Week 5 of Dana White's Contender Series is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8th 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 Quentin Pasley and Arlind Berisha in the UFC Light Heavyweight 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 5 betting picks and predictions
Arlind Berisha ML (-230) over Quentin Pasley
Our top pick for Week 5 of the Contender Series looks for Arlind Berisha to beat Quentin Pasley in the UFC Welterweight Main Event.
Berisha enters this fight with an MMA record of 6-0 and has been competing in various MMA promotions since March 2020. His most recent fight ended in a win against Wesley da Silva Marques by Technical Submission back in February 2026.
The most impressive feat for Berisha so far in his MMA career is that he has won every fight by KO/TKO or Submission. This includes four wins by KO/TKO and two wins by Submission.
Further, all of his MMA fights have been won in the first round, indicating that he has the ability to finish a fight in a matter of minutes, if not less.
Pasley enters this fight with an MMA record of 3-0, but has only been an MMA fighter since October 2023. His most recent MMA fight was a win against Jerell Nettles by TKO.
The only problem with this is that it has been more than a year since this fight, with it having been in August 2025.
Similar to Berisha, Pasley has also won all of his MMA fights by finish and in the first round. That said, all three of his wins have come by KO/TKO, suggesting that he is more of a one-dimensional fighter.
Even though Berisha may be the heavy betting favorite, given that he has shown the ability to win his fights in multiple ways, backing him to win is still our best bet.
Matchup Stats
Quentin Pasley | Arlind Berisha | |
3-0 | Record | 6-0 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
6'5" | Height | 6'6" |
205 lbs | Weight | 205 lbs |
24 | Age | 25 |
Isaac Moreno ML (-115) over Reginaldo Junior
Our second pick for Week 5 of the Contender Series is for Isaac Moreno to beat Reginaldo Junior in the UFC Welterweight division Co-Main Event.
Moreno enters this fight with an MMA record of 8-0 and has been an MMA fighter since June 2021. His most recent win came against Darian Weeks by KO back in October 2025.
Through the early part of his MMA career, Moreno has won a total of five times by KO/TKO and three times by decision. Most notably, he has won three straight MMA fights by KO/TKO.
Junior enters this fight with an MMA record of 11-1 and has been an MMA fighter since December 2018. His most recent fight was a win against Natanel de Souza Mota by submission back in November 2025.
Similar to Moreno, Junior has also won the majority of his MMA fights by finish. He has won four times by KO/TKO, five times by submission and two times by decision. This includes four of his last five fights by finish.
This fight is evenly matched, however, given that Moreno has yet to lose an MMA fight, backing him to win is our play.
Matchup Stats
Isaac Moreno | Reginaldo Junior | |
8-0 | Record | 11-1 |
Win | Last Fight | Win |
6'0" | Height | 5'10" |
171 lbs | Weight | 170 lbs |
28 | Age | 27 |
Location, Date, Time
Location, Date, Time
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
How to Watch Dana White's Contender Series Week 5
Fans can stream the Dana White’s Contender Series Week 5 event on Paramount+.
Dana White's Contender Series Week 5 Fight Card
Fight | Weight Class |
Quentin Pasley vs. Arlind Berisha | Light Heavyweight |
Isaac Moreno vs. Reginaldo Junior | Welterweight |
Martin Kozak vs. Christian Echols | Middleweight |
Kwon Won II vs. Apollo Gomes | Bantamweight |
Colton Loud vs. Christian Natividad | Flyweight |
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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.
