Dana White’s Contender Series Season 4 Week 7, Odds & Picks
By Cole Shelton in Mixed Martial Arts News
Published:
- Week 7 of DWCS goes down on Tuesday, September 15th
- Last week’s episode saw four UFC contracts handed out
- See the odds and betting preview for Week 7, below
Dana White’s Contender Series has been must-watch TV for MMA fans, who have had the chance to see future UFC stars earn their way into the promotion. The show has produced the likes of Ryan Spann, Geoff Neal, Ian Heinisch, and Grant Dawson among others.
In the main event of Week 7, Gregory Rodriguez battles Jordan Williams at middleweight. The card airs live at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, September 15th.
Dana White’s Contender Series Week 7 Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Gregory Rodrigues | -132 |
| Jordan Williams | +102 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Muhammadjon Naimov | -400 |
| Collin Anglin | +300 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Korey Kuppe | +145 |
| Michael Lombardo | -175 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Danyelle Wolf | -153 |
| Taneisha Tennant | +123 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Kyle Driscoll | -190 |
| Dinis Paiva | +160 |
Odds taken Sept. 14.
Can Williams Finally Get a UFC Contract?
Gregory Rodrigues (7-2) is on an impressive six-fight winning streak while competing in mid-level promotions like LFA and ACB. Rodrigues also won SMASH Global’s middleweight title last time out.
The Brazilian has turned it around since starting his career 1-2. His success has been driven by an improved ability to land takedowns, leading to submission wins. His most notable victory is a first-round armbar over Edilberto de Oliveira in 2018.
Jordan Williams (8-3, 1 NC) has already competed on the Contender Series twice and has actually not fought since his appearance on the show last year.
Last time out, he lost a split decision to Ramazan Kuramagomedov after scoring a third-round TKO win over Tim Caron in 2017 (which was later overturned for a positive test for marijuana). Both men have fought and beaten Brandon Hester.
This should be a great matchup between Rodriguez, who is a classic grappler, and Williams, who likes to keep it standing and look for the knockout.
Rodrigues vs Williams Key Stats
| 28 | Age | 29 |
| 6’2″ | Height | 6’0″ |
| 76″ | Reach | 76.5″ |
| 6 | Career finishes | 6 |
It should be noted that Williams is taking this fight on short notice as Rodriguez was expected to fight Nassourdine Imavov. Despite a lack of preop time, Williams is the much better striker and has very good takedown defense that he should be able to keep it standing. Even if it hits the mat, he has a few submissions of his own.
Expect Rodrigues to shoot early and Williams to stuff it. With the fight standing, Williams will piece up the Brazilian en route to a second-round knockout win. This is also the fight Williams finally earns himself a UFC contract.
Pick: Jordan Williams (+102)
Other DWCS Week 7 Picks:
- Muhammadjon Naimov (-400): Naimov should earn a submission win and get a UFC deal but at -400 there is no way you can lay that chalk.
- Michael Lombardo (-175): Lombardo will use his wrestling to get this fight to the ground and get a stoppage win and a UFC deal.
- Danyelle Wolf (-153): Wolf is a decorated pro boxer and will have her first pro MMA fight on the Contender Series. Expect her to use her boxing to cruise to a decision win, but don’t expect a UFC contract due to her lack of experience.
- Kyle Driscoll (-190): Driscoll is the better all-around fighter and will get a decision win but not a UFC deal.
Sports Writer
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
