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Contender Series Week 1 kicks off with a fight between Christopher Ewert and Yuri Panferov in the middleweight division on Tuesday. Check out our Contender Series odds series for our Ewert-Panferov prediction and pick.
Christopher Ewert (7-0) comes into this Tuesday’s Contender Series fight against Yuri Panferov riding a strong streak. He secured a unanimous decision over Reese Watkins in January 2025 and a first-round KO via body shots against Aaron Chambers in October 2024. Ewert aims to continue his undefeated run this week.
Yuri Panferov (8-1) returns to Contender Series riding momentum from recent finishes, including TKO wins over Khadzhimurat Bestaev (Nov 2024) and Rocky Edwards (Feb 2024). After a 2023 submission loss to Torrez Finney, Panferov aims to showcase his aggressive grappling and striking against Christopher Ewert this Tuesday.
Here are the Contender Series Week 1 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: Christopher Ewert-Yuri Panferov Odds
Christopher Ewert: -155
Yuri Panferov: +130
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Why Christopher Ewert will win
- Last Fight: (W) Reese Watkins – DEC
- Last 5: 5-0
- Finishes: 5 (5 KO/TKO)
Christopher Ewert was called up to fight on the Contender Series against Yuri Panferov months ago. However, he then got the opportunity to fill in at UFC 317 against Jackson McVey. With a botched weight cut, on a day’s notice, he lost that opportunity. He was then subsequently cut from the promotion. The UFC, however, did him a favor and gave him his originally scheduled bout against Panferov back for Week 1 of Contender Series.
Ewert isn’t the most physically gifted fighter you will see inside the octagon, but he makes up for that with tenacity, grit, and determination to win. He is willing to walk through fire to land his strikes and thrives in a brawl.
His striking is very technical, as he mixes up his attacks, high-low, low-high, and loves to end his combinations with a thunderous leg kick. The striking of Ewert will be sure to give Panferov a ton of trouble, as we’ve seen him struggle on his feet in the past.
Panferov is going to relentlessly look for the takedowns, but it will be up to Ewert to counter as he gets within range and shrug off those takedown attempts. If Ewert keeps this fight standing and takes it to Panferov, he can secure his spot in the UFC.
Why Yuri Panferov will win
- Last Fight: (W) Khadzhimurat Bestaev – KO/TKO R3
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 8 (3 KO/TKO/5 SUB)
Yuri Panferov got his first shot on the Contender Series back in 2023 when he faced off against fan favorite Torrez Finney. Unfortunately, he was submitted in round two and had to go back to the drawing board. Fast forward two years later, Panferov is back after back-to-back finishes at CES in 2024 and will be looking to make the most of his second opportunity against Christopher Ewert.
Panferov is at his best when he’s able to maul his opponents on the mat and beat them to a bloody pulp, raining down heavy ground-and-pound until he finds the submission. While his stand-up is serviceable, he utilizes it to get within range to drop down for a takedown and take the fight into his world.
This is exactly what he will need to do against Ewert. Ewert isn’t a submission threat off his back, so if Panferov can land the takedown and get into a dominant position, there is a chance the fight could potentially be over shortly thereafter. As long as Panferov doesn’t stand and trade for long periods of time and gets this fight to the mat, he could finally get that UFC contract that he’s been longing for.
Final Christopher Ewert-Yuri Panferov Prediction & Pick
This fight should be a barnburner to kick off season 9 of the Contender Series. This is a straightforward matchup as Christopher Ewert must keep this fight standing; meanwhile, Panferov must get this fight to the mat to get the win and the UFC contract.
As the way it looks and the way most of these fights go on, the Contender Series. Ewert has the better all-around game in this fight to get the win and the UFC contract. While Panferov is certainly dangerous in all aspects, if he fails to get the takedown and finish early, he’s going to be spent, and that’s when Ewert will take over.
From there, Ewert’s crisp combinations, especially the body work, will wear down Panferov even more as he finishes off Panferov with a barrage of strikes midway through the fight, to extend his unbeaten streak to 8-0 and secure his spot in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Final Christopher Ewert-Yuri Panferov Prediction & Pick: Christopher Ewert (-155)
