Contender Series Week 1: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Wes Schultz continues with a fight in the featherweight division between Jose Delgado and Ernie Juarez. Delgado has now won four fights in a row with all four fights ending inside the distance as he comes into his appearance on the Contender Series meanwhile, Juarez has a perfect record winning all eight of his professional bouts as he makes his Contender Series debut. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Delgado-Juarez prediction and pick.
Jose Delgado (7-1) is stepping in on short notice for Icaro Brito who had to withdraw due to visa issues on about a week’s notice. Delgado is fighting out of the well-known MMA Lab with teammate An Tuan Ho who’s also making his appearance on this week’s episode. He hopes he can continue his finishing streak when he takes on the unbeaten Ernie Juarez on Tuesday night.
Ernie Juarez (8-0) comes into this shot on the Contender Series undefeated winning all eight of his professional bouts with four of them fighting for Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat where he is the featherweight champion. When he takes on Jose Delgado this Tuesday, he will be looking to continue his dominance and secure a coveted UFC career.
Here are the Contender Series UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: Jose Delgado-Ernie Juarez Odds
Jose Delgado: -285
Ernie Juarez: +230
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Why Jose Delgado Will Win
Jose Delgado the MMA Lab product got the call to fight on the first week of the Contender Series with training partner An Tuan Ho after it was announced that Icaro Brito had to withdraw from his bout due to visa issues. Delgado will now be taking on the undefeated Ernie Juarez on about a week’s notice. He is putting his 4-win streak on the line in an attempt to secure a UFC contract when he steps inside the Octagon this Tuesday night.
Delgado is exactly what you get from an MMA Lab fighter, a very well-rounded mixed martial artist who can get the win no matter where the fight takes place. He loves to be the aggressor in his fights as he comes forward looking to land his strikes at range putting his opponent on their back foot. Making Juarez fight off his back foot will help with defending the takedown attempts that Juarez will throw his way as it is hard to shoot for takedowns while moving backward. As long as Delgado can make this high-paced fight while always pressuring forward he can break Juarez and get another highlight-reel finish on his resume.
Why Ernie Juarez Will Win
Ernie Juarez is an undefeated 8-0 prospect fighting out of Stockton, California, and is the A1 Combat featherweight champion. He trains out of the Savjitsu gym in Stockton, California which is a Gracie-affiliated gym. Juarez was getting ready to face off against Icaro Brito but will now be facing off against the MMA Lab’s Jose Delgado in a matchup that could potentially steal the show to open up the new season of the Contender Series.
Juarez is at his best when he blends in his heavy hooks with his wrestling and grappling. He has a heavy dose of calf kicks while at distance and throws a heavy right hand when he attempts to counter off his opponent’s missed strikes. In this matchup with Delgado, he gets an opponent that’s going to want to bring the fight to him which will make it easier for Juarez to land his strikes. With how Delgado is known for getting his chin cracked with the pop in Juarez’s strikes there’s a chance that he can clip him coming in and get the finish and secure his UFC contract.
Final Jose Delgado-Ernie Juarez Prediction & Pick
This fight has the makings of being an absolute barnburner between these two featherweight competitors. Delgado who is taking this fight on short notice along with the more experienced Juarez will be looking to make a statement on Tuesday in hopes of getting the coveted UFC contract with a victory. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to who can dictate where this fight takes place and the way that Delgado is always the one coming forward looking to land his strikes he should be the one handing out the damage and while Juarez has the grappling to nullify his forward pressure he will gas in the process of trying to do so and that is when Delgado will take over and either snatch his neck in transition or get the late TKO victory and secure the UFC contract.
Final Jose Delgado-Ernie Juarez Prediction & Pick: Jose Delgado (-285)
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