Contender Series 2026 Episode 3 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- I’m a big Humphrey guy, but to bring him in at just 4-0 is a disservice not only to him but to others. Some prospects have double the experience and accolades but still get passed over. I’m okay with young records like this getting in, but only if you’re light heavyweight and up or have an extensive IMMAF amateur background.

I’m gonna tell you right now, I didn’t rewatch any tape on Miranda because I already know he’s bad, and I’d rather not waste my time. He has a loss to Anuar Aburto, who has proven to be a fraud. He went to a decision against a 17-17 guy and had split decisions against records of 2-4 and 29-25.

Miranda is a striker only. He’s a fine distance striker who uses his length to dictate the pace. He throws a good jab and leg kicks and does mix it up well. What he doesn’t do so well is basically everything else. He’s slow, has poor striking and takedown defense, and lacks technique outside of the jab.

This is another clear setup fight here from the matchmakers. They found someone Humphrey can show the best of his abilities against. The two-time Muay Thai Champion Humphrey will be able to punish Miranda on the feet. Humphrey is an athletic freak, and Miranda moves around like a stick bug in comparison.

He will get takedowns at will and destroy Miranda there if he decides to. I predict Humphrey to drop Miranda with a punch and finish him off with ground-and-pound in round one. I just hope the UFC brings along Humphrey slowly so he can develop correctly.

Cedric Dumas- This matchup is strange on paper because Humphrey enters the Contender Series with significantly more upside than his opponent, but far less experience.

Miranda earned his spot after facing a string of lesser-known regional opponents without showing the kind of dominance you’d expect from a legitimate prospect. His only notable loss also came against a fighter whose résumé has taken a significant hit since then. Outside of his size and reach, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about what Miranda brings to this level.

Humphrey, meanwhile, almost feels like a prospect who arrived too early. At just 4-0, he was already scheduled for a regional title fight before the Contender Series opportunity came along. He probably could have benefited from another step up on the regional scene, but the UFC has given him the chance now, and I think he’s going to make the most of it.

He’s a violent finisher with the athleticism and tools to make an immediate impression. Expect this to be the fight where a lot more people learn his name.

Pick: Humphrey by 1st round KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt- Maybe it’s too early, but I don’t care. I’m just happy to have a fighter of Ronald Humphrey’s caliber on this season of DWCS. He’s the son of late Strikeforce contender Ron “Abongo” Humphrey and currently carries an undefeated record across his entire mixed martial arts career. Humphrey is definitely going to draw some eyes when he steps into the octagon. While standing just 5’11”, he possesses an astounding 77-inch reach. He won’t have much of a reach advantage over Alexis Miranda in this one, but the two couldn’t be further apart in terms of skill.

Humphrey’s best weapons are found on the feet, specifically when he’s dealing out damage with his Muay Thai background. The 25-year-old has captured two IKF (International Kickboxing Federation) championships, and his power is truly impressive. Every body kick looks capable of shutting down his opponent’s liver. Humphrey also never stops moving. From the opening bell, he’s in your face, constantly feinting and staying light on his toes. He controls the range well, too. It’s not like he’s sprinting after his opponent looking for the finish. Instead, he manages the distance with his kicking game before crashing in with his hands.

Humphrey will be taking on Alexis Miranda, who simply looks outmatched. He’s not particularly deserving of the opportunity either. Miranda’s level of competition has been shaky, to say the least, and he hasn’t exactly dominated his opposition. He’s coming off an embarrassingly close fight in his last appearance, and his record is riddled with red flags, including multiple split decisions and a bad loss to Anuar Aburto. He does throw a nice leg kick on occasion, and his jab serves as the foundation for much of his offense, but Miranda appears very unsure of himself inside the cage.

He’s a low-level athlete who doesn’t generate much power with his hands, and technique often goes out the window when he’s forced into exchanges, ultimately making him fairly easy to hit. Things aren’t much better at range, either. He’s far too reactive to feints and is easily pushed onto his back foot, two tendencies that play directly into Ronald Humphrey’s game.

Miranda is in a really ugly spot here with everything working against him. He’d likely need to catch Humphrey on a bad night to have any chance of winning this fight. This matchup should be a breeze for Humphrey, as he’s getting everything he could possibly want in an opponent. I’m expecting a brutal finish here, perhaps even within the first minute. Ronald Humphrey is easily a top-10 talent on DWCS and has all the potential in the world to become a UFC superstar.

Pick: Humphrey by Round 1 KO/TKO

Chase Gurotsky- Despite only being 4-0, Ronald Humphrey is more than ready for this step up. All of his wins have come by finish, including his 4 amateur wins. All 8 of his finishes are via KO/TKO, making this 25-year-old truly a Menace. He was scheduled to face Busurman Zhumagul for a CFFC main event; however, this DWCS shot pulled him out, meaning he’s been in camp for a long time, which makes me even more confident in this DWCS signing.

Despite him just having TKOs he seems to have decent wrestling and a lot of his fights he does use that to look for GNP. He is truly a menacing human in the cage; he is keen to walk his opponents down and throw massive shots. In his last fight, his style worked perfectly as he pressured the fighter to the cage and eventually landed a nasty KO that sent the guy flying and out.

Facing Humphrey is Alexis Miranda, a 27-year-old Mexican who is 9-2. Alexis is less of a finisher than Humphrey, with only 5 of his 9 wins coming by finish: 4 by TKO and 1 by Sub. His resume isn’t much, and he is 2-1 in his last 3 fights, with his last fight being a split-decision win over the 26-20 Ricardo Chavez. While he 8-1 in his last nine and he has never been finished, he doesn’t scream prospect to me. I really think he doesn’t have much of a chance against Humphrey unless he has a crazy chin.

Pick: Humphrey 1st Round KO/TKO

Xavi Ryder– While I would’ve loved to see Humphrey keep leveling up while continuing to get better opponents on the regional scene, he is getting a layup here. He is an extremely dangerous striker that does good work at all levels. His kicking game opens up the spots for him to do damage with his hands, and that is where he finds finishes. Humphrey is also very strong with solid wrestling and has shown he can finish fights on the ground as well.

Alexis Miranda isn’t a terrible striker himself, but the problem is that he really isn’t dangerous. He fights alright at range with a jab and leg kicks, but he hasn’t beaten any opponents that prove he can hang at the top level. In fact, he lost to a 7-1 fighter in Anuar Aburto, who hasn’t been impressive since then. Miranda is in a lot of trouble here, and Humphrey can finish him on the feet or take this fight to the ground to get the finish.

Pick: Humphrey via Round 1 KO/TKO

Drew Beaupre– While I don’t mind Bella Mir getting an opportunity to join the UFC so early given the overall talent available at women’s flyweight, Humphrey definitely should have gotten a few more regional bouts before getting the call for DWCS.

Even if the opportunity might be coming a bit too early, this matchup looks tailor-made for “The Career Ender”. Miranda has more than twice as many professional MMA fights as Humphrey, but he’s not going to last long if he’s standing and trading strikes with him.

If he doesn’t drop him, Humphrey is also plenty capable of just bringing Miranda to the canvas with a takedown if he chooses. I’m expecting a violent finish either way, and hopefully the UFC realizes that they need to bring Humphrey along slowly in order for the 25-year-old to realize his full potential. (Pick: Humphrey)

Cangrejo Ruiz- Humphrey is my favorite prospect this season as his potential is insane. Elite reach, high-level athleticism, and really technical; he can become a real threat in the division if he puts it all together. When he was announced, I worried it might be a bit too soon, as he is super early in his pro career, but his opponent, Miranda, is at a disadvantage across every single skill on the board.

Prediction is Humphrey by R1 KO

Benjamin Keith – I won’t even try to hide it, I have been a fan of Ronald Humphrey for a while, whereas I didn’t know Alexis Miranda until this fight was booked. That said, when you watch the tape without bias, the talent discrepancy is still very apparent. 

Alexis Miranda, a 9-2 fighter with no good wins on his resume, is an example of the poor scouting done for the DWCS this year. I understand that they are always looking for more Mexican talent, but this is just a Mexican fighter, not a talent. There isn’t a single thing in his tape that shows he deserves to be on this stage. He is almost competent; his defense is solid, and he throws good leg kicks. He will have the height advantage in this matchup, and nothing else.

Ronald Humphrey is a fighter who inserts violence into his every movement in the cage. His takedowns, often judo throws, are fast and vicious. When the fight is on the ground, he has the tendency to punch through his opponent as if he is trying to rain down on the canvas itself (which is exactly what I want to see out of ground and pound). He fires straight but powerful 1-2s on the feet, sitting well on his back foot to generate torque. He doesn’t rush but still always finds the early finish. His defense and gas tank are largely untested, which could lead to some growing pains in the UFC, but rest assured, he’ll make it to the UFC.

Prediction: Humphrey by 1st round KO/TKO.