While this event is operated by Dana White, it is worth noting that it does not fall under the UFC banner. That said, the fighters who do well in this competition could well find themselves going to battle in the UFC in the future. For 5 seasons now, White has used this event as a way to scout new talent, especially since fighters regularly come and go in the UFC. None of the guys involved in this have fought in the big show, so this is a chance for them to make a mark and move on up to better competition and more money. There is a lot on the line here and we have 5 fights set to go on Tuesday night. The action starts at 8 PM EST and you can tune in on ESPN+. Let’s do a quick breakdown of all 5 fights for Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series so you can get all set to bet against the MMA odds.
MMA Betting Preview for Contender Series: Season 5, Week 4
Jacob Rosales Vs Victor Martinez
We get the evening started with a Lightweight bout that might well set the tone for the rest of the night. Rosales is 13-6 and a slight favorite here, but he has been up and down of late, splitting his last 4 fights at 2-2. There have been no such issues for Martinez, as he comes into this one on a 6-fight win streak that takes his professional record to 12-4. I think Martinez keeps it rolling with a KO win in this one.
Kleydson Rodrigues Vs Santo Curatolo
These two Flyweights are still very early in their pro careers, but both are showing that they mean business. Rodrigues went 1-1 in his first 2 pro fights, but he has been unstoppable since, winning 5 in a row ahead of this one. Curatolo boasts the same 6-1 record, but his loss came more recently, although he did bounce back with a win last time out. I am taking Rodrigues to get the submission win.
Steve Nguyen Vs Theo Rlayang
This looks to be a very well-matched Featherweight bout, as these two fighters have combined for just 1 loss in their pro careers. Nguyen came out and won his first 6 pro fights before taking a loss, which he recovered from with a win last time out. He is up against a very good fighter in Rlayang, who comes into this bout with an unbeaten 5-0 record. I’m giving the edge to Nguyen in this one.
Michael Morales Vs Nikolay Veretennikov
These two Welterweights come into this bout with one of them putting an unbeaten record on the line. That would be Morales, who has gone a perfect 11-0 to start his career, with the vast majority coming inside the distance. It’s easy to forget that Veretennikov went 1-3 to start his career, as he is now on an 8-fight win streak. I think he keeps the streak alive with the KO win here.
Hashem Arkhagha Vs AJ Dobson
The main event of the night is a Middleweight bout that sees both fighters put their unbeaten records on the line. Akhagha is 6-0, with 4 of those wins coming in the early rounds. Dobson is 6-0, and like his opponent here, he has shown a propensity to get the job done quickly. This should be a great fight, but I have Arkhagha winning by KO.
