Contender Series 2026 Episode 2 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- This is some fun matchmaking between two action fighters that are gonna go for it. Both are flawed, but these guys are made for fun fights and not title runs. Brito is a returnee from losing on the Contender Series to Oban Elliott in 2023. I don’t think he’s improved much as a fighter even though he’s coming off winning the Oktagon title. Brito has good Muay Thai, hits hard, is explosive, and tricky. He’s also got pretty bad striking defense, lacks TDD, and has cardio issues. Fazil is a bit slow and stationary, but he will come forward and fight consistently. He wants to be in the pocket, whereas Brito would want to stay at range.

Brito is the more dangerous striker when he can dictate the pace. Fazil is gonna keep coming, throwing combinations and hitting hard. I don’t trust Brito’s durability nor his ability to face adversity. Brito likely has early success, but Fazil gets a submission in round two. I believe Fazil’s pressure will force a bad shot from Brito, and Fazil latches onto the neck.

Pick: Fazil by Round 2 Submission

Cedric Dumas– This is one of the most intriguing fights on the card, and honestly, I think both men are UFC-caliber.

Pick: Brito by Round 2 KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt- I’m not a fan of bringing Kaik Brito back at all. He’s already had his chance on DWCS, losing a decision to Oban Elliott in 2023. Elliott hasn’t exactly fared very well since then, and it’s not like Brito has put together a flawless run of his own, so I’m confused why Sean Shelby zeroed in on him as a priority for this season.

Anyways, if I set my DWCS principles aside, Brito should make for an exciting addition. He’s more than capable of getting into a back-and-forth fight and has a fun assortment of kicks. He also mixes in plenty of spinning attacks, adding to an already fan-friendly style. However, as aesthetically pleasing as Brito’s game may be, he’s not the fighter I’ve got my eyes on in this matchup.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Sean Shelby had managed to sign Namo Fazil, and that feeling has only grown given the direction MVP has been heading. Fazil isn’t the best prospect in the world by any means, but he’s proven himself to be a legitimate talent with excellent finishing instincts, and I believe he’s earned this opportunity. He already brings a massive following, and I’d imagine the UFC brass will be pulling for him here, as Fazil would attract a passionate fan base from Kurdistan. Skill-wise, he’s an absolute warrior. Fazil constantly pressures forward into his opponents’ space, mixing heavy combinations with well-timed takedown attempts. I also rate his power highly, as he can drop opponents with a single shot.

This ended up being a tougher pick than I expected, but I just can’t get some of Kaik Brito’s losses out of my head. I expect Fazil to pressure Brito immediately and make him uncomfortable from the opening minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaned on his grappling, as it’s probably the clearest path to victory in this matchup, though I also think Fazil will be eager to put on a show with his hands.

Pick: Fazil by Round 1 KO/TKO

Patrick Danna- I dread having to make a pick for this fight. I’ve been back and forth on it since it was announced, and still have no confidence in my prediction. Fazil got a lot of attention after beefing with Arman Tsarukyan after his MVP MMA win, then announced he was signed for DWCS immediately after. You know that had to piss Jake Paul off.

Fazil is good in all areas, being a willing and scrappy striker that gets in the pocket to land bombs. He has great cardio and holds his power throughout the fight, keeping him dangerous for 15 minutes on the feet. Fazil can be a bit behind defensively, overthrowing into bad positions for counters or leaving holes in his blocking; however, his steel chin helps offset those flaws. His biggest weaknesses lie in grappling, which I don’t think will be much of a worry in this fight.

Kaik Brito is an electric fighter when he actually shows up. The biggest thing on tape for me was his inconsistency. From one fight to the next, it was like you were watching a different fighter. At times, his jab looks world-class and dangerous enough to win a fight by itself, his kicks look quick and wild enough to cause a big finish, and he controls the pace of the fight completely. Other times, he looks like a gasser that just swings wild, looking to land something big with no technical skill (re: Oban Elliott matchup). He has shown high IQ and the ability to pick up quick reads, and has absurd power when he lands clean with finishes in ALL 19 career wins. The problem is, you never know which Brito will show up.

Fazil’s best abilities lie in what you don’t see on paper, with a whole lot of heart, cardio, and determination not to give up. That’s what has made him successful so far in his career. Brito’s unpredictability and striking will undoubtedly be a puzzle for Fazil to figure out, but whether he can is a whole different question. My biggest issue with this fight is that it depends on the version of Brito we get. If he comes out looking the way he did against Joilton Lutterbach or David Kozma, we could see him roll. If he shows up looking the way he did in the Oban fight, we likely see Fazil drown him as the fight extends. Either way, this fight should produce a sick finish and add a fun fighter to welterweight.

Pick: Brito by Round one KO/TKO

Chase Gurotsky- Two I thought could have gotten a straight UFC call are going at it in what I hope will be a straight brawl. Starting with Namo Fazil, who at 10-1 is coming off the biggest win of his career on the biggest of his career too. He beat Jake Babian last time out at MVP, which I did not see coming. I picked Babian; however, Fazil won me over, despite his post-fight antics. Fazil is all-around good, with eight finishes: four TKOs and four submissions. He faces the current Oktagon Welterweight Champion Kaik Brito.

Kaik Brito at 19-6 doesn’t scream prospect; however, his last two wins definitely do. After losing to Ion Surdu, he beat Joilton Lutterbach by first-round TKO and then stunned Ronald Paradeiser to win the belt with a stunning spinning backfist. This also isn’t his first time on the show; his first appearance was a Majority Decision loss to Oban Elliot, proving he can hang with UFC talent, even if it’s the lower end. This doesn’t change the fact that Fazil is a monster and is coming off a win that really showed the type of fighter he is; still, I think this one is a coin flip.

Pick: Fazil by Round 2 KO/TKO 

Xavi Ryder- We aren’t writing about these in fight order, so our headlining bout of week two is the third but not final fight to have a fighter getting a second chance on Contender Series. Kaik Brito fought on Contender Series three years ago against Oban Elliott, who has had his ups and downs in the UFC. Just like his first chance on the show, Brito is coming off of a fight where he won the Oktagon welterweight title. Brito is a dangerous, explosive striker, but he lacks defensively. He is there to be hit, doesn’t handle pressure well, and can be taken down.

Standing across from him on Tuesday will be the well-rounded Namo Fazil. Fazil might not be as explosive as Brito, but he throws good combinations and has power in his hands. He likes to stay in his opponent’s face and keep the pressure on to make them fight. As I said, he can mix it up by taking the fight to the ground, where he has a solid submission game to back it up. His competition level hasn’t been as good as Brito’s, but he did get a win on a big platform in MVP MMA. Fazil is very confident in his skills, and I think he is eager to put on fun fights. I’m going with Fazil by club and sub.

Pick: Fazil by Round 1 Submission

Drew Beaupre – I wrote about Fazil before he submitted Jake Babian in a high-profile spot as the final prelim fight of the first MVP MMA 1 card in May.

I do think that Brito has the better skillset overall, and with 25 pro fights under his belt this may well be his last chance to join the UFC given that he already lost to Oban Elliott on DWCS back in 2023. He’s coming off a couple of solid finishes over very experienced opponents in Oktagon, but those wins only came after he was knocked out in the first round of his promotional debut.

Fazil absolutely has the power to make Brito pay if he gets careless, and the 29-year-old is almost certainly going to try and put him on the back foot as much as possible. “Grandson of Saladin” is also capable of snatching a submission if the two men hit the ground, and I think Fazil’s willingness to keep coming forward will make things tough on Brito if he can’t connect with a fight-ending shot.

Pick: Fazil by Round 2 KO/TKO

Cangrejo Ruiz- Interesting fight between athletic skills vs technical skills. Fazil is quite big and shows a ton of heart, but he has really limited tools. Brito is a more complete fighter who has struggled in the past against bigger opponents. If both guys go at their best, I lean Brito. Brito should be able to pick Fazil apart and avoid getting damaged. Fazil is a tough dude and is unlikely to get finished by strikes, so I expect this fight to go to the scorecards.

Pick: Brito by Decision