Contender Series 2026 Episode 2 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- This is one of the few fights this season where I’m a big fan of both guys. They’re both super talented boxers with underrated ground games. There’s more pressure on Trembley since he’s already 31. Both are primarily boxers, and either could land the shot that ends the fight, but I favor Puga on the feet. Trembley is a good boxer, but Puga was an undefeated amateur boxer at 4-0-1. He has the better process, cleaner setups, and faster hands. Trembley thrives in the pocket, but brawling with Puga may not be the best idea. Puga is also more defensively responsible, and that’ll matter.

Trembley will likely mix in his wrestling, since it’s where he has the clearest edge. That said, Puga isn’t easy to take down. He has strong hips, solid takedown defense, and good judo. Even if Trembley gets him down, Puga has slick jiu-jitsu. I’m picking Puga because I see him as the better striker and the slicker grappler. He’ll be the one pushing for the finish, but I think Puga wins by decision.

Pick: Puga by Decision

Cedric Dumas– I really like this matchup, even if I’m not sure it’s happening on the ideal stage. I would have loved to see these two fight on an LFA card first, but here we are.

Nicholas Holt- Solid job by the matchmakers. Both guys have a legitimate case for getting this opportunity, and I think this makes for a fun striking matchup. Taner Trembley has had quite the run throughout his career. Every one of his fights has ended inside the distance, and he’s only seen the third round once as a professional. He prefers to keep things standing, and while his boxing isn’t the tightest, it’s certainly effective. He carries legitimate power and isn’t afraid to push forward into his opponent’s space, oozing confidence from the opening bell. Trembley has also shown a willingness to mix things up, with solid grappling to back up a dangerous rear-naked choke.

That said, Trembley has some concerning tendencies that could end his night early. I’ve seen him throw naked body kicks far too deep in the pocket for my liking, and I’m hesitant to trust his movement to get him out of danger when his opponent fires back with an overhand. I mentioned it before, but I also think his boxing still needs some polishing. It’s probably his biggest strength, yet he can become a little reckless when he starts letting his hands go.

Trembley will have to keep those habits in check against Roman Puga, as striking is the least of his concerns. A former undefeated amateur boxer, Puga might have some of the best hands on this season. It really shouldn’t be a rarity in MMA, but Puga is one of the few regional fighters who attacks the body with real intent. His accuracy is pinpoint, and he can shut down an opponent’s liver with a single shot. If Trembley’s game plan is to stand and trade with Puga, it’ll be a long night. Puga can also hold his own on the mat. While he hasn’t showcased dominant grappling, he isn’t the type of striker who gets taken down and stays there.

My biggest knock on Roman Puga is the level of competition he’s faced. There aren’t many notable names on his résumé, and the best opponent he’s fought stopped him in just his second professional bout at Bellator 219. That was back in 2019, however, and Puga has improved tremendously since then. Something about him makes me believe he has star potential. He carries himself with a level of confidence that suggests he’s completely unfazed by the power coming back at him. Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but I think we could be in for a statement performance.

Pick: Puga by Round 2 KO/TKO

Patrick Danna- This is the great matchmaking I would expect from DWCS, which is mostly lacking from this episode. Puga is a guy I didn’t know much about, but kept an eye on for his last fight. I’m happy I did, because I became a big fan instantly. A former undefeated boxer through five fights, Puga fights the way you’d expect a boxer to. Unrelenting pressure, unbelievable hand speed, and nasty combinations. His ability to cut off the cage and constantly stay on top of opponents is impressive, but the way he flows his punches is even more visually pleasing. Puga’s defense is clean and effective, but his grappling really surprised me. Hidden inside of quick scrambles and reversals is a dangerous BJJ game, but sometimes too aggressive for his own good.

Trembley is a guy LFA has built up well, facing solid competition while finishing everyone in his path. Despite getting the finish every time he’s been out there, Trembley wasn’t the finisher I expected. He really shines with his submissions on the ground, using well-timed takedown entries to get on the ground. Guillotines and rear-naked chokes are his specialty, with a tight squeeze and solid control. Trembley normally gets better as the fight goes on, using his wrestling more and shining with strong cardio.

While I do like Trembley and think he’s solid, every fight starts on the feet, and I feel like there is a world of difference there. Trembley could find success if he gets the fight down, but Puga has shown exceptional defensive BJJ and wrestling. If Puga gets into a groove early and starts landing while defending takedowns, I’m not sure Trembley has the range management tools to hold it off. I could see Puga’s damage being the deciding factor in a decision, but I think he can get Trembley out of there if he pushes for it (which may not be the right decision, but is common on DWCS).

Pick: Puga by Round 2 KO/TKO

Chase Gurotsky- If Taner Trembley wasn’t over 30, he would be high on my top 25 prospect list. Taner’s 100% finish rate is favored to the five submissions, but that’s not to say he isn’t extremely dangerous on the feet too. Having 6 of his 7 pro fights in LFA helps a lot, as he has faced killer after killer. He has taken down a combined opponent record of 30-11 and recently took care of fellow prospect Korey Taylor on short notice when both guys fell through. With his wrestling background, I truly think he is a legit problem and will take care of Puga any way he wants.

Puga’s career hasn’t followed the traditional path. After falling to a 1-1 pro MMA record, he took a break and boxed from 2019 to 2024, where he went unbeaten. He returned to MMA in late 2024 and is now on a 4-fight win streak, with all wins by TKO, three in the first round. He too is an LFA vet of only 2 fights, though, and not against the toughest guys in comparison to Trembley. Puga has the weapons on the feet to win this fight for sure and could find himself landing a shot that really hurts Tanner. I do, however, think Trembley is the much better all-around fighter.

Pick: Trembley by Round 2 Submission

Xavi Ryder- This one is an awesome fight with two well-rounded fighters going at it. I favor Puga in the striking, as I think his combinations are slicker and definitely faster. Both guys throw in combination and go to the body, but Puga’s hands just seem more fluid. After suffering a loss in his second fight, he had a boxing stint that lasted around five years. Since coming back to MMA in 2024, Puga has gone 4-0 with four finishes. In his most recent fight against Hamzeh Trad, we got to see him show off some grappling. He scrambles very well, but I think sometimes he can get overaggressive and find himself falling out of position. Puga was able to deal with it against Trad, but I wonder if that will get him in more trouble against a better guy.

Coming into this fight at 31 years old, Trembley really isn’t a prospect anymore but is just a good fighter. While I gave the striking advantage to Puga, Trembley also can do good work on the feet. From purely a power standpoint, it seems he may have the edge there, but the speed of Puga could be an issue. Trembley has a variety of good takedowns, as well as the ability to chain them together and grind to get the fight to the ground. He’s best on the ground, with great back takes and submission skills. He also scrambles well, and this is where I think he can take advantage of Puga’s overaggressiveness. This was a hard one for me to pick, but I’m gonna go with my gut and say Trembley can get it to the ground to find the submission.

Pick: Trembley by Round 2 Submission

Drew Beaupre– This might be the most well-matched fight on Week 2, which is nice to see given that is seems like we’re going to be treated to a lot of mismatches on this season of DWCS.

The striking exchanges during this matchup should be particularly interesting given that both men have good hands, although I expect that Puga will have the edge in that department thanks to his amateur boxing credentials. Trembley may also look to mix in his wrestling and has secured submissions in five of his seven pro victories, but Puga has shown off good takedown defense and is certainly no slouch when a fight hits the mat.

I won’t be shocked if Trembley is able to come out and put Puga on his back, but I don’t expect that he’ll be able to keep him down for long.

Pick: Puga by Round 2 KO/TKO

Cangrejo Ruiz- Puga is a really slick striker, but he is a bit one-dimensional for my liking. Meanwhile, Trembley is a more complete fighter, even if his striking isn’t as good as Puga’s. Trembley’s path to victory should be to try to shorten the distance and make an ugly fight to avoid Puga’s main skill. Sadly, that doesn’t grant you a contract, and he is smart enough to know he will have to take risks, and that’s where Puga is dangerous. Damage will accumulate, and I see Puga finding a finish late. If this fight happened in LFA, I would be siding with Trembley, but circumstances matter.

Pick: Puga by Round 3 KO/TKO