Dana White's Contender Series Week 10 Predictions and Picks

Week 10 of Dana White's Contender Series closes out Season 10 on Tuesday, October 13, live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Paramount+ at 7 p.m. ET. 

The card is heavy on elite strikers, plus one fight that is mostly a grappler against a knockout artist. 

Here is a breakdown and pick for each of the five bouts.

Featherweight: Ilias Bulaid (9-0) vs. Erick Viscondi (17-3)

This main event was rescheduled from Week 8. Bulaid, a Dutch fighter out of SB Gym, brings high-level kickboxing and Bellator experience, and he is unbeaten. Viscondi is the LFA featherweight champion and the more experienced pro with 20 fights. He is comfortable standing, but his best path is probably grappling rather than trading with a kickboxer of Bulaid's caliber. Even if Viscondi tries to wrestle, Bulaid's striking edge and sharper timing should win the exchanges on the feet.combatpress

Pick: Ilias Bulaid by TKO, Round 2

Women's Bantamweight: Aline Pereira (3-2) vs. Smilla Sundell (2-0)

This is a pure striking matchup. Pereira, 35, is a former GLORY kickboxer and the sister of Alex Pereira, and her MMA record has been mixed. Sundell, 21, is a former ONE Muay Thai champion who has knocked out both of her pro MMA opponents, Miranda Barber and Maya Stewart. Pereira has the experience, but Sundell has the sharper striking, and she has been finishing opponents quickly. If Pereira can't get this to the mat, Sundell's volume and power should take over.combatpress

Pick: Smilla Sundell by KO, Round 1

Welterweight: Will Rentz (8-2) vs. Luis Francischinelli (6-1)

Francischinelli, who works out of California MMA, was once seen as one of the top welterweight prospects in the world until a single loss slowed him. At 6-foot-6 he is rare for the division, and he is a hard-to-reach striker with real power. Rentz, a student of UFC fighter Billy Quarantillo, has finished all eight of his wins by knockout. That makes him dangerous, but he will be giving up a huge reach advantage. If Francischinelli keeps Rentz at the end of his strikes, he can pick him apart and stop him.

Pick: Luis Francischinelli by TKO, Round 2

Middleweight: Davi Cabral (7-0) vs. Douglas da Lapa (6-0)

This is an all-Brazilian matchup between two unbeaten fighters. Cabral is a jiu-jitsu fighter by trade who also hits hard, so he can win on the feet or the mat. Da Lapa has finished most of his wins by knockout and will want to avoid a grappling match. Cabral has the more flexible game plan. If da Lapa fails to land early, Cabral can take the fight to the floor and force him to defend. Da Lapa's power keeps the knockout danger alive, but over three rounds Cabral's versatility should matter more.

Pick: Davi Cabral by submission, Round 2

Lightweight: Greg Foster (8-1) vs. Jason Asher (5-0)

Both men are on late notice, and Asher is moving up to 155 from 145. Asher has finished all five of his wins, including a victory over respected regional fighter Cameron Graves in his last bout. Foster, 34, is physically strong and trains at MMA Lab, but his schedule has been light on tough opposition, and his lone loss came to a .500 fighter. Asher's finishing instinct and momentum should outweigh the weight-class jump, and I expect him to keep the pressure on.

Pick: Jason Asher by TKO, Round 2