The season finale of Dana White’s Contender Series is finally upon us. This episode features the return of Bo Nickal, who is a highly touted three-time NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion. Nickal is coming off a dominant performance on the contender series just two short months ago, but he faces a much tougher task this time around.
Below, I’ll outline Dana White’s Contender Series predictions for Season 6 Week 10 on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Dana White’s Contender Series Predictions: Sept. 27
In the main event, we have Bo Nickal (2-0) vs. Donovan Beard (7-1).
Bo Nickal’s last win came against Zachary Borrego in Week 2 of the contender series this season. Nickal finished the bout in 62 seconds by locking up a rear-naked choke submission. Many people, including myself, thought Nickal should have been offered a contract right then and there. However, at just 2-0, Dana White had other ideas. “He looked incredible. The only reason I didn’t sign him tonight is that he’s 2-0; why not have him fight here again, it just makes sense,” White said.
So here we are with Bo Nickal taking on Donovan Beard. Beard is a former Cage Fury Middleweight Champion, and while the odds don’t reflect it, Beard is a much tougher test on the feet for Nickal compared to his previous opponent.
Nickal is -1500 coming into this fight (actually moved to -2800 overnight), and rightfully so. What concerns me about Beard is his takedown defense in this fight, while he does have a submission victory off of his back, that came after he was taken down with ease. The level of wrestling Beard will face with Nickal compared to others in the past is two different levels. When it comes to wrestling, Bo Nickal is at the top of the food chain, and ultimately that will be the deciding factor in this fight. I think he finds a finish early here; taking him to win in round one (-200 at DraftKings) is certainly worth a look.
Top Pick: Bo Nickal Inside The Distance | -900 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Dana White’s Contender Series Best Bet
In our second bout of the night, we have Rafael Ramos Estevam (10-0) vs. Joao Elias (17-3).
Estevam is a Brazilian jiujitsu blackbelt and a well-rounded fighter in all aspects of MMA. He can throw leg kicks from the outside and uses his range well. He will have a huge height advantage coming into this fight and is honestly one of the bigger flyweights we’ve ever seen.
On the other hand, Joao Elias is a fighter with a ton of experience. His last three victories came via submission, all in round one. Elias fights with a kill-or-be-killed mentality. He has power on the feet and is constantly moving forward looking for a finish.
The results speak for themselves when looking at Elias. Since 2014, he’s only had one fight make it out of the second round. This fight will be guaranteed violence with both fighters coming forward looking for a finish to earn that contract. I struggle to see a way this fight goes the distance.
Best Bet: Estevam vs. Elias – Under 1.5 Rounds | +120 at DraftKings Sportsbook
