Dana White’s Contender Series takes place Tuesday, June 18 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the full card, and here they are.
Dana White’s Contender Series Opening Odds
Punahele Soriano -300
Jamie Pickett +250
Hannah Goldy -180
Kali Robbins +155
Brendan Loughnane -110
Bill Algeo -110
Alton Meeks -291
Yorgan De Castro +240
And here are my initial thoughts on the Dana White’s Contender Series 17 Opening Odds:
- Before I get into the fights that are official, it’s worth noting a schedule matchup between Brok Weaver and Leon Shahbazyan was scratched. Shahbazyan had weight cut issues, leading to the bout’s cancellation.
- The featured bout sees middleweights Soriano (5-0) and Pickett (7-3) fight. Soriano is just 26 and the Hawaii native has already racked up five finishes since starting his pro career in 2017. He is a veteran of Titan FC, PFL and LFA so he has racked up some good experience despite having only five pro bouts. Pickett is 30 and is most remembered for losing to Charles Byrd on the first season of the Contender Series. He won his lats fight on the regional scene but it was over a year ago. Like Soriano, all of Pickett’s pro wins are by stoppage. Although Pickett has more fights, the fact Soriano is younger and undefeated makes him the clear favorite to win this fight.
- In the women’s strawweight division we have Goldy (4-0) taking on Robbins (6-2). Goldy is 27 and has gone to decision in three of her four wins. After defeating Gillian Robertson by decision back in 2016, she fought three times in 2018 to stay active with a pair of wins on the Florida circuit. She is notable for being the wife of current PFL fighter and former UFC fighter Alex Nicholson. Robbins is 34 and recently picked up a win to snap on the regional scene to snap a two-fight losing skid. She has some solid experience fighting in Invicta FC but Goldy is a physical specimen. Just look at some Instagram pictures of her and you can see why she is favored here. It’s hard not to like Goldy in this matchup.
- In the featherweight division we have Loughnane (16-3) takes on Algeo (11-3). Loughnane is 29 and he actually fought in the UFC back in 2012, losing to Mike Wilkinson on the TUF Smashes Finale. He has fought plenty since then, mostly in BAMMA and ACB. Most of his wins since his UFC stint have come by knockout which put him back on their matchmaker’s radar. Algeo is 30 and he’s won his last three fights in Ring of Combat. He’s also fought for CFFC and has plenty of notable opponents on his resume. Both guys are very experienced and both of them deserve this shot to get a UFC contract. The Pick ’em odds the line was opened at seem fair. It’s a close and evenly-matched fight to call.
- And finally we have Meeks (1-0) take on De Castro (3-0) in a heavyweight bout. Sherdog has Meeks listed with just one pro win back in 2018, though Tapology says he has more fights. Either way, neither man in this contest has much experience as De Castro has just three fights and three wins himself. Both guys are very inexperienced and considering it’s a heavyweight bout, it’s a dog-or-pass situation. There’s no way I would recommend laying heavy juice on a guy like Meeks.
