Dana White's Contender Series
Dana White’s Contender Series Picks: Week 10 | DraftKings Sportsbook
Tim Finnegan Of DraftKings Breaks Down This Week’s Episode Of Dana White’s Contender Series
Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series continued last week at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and four fighters earned a UFC contract: Islam Dulatov, Mario Pinto, Kody Steele, and Artem Vakhitov. UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira attended the event and recommended that the UFC sign Vakhitov to a contract. Pereira and Vakhitov fought twice in kickboxing, each winning once, and it's possible we will eventually see a third fight in the UFC between the two.
A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor cashed in during last week's episode, turning $25 into over $1,400 with a five-leg Dana White’s Contender Series Parlay Bet featuring the following picks:
- Sean Gauci To Win By Decision
- Islam Dulatov To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Lucas Camacho vs Mario Pinto Exact Method of Victory: KO/TKO/DQ
- Kody Steele To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Artem Vakhitov To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
As a result of all of these outcomes hitting in the Parlay Bet, the DWCS bettor took home $1,467.26.
Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series airs on Tuesday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This week features the DWCS return of former Division 1 All-American wrestler Nick Piccininni, who appeared in Week 3 earlier this season. Piccininni has an exciting matchup against top flyweight prospect Luis Gurule.
Dana White’s Contender Series Odds
- Mohamed Ado (+114) vs Jonathan Micallef (-145)
- Julieta Martinez (-154) vs Leslie Hernandez (+120)
- Antonio Monteiro (-110) vs Yadier DelValle (-120)
- Luis Gurule (-110) vs Nick Piccininni (-120)
- Nick Klein (+145) vs Heraldo Souza (-188)
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app or check out Dana White’s Contender Series Odds Page!
Nick Piccininni vs Luis Gurule
Piccininni is an elite wrestler. Piccininni wrestled in college at Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time All-American. High-level wrestling is a great base to have for MMA because great wrestlers can usually dictate where the fight takes place and avoid bad bottom positions on the ground. Piccininni’s style throughout his MMA career has been to take his opponent down, pass to a dominant position, and finish the fight with a choke.
Piccininni won a decision against Jack Duffy when he fought on DWCS earlier this season, but it was not an impressive performance. Many people thought that Piccininni should have lost the decision. Piccininni did have success with takedowns and control time, which ultimately won him the fight. Piccininni attempted 16 takedowns, finished six of them, and recorded over eight minutes of control time, including dominant positions on Duffy's back. Something to note is that Piccininni took that fight on very short notice, having only about one week to prepare. It’s possible that Piccininni’s performance was hurt by taking the fight on short notice.
Piccininni and Duffy were supposed to have a rematch this week, but Duffy was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Instead, Gurule accepted this fight on very short notice to replace Duffy.
Gurule is powerful and hits hard, and his power stands out in the flyweight division. Gurule’s hands are potent, and he has also showcased powerful and well-timed knee strikes, which is notable against an opponent like Piccininni, who likes to change levels and shoot—having strong knee strikes is a good way to counter shots from distance. While Gurule’s wrestling is not nearly as advanced as Piccininni’s, Gurule does have a college wrestling background, which he will likely need to utilize defensively to stifle Piccininni’s takedown attempts.
Piccininni’s biggest weakness has been his distance striking. In his first DWCS fight, Piccininni got out-struck 76 to 32 in significant strikes landed, including getting out-struck 37 to 21 in head strikes. Piccininni’s striking defense on a rate basis was poor, avoiding only 31% of Duffy's significant strike attempts. Piccininni’s chin has also been tested in previous fights. In his fight against Freddie Rodriguez, Piccininni got dropped by a left hook after Piccininni left his chin stationary and his right hand at his waist while inside the pocket. This will be dangerous to do against a fighter who hits as hard as Gurule does.
Ultimately, this fight will likely come down to Gurule’s striking and defensive wrestling vs. Piccininni’s offensive grappling. If Gurule can keep this fight standing, he has a good chance to take advantage of Piccininni’s subpar striking and land power shots that fuel a win, either by KO/TKO or by racking up points and winning a decision.
Prediction: Luis Gurule to win by KO/TKO
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app or check out Dana White’s Contender Series Odds Page!
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.