That’s right, folks! It’s August, which can only mean one thing for Tuesday nights: Dana White is back with his Contender Series, scouting fresh talent to join the UFC roster!

The UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host what promises to be a thrilling series of midweek fight action! Here’s a breakdown of the five-fight card, along with my take on who I think will win and possibly earn a contract to the big show on Tuesday.

Middleweight: Yuri Panferov (8-1, Russia) vs. Christopher Ewert (7-0, Chile)

▪️We have a whopping three fights at 185 pounds on this card. Panferov, who previously appeared on DWCS and lost to Torrez Finney, gets another shot here. He’ll likely look to grapple and lock in a submission win. Ewert, on the other hand, will aim to keep it standing, using his crisp striking to batter Panferov. Ewert will be hunting for a KO to catch the eye of Dana White sitting cageside.

Featherweight: Radley da Silva (7-1, Canada) vs. George Mangos (7-0, Australia)

▪️I really like both these guys, and both seem UFC-ready in my opinion. This fight, the co-main event, is my pick for Fight of the Night. I’m leaning toward Mangos, and he’s rightly the bookies’ favorite. But don’t count out da Silva. He has sharp striking and packs serious power. At 30 years old, da Silva is nine years older than Mangos. This one should be a banger!

Middleweight: Baysangur Susurkaev (8-0, Russia) vs. Murtaza Talha (7-1, Bahrain)

▪️Susurkaev is around a -350 favorite for this one, likely due in part to videos of him grappling with Khamzat online. The Chechen native trains with a stable of elite grapplers but tends to favor striking, especially his spinning head kicks. Keep an eye out for those. Talha is a brawler who prioritizes violence over safety and technique. This fight will be fun while it lasts, but I’m backing Susurkaev to catch Talha at some point and close the show.

Welterweight: Ty Miller (5-0, USA) vs. Jimmy Drago (7-2, USA)

▪️“If he dies, he dies.” No, no, no, it’s not that Drago! Jimmy is a blast to watch with a well-rounded game, mixing takedowns with decent striking. At 25, Ty Miller is the bigger man at 6’2” and brings an undefeated 5-0 record. He’ll look to keep it standing and box. Expect these two 170-pounders to put on a war.

Middleweight (Main Event): Ilian Bouafia (6-0, France) vs. Neemias Santana (7-2-1, Brazil)

▪️Santana has a straightforward game plan: rush forward and try to take Bouafia’s head off. That’s just how this Brazilian rolls—haymaker after haymaker! If he lands, he could put the Frenchman out. However, I expect Bouafia to weather the storm and take the win. At 6’5”, Bouafia has a left hand with dynamite in it and slick skills on the feet. Both fighters will trade blows, but I think the more technical Bouafia will come out on top.

Enjoy the midweek violence.

Phil

Phillip Dean

Phillip Dean is a seasoned combat sports journalist from England, with over 27 years of ringside experience. Phillip delivers engaging, in-depth reporting on the world of combat sports.