Dana White’s Contender Series 43 is just hours away as ten of the world’s best regional fighters will look to give it all they have for a potential UFC contract. Tonight’s card will be the seventh-straight Tuesday of ten total events for organization’s 2021 season. The five fights will take place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada with a start time of 8:00pm ET (5:00pm PT) available for subscribers on ESPN+.
Take a look back at our picks from Saturday evening’s UFC Vegas 39 event.
The Fights
In the featured main event of the night, bantamweights (135 lbs.) Junior Cortez and Christian Rodriguez will battle for a possible 15 minutes.
Cortez, siblings to current UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez and the late Jose Cortez, will hope to join his sister in the promotion. A successful return in June of this year following a two-year layoff has prompted the MMA Lab prospect to his biggest opportunity yet. Cortez’s opponent, Rodriguez, remains undefeated through five professional fights. The 23-year-old out of Roufusport aims for the same goal aiming to keep his 100% finishing streak intact.
Heavyweights (265 lbs.) Lorenzo Hood and Martin Buday are set in the co-main event. Illinois’ Hood targets a fourth straight knockout victory under 100 seconds, while Slovakia’s Buday will look for his eighth in-a-row by way of stoppage.
Find out further below who the MMASucka staff is picking to win at Dana White’s Contender Series 43.
Staff Picks
Throughout the calendar year, staff picks will be composed of main card fights from both UFC and Bellator events. Main card fights and selected preliminary fights will be selected for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the full fight card.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2021 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. For the third straight year, Michael DeSantis captured the 2020 victory compiling a record of 201-88.
See our Dana White’s Contender Series 43 staff picks below.
Staff Records after Dana White’s Contender Series 42:
1. Nate Freeman: 185-101
2T. Wesley Riddle: 180-106
2T. Michael DeSantis: 180-106
4. Frazer Krohn: 167-119
5T. Jeremy Brand: 154-128
5T. Ash Camyab: 154-108
5T. Mike Lynch: 154-122
8. Andrew Benjamin: 121-124
9. Tim Wheaton: 108-82
10. Chris Presnell: 60-26
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – UFC Vegas 39 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Kathryn Paprocki (3-1) vs. Maria Silva (6-0)
Wesley Riddle: Silva via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Silva via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Silva via UD
Frazer Krohn: Silva via Round 2 SUB
Mike Lynch: Silva via UD
Nate Freeman: Silva via SD
Chris Presnell: Silva via UD
Staff picking Paprocki: 0
Staff picking Silva: 7
Chris Duncan (7-0) vs. Slava Borshchev (4-1)
Wesley Riddle: Duncan via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Duncan via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Borshchev via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Duncan via Round 1 TKO
Mike Lynch: Borshchev via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Duncan via Round 1 TKO
Chris Presnell: Duncan via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Duncan: 5
Staff picking Borshchev: 2
Jake Hadley (7-0) vs. Mitch Raposo (5-0)
Wesley Riddle: Hadley via UD
Michael DeSantis: Hadley via UD
Ash Camyab: Hadley via UD
Frazer Krohn: Hadley via UD
Mike Lynch: Hadley via UD
Nate Freeman: Hadley via UD
Chris Presnell: Hadley via UD
Staff picking Hadley: 7
Staff picking Raposo: 0
Lorenzo Hood (12-4, 3 NC) vs. Martin Buday (8-1)
Wesley Riddle: Buday via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Buday via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Hood via UD
Frazer Krohn: Buday via Round 2 TKO
Mike Lynch: Buday via Round 1 TKO
Nate Freeman: Buday via Round 2 TKO
Chris Presnell: Buday via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Hood: 1
Staff picking Buday: 6
Junior Cortez (5-1) vs. Christian Rodriguez (5-0)
Wesley Riddle: Rodriguez via SD
Michael DeSantis: Rodriguez via UD
Ash Camyab: Cortez via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Cortez via UD
Mike Lynch: Rodriguez via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Rodriguez via Round 2 TKO
Chris Presnell: Rodriguez via UD
Staff picking Cortez: 2
Staff picking Rodriguez: 5
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