Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11th and will take place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This event is made up of five Main Card fights, which will feature a bout between Anthony Wint and Matthew Adams in the Heavyweight division.
For those that are unfamiliar with the Contender Series, it is an event where rising prospects attempt to make an impression on Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, oftentimes earning a UFC contract live during the event.
Anthony Wint vs. Matthew Adams - Anthony Wint to Win (-1100)
Our top pick is for Anthony Wint to beat Matthew Adams by KO/TKO in the Heavyweight Main Event.
Wint enters this fight with an MMA record of 6-0. He most recently beat Jamahl Tatum by KO/TKO in March 2026 - his fourth win by that method - while his other two victories have been by submission and decision.
As for Adams, his MMA record stands at 6-2. He beat Quentin Campbell by TKO back in March 2026 - the fifth time he has won by KO/TKO - with his other victory coming via decision.
With Wint winning four of his six career MMA fights by KO/TKO (67%), and one of Adam’s two losses coming via that method, Wint to secure another KO/TKO success is the best bet.
Matchup Stats
Anthony Wint | Matthew Adams | |
6-0 | Record | 6-2 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
5’11” | Height | 5’10” |
238 lbs | Weight | 263 lbs |
31 | Age | 28 |
Fabrizio Escarrega vs. Abe Alsaghir - Abe Alsaghir ML (-125)
Our second pick will look for Abe Alsaghir to defeat Fabrizio Escarrega in the Lightweight Co-Main Event.
Escarrega enters this fight with an MMA record of 9-1. His most recent MMA fight resulted in a win against Adriano Nunes by TKO back in February 2026.
Throughout his MMA career, Escarrega has established himself as a finisher, having won eight of his nine MMA fights by either KO/TKO or Submission.
More specifically, Escarrega has seven wins by KO/TKO, one win by submission, and one win by decision. Further, his lone loss was back in August 2023, where he lost by TKO against Carlos Arana.
As for Alsaghir, he enters this fight with an MMA record of 8-0. His most recent MMA fight was a win against Juan Porto by TKO in September 2025, so he has had a long layoff.
Regardless of the fact that he has not fought in nearly 11 months, Alsaghir has also seen the vast majority of his MMA fights end inside the distance.
To this point, Alsaghir has four wins by KO/TKO, three wins by submission, and just one win by decision.
Both fighters have had successful starts to their MMA careers; however, given that Alsaghir has looked more balanced with multiple wins by KO/TKO and Submission, backing him to win is the betting play here.
Matchup Stats
Fabrizio Escarrega | Abe Alsaghir | |
9-1 | Record | 8-0 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
6’1” | Height | 5’9” |
156 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
28 | Age | 25 |
Location, Date, Time
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, August 11th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
How to Watch Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1
Fans can stream the Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1 event on Paramount+.
Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1 Fight Card
Fight | Weight Class |
Anthony Wint vs. Matthew Adams | Heavyweight |
Fabrizio Escarrega vs. Abe Alsaghir | Lightweight |
Bilal Hasan vs. Mridul Saikia | Flyweight |
Tom Pagliarulo vs. Ananias Mulumba | Featherweight |
Jon Kunneman vs. Joe Kropschot | Middleweight |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
