Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series is here! Lucas Caldas is taking on Magomed Zaynukov in a three-round lightweight bout. Zaynukov has a 7-0 undefeated record with five knockouts, while Caldas is 6-1 with six knockouts.
Here is my best bet for Lucas Caldas vs. Magomed Zaynukov on tonight’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Magomed Zaynukov Round 1 (+120)
Zaynukov comes from the legendary Nurmagomedov MMA School, led by former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, unlike Nurmagomedov, Zaynukov has primarily excelled on the feet, as he has demonstrated elite knockout power throughout his MMA career.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Zaynukov is a -455 favorite, the second-largest betting favorite on tonight’s card. He is also -250 to win this fight by KO/TKO/DQ against Caldas, who is a +350 underdog in this contest. But since Zaynukov has four first-round finishes in his career, the best value play is to get him to pick up another early finish tonight in the first round at +120.
In this matchup, Zaynukov is two inches taller (5’10” vs. 5’8”) while Caldas has a two-inch reach advantage (70” vs. 68”). Zaynukov began his journey in martial arts as a Muay Thai Kickboxer, winning two World Championships as an amateur. To earn a UFC contract on DWCS, you must impress Dana White. With Zaynukov’s power, he has the tools to do so if he is aggressive from the start of the fight.
