Tuesday nights have gotten a whole lot better now that we have the Dana White Contender Series. Starting today, we're bringing you the Dana White Contender Series predictions and picks each and every week, including PrizePicks picks today on the MMA board.
Unfortunately, Week 1 didn’t live up to the hype with numerous lackluster fights.
However, one fighter stood out amongst them all: Baysangur Susurkaev not only took the fight on a week’s notice, but he also walked away with a blistering first-round KO.
Dana White was so impressed that not only did he secure his spot in the UFC, but he also gave him a fight as the featured prelim at UFC 319 just four days later to mark the quickest turnaround for a contract winner on the Contender Series to make their UFC debut.
In Week 2, we should see the action pick up with some great prospects to make their Contender Series debut.
For this week’s episode, we’ll take a look at our Dana White Contender Series predictions and picks for a few matchups, including PrizePicks MMA picks for Week 2.
💰 Use PrizePicks Promo Code "Playbook": Claim $50 instantly in Lineups after your first $5+ Lineup
Jose Delano vs. Manuel Exposito Prediction, Preview
In the featured bout for Week 2, we have Jose Delano (15-3) vs. Manuel Exposito (13-2) in a featherweight bout.
The Brazilian Delano is 14-1 in his last 15 fights, with his lone blemish coming against UFC featherweight Gabriel Santos. Delano has fought some very tough regional competition and is 6-1 in LFA, which is one of the top regional promotions.
As for the Argentenian Exposito, he has won three fights in a row, with his most recent win coming against Antonio Ramirez at Budo Sento Championship 26 back in November 2024. He has secured 10 finishes in his MMA career, with seven of those coming in the very first round.
Delano is a very well-rounded fighter who can get the win anywhere this fight goes. However, he primarily likes to strike utilizing his stance switches, keeping his opponents guessing and his in and out movements, making it very difficult to get a read on him.
Exposito is a grappler through and through and is very dangerous whenever he gets a hold of his opponents. All he needs is for his opponent to leave his neck out there, and he will capitalize. The matchmakers did the right thing, putting these two together on the featured bout for Week 2.
Delano vs. Exposito Prediction: 11.5 Minutes Fight Time
- Manuel Exposito has 10 finishes in his 13 pro wins.
- Manuel Exposito has been knocked out in one of his two losses.
- Manuel Exposito has seen the judge’s scorecards four times.
- Jose Delano has nine finishes in his 15 pro wins.
- Jose Delano has seen the judge’s scorecards just once in his last five fights.
- Jose Delano has been finished in two of his three losses.
View more Delano vs. Exposito projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Tommy Cuozzi vs. Ramiro Jimenez Prediction, Preview
Opening up the show are two undefeated featherweight prospects, Tommy Cuozzi (8-0) and Raimiro Jimenez (10-0). Neither fighter has seen the judge’s scorecards much at all, as Cuozzi has won all eight of his fights inside the distance, and Jimenez has finished eight of his 10 opponents.
Cuozzi spent most of his time fighting on the regional scene in North Carolina, not against the best competition. However, he has been able to go out there and finish that subpar competition in brutal fashion. This goes to show you that he has the skills to go out there, put on a show, and finish the opposition.
For Jimenez, he hasn’t fought since 2023, when he won 1-day tournament where he won three fights in one night to become the featherweight tournament winner for Combate Global. Even after going through a hard battle in his first fight, he was able to land two first-round finishes to become the winner.
This fight is expected to be a barnburner between two potent finishers. While Cuozzi and Jiminez have some grappling chops, these two are going to be willing to stand and bang their way to victory.
It’s going to come down to who dictates the pace of the fight and who controls the center of the octagon. This fight should set the tone for Week 2.
Cuozzi vs. Jimenez Prediction: 6.75 Minutes Fight Time
- Ramiro Jimenez has 8 finishes in his 10 pro wins.
- Ramiro Jimenez had 2 first-round finishes in one night.
- Ramiro Jimenez has seen the second round only once in his last seven fights.
- Tommy Cuozzi has never seen the judge’s scorecards finishing all eight of his opponents.
- Tommy Cuozzi has never even seen a third round in his career.
- Tommy Cuozzi has finished seven of his eight opponents in the first round.
View more Cuozzi vs. Jimenez projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Josh Hokit vs. Guilherme Uriel Prediction, Preview
The highly touted undefeated heavyweight prospect Josh Hokit (5-0) finally gets his chance to make a name for himself on Week 2 of Contender Series when he takes on Guilerme Uriel (6-1).
When it comes to the heavyweight division, the UFC is always looking for new contenders, and this is a fight that can provide a promising young prospect in a very shallow division.
Hokit has won all five of his professional bouts, with all five fights coming inside the distance, four coming in the very first round. He came into MMA with a ton of experience in professional sports, as he was a former NFL player as well as a 2x Division 1 All-American in wrestling.
While Uriel may not have the hype or the accolades of Hokit, he’s equally as dangerous. He is coming off back-to-back first-round finishes, with his most recent being a knockout that lasted just 1:27.
This fight could have every opportunity to end very early, with both fighters combining for 10 first-round finishes between the two of them. Hokit will be looking to take Uriel down and finish him there, while Uriel will be looking to sprawl-and-brawl his way to victory.
Hokit vs. Uriel Prediction: 5 Minutes Fight Time
- Josh Hokit has finished all five of his opponents.
- Josh Hokit has four finishes in a row that ended in the first round.
- Josh Hokit’s last three fights did not last three minutes.
- Guilherme Uriel has finished six of his seven opponents.
- Guilherme Uriel has not seen a second in all seven of his pro fights.
- Guilherme Uriel’s six professional wins have come inside the first round.
View more Hokit vs. Uriel projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Make Dana White Contender Series Predictions on PrizePicks
The second week of the Dana White Contender Series is set for this Tuesday, August 19, live on ESPN+. We have five matchups with some of the top MMA prospects fighting outside of the UFC who are looking to secure their contracts on Week 2.
You can win real money by locking in your Dana White Contender Series predictions on PrizePicks.
Just go to the PrizePicks MMA board, pick two or more UFC fighter projections, lock in your Lineup, and cash in if your picks are on point in Tuesday night's fights.
