October is here. With the spooky season now in full effect, you can expect 24/7 marathons of scary movies on cable, pumpkin carving for Jack-O-lanterns, and trick-or-treat hours at the end of the month, among anything else you can think of.
While we’re on the subject of treats, this time of year, the one treat that MMA prospects are in search of: A UFC contract from CEO Dana White on a Tuesday evening, something that 29 fighters have already achieved in 2024, including every winner from last week’s show. Even though this year’s MLB Playoffs are due to begin on Tuesday afternoon and evening with Game 1s in the Wild Card Round, not everyone in the country will have their eyes peeled on a baseball game.
Week number eight of the eighth season of Dana White’s Contender Series takes place on Tuesday night. As always, the show will emanate from the UFC Apex from Enterprise, NV and feature five fights beginning at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the United States of America.
Light Heavyweights Meet in DWCS 74 Main Event
Highlighting the night’s itinerary is a contest at 205 lbs. in the DWCS 74 main event. Undefeated Diyar Nurgozhay (9-0 MMA), onetime Eagle FC Light Heavyweight Champion, travels to the Apex to take on Bartosz Szewczyk (8-2-1 MMA), the Fight Exclusive Night Light Heavyweight Champion in his native country of Poland.
As with all fights throughout the season, the DWCS 74 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
DWCS 74 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the DWCS 74 main event on Tuesday night, Bartosz Szewczyk stands as the taller man at 6-foot-4, compared to the 6-foot-2 frame of Diyar Nurgozhay. Szewczyk owns a 77.2-inch reach, with no such information for Nurgozhay.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Diyar Nurgozhay installed as a -154 betting favorite on the money line, while Bartosz Szewczyk counters as a +120 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.
Diyar Nurgozhay Seeks 10th Straight Pro Win Tuesday
Diyar Nurgozhay enters the DWCS 74 main event on Tuesday night having yet to lose thus far in his professional MMA career. Counting amateur competitions, he’s won 11 fights in succession dating back to the summer of 2021. Last time out, he scored a first-round knockout (punches) of Emiliano Sordi (24-13-1 MMA, 0-2 UAE Warriors), a veteran of the PFL and Contender Series, in UAE Warriors 50 on May 18 on UFC Fight Pass.
Nurgozhay is a young man who has checked all of the boxes: He has a sustained winning streak to begin his career as an MMA fighter, he’s won a championship in his weight class, and he’s won seven career fights inside the distance.
Fighters of Diyar Nurgozhay’s ilk are exactly the kind that Dana White is looking for every year when he and his staff are putting together the list of contestants for the 10-episode season. Win number 10 just might be Nurgozhay’s ticket to the UFC. Watch the DWCS 74 main event on Tuesday night and find out if he scores a contract.
FEN Champ Szewczyk Seeks to Keep Streak Alive
In the other corner, Bartosz Szewczyk has posted a mark of 3-1-1 in his last five fights. At the moment, he’s on a four-fight unbeaten streak, winning his last three contests.
Most recently, he scored a third-round knockout with a kick to the body against Marcin Lazarz (15-10, 1 NC MMA) in February of this year during FEN 52, taking that promotion’s light heavyweight championship in the process. Szewczyk has had north of six months between appearances.
Any kind of extended hiatus for a fighter can be a hinderance to a fighter’s development. What kind of ring rust does he have?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With both men having won light heavyweight championships in the past, expect them to treat the DWCS 74 main event in the same vein as a title fight. This one should be a fun watch on Tuesday night.
Nurgozhay a Great Striker
Diyar Nurgozhay has scored seven stoppages in nine fights to begin his pro career. Of those seven stoppages, five have been by way of knockout, including his May win vs. Emiliano Sordi. During the first round of the fight, Nurgozhay landed a shot to the body, along with a right hook.
From there, Nurgozhay teed off with combinations, forcing Sordi to cover up, albeit to no avail. While Sordi tried to block his opponent’s shots, Nurgozhay was far too tough and referee Daniel Movahedi had no choice but to rescue Sordi from further damage.
Look for Diyar Nurgozhay to come out swinging in the DWCS 74 main event on Tuesday. If he’s able to land copious punches, he’ll overwhelm Bartosz Szewczyk.
Szewczyk Can Put People Away, Too
In the other corner, you can’t discount Bartosz Szewczyk when the cage door closes. He’s got powerful punches in his own right, something that was illustrated in his fight last year vs. Artem Zemlyakov.
After almost finishing Zemlyakov with ground and pound at the end of round one, Szewczyk landed counterpunches in the second period of the contest. Although Zemlyakov was in search of right-handed punches, those shots didn’t find a home. Upon Szewczyk landing a body kick and Zemlyakov trying to take him down, he stunned him with another kick to the body
A barrage of punches to the head forced the referee to intervene. All Bartosz Szewczyk needs to do in the DWCS 74 main event is simply beat Nurgozhay to the punch and he’ll be golden.
Final Thoughts
This could be the best fight of the season on Contender Series. Don’t miss the DWCS 74 main event.
Prediction: Diyar Nurgozhay by First-Round TKO.
