Week six of Dana White's Contender Series was the most promising yet in terms of high-level prospects entering the UFC. Hecher Sosa demonstrated his ability to fight a much taller opponent and his ability to adapt to different game plans. The Spaniard, who trains with Ilia Topuria, looks like a problem for the bantamweight division. Tommy Gantt, an All-American wrestler, dominated and locked up a first-round submission en route to a contract. Week seven will try to top that. It begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+ on Tuesday, September 23.
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Dana White's Contender Series Week 7
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Featherweight: Javier Reyes vs. Justice Torres
Justice Torres is stepping in on short notice to fight Javier Reyes, who had two opponents pull out of the fight. Torres is coming in on about a week's notice for a chance to earn a UFC contract, and he has a good matchup to get the job done.
Reyes is a grappler who is a stiff striker. He relies on his jiu-jitsu, as evidenced by his record. He is 21-4 overall, with eight submission victories. Reyes lacks good offensive wrestling, however, and that is a problem against his opponent. Torres possesses good wrestling skills, particularly in his takedown defense. He is the better striker, training out of 4oz Fight Club in Houston, who has produced Joshua Van and Alden Coria, who just won his UFC debut. Torres should get his hands going early while defending the lackluster takedowns of Reyes.
Pick: Justice Torres (+145)
Featherweight: Brahyan Zurcher vs. Murtazali Magomedov
Brahyan Zurcher is an undefeated fighter (9-0) and is taking on another undefeated, 9-0 fighter, Murtazali Magomedov. Zurcher is 5-0 in PFL and has looked good in that promotion. His level of competition is not the highest, but do not let that fool you; he is a talented fighter that the PFL wants to promote. Magomedov is a striker with questionable takedown defense and an aggressive jiu-jitsu style on the mat.
Zurcher is a technically sound fighter who strikes using kicks and times his punches well. He has solid wrestling and has trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov's camp periodically. He has a height disadvantage in this fight, however, which may lead to a wrestling-based game plan. Magomedov wants to strike, but his opponents usually force the wrestling. His takedown defense is not the greatest, but he is fast in all areas of the fight. It is a close matchup, but I am going to side with Zurcher, who has shown more all-around skills.
Pick: Brahyan Zurcher (-135)
Middleweight: Dani Barbir vs. Mantas Kondratavicius
Dani Barbir is fighting Mantas Kondratavicius in the final fight of the night. This matchup should be fireworks, as neither guy has seen the scorecards in their career. Barbir is 7-0 after turning professional in 2016. He has had periods of inactivity, fighting only twice, both in 2019, from 2016 to 2022. Kondratavicius is 7-1 as a professional since 2021, and has professional kickboxing experience.
Barbir is a boxing-heavy striker who mixes in grappling. He has decent takedowns and solid takedown defense. He is also aggressive on the mat, hunting submissions, which may be a path to victory in this contest. Kondratavicius is a kickboxer with an aggressive style. He has holes in his grappling and relies on his physicality when wrestling. That may lead to problems against Barbir, who can match his strength and physicality. Both fighters' cardio has question marks, but I think Barbir can get the job done with a solid game plan to utilize his wrestling.
Pick: Dani Barbir (-135)
