the South African's pace and pressure.

We've also already seen Adesanya lose his belt to #56 Alex Pereira, who was willing to out-pressure Izzy and stand firm against his punches, once. Though less technical, Du Plessis could brawl his way to a similar result if his chin holds up.

5. Jack Della Maddalena

Weight Class: Welterweight
FDPP15: 173.4
Last Year's Rank: NR

#5 Jack Della Maddalena was one fight into his UFC career when I made this list last year, but his ascent can't be ignored.

The Australian has been nearly perfect through five UFC-affiliated bouts, holding an unflappable +3.98 striking success rate (SSR). He's only ceded two takedowns which he quickly recovered from, as well.

Della Maddalena's boxing is particularly at a high level for mixed martial arts, navigating a five-inch reach disparity to knock out veteran Randy Brown (10-5 UFC).

Like Turner and du Plessis, JDM also has a fight lined up at International Fight Week in July. He'll take on #81 Sean Brady, who should thoroughly test his wrestling defense to make sure it's up to ranked stature. If it is, Della Maddalena's efficiency already dwarfs that of 170-pound champion #162 Leon Edwards. I'd project him to beat Edwards straight up.

4. Tom Aspinall

Weight Class: Heavyweight
FDPP15: 178.1
Last Year's Rank: 1

Nothing in #4 Tom Aspinall's control dropped him from last year's honor as the top FanDuel scorer.

Aspinall's penalized by his only 2022 fight here. He took on #45 Curtis Blaydes in London, tearing his ACL just 15 seconds into the fight. Technically, that was a loss, which dropped his average win bonus in this calculation.

His analytical profile remains largely perfect and unchanged. No fighter can boast better than a 65% striking accuracy and 64% striking defense in a prolonged sample that's included multiple ranked foes.

He remains at the top of my list of challengers for #74 Jon Jones simply because we've seen him embarrassing other heavyweights grappling just as Jones has. He's averaged 4.00 takedowns per 15 minutes on perfect 100% accuracy thus far, and he's added 2.0 submission attempts per 15.

Aspinall's speed, which he also used to crush surging contender #80 Alexander Volkov, gives him hope to keep pace with Jones. As a true threat to his undefeated record, Jones would likely retire before fighting him, though.

3. Jailton Almeida

Weight Class: Heavyweight
FDPP15: 180.2
Last Year's Rank: NR

Oddly enough, #3 Jailton Almeida is probably right behind Aspinall on that list.

While the Englishman is more well-rounded, "Malhadinho" is a true Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace. Just two weeks ago in Charlotte, he used his wrestling and grappling to easily take #134 Jairzinho Rozenstruik down and submit him.

Overall, Almeida's work on the ground is probably the best on this list when he's contributing so little as a striker. He's averaged just 3.81 significant strikes landed per minute thus far, and his 25% striking defense has been terrible but largely untested.

Heavyweight grappling, as mentioned with Jones and Aspinall, is awful. Outside of those two and select others, Almeida can keep putting up FanDuel points in bunches against most of the big boys.

I will add, though, that Almeida's competition is significantly worse than anyone else on this list. He's closed at no shorter than -370 for any UFC bout. If he faces more grapplers at heavyweight that also carry striking skills -- like #16 Serghei Spivac or the aforementioned Blaydes -- moving forward, he could prove to be terribly limited.

2. Sergei Pavlovich

Weight Class: Heavyweight
FDPP15: 192.2
Last Year's Rank: NR

To this point in his career, #2 Sergei Pavlovich looks like a guy I'd have crafted in a lab to score FanDuel points.

Most of these other fighters at the top actually grapple quite a bit, which provides some risk. If they're on the ground and not finding a finish, it's a lot of empty time without significant-strike points in DFS. Pavlovich, with zero career takedown or submission attempts, has no time for those foolish strategies. He punches people in the face until they fall over.

They've fallen over quite a bit. Pavlovich's 4.83% knockdown rate leads all active UFC fighters with a minimum of five appearances. The Russian has insane punching power, but it's also combined with an uncanny pace at heavyweight, landing 8.72 significant strikes per minute with 49% accuracy.

How is that pace possible for a guy his size? Well, he's yet to make it out of the first round in seven UFC starts. He probably won't maintain this pace if he's ever pushed into later rounds, but no man has been able to last more than a round with him since returning from injury in 2022.

His propensity to finish fights quickly with speed, pace, and power makes him someone to be aware of in daily fantasy every time he's fighting.

1. Khamzat Chimaev

Weight Class: Middleweight
FDPP15: 195.9
Last Year's Rank: 2

Because he failed to make the welterweight limit of 171 pounds by nearly 10 pounds last fall, I'm listing #1 Khamzat Chimaev as a middleweight despite two of his last three appearances at 170. UFC wants him there now.

In any division, Chimaev is a monster. He's got Khabib's wrestling (3.98 takedowns per 15 with 57% accuracy) with an added dimension of power strikes. He's only absorbed more than one significant strike against #130 Gilbert Burns, a former welterweight title challenger. Chimaev still clearly won the bout with Burns.

Chimaev lands north of seven significant strikes per minute behind a +3.32 SSR, and he's also shown elite, aggressive jiu-jitsu, attempting an astounding 3.0 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

In all but one appearance, Chimaev has topped 115 FanDuel points as a wrecking ball. In that lone exception versus Burns, he still reached 108.8 FanDuel points. Across a 6-0 start to his UFC career, Chimaev has quite literally never disappointed in fantasy.

A change to middleweight could eliminate his weight-cutting issues, and it might even set up better for him stylistically against strikers like Adesanya, Whittaker, and Du Plessis.

Honorable Mentions

The top FanDuel score in all of 2022 catapulted #17 Matt Frevola into the UFC rankings -- and nearly ours. He posted a whopping 184.0 FanDuel points in a first-round smashing of Genaro Valdez (0-2 UFC). No other fighter topped 170 FanDuel points last year.

#18 Sean O'Malley's last trip around the sun shows what to expect from some of this year's newcomers. A tough, gritty bout with #149 Petr Yan dropped his per-minute averages outside of the top-15 spots in 2023.

Back-to-back defeats knocked #23 Jessica Andrade out of this year's rankings, but Andrade is still fully potent. She posted 231 significant strikes in a fight earlier this year against #145 Lauren Murphy.

Surprisingly, the highest-ranked champion on the list is Jamahal Hill (19th). #31 Islam Makhachev, #42 Aljamain Sterling, Zhang Weili, #65 Amanda Nunes, Jon Jones, and Alexander Volkanovski are others ranked inside the top 75.

Personally, the dominant fighters in this sport right now aren't holding the belts. Expect plenty of upsets and new champions the rest of the year with Alexa Grasso, #100 Brandon Moreno, Israel Adesanya, and Leon Edwards all ranking poorly. Five of the seven champions that were dethroned in 2022 were upset by someone ranked higher on this list than they currently are.

#114 Max Holloway is a great example that this list isn't everything. Holloway's lackluster averages are made up for the fact he's always in five-round main events that go the full distance. He's scored at least 97.4 FanDuel points in his last nine wins, so I wouldn't ever cross him off in a featured bout in which he's favored.

Heavyweight is a weight class of haves and have-nots. While three of the top-five FanDuel scorers are big guys, two of the bottom-five overall scorers also fit that description. That skill chasm is why some of the top-shelf ones can produce such massive scores.

Full Rankings

Note: The table below expands right with a scroll and is sortable by any figure. Fighters listed twice are ranked in multiple divisions.