Dana White’s Contender Series Predictions, Picks Tonight – Week 2 (8/18/26)

Not many sports have a job audition on live television. Mixed martial arts and the UFC aren’t many other sports.

Every summer, Dana White scours local regional MMA scenes for the future stars of UFC, pitting the world’s top prospects against each other on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) for 10 weeks. On Tuesday, August 18, we'll get Week 2 of the UFC tryout show.

These prospects can’t just win. To get a contract, they’ve got to impress the boss, making the bouts even more action-packed than weekly UFC events.

The action goes down every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and we’re breaking down Season 10, Episode 2 with predictions, analysis, and top fight picks for PrizePicks UFC.

Make your DWCS predictions for every fight on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right!

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Dana White’s Contender Series Predictions Tonight for Week 2 – Tuesday, August 18

Before we get into our DWCS predictions for tonight with three of our best fight picks, here’s a brief intro on what you'll find below.

Season 10, Episode 2 of the Contender Series is expected to start at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the first fight on Paramount+. As usual, there are five fights scheduled. Here’s a full rundown of the proceedings:

• Featured Bout: Namo Fazil vs. Kaik Brito — Welterweight
• Douglas Rodrigues vs. Trent Miller — Middleweight
• Logan Paxton vs. Cristian Perez — Lightweight
• Alik Lorenz vs. Mahamad Aly — Light Heavyweight
• Roman Puga vs. Taner Trembley — Featherweight

We’ll list the payouts for the winner in each of these featured Contender Series fights, via PrizePicks Team Picks. For example, a 2x means the result will payout $200 on a $100 entry. A lower payout multiplier signals a higher implied probability of that result based on user picks.

PrizePicks Team Picks payouts are live at the time of writing and are subject to change. UFC winner markets are available in 36 states, including Florida, California, and Texas!

Roman Puga vs. Taner Trembley Prediction for DWCS Tonight

Fight Winner Payouts: Taner Trembley 2.22x | Roman Puga 1.58x (via PrizePicks Team Picks)

Weight Class: Featherweight (145 lbs.)

The only fight with two brand-new faces on DWCS Week 2 tonight is this one at featherweight. Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) alums Taner Trembley (6-0 LFA) and Roman Puga (2-0 LFA) might have crossed paths for a title fight there if not earning this opportunity first.

In the red corner, Trembley's 83.3% pro submission rate may appear like he’s a grappler, but he’s not. Most of the chokes came after guys took him down or after he dazed an opponent. Overall, “Killemquick” throws heavy punches in combination and tries to break foes with forward pressure.

Puga's technical boxing background and long reach for the division (71") are a great match for him. The Mexican is definitely the more refined, technical guy in that area of MMA, but I haven't seen his bottom game or how he responds to low kicks on tape. His entry-level competition has just been overwhelmed and hurt on the feet — before one was also mounted for a (T)KO.

As the records indicate, Trembley has a more reliable track record in UFC’s minor league promotion, thriving in bouts up to 160 pounds. It’s curious that Puga — respecting his boxing skills — is favored by projections when the Minnesota native has a more well-rounded skillset.

Make your Puga vs. Trembley Prediction for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

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Puga vs. Trembley Pick for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

Taner Trembley – 19.5 Significant Strikes

I try to get a “normalized” distance rate projection for DWCS prospects, but I’m not sure Taner Trembley’s distance striking is ever particularly normal. He’ll break foes in UFC if he can maintain a pace of 20-30 significant strike attempts per minute, as it can be on tape.

Puga has yet to be truly stopped by strikes, with just one 10-minute doctor’s stoppage on his resume. A longer fight would make sense, considering Trembley has also never even been wobbled in his six-fight LFA tenure thus far.

Make Your Puga vs. Trembley Pick for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

Alik Lorentz vs. Mahamad Aly Prediction for DWCS Tonight – Tuesday, August 18

Fight Winner Payouts: Muhamad Aly 1.28x | Alik Lorentz 3.33x (via PrizePicks Team Picks)

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

Look on the bright side if you’re Muhamad Aly and Alik Lorentz. Their 2025 DWCS foes are unstoppable light heavyweight forces right now.

Within 30 seconds, Mahamad Aly was chinned by Iwo Baraniewski, and Alik Lorenz met the same fate opposite Abdul Rakhman Yakhayev. Unfortunately, that does mean immediate urgency with Tuesday’s last chance at a contract.

There’s sort of a “striker-versus-grappler” dynamic to this one. Aly is a credentialed IBJJF champion whose MMA pro run that started with two headkicks and ended, before DWCS last year, with a decision win over UFC alum Jared Gooden. That overconfidence bit him dearly:

Lorenz is definitely the more technical striker, carrying his hands higher, working off his jab, and mixing in low kicks and body knees.

However, it all comes with context on the Arizona regional scene, where he's yet to face a fighter with a winning record (other than Yakhyaev) since a (T)KO loss to Darrion Abbey, a DWCS flameout himself, in 2021 at heavyweight.

The Arizonan's chin also completely failed against Yahkyaev, which shouldn’t be totally lost in this matchup.

This seems like a violent affair; if Aly has any sort of dominant position on the mat, it's probably a wrap — as it will be with a lot of 205ers. The Brazilian’s questionable chin and striking defense provided an upset path for Lorenz, but I can’t extrapolate from his resume that he’s got the goods to capitalize on those woes.

Predict the Lorentz vs. Aly Winner for DWCS Tonight on PrizePicks

Lorentz vs. Aly Pick for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

Alik Lorentz – 9.5 Significant Strikes

Even in a win like Baraniewski’s, Lorentz's significant strike projection would be in jeopardy.

Eight of Lorentz’s nine wins came in the first round, so he’s used to working extremely quickly. To earn his way back to this season of DWCS, he needed just 24 seconds.

It’s sort of unfortunate that the Arizonan’s last fight was so quick because his opponent, Gabriel Thimoteo, had five pro wins by submission. It’s a wholly untested part of his game, and Aly has world-class credentials.

I’m guessing the Brazilian won’t mess around at distance too long in this final chance at a contract.

Make Your Lorentz vs. Aly Pick for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

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Namo Fazil vs. Kaik Brito Prediction for DWCS Tonight – Tuesday, August 18

Fight Winner Payouts: Namo Fazil 1.51x | Kaik Brito 2.38x (via PrizePicks Team Picks)

Weight Class: Welterweight (170 lbs.)

Last week's DWCS main event was a squash match. This is one of the best fights of the season.

Namo Fazil might be a familiar name to some of you. He closed out Jake Paul’s MVP 1 prelims with a second-round submission of Jake Babian. Early in the fight, Babian had Fazil's back before what seemed like an adrenaline dump as the resistance built.

I actually think the Kurd fighter's toughest opponent was 6'3" Yakub Sulimanov out of Khamzat Chimaev's camp. He overcame some early adversity to find a third-round (T)KO as Sulimanov gassed on short notice.

Fazil is a technical, well-rounded kickboxer who manages range with his legs but throws power shots with his hands, and his submission skills — offensively and defensively — have been solid so far. Kaik Brito is an outstanding next test.

Brito returns from 2023 after truly earning his way back here in OKTAGON, an Eastern European promotion that funnels plenty of talent to UFC. He knocked out famed kickboxer and former UFC signee Joilton Lutterbach and defended the title against Ronald Paradeiser with a spinning backfist.

Brito very much cares about his highlight reel, throwing a ton of spinning attacks and big shots while looking for the finish.

But, that has its drawbacks. His cardio expired badly in his first DWCS bout against Oban Elliott, who I think is good but has fallen on hard times in UFC of late. This betting line might differ, though, if the Elliott bout was scored a 28-28 draw as it should have been. Brito had "The Welsh Gangster" on skates for nearly two minutes in Round 2.

In an unusual position for him, Fazil will be the taller guy here, but Brito has an inch of reach. I definitely think the Brazilian can hurt him early and will be less intimidated by this moment as a result of his experience thus far. His cardio late in the fight, should Fazil power through, is just a major question.

Predict the Fazil vs. Brito Winner for DWCS tonight PrizePicks

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Fazil vs. Brito Pick for DWCS Week 2 on PrizePicks

Fazil vs. Brito – 7.75 Minutes Fight Time

I’m usually propping up an unusual amount of Round 1 finishes for guys on DWCS. Not here with Namo Fazil, who's yet to find a finish in the first five minutes since March 2024.

At 6’1” listed (and 5’10” in actuality), Fazil isn’t large for the division and won’t overwhelm most with power. Brito has just one loss inside the distance since July 2019, and it came via head kick.

This is an evenly matched duel in which Brito has already proved — under adverse conditions under these same lights — that he’s not willing to go out quietly. Fazil also made a statement with ONE Championship that he’s not scared of a war, either:

Make Your Fazil vs. Brito Pick for Dana White’s Contender Series on PrizePicks

Make DWCS Predictions and Fight Picks on PrizePicks

For 10 weeks, Dana White’s Contender Series will be going down every Tuesday, with a group of high-level prospects trying to impress the boss and earn a UFC contract. We're only on Week 2 for tonight's loaded card.

Lock in your DWCS predictions for today's main card, which starts at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+.

Just go to the PrizePicks app and pick More or Less on two or more UFC fighter projections for Dana White’s Contender Series and lock in your lineup to win real money on the fights if you're right.

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