Dana White’s Contender Series Picks & Predictions (Week 8)
Week 7 of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) was one of the most exciting weeks of the season, and Week 8 is shaping up to replicate that excitement. Six fighters received contracts last week, including two who lost their bouts, bringing the total to 34 in season 10. There are officially three weeks remaining, but the best is yet to come. The Meta Apex in Las Vegas once again is the stage for five fights on Tuesday evening. The Week 8 card starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Below are our top Dana White’s Contender Series picks for Week 8.
Watch big title fights on DAZN>>
Dana White's Contender Series Picks: Week 8
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Featherweight: Ilias Bulaid vs. Erick Visconde
The opening fight of the night is in the featherweight division between Ilias Bulaid and Erick Visconde. Bulaid is 9-0 as a professional. He is a former professional kickboxer who went 19-3 from 2014 to 2018 across multiple organizations. Bulaid started his mixed martial arts (MMA) career in Bellator in 2019, where he went 3-0 with a knockout and two decision victories. He most recently fought in Levels Fight League (LFL) in April, winning via first-round knockout.
Visconde is 17-3 as a professional dating back to 2017. He has six victories by knockout, six by submission and five by decision. He lost in 2024 via submission, in 2020 via unanimous decision to Rafael Estevam (currently in the UFC) and in 2018 via unanimous decision. Visconde is the current featherweight champion in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).
Bulaid, unsurprisingly, throws a lot of kicks, and it shows in his striking. He has shown the ability to mix things up and is willing to get more physical than many former kickboxers who enter MMA. Visconde is a well-rounded fighter with a lot of power and spinning attacks. He is a very solid grappler with a ton of experience in the octagon.
Visconde is trending up and enters this fight with strong momentum. Bulaid can land dangerous strikes, which is the reason the odds are as close as they are. We will see how good his takedown defense is against an LFA champion. Visconde wins a tight decision or with a ground-and-pound finish.
Bet: Erick Visconde Moneyline (+110)
Featherweight: Ian Escuza vs. Luca Borando
In the third fight of the card, Luca Borando faces Ian Escuza in the featherweight division. Borando is an Italian fighter with a 9-1 professional record. He owns a 3-3 record as an amateur. He currently fights for Cage Warriors, where he has a 7-1 record. His lone loss came in 2024 via submission in the second round. Borando has seven knockout victories, one submission win and one victory by decision.
Escuza is 7-0 as a professional from Peru. He lost his lone amateur Muay Thai bout via unanimous decision in 2018. He is the current Inka MMA featherweight champion and has defended it twice. All of his victories have come via finish, with five knockouts and two submissions.
Borando has fast hands and a lot of power. He is also a very fast starter, which is perfect for DWCS. Escuza has not faced much high-level competition. He is also a fast starter, so this fight should not last very long. Borando is a much better opponent than Escuza has ever faced. Borando is also a better grappler, but it is not likely to hit the mat. He can epically finish this fight and secure a contract after he puts on a show.
Bet: Luca Borando Moneyline (+100)