Dana White’s Contender Series Week 8 Odds and Picks – Renfro vs Parsons
- Three contracts were handed out last week, how many will be awarded this week?
- A welterweight bout headlines Week 8 on Tuesday
- See the odds and betting preview for Week 8 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 Sean O’Malley, Alex Perez, Ryan Spann, and Maycee Barber, among countless others.
After seven episodes, 28 contracts have been handed out, and five more fights happen on Tuesday, October 19 as those fighters try to earn themselves a UFC deal. Week 8 takes place at the UFC Apex and in the main event, Solomon Renfro battles Jonny Parsons at welterweight.
DWCS Week 8 Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Solomon Renfro | -150 |
| Jonny Parsons | +130 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Valesca Machado | +260 |
| Piera Rodriguez | -335 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Caio Borralho | -380 |
| Jesse Murray | +290 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Armen Petrosyan | -120 |
| Kaloyan Kolev | +100 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| James Barnes | +165 |
| Pedro Falcao | -195 |
Odds as of October 17th at DraftKings.
Who Earns The Contract?
Solomon Renfro (8-1) has been competing in CFFC which is one of the best regional promotions in the United States. He has already fought twice this year and earned first-round knockouts in both fights. He has fought high level of competition as his lone loss is to Mike Malott who was just signed to the UFC earlier this season on DWCS.
Jonny Parsons (7-2) has been competing in iKon Fighting Federation which is a decent promotion and he has fought opponents with winning records which is what you want to see. He last fought back in June where he scored a vicious head kick KO. He does hold a notable win over Shonie Carter and is a coach at Syndicate MMA which is one of the best gyms.
Renfro vs Parsons Stats
| 24 | Age | 30 |
| 5’9″ | Height | 5’10” |
| N/A | Reach | 69″ |
| 3 | Career Finishes | 6 |
Both Renfro and Parsons are UFC-calibre so this will be a really fun and entertaining fight for however long it lasts. Both men have KO power while Renfro can use his wrestling and jiu-jitsu to win fights on the ground if he needs.
Early on, I expect it to be a kickboxing fight early with Parsons looking to set up the head kick while Renfro will want to box and throw his hands. I do think both men will land quality shots and the first round will be very competitive. In the second round, however, I expect Renfro to turn to his wrestling and be able to control Parsons on the ground and eventually get a ground and pound TKO and a UFC deal.
Pick: Solomon Renfro (-150)
Other DWCS Week 8 Picks:
- Piera Rodriguez (-335): Rodriguez looks legit and she has KO power at 115lbs which will be the difference as she’ll piece up Machado and earn a TKO win and a UFC deal.
- Caio Borralho (-380): Borralho fought on the Contender Series earlier this season and I expect him to get his second win on the show by decision, but once again, not enough to earn a UFC deal.
- Kaloyan Kolev (+100): Kolev hasn’t fought the highest level of competition but he’ll be able to score a first-round KO and get a UFC contract.
- Pedro Falcao (-195): I don’t know why Barnes is on DWCS as he is 39-years-old and struggled when he fought for the big promotions. Falcao should be able to find the KO and get a UFC deal.
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.
