Updated
Updated · The Action Network · Aug 18
Dana White's Contender Series Week 2 Sets 5 Fights as 3 Underdogs Stay Below +200
Updated
Updated · The Action Network · Aug 18

Dana White's Contender Series Week 2 Sets 5 Fights as 3 Underdogs Stay Below +200

3 articles · Updated · The Action Network · Aug 18

Summary

  • Five bouts are set for Tuesday's Contender Series card at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where winners — and some losers — can still earn UFC contracts from Dana White.
  • Three underdogs are priced shorter than +200, making Week 2 more competitive on paper than the opener and creating several live-betting angles rather than heavy pre-fight favorites.
  • Cristian Perez at -225 and Douglas Rodrigues by KO at -160 are the clearest analyst-backed plays, while Mahamed Aly is favored at -310 with a submission prop preferred over the moneyline.
  • Taner Trembley is projected to upset Roman Puga via decision despite opening as a +150 underdog, and Kaik Brito is the recommended +150 play against Namo Fazil with a small stab on +700 by decision.
  • The card streams on Paramount+ at 7 p.m. ET and continues the 10-week series that has become the UFC's main feeder system for new talent.

Insights

Is a hard-fought decision win ever enough to earn a UFC contract in today's high-stakes Contender Series?
How will the brutal knockouts and rare submissions at the expanded Meta APEX reshape future UFC talent scouting?
Did the shocking underdog finishes by Lorenz and Miller guarantee them UFC contracts from Dana White?