While the UFC itself will be dark this coming weekend to mark the Labor Day holiday, there will still be MMA action to be held this week inside the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. With the 32nd season of The Ultimate Fighter television series on ESPN and ESPN+ now over, Dana White turns his attention to the Contender Series for finding the UFC’s talent of the future.
A week ago, four more prospects were given UFC deals by the promotion’s CEO, bringing the number of total deals this season to eight. This Tuesday, 10 more prospects head to the UFC Apex to impress the boss.
Names to remember 🌟
Here are tonight's #DWCS contract winners!
[ Watch next Tuesday LIVE on @ESPNPlus | 8pmET / 5pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/GXZs0KolNH
— UFC (@ufc) August 21, 2024
Week three of Contender Series action takes place Tuesday night at the show’s usual broadcast time of 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on ESPN+. As is customary, this week’s card features five MMA fights inside the Apex.
Middleweights Headline DWCS 69 Tuesday Night
For the second episode in a row, middleweight action serves as the focus of the headliner of Contender Series. Andrey Pulyaev (8-2 MMA) meets LFA and CFFC alumnus Liam Anderson (6-2 MMA) in the DWCS 69 main event.
As with all bouts on Contender Series throughout the years, this one is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the night’s activities.
DWCS 69 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the DWCS 69 main event on Tuesday night, Liam Anderson stands 6-foot-3, with no such information accessible for Andrey Pulyaev. Anderson also owns a 74-inch reach. No reach information was accessible for Pulyaev at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Liam Anderson installed as a -200 favorite on the money line, while Andrey Pulyaev counters as a +154 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening in MMA or combat sports throughout the weekend, please wager responsibly.
Pulyaev Makes US Debut in DWCS 69 Main Event Tuesday Night
Andrey Pulyaev comes into Tuesday night’s DWCS 69 main event having posted a 4-1 record over the last five fights. At present, he’s on a four-fight winning streak.
Most recently, he scored a first-round knockout (punches) over 65-fight veteran Well Oliveira (34-29-1 MMA) in Shlemenko FC 9 in February from Omsk, Russia. Up to now, Pulyaev hasn’t fought outside of his home country. This changes on Tuesday night.
Although this will be a big change for Pulyaev and his camp ahead of the DWCS 69 main event this week, keep a key statistic in mind as you prepare to watch the fight on Tuesday: All four of his wins on the current streak have been recorded by stoppage, with three of those stoppages happening inside the first round of the contest.
Any time that a prospect is able to rattle off an extended winning streak inside the distance, like Andrey Pulayev has been able to do in the run-up to his fight against Liam Anderson this week, it shows that he has some promise. He’s only been fighting professionally since 2022, so will his rise continue with a UFC deal?
Anderson Looks to Build Off Viral Knockout Tuesday
In the other corner, Liam Anderson has posted a 4-1 record of his own in his last five fights. Currently, he’s on a four-fight winning streak.
Back in February of this year, he stopped Maurice Morris (6-6 MMA) with a first-round knockout (head kick followed by punches) in LFA 177. This was the second loss of Morris’ current four-fight skid.
As far as Liam Anderson is concerned, he mentioned in an interview after the stoppage that he’d like a UFC deal.
“I want Mick [Maynard] to call me and sign me [to] a contract,” Anderson said, “but, talking to my manager, we’re probably going to be the first ones they call when they need a replacement when somebody’s injured. So, whether it’d at 185 or 205, that’s what’s next.”
Liam Anderson’s next assignment is at 185 lbs. and will be against a tough customer in Andrey Pulyaev, so how will he fare here?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With a contract in MMA’s top promotion on the line, you can expect both Pulyaev and Anderson to bring everything they have in their arsenal to the DWCS 69 main event.
Pulyaev Vicious With Subs
Statistically speaking, Andrey Pulyaev has only won two of his fights by way of submission, so while it hasn’t happened too often in his MMA career, it’s awesome to watch when it does. Just watch the tape of his fight against Nikita Kondratov from last year.
Late in the third and final round, Pulyaev dropped Kondratov and took back mount, softening him up with a punch before applying the torque on an armbar, forcing Kondratov to tap with just over a minute remaining on the clock. Look for Pulyaev to shoot for the takedown.
If he’s able to drop Liam Anderson on Tuesday, this fight could be a wrap.
Liam Anderson Works Fast
In the other corner, Liam Anderson has been known to make his nights at the office quick ones. His stats indicate that he’s won four of his fights before the bell to end the first round of the contest has tolled, such as his February contest versus Maurice Morris.
Early on in the first round of the fight, Liam Anderson just missed on a head kick. Undaunted, he stalked Morris and connected on a few kicks before dropping him with one to the head. A brief burst of hammerfists brought an abrupt end to the contest.
Liam Anderson has to beat Andrey Pulayev to the punch in the DWCS 69 main event.
Final Thoughts
Get your popcorn ready for the DWCS 69 main event. Although the calendar will read Aug. 27 on Tuesday, this fight could deliver fireworks rivaling those seen on July 4.
Prediction: Liam Anderson by First-Round TKO.
