Meng Ding vs. Rami Hamed: Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1 Picks
The UFC is back on Tuesday nights with contracts on the line. The popular Dana White's Contender Series is returning for its eighth season. If you are unfamiliar with the series, Dana White will give out contracts based on the action between fresh faces looking to break into the UFC. He has given out 245 contracts in the first seven seasons and given plenty of opportunity to up-and-coming fighters. The coverage of the card begins at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Here are our top picks and predictions for Dana White's Contender Series Week 1. Below we dive into the fight between: Meng Ding vs. Rami Hamed.
Dana White's Contender Series Week 1 Picks: Meng Ding vs. Rami Hamed
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Welterweight: Meng Ding vs. Rami Hamed
The market may be off on this fight for a couple of reasons. Meng Ding was supposed to fight Islam Dulatov, who had to pull out. Rami Hamed is stepping in on short notice and has not fought in two years. He had a fight scheduled in 2023 but had to pull out due to injury, so it is probably safe to assume injury was the reason for the layoff.
Meng Ding is 34-8, with his latest run coming in Jue Cheng King promotion in China. He has 27 knockouts but has not fought tough competition. He has been knocked out twice, submitted four times, and lost by decision twice.
Rami Hamed is 12-3 (1 NC) as a professional, with his latest run coming in Titan FC from 2017 to 2022. He has nine wins by knockout, and all of his losses have come via submission. Hamed may be in luck because Meng is not much of a grappler. Hamed is a powerful striker with excellent muay Thai and could employ leg kicks to limit Meng's movement before turning his lights out. I am siding with Hamed in this fight because Meng Ding should not be that wide of a favorite, despite the short-notice nature and long layoff for Hamed.
Bet: Rami Hamed (+150)