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The stakes are extremely high for these up-and-coming fighters vying for a UFC contract in Dana White Contender Series Week 6, which features three highly anticipated bouts. The DWCS Week 6card on Tuesday, September 16, is full of prospects with the style, grit, and finishing ability to please Dana White.
For this week’s DWCS fights, we’ll take a look at our DWCS predictions and picks for these marquee matchups, including our PrizePicks MMA Lineup for Week 6.
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Lightweights Thomas Gantt and Adam Livingston engage in a classic race of speed and accuracy to start the spotlight stretch tonight. Gantt thrives in the midst of chaos, outclassing opponents with vicious ground-and-pound and unrelenting wrestling pace. Livingston finds his moments with footwork and counters while maintaining his poise and technicality.
Iwo Baraniewski and Mahamed Aly's light heavyweight bout sets the stage for all-out action that shouldn't see the scorecards. Baraniewski's rough-and-tumble style, vs. Aly's ability to end a fight in an instant, thanks to his explosive striking, knockout power, and high-level submission game.
Hecher Sosa and Mackson Lee get top billing as the Week 6 DWCS featured bout. Lee's skilled, textbook technique contrasts with Sosa's dynamic speed and powerful attack. This fight is set up to end the show because both fighters are regarded as natural finishers.
Let's dig into the DWCS Week 6 picks and predictions below for three key fights.
Thomas Gantt vs. Adam Livingston Prediction, Preview
In Week 6 of DWCS, the lightweight matchup between Thomas Gantt (10-0) and Adam Livingston (6-0) looks to be an intriguing contest of styles and tempo. Both fighters come in undefeated, have proven themselves here with steady performances, and have skill sets that demand Dana White's attention.
With 10 professional fights under his belt, Thomas Gantt, a distinguished Division I collegiate wrestler, makes a smooth transition to MMA. As soon as the cage door closes, Gantt's wrestling background becomes evident.
He is skilled at timing takedowns with pressure and feints, frequently surprising opponents with abrupt level changes. Gantt's cardio seems boundless, enabling him to keep up a relentless pace that has broken several opponents over three rounds.
His ability to mix punches to set up takedowns has significantly improved, even though his striking is still developing.
Adam Livingston, a pure striker with technical accuracy and knockout power, is at the other extreme of the spectrum. He mixes head-body attacks that keep opponents guessing with crisp and varied boxing combinations.
Livingston's counter-striking has resulted in multiple highlight-reel finishes, and his footwork and distance management allow him to stay within ideal striking range while avoiding takedown attempts. Although he has been put to the test, his defensive wrestling against top grapplers is still uncertain.
Range control and fight IQ are key factors in this matchup. Livingston must use movement and striking volume to keep the fight going, while Gantt must close the distance and impose his wrestling early.
Gantt vs. Livingston Prediction: 10 Minutes Fight Time
- Thomas Gantt has finished 9 of his 10 professional victories.
- Thomas Gantt has 5 knockouts and 4 submissions.
- Thomas Gantt has been to a decision once in his 10 professional fights.
- Adam Livingston has finished 5 of his 6 professional victories.
- Adam Livingston has 4 knockouts and 1 submission in his professional career.
- Adam Livingston has been to a decision once in his six professional fights.
View more Gantt vs. Livingston projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Iwo Baraniewski vs. Mahamed Aly Prediction, Preview
All the elements of a high-level fight could result in the night's most violent action in the light heavyweight bout between Mahamed Aly (4-0) and Iwo Baraniewski (5-0) on Week 6 of DWCS. Both men contribute outstanding credentials and finishing instincts, creating an intriguing contrast between physical dominance and technical mastery.
One of the most accomplished BJJ practitioners to enter the DWCS cage is Mahamed Aly. The IBJJF World Champion has an unmatched grappling background, having been rewarded his black belt under Lloyd Irvin after defeating brown belt divisions in numerous major tournaments and dominating top-tier BJJ competition.
Aly has stunned opponents with genuine knockout power on the feet in addition to his exceptional ground game. One such instance was his dominant victory over former UFC competitor Jared Gooden. He is a total finishing threat who can end fights from anywhere thanks to his combination of striking danger and submission threats.
With a 100% finish rate and an undefeated record, Iwo Baraniewski is the ideal foil. The Polish judo champion has dominated all five of his opponents, averaging just over a minute per victory with three wins by knockout and two wins by submission.
Baraniewski is a fighter who thrives in chaos and won't let fights make it to the judges; his European MMA Championship credentials and explosive finishing ability demonstrate this.
Baraniewski's granite chin and unrelenting pressure have been troublesome for all of his opponents.
This bout represents a classic grappler-versus-finisher dynamic, with Aly's technical BJJ brilliance colliding against Baraniewski's raw finishing instinct. Both men possess the tools to secure instant UFC contracts.
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Baraniewski vs. Aly Prediction: 6.25 Minutes Fight Time
- Iwo Baraniewski has finished all five of his opponents.
- Iwo Baraniewski has 3 knockouts and 2 submissions in his five finishes.
- Iwo Baraniewski has five first-round finishes, never seeing a second round.
- Mahamed Aly has three finishes in his four fights.
- Mahamed Aly has 3 knockouts in his 4-fight professional career.
- Mahamed Aly has two first-round finishes.
View more Baraniewski vs. Aly projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Hecher Sosa vs. Mackson Lee Prediction, Preview
The bantamweight featured bout between Hecher Sosa (13-1) and Mackson Lee (9-0) on Week 6 of DWCS highlights this week's event. Both Sosa and Lee bring knockout power and finishing instincts, which will set the tone for what should be the fight of the night
With a 10-fight winning streak that includes devastating first-round finishes in three of his last four fights, Hecher Sosa comes in as the battle-tested veteran. Using constant pressure and volume combinations to overwhelm opponents, the Spanish "Guanche Warrior" thrives in chaos.
In order to land his own vindictive power shots, Sosa focuses on walking through punishment. He combines head-hunting combos with crushing body work, which has earned him nine career stoppages.
The type of finishing ability that attracts Dana White is demonstrated by his recent annihilation of Yaman Mjahed, a 52-second TKO that displayed his vicious ground-and-pound.
Opposite him stands the tall Brazilian 6-foot-1 bantamweight Mackson Lee, whose perfect record only partially reflects his character.
After dominating seven local opponents in his early career, Lee bounced back from a four-year hiatus to win two straight LFA fights, knocking out Filipe Zacaron with a vicious knee and submitting Mateus Soares with a D'arce choke.
With his 75-inch reach, Lee is able to control range and deliver strong blows from unconventional angles that opponents are unable to reach. He is dangerous for the duration of fights because of his patient style and versatile finishing skills, which include four knockouts and four submissions.
Although Lee has a tendency to use ostentatious spinning techniques, a pressure fighter like Sosa might find openings in this aggressive style.
Both fighters possess the finishing ability and entertaining styles that typically earn contracts on the Contender Series. With Sosa's proven durability against elite regional competition clashing with Lee's physical advantages and diverse arsenal, this bantamweight showcase has all the ingredients to be fight of the night.
Sosa vs. Lee Prediction: 10 Minutes Fight Time
- Sosa has finished nine of his 14 opponents.
- Sosa has 6 wins by knockout and 3 wins by submission.
- Sosa comes into this fight with five straight finishes.
- Lee has finished eight of his nine opponents.
- Lee has 4 wins by knockout and 4 wins by submission.
- Lee has finished his fights before the third round in his last three fights.
View more Sosa vs. Lee projections on the PrizePicks MMA board.
Make DWCS Week 6 Predictions on PrizePicks
Week 6 of the Dana White Contender Series is set for this Tuesday, September 16, live on ESPN+. We have five matchups with some of the top MMA prospects — including Sosa vs. Lee, Baraniewski vs. Aly, and Gantt vs. Livingston — fighting outside of the UFC who are looking to secure their contracts.
You can win real money by locking in your DWCS 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.
