Contender Series 2026 Episode 8 Breakdown and Predictions

Shawn Bitter- In a season where I’ve complained a lot about the matchmaking, I’ll say this is a great fight between two top-notch strikers on a roll. Borando lost to Matthew Elliott, who has proven himself a good fighter. Escuza still has his “0,” but it’s come against terrible competition. People like to complain about the level in Cage Warriors, but it’s much better than what Escuza has faced in Peru.

Borando has a lot of similarities to a Muay Thai fighter, but Escuza really hones in on that style with a 35-5 pro and amateur Muay Thai record. He has the typical high guard, flat-footed stance, damaging calf kicks, and nasty pocket striking. He’s fought bums but has dispatched them like he should, with every win coming in round one and four in under a minute. He chops the legs, attacks the body, and once he traps opponents against the cage, he fires lethal combinations.

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Borando has many of the same weapons but is looser, faster, and has more volume. He brutalizes the body and has nasty clinch elbows. Both have shown solid takedown defense, but I have more confidence in Borando since Escuza hasn’t fought a good wrestler.

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This could come down to durability and experience. Escuza has never fought past five minutes, while Borando has done it seven times. In a striking fight, I like Borando’s speed, volume, and experience to pull him ahead.

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Pick: Borando by Round 3 KO/TKO

Cedric Dumas- These two look fairly similar on tape: both are primarily strikers, both prefer to operate on the feet, and both can be vulnerable when opponents consistently force the wrestling. That should make for an entertaining fight, although I am not convinced either man is a future UFC star.

Escuza has the kind of undefeated record that immediately catches the eye, but much of it has been built against modest opposition. He has plenty of finishing ability, but he hasn’t been seriously battle-tested yet.

Borando isn’t clearly superior, but he has at least faced tougher opposition on the Cage Warriors circuit. That experience matters in a matchup this close.

Escuza absolutely has the ability to hurt him early, so this is not a confident pick. But when the matchup is essentially a coin flip, I will take the fighter who has already been tested at a higher level.

Pick: Borando by Round 1 KO/TKO

Nicholas Holt- It’s truly anyone’s fight between Escuza and Borando- both fighters are willing to stand and bang until someone drops. I don’t think we’ll see the cards in this one, and while I did consider Escuza, I’m leaning toward Borando to get this one done in a back-and-forth war.

I’m a sucker for a fighter with experience in both IMMAF and Cage Warriors, and in a competitive setting like DWCS, I trust Borando to come through. This is a matchup with bad intentions, and both guys are live for a knockout. I don’t have a ton of confidence here, but I’m definitely sure this one will be entertaining.

Pick: Borando by Round 3 KO/TKO

Xavi Ryder– Two very similar featherweights here in terms of fight style. Both men definitely do their best work on the feet but are willing to occasionally mix in some grappling. The Inka featherweight champion Escuza has a clean-looking record at 7-0 with seven first-round finishes. He hasn’t faced the best competition yet, but that doesn’t change how dangerous he is early in fights.

Escuza’s opponent, Borando, probably has the slight edge in competition level, and I like that he has finishes outside the first round. While Escuza is extremely dangerous in round one, we have no clue how he is going to operate in the next two rounds. I like Borando to stay safe early in the fight and break Escuza down en route to a mid-to-late-round finish.

Pick: Borando by Round 2 KO/TKO

Drew Beaupre– It would be a surprise to see his fight hit the mat unless someone scores a knockdown, as both men should be happy to stand and trade strikes right from the opening bell.

It doesn’t look likely that the judges’ scorecards will be needed given the combined finishing pedigree of both guys, although thus far they’ve basically been running through overmatched competition. All of Escuza’s wins have also come in the first round, so there are still unanswered questions about if he’ll carry the same fight-ending power past the opening five minutes.

Borando will need to avoid getting caught by Escuza during the early going, but the Italian can fall back on his effective work in the clinch to try and slow “The Specimen” down before dragging him into deeper waters.

Pick: Borando by Round 2 KO/TKO

Cangrejo Ruiz- This fight is a banger; both guys have arguments to be in this opportunity, and I am here for it. Both are at their best when striking, but I consider Borando to have the more complete toolset. The fight is gonna be changing momentum consistently, and I trust Borando to outdog the more unproven Escuza.

Pick: Borando by Round 3 KO/TKO

Benjamin Keith –  I don’t trust either of these fighters as far as I can throw them, but this should be a very fun fight while it lasts. This is going to be a striking war where whoever has the better chin should come out on top. 

Neither Borando nor Escuza has beaten top-tier competition, but both have looked extremely dangerous against those that they’ve faced. Borando has some fantastic clinch work, with deadly knees and elbows. He has good, not great, power, and is willing to stand and trade at close range. 

Escuza has some thudding power, and looks technically sharp, but just hasn’t proven anything to me. All of his wins have been 1st-round finishes, and that scares me, as I have no idea where his gas tank is.

If my colleague Cangrejo picks Escuza, then I think you should follow that advice. But not knowing his opinion, I have to take the bigger fighter with the longer resume. I think there’s a good chance this goes the distance, but I’ll take the Italian.

Pick: Borando by Round 3 KO/TKO