DWCS 81 is upon us. It’s already the fifth week of 10 in season 9 on Contender Collection. Apart from week one on the night time of Aug. 11, the winners on the present have understood the project when the cage door slams shut on a Tuesday night:
Placed on a present and obtain a UFC contract from CEO Dana White. Final week in DWCS 80, 4 prospects gained UFC offers boss as soon as the principle occasion concluded.
The primary half of the 2025 season of Contender Collection concludes with DWCS 81 this coming Tuesday. Protection begins at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the US. As typical, 5 fights will likely be held contained in the fabled Octagon on the UFC Apex.
DWCS 81 Predominant Occasion: Anthony Guarascio vs. Steven Asplund
On the high of the invoice on Tuesday night time, the heavyweights go to struggle when undefeated Anthony Guarascio (3-0, 1 NC MMA) meets up with Steven Asplund (5-1 MMA,) an alumnus of the LFA. All fights happening this and each week on Contender Collection are an marketed most of three rounds at 5 minutes per spherical.
Going into DWCS 81, Guarascio has but to lose since turning skilled within the fall of 2023. This previous April, he scored a first-round knockout with a punch towards Bailey Schoenfelder (5-2 MMA, 0-1 DWCS), a 2024 alumnus of the present, throughout Cage Fury’s CFFC 141 foremost occasion on UFC Combat Cross.
Guarascio is dealing with a late change in opponent forward of Tuesday’s present. Initially, he was to combat Guilherme Pat (5-0 MMA) this week earlier than the competition was scrubbed because of the latter withdrawing from the occasion.
Anthony Guarascio is a younger man who hasn’t gone previous a minute and 32 seconds into the opening spherical in a combat in his younger skilled profession. Will he ship one other end in spherical one right here?
Throughout the best way, Steven Asplund was all the time going to combat this coming week. Forward of the principle occasion spot changing into out there for DWCS 81, he was to have entered the cage versus Jordan Heiderman (7-2 MMA) within the LFA. He’s posted a 4-1 file in his final 5 fights.
Again on April 11, he stopped Raiden Kovacs with a second-round knockout (punches and elbows) throughout LFA 206 in Prior Lake, MN. Asplund has gained 80 p.c of his fights inside the gap.
Any time that you’ve got a heavyweight combat on Contender Collection, reminiscent of this foremost occasion in DWCS 81, get your popcorn prepared.
DWCS 81 Co-Predominant Occasion: Cam Teague vs. LerryAn Douglas
Instantly beforehand, the co-main attraction occurs at 145 lbs. Cam Teague (9-1 MMA, 0-1 DWCS) makes his second Contender Collection look when he fights LerryAn Douglas (12-5 MMA.) Teague comes into the combat having gone 4-1 in his final 5 MMA fights.
Final trip within the cage, he bested David Zelner (5-6 MMA) by means of unanimous determination after three rounds of motion in March throughout Island Fights 87. In September of 2024, his first combat on DWCS resulted in defeat with a first-round knockout from Kevin Vallejos (16-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who secured a UFC contract at night time’s finish.
He’s had 50 weeks to go over what went mistaken for him that night time. How will he do in his second probability?
In the meantime, LerryAn Douglas sports activities a 4-1 file of his personal previously 5 contests. Most not too long ago, he gained the LFA Featherweight Championship due to a second-round knockout (punches) of Elijah Johns (10-3, 1 NC MMA) throughout the principle occasion of the landmark LFA 200 on UFC Combat Cross.
Douglas is on a four-fight profitable streak. Each time a fighter is on a sizzling streak, he’s at his most harmful. Can he run his streak to 5 in a row?
DWCS 81: Felipe Franco vs. Freddy Vidal
In a while DWCS 81, the sunshine heavyweights take to the cage when Felipe Franco (8-0 MMA) fights Freddy Vidal (3-0 MMA.) Each males have but to lose as professionals.
Again on Aug. 31 of final yr, Felipe Franco submitted Murilo Magalhaes (0-1 MMA) within the latter’s first profession combat by means of rear-naked choke. Sadly for the Franco camp, postponed fights have turn out to be a behavior.
The combat towards Vidal is the third scheduled contest for DWCS 81 alone for Franco. All instructed, he’s had 4 postponed fights in a row over the course of the final yr. What sort of ring rust does he have?
Within the different nook, Freddy Vidal has gained eight fights in succession relationship again to novice competitions. On June 28, he stopped Anthony Wilson by knockout inside the primary spherical. This can be a fighter who simply turned skilled lower than a yr in the past. Now, he’s probably quarter-hour (or much less) away from securing a deal within the huge leagues.
Remainder of the Card
DWCS 81 will likely be rounded out by a light-weight affair matching Chasen Blair (7-3 MMA) with Samuel Sanches (10-1 MMA) and a strawweight contest between Shanelle Dyer (6-0 MMA) and Carol Dyer (8-1 MMA.) Which combat or fights are you trying ahead to? Tell us within the feedback.
