We head into Week 2 of this Summer’s Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series with 10 more fighters looking for their UFC dream. After last week’s successful second season debut that included four finishes and 2 contracts handed out we enter week 2 with big expectations. The Contender series has been a very entertaining group of fights each week since its inception last summer, so we shouldn’t expect much different on Tuesday. This week the night is headlined by a Featherweight matchup between Matt Sayles (6-1) and Yazan “Yazzle Dazzle” Hajeh (6-0). We also have a loser from last year’s contender series Ryan “Superman” Spann (10-5) looking for a shot at redemption this time around. We have 5 fights on the card so let’s jump in and take a look.
The night kicks off at Welterweight as Dwight “The Body Snatcher” Grant (7-1) is set to take on Tyler “Zombie” Hill (6-1). New York City native Dwight Grant enters the cage on a 6 fight win streak. Grant has not been in a cage since November of 2016 when he scored a submission victory under the Bellator banner. Grant has knocked out 5 opponents in his career and taken every other fight in his career to a decision. The real question is here being out of the cage for a year and a half will affect him in this big of a spot. He has a chance to make a real splash kicking off the night. Tyler Hill is coming off his first loss of his career his last time in the cage, which was also for Bellator. Prior to that Hill has run off 6 straight wins including 5 finishes. The advantage for Hill may come on the mat with his 3 submission victories on his record. Hill has also been out of action since late 2016, so it is hard to say if either guy has an advantage in the ring rust world. This should be a really good scrap to kick off the night. Prediction: Dwight Grant via TKO.
Up next we head to 205lbs and have a shot at redemption for Ryan “Superman” Spann (10-5) taking on Emiliano “He-Man” Sordi (16-6). Since dropping his first appearance back in week 3 of the first season of the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series Ryan Spann has rattled off 3 straight first-round victories. Spann started with a submission and then two knockouts all under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner. Spann has 12 finishes that breakdown to 3 knockouts 9 submissions, and 1 decision victory in his career. Spann is comi9gn off claiming the LFA Light Heavyweight Title in his last matchup, and the momentum is most certainly building. Spann has one of the first real chances at redemption on the Contender series, and you have to imagine he will make the most of it. Emiliano Sordi is heading into the contender series following a 2 fight win streak that were both first-round knockouts. Sordi is a heavy handed 27-year-old, who will be looking to make his mark on the Contender Series. Sordi has 11 knockouts and 5 submission wins in his career. Sordi will be looking to play spoiler Tuesday Night, and he certainly has the power to do it. Prediction: Ryan Spann via TKO.
We drop down to Featherweight next as Giga Chikadze (5-1) is set to take on Austin Spring (10-3). After dropping his professional debut Giga Chikadze has rattled off 5 straight wins, and they have all been via knockout. The Kings MMA product has fought under the World Series of Fighting and Gladiator Challenge banner. Chikadze can have some serious power in his hands having not gone more than 2 minutes and 37 seconds in those 5 straight wins. If he can get those punches out there early he could make it a short and impressive night. Austin Springer rebounded from his first 2 career losses with a 3rd round knockout win in February of this year. The Ultimate Fighter Season 22 contestant returns to the TUF gym looking to get a big win. His last appearance there was a loss on the elimination round of the season, and he never made it into the house. He now can turn that around and look to make a big impact in the show. Springer has 6 career knockouts, and 1 career submission win. He will need to use his experience of fighting in this building before to try and get his shot at the UFC. Prediction: Giga Chikadze via TKO.
Two Undefeated Middleweights are in the Co-Main Event as Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez (6-0) takes on Jordan “The Beverly Hills Ninja” Wright (9-0). For 24-year-old Anthony Hernandez, he enters the Contender Series winning all 6 of his career fights. He has rattled off 4 submission wins and 1 knockout. In his last fight, he claimed the LFA Vacant Middleweight Title. This is a chance to make a great first impression, and at 24 he has a lot that he can continue to improve on. If Hernandez can compose himself in this moment he will really help himself early in his MMA career. At 9-0 Jordan Wright will enter the Octagon looking to make the move to the UFC. Wright has finished all 9 of his opponents with 4 knockouts and 5 submission wins. Wright has not made it out of the first round and his longest fight is 2 minutes and 48 seconds. Wright most certainly has experience having fought in both the Alaska Fighting Championships and Legacy Fighting Alliance. This one could be a fight of the night contender for sure. Prediction: Jordan Wright via Submission.
We head to the final fight of the night and it is at Featherweight as Matt Sayles (6-1) and Yazan “Yazzle Dazzle” Hajeh (6-0) lock horns. Matt Sayles rebounded from his first loss with a 1st round knockout in his Cage Fighting Fury Championships back in March of 2017. The RFA and World Series of Fighting Veteran has won 5 of his fights via knockout, and with one decision win on his name. Sayles will look to make sure that he leaves it all in the cage with this one. Having only gone to the judges twice in his career there is a chance that he could end this one early. Undefeated Yazan Hajeh enters the Contender series on a 6 fight win streak. Hajeh has gone to the judges 4 times in his career, with 2 first round knockouts sprinkled into that. Hajeh fought once under the LFA banner, but this will be his biggest opportunity to date. This one should be a really fun fight to close out week 2 of the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. Prediction: Matt Sayles via Decision.
Week 2 of the Contender Series is going to have a lot to live up to following week 1, but the card is going to be a lot of fun. To be honest outside of maybe one week during the first season we have had nothing but fun cards on the series. The shot at redemption for Ryan Spann is probably the biggest storyline on the card, but that Co-Main event is also a big one. We should have a really fun Tuesday night as usual with the Contender Series. This is the precursor to this Saturday’s early morning card from Singapore headlined by Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (33-10 1NC #11 Ranked Welterweight) and Leon “Rocky” Edwards (14-3 #13 Ranked Welterweight).
