UFC Fight Night DraftKings DFS Picks for Kape vs. Horiguchi 2

After a historic card at The White House in Washington D.C., the world's combat sports leader returns to its headquarters at the Meta Apex this weekend.

UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi 2 -- or UFC Vegas 119 -- has 12 fights starting at 5 p.m. EST on Paramount+.

The main event is a rematch of ranked flyweights. In 2017, Kyoji Horiguchi submitted Manel "Starboy" Kape on the regional scene in Japan. As the two have blossomed into 125-pound contenders, they'll settle a long-standing grudge in a five-rounder to cap Saturday night's card.

Every week, DraftKings Daily Fantasy has MMA contests featuring the full schedule of UFC fights. Here are this week's top plays in each pricing tier.

UFC Vegas 119 DFS Studs to Target

Bea Mesquita ($9,600)

It's not often I turn to the women's bantamweight division for high-salaried options, but "The Lady GOAT" is different.

Bea Mesquita is a credentialed Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion who has stopped each of her first two opponents inside 10 minutes. Her grappling has smothered those two, posting 4.81 takedowns and 3.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes. She's averaged 108.1 DraftKings fantasy points (DKPTs) per fight.

BIA MESQUITA GETS THE FINISH IN HER UFC DEBUT 🔥 #UFCRio pic.twitter.com/wgOVJdkcb7
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 11, 2025

Melissa Mullins, her opponent, is a 2-2 fighter that wilted via body shots against Nora Cornolle. She was blasted for a -35 striking differential in her last fight. The Englishwoman is heading in the wrong direction entering this matchup with a potential future title challenger.

Navajo Stirling ($9,200)

There is risk to Navajo Stirling in Saturday's co-main event, but there's also a handsome reward in a light heavyweight division with UFC's second-highest rate of stoppages (58%) last year.

The New Zealander has been sparkling in four UFC appearances thus far, posting a +3.59 striking success rate (SSR) with strong striking accuracy (52%) and defense (58%).

Ion Cutelaba is definitely a jump in competition for him, but Cutelaba's striking D (47%) has failed him in more abrupt brawls, and he's at a four-inch reach disadvantage in a longer fight.

Stirling is 51.2% implied to win inside the distance, per DraftKings Sportsbook. That could be the result of the Moldovan underdog eventually getting frustrated with the polished City Kickboxing product.

UFC Vegas 119 DFS Mid Tier Picks

Allan Nasicmento ($8,800)

I typically wouldn't go this high up for a "mid-range" pick, but Allan Nascimento is the lowest straight pick I'm making above $8,000.

"Puro Osso" is one of the roster's most unheralded fighters, considering an .800 win percentage in five starts. He's a jiu-jitsu ace with nasty back control, posting 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

In theory, Mitch Raposo's 61% takedown defense should struggle here. The American just let up 7 takedowns and 5:27 in control time to Azat Maksum, who went 1-3 in UFC before being cut.

Building in tournaments, Raposo has yet to crest 50 DKPTs -- even in a win. I'd rather cede exposure to Nascimento in case he's able to find a patented submission.

Hyder Amil ($7,800)

"Hurricane" is typically a good nickname to target in UFC DFS, and Hyder Amil lives up to it:

HYDER AMIL WITH A BLISTERING BARRAGE 💥 #UFCVegas94 pic.twitter.com/My8VF1RA3J
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 21, 2024

Every fight won't be quite that flurry, which netted 106.8 DKPTs against JeongYeong Lee. In fact, Amil has dropped two fights in a row against quality competition.

In a bounce-back spot, that frantic pace is a great target in daily fantasy, though. The American lands 5.81 significant strikes per minute, topping 95 DKPTs in three of his last five starts without much wrestling.

Amil is a great fit for cash games; DraftKings Sportsbook implies 60.0% odds he's around at the final bell, and that's a long time for the point-earner to make things happen.

UFC Vegas 119 DFS Underdog Plays

Kyoji Horiguchi ($7,600)

The five-round duration will give any underdog a boost, and that's especially true for Kyoji Horiguchi, who has never lost a UFC bout inside the distance.

The 35-year-old is a technician in every sense of the world, using elite striking defense (63%) to frustrate opponents. His 61% takedown D -- a weakness on paper -- won't be much of a problem opposite Manel Kape, who averages just 1.33 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.

Horiguchi did smash a younger version of Kape in 2017, but the age curve has shifted away from him for the rematch. He'll just have to technically tie his striking (+1.64 SSR) to his wrestling (1.61 takedowns landed per 15) and eventually gas out Kape, who has shown endurance problems.

Gaston Bolanos ($6,800)

Michael Aswell Jr. will put up significant strikes, but it's yet to lead to many Ws.

Landing 7.79 significant strikes per minute, Aswell is exciting, but he's not efficient. His striking accuracy (42%) and defense (51%) are both very pedestrian. Despite the output, his SSR (+0.36) is worse than that of Gaston Bolanos (+0.88), who is also the only side of this matchup that has had to face a ranked opponent thus far.

In what profiles to be a striking duel, there is a positive forecast that the Peruvian underdog will be around to pile up points. Aswell has a pedestrian 0.55% knockdown rate, and he's never won a pro fight by submission.

There seems to be a huge gap in Aswell's resume on paper and his 81.0% implied chances to win this fight, according to oddsmakers.

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