Dana White’s Contender Series Picks & Predictions (Week 6)
We saw four contracts awarded in Week 5 of Dana White's Contender Series, bringing the total to 24. We are officially past the halfway mark of season 10, with five more cards for prospects to earn a contract. The Meta Apex in Las Vegas once again is the stage for five fights on Tuesday evening. The Week 6 card starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Below are our top Dana White’s Contender Series picks for Week 5.
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Dana White's Contender Series Picks: Week 6
Middleweight: Luis Hernandez vs. Hugo Guillon
Luis Hernandez is taking on Hugo Guillon on the second fight of the night in the middleweight division. Guillon is a 7-1 French fighter with four knockouts and two submissions. His lone loss is a knockout in 2022.
Hernandez trains in Miami with the Freedom Fighters. He is 7-0 as a professional and has finished every fight. He has three knockouts and four submissions. Hernandez has a couple of viral moments. He finished a fight in three seconds with a head kick on Titan FC 83 in 2023. He also provoked Sean Strickland and Chris Curtis into jumping into the cage after he submitted their teammate, which led to Strickland's suspension.
Guillon has a size advantage in this matchup. Guillon is a big middleweight, listed at 6-foot-4, while Hernandez is a smaller middleweight. He has mainly fought in the welterweight division. Guillon is a solid grappler, but gives up positional advantage more than you would like to see. He attacks legs and heel hooks, which is only good if you get them. Attacking them leaves him extremely vulnerable on the mat.
Hernandez is an exciting fighter who makes fights dirty. That should play to his advantage in this matchup. Guillon's cardio is not great, and he fatigues quickly after the first round. He dominated early in his lone loss and got knocked out at the end of the first round.
Guillon must finish Hernandez early and leave no doubt. Hernandez is tough and gritty, and does not quit. He is not the best striker or grappler, but understands his strengths well. I expect him to push Guillon past his comfort zone and finish him to earn a contract.
Bet: Luis Hernandez Moneyline (+160 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Welterweight: Zevan Hunt vs. Mayton Perea
The main event of the card is in the welterweight division between Mayton Perea and Zevan Hunt. Perea is 8-3 as a professional and trains with fellow Ecuadorean Michael Morales. He has five knockout and three submission victories, with one knockout and two submission losses.
Hunt is 7-0 as a professional and has mostly fought on the Oklahoma regional scene. He has won three fights by knockout, three by submission and one via decision.
Perea is tall for the division and has a 79-inch reach. He works well behind his jab and has simple combinations. He does not wrestle much and fights from range. His striking defense is not great, but his right hand has a lot of power.
Hunt lacks high-level competition on his resume. He does not have tremendous striking and is much more comfortable on the ground. This is a striker-versus-grappler matchup. Hunt does not have good enough takedowns to get Perea to the mat, which is a problem. Perea does not want to be on the mat with him, but I do not expect him to take the fight there. I expect Perea to control the fight and land a power right hand to finish the fight.
Bet: Mayton Perea Moneyline (-122 at FanDuel Sportsbook)