Contender Series Week 1: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Wes Schultz continues with a fight in the welterweight division between Ding Meng and Rami Hamed. Meng comes into his first appearance on the Contender Series with wins in each of his last two fights meanwhile, Hamed is stepping in on about a week’s notice while riding a four-fight unbeaten streak as he looks to secure his contract. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Meng-Hamed prediction and pick.
Ding Meng (34-8) was originally scheduled to face Islam Dulatov but he had to withdraw from the bout and now will be taking on Rami Hamed. Meng comes into this fight with wins in 9 out of his 10 fights with all 9 wins coming by knockout. He will be looking to add one more highlight reel knockout on his resume and secure that coveted UFC contract when he takes on Rami Hamed this Tuesday night.
Rami Hamed (12-3) was originally scheduled to face off against Raimond Magomedaliev in a later episode of the Contender Series but after Dulatov needed to withdraw from his bout he fighting earlier when he stepped in to face off against Ding Meng. Hamed has now won four straight fights and is coming off back-to-back leg kick TKOs and will be looking to get another finish and that UFC contract to open this season of the Contender Series.
Here are the Contender Series UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: Jose Delgado-Ernie Juarez Odds
Ding Meng: -180
Rami Hamed: +150
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Why Ding Meng Will Win
Ding Meng comes into his Contender Series debut on the heels of back-to-back wins in 2023. He was originally slated to face off against Islam Dulatov but he had to withdraw from the fight and will now be taking on MMA Masters Rami Hamad. Meng will be looking to continue his finish streak when he takes on Rami Hamed to secure his UFC contract to kick off this season of the Contender Series on Tuesday.
Meng is a dangerous striker with 27 wins by knockout out of his 34 wins making him one of the most dangerous knockout artists on this week’s episode. He also comes into this fight with a ton of experience with 42 professional bouts under his belt at just 29 years old. His experience will go a long way against Hamed who doesn’t even have half the experience. In this matchup, Meng is going to need to come forward and get into boxing range against Hamed who does his best work at kicking range. If he can get past the kicks of Hamed and counter off the calf kicks with straight punches he can land a thunderous shot that puts Hamed down putting him away and securing his UFC contract.
Why Rami Hamed Will Win
Rami Hamed was set to to appear on the Contender Series later in the season in October taking on Raimond Magomedaliev but after Ding Meng’s opponent had to withdraw he has now stepped in on about a week’s notice for the opportunity. Hamed is riding a four-fight winning streak coming into his Contender Series debut with back-to-back leg kick TKOs. He will be looking to keep the good times rolling when he faces off against Ding Meng on Tuesday night.
Hamed fights out of MMA Masters which is known for their grappling and their heavy dose of calf kicks which is his forte. He does a great job at utilizing his kicks to keep out of harms way against his opposition while systematically breaking them down. As we know Meng is a pressure fighter looking to throw heavy strikes and get the knockout, those calf kicks are going to be Hamed’s biggest weapon to prevent that from happening. Hamed will also need to do a good job at countering Meng’s aggression and picking him apart at range, so as long as he can get his kicking game going he can hit and not be hit at range outstriking Meng to a potential finish or decision.
Final Ding Meng-Rami Hamed Prediction & Pick
These two welterweights are going to come to crack in this matchup. Both Meng and Hamed love to come forward and trade heavy shots looking for the knockout and this fight will be no different. Ultimately, Hamed is going to want to get his calf kicks going early to counter the forward pressure of Meng but Meng will be well-equipped to combat the low kicks with his crisp boxing combinations which will eventually crack the chin of Hamed putting him away to secure the win and the UFC contract.
Final Ding Meng-Rami Hamed Prediction & Pick: Ding Meng (-180)
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