Dana White’s Contender Series is back for its 10th season.
The show, which airs on its home on Paramount+, aims to give top prospects a chance to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract with the company. The show’s seventh episode of the new season takes place on Sep. 22 and airs live on Paramount+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.
MW: Norbert Novenyi Jr. (10-1, London Shootfighters, Hungary) vs. Theo Haig (7-1, American Kickboxing Academy, United States)
A pair of fighters with wrestling backgrounds square off in a big spot, as Bellator vet Norbert Novenyi Jr. takes on Contender Series returnee Theo Haig. I assume their wrestling will cancel each other out, so it will come down to who is the more well-rounded fighter. I would argue Novenyi has the edge on the feet, though Haig has been developing at American Kickboxing Academy. This could be an interesting clash of styles.
WW: Alvi Dasuyev (9-0, Deathrow MMA, Belgium) vs. Jaden Ortega (6-0, Sikjitsu, United States)
In a hotly contested welterweight bout, we see possibly the two best 170-pounders on this season of the Contender Series square off in Alvi Dasuyev and Jaden Ortega. Dasuyev is a nasty striker who also has a good wrestling base, which makes him very well-rounded and tough to compete with. Ortega will not step back, though, as he’s a very skilled fighter in his own right. The 23-year-old is a flashy, violent striker with excellent kicks to complement his powerful punches. He also will throw flying attacks and has finished five of his six fights by knockout. This is going to be a violent fight.
FLY: Marcos Degli (14-3, Vale Top Team, Brazil) vs. Paris Moran (14-3, Gracie Barra, United States)
Potentially the best and baddest flyweight outside the UFC is set to compete in Marcos Degli. He likely should have made it straight to the UFC roster, but he didn’t, so he will fight Fury FC and 17-fight vet Paris Moran. Degli represents a brutal power striker, while Moran is definitely the grappler of the two. Degli is a solid grappler as well, so if he’s able to keep Moran on the feet, it should be a brutal ending.
LW: Piero Guaylupo (11-0, Los Perros Sarnosos, Peru) vs. Callum Connor (8-0, Manchester Top Team, England)
Representing Peru, Piero Guaylupo is an exciting striker with nasty kicks and big-time power in his hands. His opponent from across the Atlantic is Englishman Callum Connor, a similarly styled fighter who also likes to bang on the feet. These two are going to step in the middle of the cage and throw until one of them falls.
LHW: Damian Piwowarczyk (11-4, Uniq Fight Club, Poland) vs. Emilio Quissua (8-0, Planet Eater, Germany)
Arguably, the two biggest MMA promotions in Europe are represented in this light heavyweight clash as Emilio Quissua of OKTAGON takes on Damian Piwowarczyk of KSW. This is a fight that could have main-evented one of those promotions’ cards in Europe. Quissua has a kickboxing background and prefers to bang on the feet, though he’s well-rounded. Piwowarczyk is a giant at 6-foot-6 who similarly likes to strike but also has a strong submission arsenal. This is going to be a closely contested fight between some high-level 205-pounders.
The best fighter on an episode full of strong prospects is Marcos Degli. Degli reminds me very much of John Lineker in his approach to fighting. He’s a wrecking ball. He has massive knockout power for a 125-pounder, he wings punches to the body and head with reckless abandon and finishes his fights at a high clip. He should be in the UFC right now, but he may as well add to his highlight reel here in the meantime.
In a trend on this season of the Contender Series that unfortunately continues, the UFC has matched up two of the most UFC-ready fighters on the season against one another in Alvi Dasuyev vs. Jaden Ortega, while they have two non-UFC-ready cans fight each other throughout the rest of the cards. Both of these guys are killers who will find success in the UFC eventually, but in the meantime will have a high-level bout here.
He will be in the best fight of the night, but Jaden Ortega is also a guy who is flying under the radar. He has a very tough task in Alvi Dasuyev in a fight he very well could lose. However, he will make the UFC at some point in his career (if he wins here included), and Ortega will quietly become a guy in the top 50% of the division.
Despite a major height advantage in his fight (6-foot vs. 5-foot-9), Callum Connor looks to be the longest shot on this episode. He has a record full of below-average opposition. He does have an opponent in Piero Guaylupo who will indulge him on the feet, but whether he wins or loses, I don’t think Connor is UFC-ready (doesn’t mean they won’t sign him if he wins; they basically sign everyone at this point).
| Lineup | Fight Prediction |
|---|---|
| MW: Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Theo Haig | Novenyi |
| WW: Alvi Dasuyev vs. Jaden Ortega | Dasuyev |
| FLY: Marcos Degli vs. Paris Moran | Degli |
| LW: Piero Guaylupo vs. Callum Connor | Guaylupo |
| LHW: Damian Piwowarczyk vs. Emilio Quissua | Quissua |