MMASucka staff picks are locked in for the UFC president’s promotion.
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 7, Week 2, also titled as Dana White’s Contender Series 58, is set for action later tonight, August 15th from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fighters looking for a ticket into the Ultimate Fighting Championship get their shot beginning at 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT) available for viewers on ESPN+.
MMASucka will provide live results from Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 7, Week 2. Stay tuned.
Also, take a look back at our staff picks from Friday’s Bellator 298: Storley vs. Ward from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 51: Luque vs. dos Anjos from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Fights
A thrilling main event is in store between two highly-touted lightweight prospects of Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady and George Hardwick.
Former Brave CF Lightweight Champion, Al-Selwady, gets his shot at a promotional contract fresh off his fourth consecutive win and capturing of the Fury FC Lightweight title in February over Michael Murphy. The “Pride of Palestine” represents Fortis MMA in preparation for his 18th professional fight dating back to his professional beginnings in mid-2012. Al-Selwady’s opponent, Hardwick has only faced defeat once through his 13 cage appearances. At 26 years of age, the English talent has accomplished incredible feats thus far including his capturing and ultimate two stoppage defenses of the Cage Warriors Lightweight title.
An undefeated streak will fall as Brazilian women’s strawweights, Eduarda Moura and Janaina Silva, will faceoff in the night’s co-main event. All but one opponent has been finished along the way for Moura who makes her second appearance of 2023 after taking the vacant Demo Fight Strawweight Championship with her second-round stoppage over Claudia Alves in March. Meanwhile, Silva looks for professional win number six after making her LFA debut last November count with a unanimous decision over Nayara Hemily.
Current Bellator and former LFA competitor, Hyder Amil, also hopes to remain undefeated as he battles Great Britain Top Team’s Emrah Sonmez in the featherweight division.
Making his return to the Contender Series sees Paulo Renato Jr. off a two-fight, first-round knockout streak ready for another shot at a UFC contract in a light heavyweight pairing with the 100% finishing rate of Ibo Aslan.
Opening the ESPN+ fight card sees a 135-pound matchup between recently-crowned Fury FC Bantamweight Champion Cameron Smotherman and current Combat FC Bantamweight title holder Charalampos Grigoriou.
Find our Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 7, Week 2 staff picks further below.
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.
The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.
Who have the MMASucka staff picked to win at Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 7, Week 2?
Staff Records after Dana White’s Contender Series – Season 7, Week 1:
Ben Jamieson: 182-94
Michael DeSantis: 178-98
Jeremy Brand: 174-102
Nate Freeman: 171-105
Wesley Riddle: 169-107
Frazer Krohn: 169-107
Julio Monteros Jr.: 155-94
Andrew Benjamin: 134-111
Jack Goodwillie: 132-79
Brian Knight: 126-79
Tim Wheaton: 105-60
Roemello Reyes: 62-34
Jonathan Andrade: 31-24
Brandon Joint: 12-9
Andrew Harbaugh: 10-7
Joshua Yule: 7-6
Chris De Santiago: 6-6
Antwyn Jackson: 5-6
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – Bellator 298 & UFC on ESPN 51 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Cameron Smotherman (8-3)
vs.
Charalampos Grigoriou (7-3)
Bantamweight Division
– 135 LBS. ~ 61.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Smotherman via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Smotherman via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Smotherman via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Smotherman via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Smotherman via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Smotherman via Round 2 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Smotherman via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Smotherman: 7
Staff picking Grigoriou: 0
Paulo Renato Jr. (12-2)
vs.
Ibo Aslan (11-1)
Light Heavyweight Division
– 205 LBS. ~ 93.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Aslan via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Aslan via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Aslan via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Renato Jr. via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Renato Jr. via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Aslan via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Aslan via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Renato Jr.: 2
Staff picking Aslan: 5
Hyder Amil (7-0)
vs.
Emrah Sonmez (14-4)
Featherweight Division
– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Amil via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Amil via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Amil via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Amil via Split Decision
Frazer Krohn: Sonmez via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Amil via Round 1 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Amil via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Amil: 6
Staff picking Sonmez: 1
Eduarda Moura (8-0)
vs.
Janaina Silva (5-0)
Women’s Strawweight Division
– Co-Main Event –
– 115 LBS. ~ 52.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Moura via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Moura via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Moura via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Moura via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Moura via Round 3 SUB
Nate Freeman: Moura via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Moura via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Moura: 7
Staff picking Silva: 0
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (14-3)
vs.
George Hardwick (12-1)
Lightweight Division
– Main Event –
– 155 LBS. ~ 70.3 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Hardwick via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Hardwick via Round 3 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Hardwick via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Hardwick via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Hardwick via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Hardwick via Round 1 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Hardwick via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Al-Selwady: 0
Staff picking Hardwick: 7
