Week 4 of Dana White's Contender Series is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1 and takes place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This event is made up of five Main Card fights, which features a Main Event between Patrick Rivera and Adam Darby in the UFC Welterweight division.
For those that are unfamiliar with the Contender Series, it is an ongoing series where rising prospects attempt to make an impression on Dana White, the CEO of the UFC.
Dana White's Contender Series: Week 4 betting picks and predictions
Patrick Rivera vs. Adam Darby - Fight to go the Distance - No
Our top pick for Week 4 of the Contender Series looks for the Main Event between Patrick Rivera and Adam Darby to end inside the distance.
Rivera enters this fight with an MMA record of 13-4. He is an MMA veteran, as he began his professional career way back in 2015. Further, he has been on a tear in recent years, having won six fights in a row.
The most recent of these wins was a win against Rey Trujillo by submission back in March 2026.
Seeing his fights end inside the distance has also become a staple for Rivera as 13 of his 17 fights have not needed the judges. This includes five wins by KO/TKO, five wins by submission, and three losses by submission.
As for Darby, he enters this fight with an MMA record of 7-1. Darby does not have the same level of experience as Rivera, but has been just as successful, having also won six fights in a row.
The most recent win was against Thiago Habib by submission back in February 2026.
The majority of Darby's fights have also ended inside the distance, that being six of his seven career MMA fights. To this point, Darby has three wins by KO/TKO, three wins by submission, and one loss by KO/TKO.
Darby is the heavy favorite in this fight, however, given that both fighters have seen the majority of their fights end inside the distance, backing the same here is our play.
Matchup Stats
Patrick Rivera | Adam Darby | |
13-4 | Record | 7-1 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
6'0" | Height | 6'3" |
170lbs | Weight | 170lbs |
34 | Age | 27 |
Modestino Rodrigues ML (+135) Over Brandon Holmes
Our second pick for Week 4 of the Contender Series targets Modestino Rodrigues to beat Brandon Holmes in the Co-Main Event.
Rodrigues enters this fight with an MMA of 7-1. He has won four fights in a row, the most recent one being a win against Virgilio Ailton by TKO back in June 2025.
The most impressive feat for Rodrigues so far is that all seven of his wins have been by KO/TKO. Further, his only loss was also by KO/TKO.
As for Holmes, he enters this fight with an MMA record of 6-1. While he has generally been successful throughout his career, his lone loss came in a Contender Series fight back in August 2025.
This was a loss by TKO against Cameron Rowston. That said, Holmes was able to bounce back with a win against Preston LaGrange by KO in January 2026.
Overall, these fighters look to have similar fighting styles. However, because Rodrigues has won all of his fights by KO/TKO, backing him to pull off the upset is our play.
Matchup Stats
Brandon Holmes | Modestino Rodrigues | |
6-1 | Record | 7-1 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
6'2" | Height | 6'2" |
185lbs | Weight | 185lbs |
29 | Age | 22 |
Location, Date, Time
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, September 1st, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
How to Watch Dana White's Contender Series Week 4
Fans can stream the Dana White’s Contender Series Week 4 event on Paramount+.
Dana White's Contender Series Week 4 Fight Card
Fight | Weight Class |
Patrick Rivera vs. Adam Darby | Welterweight |
Brandon Holmes vs. Modestino Rodrigues | Middleweight |
Liam McCracken vs. Silvestre Sanchez | Lightweight |
Gabriel Lourenco vs. Charlie Cleveland | Heavyweight |
Hunter Smith vs. Adam Livingston | Lightweight |
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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.
