Only two fight cards remain for Dana White’s promotion this calendar year. Later tonight, October 26 will see Dana White’s Contender Series 45 go down from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will begin at 8:00pm ET (5:00pm PT) live on ESPN+ for subscribers.
Season Five concludes with its tenth and final card of 2021 next Tuesday, November 2.
Take a look back at our staff picks from Saturday’s Bellator 269 and UFC Vegas 41. Also, stay tuned to MMASucka tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon for the highly-anticipated PFL 10 2021 event in Hollywood, Florida featuring six championship fights each for one million dollars.
The Fights
In just a few short hours, six fights featuring twelve athletes from around the world will get their shot at a potential contract for the UFC. The featured main event falls in the middleweight division (185 lbs.) between Jansey Silva of Brazil and Gadzhi Omargadzhiev of Russia.
Silva has been one of the leading faces of Watch Out Combat Show, competing in all twelve of his combined professional and amateur fights with the promotion since 2013. The 26-year-old makes his first ever appearance in an outer organization while searching for his third-straight win by knockout. Silva’s opponent, Omargadzhiev, remains undefeated at twelve career victories with ten by way of stoppage. The Sambo talent hopes to make the most of his first opportunity in the Americas.
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Bantamweights (135 lbs.) Christian Quinonez and Long Xiao are set for battle in the co-main event. Quinonez targets a fourth straight victory in hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and nine-fight UFC veteran Jose Quinonez. Xiao rides a dominant twelve-fight win streak having captured the Wu Lin Feng title in October of last year.
Oron Kahlon was the lone fighter of the card to miss weight, moving his pairing with new rival Javid Basharat to a catchweight of 139 pounds. Find out further below who is being picked to win at Dana White’s Contender Series 45.
Staff Picks
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 selected for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the full fight card.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2021 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. For the third straight year, Michael DeSantis captured the 2020 victory compiling a record of 201-88.
See our Dana White’s Contender Series 45 staff picks below.
Staff Records after Dana White’s Contender Series 44:
1. Nate Freeman: 200-108
2. Wesley Riddle: 195-113
3. Michael DeSantis: 192-112
4. Frazer Krohn: 183-125
5. Mike Lynch: 170-128
6. Ash Camyab: 169-115
7. Jeremy Brand: 163-141
8. Andrew Benjamin: 121-124
9. Tim Wheaton: 108-82
10. Chris Presnell: 74-34
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – Bellator 269 & UFC Vegas 41 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Olivier Murad (5-0) vs. Xie Bin (8-2)
Wesley Riddle: Bin via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Bin via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Bin via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Bin via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Bin via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Bin via Split Decision
Chris Presnell: Bin via Round 1 SUB
Jake Broderick: Bin via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Murad: 0
Staff picking Bin: 8
Manuel Torres (11-2) vs. Kolton Englund (9-3)
Wesley Riddle: Englund via Round 1 SUB
Ash Camyab: Torres via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Torres via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Torres via Round 2 TKO
Mike Lynch: Englund via Round 3 TKO
Nate Freeman: Englund via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Torres via Round 2 SUB
Jake Broderick: Torres via Round 2 SUB
Staff picking Torres: 5
Staff picking Englund: 3
Qihui Yan (11-3) vs. Karine Silva (13-4)
Wesley Riddle: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Yan via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Yan via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Yan via Unanimous Decision
Jake Broderick: Silva via Round 2 SUB
Staff picking Yan: 3
Staff picking Silva: 5
Javid Basharat (10-0) vs. Oron Kahlon (16-0)
Wesley Riddle: Basharat via Round 1 TKO
Ash Camyab: Basharat via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Kahlon via Split Decision
Frazer Krohn: Kahlon via Round 2 SUB
Mike Lynch: Basharat via UD
Nate Freeman: Basharat via Round 1 TKO
Chris Presnell: Basharat via Round 1 TKO
Jake Broderick: Basharat via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Basharat: 6
Staff picking Kahlon: 2
Christian Quinonez (15-3) vs. Long Xiao (16-6)
Wesley Riddle: Quinonez via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Xiao via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Xiao via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Quinonez via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Quinonez via Round 2 SUB
Nate Freeman: Quinonez via Round 1 TKO
Chris Presnell: Quinonez via Unanimous Decision
Jake Broderick: Quinonez via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Quinonez: 6
Staff picking Xiao: 2
Jansey Silva (7-1) vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (12-0)
Wesley Riddle: Omargadzhiev via Round 2 SUB
Ash Camyab: Omargadzhiev via Round 2 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Omargadzhiev via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Omargadzhiev via Round 3 TKO
Mike Lynch: Omargadzhiev via Round 3 SUB
Nate Freeman: Omargadzhiev via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Omargadzhiev via Round 1 TKO
Jake Broderick: Omargadzhiev via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking Silva: 0
Staff picking Omargadzhiev: 8
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