Contender Series 2026 Episode 6 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- Perea is going to get exposed eventually, but I don’t think it happens here. The matchmaking feels designed to get Perea into the UFC, and Hunt is a favorable opponent for him. Hunt’s path is obvious: get the fight to the mat and lean on his BJJ black belt. I’m not particularly sold on the level of his jiu-jitsu, but Perea hasn’t shown much of a ground game himself. The bigger issue is whether Hunt can even get him there. His wrestling isn’t very good, and against a physical specimen like Perea, securing takedowns will be difficult.

Perea certainly looks the part and has some dangerous tools, including a good jab, a nasty right hand, and brutal clinch work. Still, I think the UFC will expose just how limited he is right now. He relies heavily on single strikes, doesn’t set up his offense particularly well, misses too often, and is far too easy to hit. Against future opponents, I’d look to crash the pocket and force him to operate at a faster pace. He’s intimidating when he can dictate the tempo, but blitzing into range should expose how hittable he is.

Hunt, however, doesn’t have the wrestling, cardio, speed, or power to really exploit those flaws. Perea should be far too physically imposing in this matchup, and I expect him to overwhelm Hunt early.

Pick: Perea by Round 1 KO/TKO

Cedric Dumas- This is a fairly straightforward striker-versus-grappler matchup, although neither fighter has built a résumé that makes them an obvious UFC-level prospect yet.

Perea brings a long, physical frame and a solid wrestling background, plus enough striking to punish opponents who cannot consistently close the distance. Hunt is the superior grappler, but the key question is whether he can actually put a 6’3″, physically strong opponent on the mat.

That is where I have concerns. Hunt has not shown enough wrestling against comparable opposition to convince me he can consistently overcome the size difference. If he spends too much energy forcing takedowns that are not there, the fight should gradually shift toward Perea.

I expect Hunt to push hard for the grappling exchanges early, potentially spending the first round trying to establish positions he cannot reliably reach. If that pace begins to fade, Perea should have more opportunities to land the strikes that have carried him through the regional circuit.

Hunt has the better plan on paper, but Perea has the physical tools to make it hard to execute. I expect him to take over once Hunt’s initial pace drops.

Pick: Perea by Round 2 KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt- I’m not super high on either guy, but I find it hard not to go with Mayton Perea here.

He’s a Daniel Cormier fighter, whose team has been on quite the roll getting fighters into the UFC, and this matchup is one that definitely plays into the skillset of Perea. His opponent, Zevan Hunt, is a ground game specialist with solid jiu-jitsu, but I picture him struggling to get the 6-foot-3 Perea to the mat consistently.

Perea should pick Hunt apart on the feet, and as long as he stays upright, he should win this fight handily.

Pick: Perea by Round 1 KO/TKO

Chase Gurotsky- While this is not the highest-level matchup, it is definitely a fun one. Both guys aren’t the first welterweights that come to mind when you think of prospects; however, both are on amazing runs. We will start with Mayton Perea, who is currently on a 3-fight win streak, winning by KO/TKO in every fight. Despite being 4-2 in his last six, he gets a DWCS call-up, most likely due to his connection with INKA; however, I think he is getting the right matchup to come out with a contract.

However, I’m not one to overlook Zevan Hunt. Cheese, as he is known, is 7-0 with 6 of his wins by finish. He also went an impressive 10-1 as an amateur, with 8 of those wins coming by finish as well. He is seemingly well-rounded, and I think it is gonna be tricky for a very one-dimensional Perea. While neither guy has faced the toughest competition, I think Zevan is the more experienced fighter.

I think Zevan will look to take this fight to the ground and hunt a submission on the Ecuadorian, who has two submission losses on his record, one to a 4-5 opponent. I think Hunt and his team know this and will look for this early. It’s a whole different fight if Perea can avoid getting taken down, since he has extremely dangerous striking. I trust Hunt can get it done; however, this one is very close, and while it’s not the best for their UFC futures, it is a good matchup.

Pick: Hunt by Round 1 Submission

Xavi Ryder– Unfortunately, to close out DWCS week 6, we have a matchup of okay but not great prospects. Hunt will need to get this fight to the ground early, or he’ll be in trouble. He has the submission skills to finish, but I don’t think he’ll get the takedowns he needs. Perea has a big athleticism edge and the size advantage to stuff the takedown attempts. On the feet, Perea is definitely the better striker, and with the power he possesses, I think he finds the finish.

Pick: Perea by Round 1 KO/TKO

Drew Beaupre– On paper, this looks like a pretty standard striker vs. grappler matchup, and the expectation will be that Perea will be able to piece Hunt up on the feet unless he gets taken down.

Hunt has a clear edge in grappling and might only need one takedown to find a submission, but unfortunately he doesn’t exactly excel at getting opponents to the mat. That especially doesn’t bode well for him here given how big Perea is for the welterweight division, and it feels more likely that the Ecuadorian will be able to keep things standing and find a finish on the feet.

Pick: Perea by Round 1 KO/TKO

Cangrejo Ruiz- This fight has a lot of unknowns. Perea is the kind of physical freak the matchmakers love, but he is super green, even if he has improved a lot through the years. Hunt is a more polished fighter, especially in the grappling department, but lacks the physicality to be a welterweight, especially compared to Perea. Hunt will try to pressure the takedowns, and I see Perea doing a lot of damage there and eventually finding the finish.

Pick: Perea by Round 2 KO/TKO

Benjamin Keith –  Zevan Hunt is a good regional fighter, but simply put, I don’t think any of his tools are UFC caliber. He has solid length but will be the shorter fighter here. He is aggressive, but his gas tank can’t support that mindset. He throws great elbows on the ground and on the feet, but doesn’t set up or disguise his strikes well. He is a Jiu-Jitsu specialist, but at times struggles to get the fight to the ground. All his positives have a big caveat or question mark.

While I don’t trust Perea’s resume yet, he is a physically imposing and powerful fighter. He is 10x the athlete that Hunt is and has the better gas tank. His power will be the best tool on either side in this fight. He hasn’t displayed much as far as grappling, so I could see it being a bit dicey for him if it hits the ground. However, I think he will be too big and too strong for Hunt’s lackluster takedowns to matter, and he’ll eventually hurt him badly on the feet.

Pick: Perea by Round 2 KO/TKO

Pat Danna – This fight threw me for a loop on tape; I like the potential in Perea’s striking, but he is just two years removed from an absolute quit job. Hunt, on the other hand, didn’t impress as much as I expected looking at his record, with most of his opponents fighting like spastics. That said, I think this will be mostly striker vs. grappler, as Hunt will give Perea a lot of openings but could also give him real issues on the ground.

I see Hunt forcing a heavy pace like usual, but not being able to outmuscle or take Perea down early. Hunt needs to wear Perea down in the clinch to open up his grappling, and if he gets on top, could end the fight very easily. While Perea is a 0 on his back, I do think his power and more technical style of striking will allow him to land some big punches on the feet. This is close to 50/50 for me, but I’ll take the harder-hitting athlete from Ecuador to finish this one.

Pick: Perea by Round 2 KO/TKO