The Contender Series continues tomorrow night as ten more fighters compete in front of Dana White, looking to secure a UFC contract. I went over each fight to give my predictions and bets, so let's get into it.
Odds provided by Duelbits accurate as of 9/30/2025
Middleweights who don't waste time in the cage square off in the featured bout. Vitor Costa is a very aggressive fighter who is always going forward while striking, and has a solid guillotine choke, although his striking defence could become an issue against powerful opposition. Damian Pinas is a big swinging finisher with serious power, although he has shown his inexperience at times, showing questionable defence, especially on the ground.
This is a tough one to call for me, but I'll go with Pinas as I feel he can catch Costa with a big shot during one of his constant blitzes, and I don't see Costa leaning on his grappling to get the win.
Prediction: Pinas by 1st Round TKO
Clash of styles here at Bantamweight. Louis Jourdain is a kickboxer with a patient and kick-heavy style, although his defensive wrestling is a slight concern. Magno Dias is a skilled submission grappler, although he has finished his last two fights by TKO, showing a new focus on his striking.
I like Jourdain here as he can avoid the damage and submissions on the ground before returning to his feet, where he is the more polished striker.
Prediction: Jourdain by Decision
Fantastic matchup between strikers here at Welterweight. Christopher Alvidrez is a brawler with high-volume striking who comes in off a knockout over former UFC fighter Takashi Sato. Eliezer Kubanza is a knockout artist with an undefeated record, having shown solid grappling defence along with his technical striking.
At these odds, I lean towards Alvidrez, as I see him as the more active fighter in this matchup, and he has enough experience and a good enough defense to avoid taking too much damage.
Prediction: Alvidrez by Decision
A fun matchup of Featherweights here, featuring two very different styles. Kurtis Campbell is a high-paced fighter with a strong grappling game, especially when he secures top position. Demba Seck is an explosive and athletic striker who attempts wild strikes, making him consistently dangerous, although he is not the most technically skilled or dominant in his fights.
I'm going with Campbell in this one, as he is the more technically sound fighter with better grappling, and I trust him more if the fight extends into the later rounds.
Prediction: Campbell by Decision
Flyweights open the card here in this matchup of young finishers. Rashid Vagabov is a talented submission artist with the dominant ground game you would expect out of someone who trains out of the Nurmagomedov camp. Paulo da Silva is a wild finisher who keeps constant pressure, although his defence is a major concern of mine, as we have seen him taken down and dropped badly by lower-level competition.
Vagabov is my most confident pick on the card, as I believe he is on a completely different level than da Silva, and he will show it by earning an early finish and securing a UFC contract.
Prediction: Vagabov by 1st Round Submission