We’re getting down to the business end of the eighth season of Dana White’s Contender Series. After this Tuesday’s show, only three more cards from the weeknight MMA offering will be held this season. All throughout this season, as well as all throughout the life of Contender Series, the mission statement has been clearly defined:
Put on a show, get a UFC contract from Dana White at the close of an episode. Through six episodes this year, 24 MMA prospects have earned a contract in the sport’s top promotion as a direct result of appearing on Contender Series, including four deals awarded a week ago.
As always, live coverage of DWCS 73 begins this Tuesday night at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the United States and will feature five fights inside the famed Octagon at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, NV.
Heavyweights Go Toe-to-Toe in DWCS 73 Main Event Tuesday
Highlighting this week’s evening of competitive violence is a contest between two fighters at 265 lbs. who have combined for 11-0 entering the DWCS 73 main event. Bailey Schoenfelder (5-0 MMA), an alumnus of Bellator, Cage Fury and the LFA, meets Danylo Voievodkin (6-0 MMA) in the headlining bout.
As with all Contender Series fights throughout the season, this one is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
DWCS 73 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the DWCS 73 main event on Tuesday night, Bailey Schoenfelder stands 6-foot-3 and owns a 76-inch reach. Ordinarily, at this point, we’d mention what Danylo Voievodkin’s height and reach are, but no such information exists on the Internet at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Bailey Schoenfelder installed as a -660 favorite on the money line, while Danylo Voievodkin counters as a +420 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this week or weekend in MMA and/or combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Can Former University of Minnesota Football Player Schoenfelder Score Touchdown in Cage Tuesday?
Bailey Schoenfelder has yet to lose thus far in his MMA career and he’s got a championship to show for it. Back in April of this year, he scored a second-round knockout against Greg Velasco (6-2 MMA) during CFFC 131’s co-main event on UFC Fight Pass from Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City to grab the belt.
Velasco was himself a Contender Series alumnus from last season, however, he came away without a contract at night’s end due to sustaining a first-round submission defeat via rear-naked choke against Shamil Gaziev (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) about a year ago.
As far as Schoenfelder is concerned, he’s an alumnus of the Big Ten Conference. Prior to turning to the cage, he was a member of The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers’ football program as a linebacker, playing in 20 career games over the course of three seasons, having redshirted in 2016 before not playing at all in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
After leaving the football field at Huntington Bank Stadium behind, he turned to MMA in 2021, where he’s won all of his bouts inside the distance. Schoenfelder has a tough opponent on the docket this week, however.
Voievodkin Looks to Continue Impressive Run
In the other corner, Danylo Voievodkin also has yet to lose in his career, but his story is even more amazing. All six of his professional wins in MMA have come before the bell to end the first round has tolled, with five of his six wins being recorded in under one minute.
Last time out, he needed just 53 seconds to stop Roman Tarasyuk (1-1 MMA) in November of last year during PPC 17: Kratos Cup: Warriors of Kyiv from the Culture Center in Kyiv. Any time a fighter can rattle off a string of victories inside the distance, it’s great for his or her stock, but a fighter finishing all of his or her opponents before the first round ends is another ball of wax entirely.
He’ll need to put on another display like that on Tuesday if he wants to get his hands on a UFC deal.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With the DWCS 73 main event taking place in the heavyweight division, don’t expect it to last all 15 minutes. Somebody’s getting stopped here. The only question is of who it’s going to be.
Schoenfelder Can Bring the Pain
Bailey Schoenfelder has finished all of his opponents by knockout. Any time that this man steps into the cage, expect some fireworks, like in his April fight vs. Velasco.
During the second round of a scheduled four, he landed a right hand on Velasco before teeing off with a barrage of punches. Although Velasco moved out of the way, it was only for a brief moment, thanks to Schoenfelder continuing to pour on the strikes, eventually working his way to the ground and landing a series of elbows and hammerfists from back mount.
Look for Bailey Schoenfelder to come out of the gates like a house on fire this Tuesday in the DWCS 73 main event. If he knocks Danylo Voievodkin down, he’ll get momentum on his side.
Voievodkin Doesn’t Mess Around
In the other corner, don’t blink when Danylo Voievodkin enters the cage for the DWCS 73 main event on Tuesday night. You just might end up missing the ending to the contest.
He gets to work in a hurry, as was the case in his pro debut against Denis Tukmachev. A few seconds after the command to fight was given, Voievodkin uncorked a tremendous kick to the head sending Tukmachev backwards before landing flat on the mat.
If Voievodkin lands the first blow on Tuesday night, it might be the only blow landed in the DWCS 73 main event.
Final Thoughts
Two undefeated heavyweights will set foot inside the Octagon this Tuesday night. This one will be quite a fun scrap.
Prediction: Danylo Voievodkin by First-Round TKO.
