At tonight’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, Akbar Abdullaev takes on Ednilson Santos in a three-round Lightweight contest. Abdullaev, 28, enters this contest with a perfect 13-0 record, with 13 wins by knockout or submission. He was originally matched up with Anthony Figueroa, but Ednilson Santos stepped up on short notice when Figueroa withdrew.
Check out my best bet below for Akbar Abdullaev vs Ednilson Santos at tonight’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Akbar Abdullaev to Win by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 (-185)
Abdullaev is a fascinating prospect and one of the best on this season of DWCS. His previous five victories came in ONE Championship, one of the top MMA promotions. His last win came in September 2025 against Ibragim Dauev. But before that, he scored a fifth-round knockout against Kai Tang, who was the Featherweight Champion at the time. Abdullaev couldn’t win the title after failing a pre-fight hydration test. Regardless of those semantics, Abdullaev is a top-tier fighter with a skill set perfect for Dana White’s Contender Series.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Abdullaev is the biggest favorite on this card at -2100, with Santos as a +1100 underdog. Both fighters are 5’9″, with Santos having a three-inch reach advantage (73″ vs. 70″). The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds, and the over is -345.
Santos has a 14-7-1 record in his career with eight finishes. He is coming off a victory against Shaheen Santana in May at LFA 233. Santos is 2-2 in his previous four contests, with his last loss coming against Dylan Mantello. By taking a fight against Abdullaev on short notice, Santos gives himself a steep challenge. Abdullaev’s quickness and high-level finishing ability likely put him levels above Santos in this bout. In this fight, Abdullaev is also -650 to win by KO/TKO/DQ and -200 to pick up the victory in the first round. With that being the case, I’m taking him by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 1 at -185. Abdullaev has eight first-round knockouts in his career. Although Santos is skilled, Abdullaev has fought tougher competition in ONE Championship.
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