MMA Fighting’s UFC Fantasy League has begun its third season with Alexander K. Lee, the previous season’s winner, and other participants drafting teams of fighters across various weight classes, aiming to score points based on wins, finishes, bonuses, and event participation, with the season concluding at the end of 2025.
MMA Fighting’s UFC Fantasy League is back for Season 3! With June wrapped up, we’ve hit the halfway mark of 2024 and concluded Season 2. Fans thought Guilherme Cruz would win, but surprise! Alexander K. Lee took the top spot with 2425 points, thanks to Joshua Van‘s 500-point season.
But no time to linger! As the UFC heads to Nashville for Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira, we’re gearing up for Season 3. This isn’t your typical daily fantasy league. It’s more like traditional fantasy sports. Players draft teams of 12 fighters, one per weight class, plus a wild card.
Scoring? Simple. Wins, finishes, bonuses, and title/main event fights earn points. This season runs through 2025, where a new champ will be crowned. Easy enough? We hope so!
This season, we’re using a reverse snake draft format, with last season’s losers picking first. Each player also retained one fighter from their Season 2 roster. So, without further ado, let’s get drafting!
The Keepers
Guilherme Cruz kept Alexandre Pantoja, the longest-reigning male champ. Jed Meshew retained Sergei Pavlovich, known for brutal knockouts. Damon Martin chose Islam Makhachev, the top pound-for-pound fighter. Mike Heck picked Ilia Topuria, on a meteoric rise. E. Casey Leydon went with Tom Aspinall, the heavyweight champ. Alexander K. Lee retained Joshua Van, a top point scorer.
Round 1
Cruz picked Jean Silva, hoping for a title fight. Meshew selected Shara Magomedov, with two fights planned. Martin chose Merab Dvalishvili, aiming for more defenses. Heck grabbed Khamzat Chimaev, booked for a title challenge. Leydon went with Zhang Mingyang, headlining in China. Lee picked Dricus du Plessis, the middleweight champ.
Round 2
Lee chose Max Holloway, facing Dustin Poirier soon. Leydon picked Reinier de Ridder, set to fight Whittaker. Heck selected Ateba Gautier, a rising star. Martin grabbed Alexander Volkanovski, awaiting a rematch. Meshew went with Kevin Holland, always busy. Cruz picked Zhang Weili, eyeing a superfight.
Round 3
Cruz selected Tallison Teixeira, headlining in Nashville. Meshew picked Fatima Kline, a strong favorite. Martin chose Michael Morales, unbeaten in the UFC. Heck grabbed Magomed Ankalaev, the reigning champ. Leydon went with Jacobe Smith, a promising prospect. Lee picked Carlos Prates, looking for redemption.
Round 4
Lee chose Cory Sandhagen, aiming for a title shot. Leydon picked Steve Garcia, on a winning streak. Heck selected Petr Yan, a former champ. Martin grabbed Tatsuro Taira, facing a tough opponent. Meshew went with Morgan Charriere, set for UFC Paris. Cruz picked Caio Borralho, eyeing the middleweight belt.
Round 5
Cruz selected Vinicius Oliveira, an exciting prospect. Meshew picked Daniel Zellhuber, facing a veteran. Martin chose Mauricio Ruffy, a rising star. Heck grabbed Waldo Cortes-Acosta, on a winning streak. Leydon went with Manel Kape, recovering from injury. Lee picked Jailton Almeida, pushing for a title shot.
Round 6
Lee chose Azamat Murzakanov, looking for a fight. Leydon picked Dustin Poirier, making his final walk. Heck selected Ramazan Temirov, facing a tough opponent. Martin grabbed Marco Tulio, with two UFC wins. Meshew went with Carli Judice, a promising fighter. Cruz picked Ian Machado Garry, close to a title shot.
Round 7
Cruz selected Natalia Silva, a top contender. Meshew picked Brandon Moreno, linked to upcoming fights. Martin chose Marcin Tybura, on a winning streak. Heck grabbed Michael ‘Venom’ Page, booked at middleweight. Leydon went with Tatiana Suarez, recovering from defeat. Lee picked Kennedy Freeman, making her UFC debut.
Round 8
Lee chose Mayra Bueno Silva, aiming to bounce back. Leydon picked Wang Cong, on a winning streak. Heck selected Jasmine Jasudavicius, also on a streak. Martin grabbed Norma Dumont, eyeing a title shot. Meshew went with Nora Cornolle, scheduled for a fight. Cruz picked Arman Tsarukyan, stirring up potential matchups.
Round 9
Cruz selected Jiri Prochazka, potentially eyeing a title fight. Meshew picked Bogdan Guskov, on a winning streak. Martin chose Dominick Reyes, nearing title contention. Heck grabbed Gillian Robertson, on a streak. Leydon went with Umar Nurmagomedov, planning a return. Lee picked Alexia Tainara, a promising newcomer.
Round 10
Lee chose Aaron Pico, debuting in the UFC. Leydon picked Raquel Pennington, a former champ. Heck selected Movsar Evloev, aiming for a title shot. Martin grabbed Erin Blanchfield, awaiting a fight. Meshew went with Malcolm Wellmaker, an exciting prospect. Cruz picked Karol Rosa, alternating wins and losses.
Round 11
Cruz selected Anthony Hernandez, on a winning streak. Meshew picked Azamat Bekoev, facing a tough opponent. Martin chose Sam Hughes, on a streak. Heck grabbed Kayla Harrison, eyeing a superfight. Leydon went with Gregory Rodrigues, ready for a quick turnaround. Lee picked Torrez Finney, seeking redemption.
And there you have it! The third MMA Fighting UFC Fantasy Draft is complete. Who got snubbed? Which picks were reaches? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for results in December!