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Dana White's Contender Series Picks: Week 7 | 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: Ahmad Hassanzada, Ateba Gautier, Elijah Smith, and Tallison Teixeira. Teixeira's performance and skill set strongly stood out, and he could emerge as a force in the UFC's heavyweight division down the road.
A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor cashed in during last week's episode, turning $100 into over $2,300 with a five-leg Dana White’s Contender Series Parlay Bet featuring the following picks:
- Ahmad Hassanzada Moneyline
- Ateba Gautier To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Benjamin Bennett To Win By Decision
- Tallison Teixeira To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Elijah Smith Moneyline
As a result of all of these outcomes hitting in the Parlay Bet, the DWCS bettor took home $2,305.51.
Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series airs on Tuesday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This week features the DWCS debut of exciting Italian prospect Francesco Mazzeo.
Dana White’s Contender Series Odds
- Alexia Thainara (-110) vs. Rose Conceicao (-120)
- Kevin Vallejos (-375) vs. Cam Teague (+270)
- Kevin Christian (-160) vs. Francesco Mazzeo (+124)
- Daniel Frunza (+180) vs. Vadym Kutsyi (-238)
- Bailey Schoenfelder (-660) vs. Danylo Voievodkin (+420)
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Francesco Mazzeo vs Kevin Christian
Mazzeo only has four professional fights, but his physical skills jump out on tape. Mazzeo is quick and athletic with fast hands and stinging punching power. Mazzeo recently went viral on social media for his explosive 37-second knockout of Vanderlei Junior where he folded Junior with a right hand to the temple.
Mazzeo’s feints are also excellent. Feinting is an incredibly powerful weapon because it blurs the line between real attacks and fake attacks. Feinting produces reactions from opponents that can set them up for other strikes. A classic example of the power of feinting can be seen in Alex Pereira’s knockout of Sean Strickland at UFC 276. Pereira feinted a jab, which caused Strickland to reach to parry the jab. Pereira then looped a left hook into the exposed area on Strickland’s right side to land a thunderous punch that ended the fight.
Feinting can also diminish the defensive reactions of opponents. If a fighter feints often enough, the opponent stops buying the immediate threat, and that’s when an opening is created to land. Wrestler Jordan Burroughs would frequently set up his signature double-leg takedown by feinting with jab steps, and after enough feints, his opponent took the immediate threat of the shot less seriously, which created an opening for Burroughs to blast through and secure the takedown.
Mazzeo’s opponent, Kevin Christian, is massive for the division, standing 6’7” with an 80-inch reach. Christian is 8-2 in his pro career but has only fought once since 2019, winning via strikes in a wild fight against Miguel Porto. However, despite winning his most recent fight, there were several alarming issues with Christian’s technique. Christian’s distance striking is sloppy, and he does not use his length well. In his fight against Porto, Christian swung wildly with his hands at his waist and his chin upright and on the centerline. Christian paid the price for his poor defense, getting floored in the first round, and had to recover his wits off his back in closed guard.
If Christian takes technique like this into his fight against Mazzeo, he’s likely in for a short night against Mazzeo's powerful and crisp striking. Despite having a significant disadvantage in length and height, Mazzeo should blast through Christian’s porous defense and win this fight via KO/TKO.
Prediction: Francesco Mazzeo to win by KO/TKO
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.