MMASucka staff picks are locked in as a promotion sees their 2022 finale.
Dana White’s Contender Series 56 will take place later tonight, September 27th from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will mark the tenth fight card of the calendar year and the sixth season’s closure for the promotion. Tonight’s event will begin at 8:00pm ET (5:00pm PT) live for subscribers on ESPN+.
Results from Dana White’s Contender Series 56 will be available here at MMASucka.
Be sure to recap our staff picks from last Friday afternoon’s Bellator 285 picks from Dublin. Also, stay tuned this upcoming weekend for a Saturday double-header with our UFC Vegas 61: Dern vs. Yan picks from Las Vegas and our Bellator 286: Pitbull vs. Borics picks from Long Beach.
The Fights
Ten fighters look to make the most of their opportunity as they look to impress Dana White and company for a hopeful Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.
In the final Contender Series main event of the year, Bo Nickal and Donovan Beard will meet in the middleweight division (185 pounds). Nickal returns to the promotion for the second time this year after his dominant 62-second submission in Week Three over Zack Borrego. The former NCAA Division I wrestler will look for his third victory since beginning as a professional in June of this year. Nickal’s opponent, Beard, looks to play spoiler after earning his spot with a capturing of the Cage Fury FC middleweight championship over Miles Lee in July.
26-year-old lightweights (155 pounds) Sam Patterson of England and Vinicius Cenci of Brazil are set for battle in the co-main event. Patterson puts his eight-fight win streak on the line after a successful three-year tenure competing in Brave FC. Cenci rides a respectable stretch of his own with seven victories in-a-row with stoppages in each fight within the first or second round.
Also looking for their spots at a promotional contract include Eternal MMA featherweight champion Jack Jenkins, Nova Uniao’s undefeated Rafael Ramos Estevam, and the card’s youngest hopeful of 23-year-old Mateus Mendonca against their respected opponents. See our staff picks further below for Dana White’s Contender Series 56.
Staff Picks
Staff picks in 2022 will follow the same set of rules from the 2021 season. 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 included for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the entire fight card.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2022 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. A winner is determined simply by the individual correctly picking the most victorious fighters at the year’s end. Nate Freeman secured his first victory with MMASucka in 2021 with a compiled record 243-136.
Who are the MMASucka staff picking to win at Dana White’s Contender Series 56?
Staff Records after Dana White’s Contender Series 55:
1T. Wesley Riddle: 204-107
1T. Nate Freeman: 204-107
3. Frazer Krohn: 202-109
4. Michael DeSantis: 200-111
5. Jeremy Brand: 187-118
6. William Dong: 173-106
7. Julio Monteros Jr.: 163-92
8. Chris Presnell: 170-120
9. Andrew Benjamin: 165-129
10. Tim Wheaton: 158-93
11. Brian Knight: 125-88
12. Mike Lynch: 123-74
13. Jack Goodwillie: 118-58
14. Brandon Joint: 115-74
15. Ash Camyab: 105-77
16. Coby Weinsier: 87-47
17. Chinyere Okafor: 72-38
18. Jacek Okninski: 70-58
19. Roemello Reyes: 58-30
20. Ben Jamieson: 34-21
21. Matt Bricker: 24-22
22. Joe Porter: 11-5
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – Bellator 285 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Ashiek Ajim (6-1), +255
vs.
Mateus Mendonca (9-0), -305
Bantamweight Division
– 135 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Mendonca via Round 1 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Mendonca via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Mendonca via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Mendonca via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Mendonca via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Mendonca via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Ajim: 0
Staff picking Mendonca: 6
Rafael Ramos Estevam (10-0), -170
vs.
Joao Elias (17-3-1, 1 NC), +145
Flyweight Division
– 125 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Elias via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Ramos Estevam via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Ramos Estevam via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Elias via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Ramos Estevam via Round 1 TKO
Nate Freeman: Ramos Estevam via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Ramos Estevam: 4
Staff picking Elias: 2
Freddy Emiliano Linares (8-1), +245
vs.
Jack Jenkins (9-2), -295
Featherweight Division
– 145 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Jenkins via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Jenkins via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Jenkins via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Jenkins via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Jenkins via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Jenkins via Round 2 SUB
Staff picking Emiliano Linares: 0
Staff picking Jenkins: 6
Sam Patterson (9-1-1), -210
vs.
Vinicius Cenci (7-1), +180
Lightweight Co-Main Event
– 155 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Patterson via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Patterson via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Patterson via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Patterson via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Patterson via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Patterson via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Patterson: 6
Staff picking Cenci: 0
Bo Nickal (2-0), -2800
vs.
Donovan Beard (7-1), +1300
Middleweight Main Event
– 185 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Nickal via Round 1 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Nickal via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Nate Freeman: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking Nickal: 6
Staff picking Beard: 0
*Fight odds from DraftKings*
DANA WHITE’S CONTENDER SERIES 56 FEATURED IMAGE:
Embed from Getty Images
