Contender Series 2026 Episode 8 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- Sabanov/Diop has the makings of one of the best heavyweight fights in Contender Series history. Sabanov brings a strong blend of wrestling, cardio, and athleticism that’s ideal for the heavyweight division. While he leans toward a grinding style, he’s surprisingly dynamic, throwing wheel kicks, roundhouses, and flying knees.

Diop is a heavy-handed brawler whose punches can look comically sloppy. Still, if he draws you into a brawl, he’s likely to get the better of the exchanges. He’s only been knocked out once, while Sabanov has never been finished but has been dropped multiple times. Diop can wrestle to a degree, but that’s where I think Sabanov pulls ahead.

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Sabanov uses his explosive strikes and powerful overhands to close distance before getting inside. From there, he uses good head pressure, strong cage wrestling, and a control-heavy ground game to wear opponents down and land effective ground-and-pound.

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If Sabanov tries to put on a show, Diop could find his chin. I expect him to fight smart, pick his shots, and get the takedowns.

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Pick: Sabanov by Round 2 KO/TKO (GnP)

Cedric Dumas- Heavyweight is chaos by nature. One clean punch can erase an otherwise perfect game plan.

On paper, Sabanov looks like the more complete fighter, bringing usable wrestling alongside the size and power needed to finish a heavyweight fight. The major question is how much we can actually trust the tape. We don’t have a deep sample, and his chin has shown some vulnerability.

Diop is the classic big, powerful heavyweight who can change a fight with one punch, particularly with his overhand right. His Senegalese wrestling background is legitimate, but it hasn’t made him successful in MMA. Sabanov should have a significant size advantage, and that could matter more as the fight progresses.

The game plan is simple but dangerous: survive Diop’s early storm, force him to work, and then take over once the power starts to fade. If Sabanov can get the fight into his wrestling-heavy phase in the second round, ground-and-pound opportunities should follow. Of course, there is one giant caveat: if Diop lands clean first, none of that matters.

Pick: Sabanov by Round 2 KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt- This is a heavyweight fight I can get behind. I mentioned Adama Diop as a top-five fighter from Africa earlier this year, and I still believe he has some pretty solid tools for a big guy. He carries big power and is surprisingly mobile, staying light on his feet instead of plodding around like your average low-end heavyweight. Diop does have some solid wrestling and ground work to round out his game, so he shouldn’t be in too much danger if his opponent is to change levels early.

Facing off with Diop will be Zaurbek Sabanov. Hailing from Russia, Sabanov has a well-rounded offense with an emphasis on both explosive striking and technically sound grappling. In most fights, Sabanov can take out the trash pretty easily with his ground game, consistently taking down his opposition along the cage. However, on the feet, I find Sabanov a bit too untrustworthy. He does have some fun weapons, flying strikes and such, but he’s been dropped by fighters with far less power than Adama Diop.

However, at the end of the day, it’s heavyweight, and there’s no logic. This is a very low-confidence pick, and I’m not sure who’ll be the favorite, but I’m going with Diop in a round of pure madness.

Pick: Diop by Round 1 KO/TKO

Xavi Ryder– Both heavyweights come into this fight riding high off wins from earlier this year. Diop just recently won the EFC title by a round-two finish, while Sabanov extended his undefeated record with a round-one finish. Obviously, at this weight either man can land early and end the fight, but I have to side with Sabanov here. Neither man is an elite striker, but I prefer Sabanov’s setups and speed. I also like Sabanov’s size advantage at 6’4” vs. Diop at 6’1”. I think this will play into Sabanov’s favor when he tries to take the fight to the ground. Diop has a wrestling background, but we haven’t seen his takedown defense tested in MMA.

Pick: Sabanov by Round 1 KO/TKO

Drew Beaupre– This is such a stereotypical heavyweight fight in the sense that the guy who looks to have the deeper skillset might just get starched by a big shot in the opening few minutes.

Sabanov’s size advantage will likely help his efforts to slow Diop down and bring this to the ground, but the Senegalese fighter’s own wrestling background could also allow him to shut down any takedown attempts while he’s still fresh. There’s a good chance this fight could be won or lost in the opening round when Diop is at his most dangerous, and things should favor Sabanov more the longer the bout goes on.

I do think that Sabanov should win this and probably has the higher ceiling overall, but Diop packs major power, and this is heavyweight MMA.

Pick: Diop by Round 1 KO/TKO

Cangrejo Ruiz- This fight is Okay for heavyweight; Sabanov is the prospect for me here. Quite a strong guy; he is more of a wrestler, but he’s been improving his striking. Diop feels like like a bit below everywhere, his wrestling is also his best weapon but not at Sabanov’s level, striking is quite sloppy and lacks fight IQ. I don’t think the power factor will matter that much in this fight.

Pick: Sabanov by Round 1 KO/TKO

Benjamin Keith – As much as I love Adama Diop, he’s simply not very good. I won’t go as far as saying he’s not UFC caliber, because damn near every heavyweight is apparently UFC, but he’s a bar room brawler for sure. 

His power is legitimate heavyweight power though; one clean shot and it’s time for a canvas nap. He just always looks gassed after 2 minutes, and doesn’t have great footwork or movement in general. He can wrestle, but Sabanov can as well, and I think it cancels out.  I will be rooting heavily for him here, because he’s just so fun.

Sabanov is the opposite kind of heavyweight. Fast, technically proficient, and multi-faceted. His last win was via front kick to the body, and that feels replicable here against Diop.

Both these guys are much better than the current entry-level UFC heavyweights. My heart says Diop, head says Sabanov. Last week, my heart, Ortega, got his ass whooped. 

Pick: Sabanov by Round 2 KO/TKO