Contender Series 2026 Episode 7 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- Haig was brought in as cannon fodder last season against Cezary Oleksiejczuk, and it feels like the same thing is happening here against Novenyi. I thought Haig was brought in too soon last season, and while he could benefit from more development, at 30 there probably isn’t much room left to improve. Novenyi still needs work himself, but at 26 he has more upside.

Both guys are strong grapplers who are willing to throw on the feet, but both have defensive concerns. Haig was TKO’d in under a minute less than a year ago, and his striking defense remains a major issue. He overextends on punches and doesn’t look comfortable or confident on his feet.

Novenyi’s defense can suffer from overconfidence. He fights from a karate stance with his hands low, relying heavily on speed and timing. Training alongside MVP, you can see similarities in their styles, although Novenyi is much more willing to engage.

Novenyi is faster, has more weapons, and has proven more durable. He also uses his striking better to set up takedowns and has better jiu-jitsu. Haig simply has too many defensive flaws for me here.

Prediction: Novenyi by Round 1 KO/TKO

Cedric Dumas- Another great fight in my opinion, and one that is long overdue for Norbert Novenyi. He has been one of the better middleweights on the European regional scene for years, performing extremely well with Hexagone in France while going 6-1 under the Bellator banner.

His only Bellator loss came by majority decision against Dalton Rosta, and he also has a win over Will Fleury on his résumé. Novenyi is a nasty finisher who can end fights with his striking, ground-and-pound, or submissions.

He’ll face AKA’s Theo Haig, a returning fighter who lost somewhat controversially to Cezary Oleksiejczuk last year. Outside of that 36-second loss, Haig has mostly been finishing lower-level opposition in the United States. He’s primarily a BJJ fighter, but I don’t think that will matter much here.

Novenyi should have a significant advantage on the feet and enough takedown defense to keep Haig from consistently getting his grappling going. I expect him to dictate where the fight takes place and eventually finish it.

Pick: Novenyi Jr. by Round 2 KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt– Theo Haig is once again in a brutal position on DWCS, and already being 30 years old likely suggests this is his last chance at an opportunity with the UFC. Haig is better than his résumé suggests. He’s a fine fighter, but he’s definitely one who needs more time on the regional scene. Though, unfortunately for Haig, the headline in this matchup is his opponent, Norbert Novenyi Jr.

Novenyi Jr. owns a fantastic track record across both Bellator and Hexagon and will clearly be the favorite against Haig. He’ll have a significant speed advantage and a level of violence the American just doesn’t match. He’s a notorious finisher in a favorable matchup given Haig’s lack of striking defense. There’s no reason to believe Norbert Novenyi Jr. won’t roll here.

This should be a quick night.

Pick: Novenyi Jr. by Round 1 KO/TKO

Xavi Ryder- This week’s headlining matchup features yet another returning fighter. This time around, it is Theo Haig getting his second chance. Haig lost last year on Contender Series in less than a minute but got back in the win column earlier this year via a round-two submission. He is a dangerous submission threat, with all seven of his wins coming by submission. However, I think his opponent, Novenyi Jr., has him covered everywhere. Novenyi Jr. wrestles pretty well and has a good submission game in his own right, but he can really separate himself on the feet. Fighting out of London Shootfighters with the likes of MVP, Novenyi Jr. also fights out of that bladed, bouncy karate stance. He will be the faster, more dangerous fighter on the feet, and I expect him to take advantage of that to get the win.

Pick: Novenyi Jr. via R1 KO/TKO

Drew Beaupre- As the theme of this card, this is a significantly better-matched fight than much of what we’ve seen on this season of DWCS. That said, another theme of the season has been fighters coming back quickly, and Haig falls into that category after he was stopped in just 36 seconds last year.

The grappling exchanges between these two men could be a lot of fun, but the fight may be won or lost while they’re trading strikes. Neither is especially sound defensively, and while Novenyi is the faster of the two, he’s also going to be at a height and reach disadvantage here and is a bit undersized for the middleweight division.

“Magic” does have the more diverse striking arsenal and should be able to rely on his speed to piece Haig up on the feet, provided he doesn’t get too overconfident and get clipped by a counter shot. Given the Hungarian’s finishing pedigree, I don’t think it’ll even be necessary for the two men to tie up on the ground for any extended period. (Pick: Novenyi Jr. via R1 KO/TKO)

Cangrejo Ruiz- I like Haig, and I think he beats most middleweights this season, so it’s sad he fights for a second time a terrible matchup against a high-floor guy. Haig is a really good grappler with a strong takedown threat, and while he’s improved his stand-up, it still isn’t on the level of his grappling. Novenyi is a really polished striker, super fluid on the feet with quite good TDD defense and Cardio. I think Novenyi will control the distance and avoid the takedown threat, while dealing enough damage to find the finish.

Prediction is Novenyi by R2 TKO

Benjamin Keith – Theo Haig is not as bad as his loss last season might suggest. For an American middleweight, he has very good Jiu Jitsu. He is a physical fighter with decent upside, but still has never looked overly comfortable on the feet. I am, once again, not a fan that a fighter is returning the very next season after a bad loss, even if he is fighting out of my hometown of San Jose.

Norbert Novenyi Jr. is long overdue for a shot at the UFC. He does not have ideal size for middleweight, but otherwise there’s a lot to like. His grappling defense has held up well enough against better wrestlers than Haig. On the feet, he is fast and precise. The power isn’t overwhelming, but he makes up for it with great footwork, timing, and always finding the chin. For someone just 26 years old, it feels like he’s been around a while, and he’s fought much better competition than Haig.

While I can’t shake the feeling something screwy is going to happen in this fight, I have to follow my head. Novenyi has beaten better fighters than Haig. He SHOULD be able to dispatch him pretty easily on the feet here.

Pick: Novenyi Jr. by Round 1 KO/TKO