Dana White’s Contender Series Week 9 Picks: Onley vs Bierley Odds & Prediction

• The second-last DWCS card of Season 10 takes place tonight.
• Main event favorite Summer Onley sits at -160 on the moneyline.
• See my expert Dana White’s Contender Series Week 9 predictions, picks and odds below

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The action returns to the Meta APEX in Las Vegas tonight at 7 pm ET on Paramount+. This event marks the second-to-last card of Season 10, meaning time is running out for prospects to secure a UFC contract.

Tonight is headlined by a crucial women’s bantamweight bout between Summer Onley and Alivia Bierley. Here are my Dana White’s Contender Series Week 9 predictions and picks.

Dana White’s Contender Series Week 9 Odds

Odds for tonight are sourced from BetMGM. In the first fight of the night, Cage Warriors product Nell Ariano stands as the biggest favorite on the card at -500, while his opponent, Preston LaGrange, enters as the biggest underdog at +365.

Odds as of Oct 6 at BetMGM. Grab a BetMGM promo code or compare prices across the top UFC betting apps before tonight’s card.

Alivia Bierley vs Summer Onley Prediction

Liv Bierley and Summer Onley are similar fighters: both are big, strong, athletic bantamweights who work with patience. I expect this to be a measured fight early, with neither woman rushing into unnecessary exchanges.

Although neither have high-level competitive backgrounds in other sports, Bierley and Onley both have high athletic ceilings in MMA. Each could improve her skill base, but they are always on balanced and in the right position to capitalize with their physicality. It would not be a surprise to see both in the UFC soon regardless of who wins on Tuesday night.

The biggest difference is that Bierley’s aggression, both with her striking and her wrestling. Once she finally decides to apply pressure, she has power in both hands and the durability to back it up. The potential is there whenever she decides to bite down on her mouthpiece.

Bierley lacks technical wrestling entries but if she can connect her hands around Onley, she has multiple explosive takedown finishes on her highlight reel. She can struggle to establish control at times, but creating those big moments could be the difference in this matchup.

Onley could have stretches of success at range, but I trust Bierley to create more meaningful moments with her pressure and grappling. At plus money, I’m backing her to edge a competitive decision.

• DWCS Week 9 Pick #1: Alivia Bierley Moneyline (+135 at BetMGM)

Salhahuddin Everett vs Ozzy Martin Best Bet

The UFC has been promoting Salhahuddin Everett’s DWCS fight for some time, and it is easy to see why. He remains an extremely raw prospect but is already employed by the promotion and is Dana White’s personal runner. Nobody will receive a bigger ovation in the Meta Apex on Tuesday night than ‘Bundy.’

Everett’s stance with the company has earned him a shot on DWCS just one year into his professional career. White and Hunter Campbell have already had a hand in his favorable matchmaking on the regional scene, suggesting they set him up with the right opponent to shine in this spot. Still, Ozzy Martin is easily the best opponent of Everett’s career.

Both Everett and Martin remain raw prospects, and neither has shown a reliable striking foundation. I expect an awkward fight with limited clean offense, where basic composure could matter more than technical polish. This could be a fight that simply comes down to the first clean connection.

Martin has power to stun Everett, but his entire offense relies on his short, explosive bursts. They can still land, but unsuccessful attempt is a huge blow to his limited gas tank. If his first telegraphed attack fails, it will only get harder from there for Martin.

Although impossible to have confidence in anybody this early in their career, I expect Everett to stay steadier, capitalize when Martin slows down and earn the win in a messy fight.

• DWCS Week 9 Pick #2: Salhahuddin Everett Moneyline (-150 at BetMGM)

Roque Conceicao vs Alexander Chavez Pick

Chavez is the more technical fighter, but his approach is too predictable and his offensive arsenal is limited. Even when he has been able to hurt people, Chavez can get extremely tunnel-visioned with his offensive game plan. That gives Conceicao a clear opportunity to disrupt the fight with different looks and better variety.

Conceicao is a smart, experienced fighter who should recognize Chavez’s patterns. Anything can happen, but I expect him to avoid getting trapped in a straight technical battle and instead change the range, pace and type of attack.

Chavez also has a tendency to fight tentatively and stay out of danger. That approach can make it very difficult to find success against a fast, powerful striker like Conceicao.

Fans might be down on Conceicao after he just got run over by Imanol Rodriguez on DWCS last year. But that loss has aged well in hindsight with Rodriguez looking more like a top-15 talent each time out. Conceicao had the right game plan in that fight and simply got out-gunned, which has happened to most who face the budding 26-year-old prospect.

• DWCS Week 9 Pick #3: Roque Conceicao Moneyline (-110 at BetMGM)

Ryuho Miyaguchi vs Mateus Soares Prediction

This fight is set up for LFA bantamweight prospect Mateus Soares to punch his ticket into the UFC. Ryuho Miyaguchi is not a bad prospect, but he is still several steps away from competing at the highest level.

Soares is the faster fighter with much better footwork and mobility, and he has the slightly better defense. That is mostly due to Miyaguchi’s complete lack of boxing defense, which could be fatal in this matchup.

When he fight his fight, Miyaguchi pokes and prods with his kicks on the outside. He stands flat-footed but can keep himself safe with subtle movements and slips from the edges. He’s comfortable fighting at his range, but the danger risk comes when he sits down in the pocket.

When Miyaguchi does engage, his hands drop and his stagnant head suddenly becomes very vulnerable. He gets hit too often, and Soares should be able to close distance faster than Miyaguchi can reset. So far, Miyaguchi’s chin has held up against Japanese regional competition. Soares’ power is different.

Soares is not especially technical, but he does not need a perfect combination to change the fight. If he lands cleanly, Miyaguchi will be in serious trouble. I’m backing the Brazilian to close the distance and find the finish.

• DWCS Week 9 Pick #4: Mateus Soares by KO/TKO (-170 at BetMGM)

Preston LaGrange vs Nell Ariano Best Bet

Nell Ariano and Preston LaGrange are both grapplers, but they get there in very different ways. Ariano has excellent Judo takedowns but can struggle to maintain control, while LaGrange is the complete opposite, possessing limited wrestling and tricky grappling once the fight hits the mat.

The bigger gap is on the feet, where Ariano is far more dynamic and powerful. His movements can look awkward and clumsy, but he still offers more variety and threat than LaGrange. He has a lot of Dricus du Plessis-like appeal, where his movement might look grotesque, but he manages to make it work more often than not.

LaGrange was scheduled for an LFA bout later this month and is instead stepping into this fight on short notice. It is hard enough preparing for Ariano on a full camp, much less with only a handful of days.

When forced to strike, LaGrange gets hit too often and does not absorb damage well. I expect Ariano to create more chaotic offense, survive the scrambles and eventually make his heavy favorite price worthwhile. He is a wild card, but this is entirely Ariano’s fight to lose.

Ariano is a solid parlay leg, and his power will likely be the deciding factor to end the fight before the final horn.

• DWCS Week 9 Pick #5: Nell Ariano by KO/TKO (-210 at BetMGM)