A fourth group of prospects takes its turn under the spotlight tonight, as Dana White’s Contender Series returns to the Meta APEX in Las Vegas for Week 4 of Season 10.
The standard for earning an UFC contract has been set through the opening three episodes. Fifteen fighters have joined the roster already, including all five winners from last Tuesday’s card. The biggest surprise came in the main event, where Alex Apodaca defeated previously unbeaten prospect Bella Mir despite entering as a +1500 underdog at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
This week’s lineup presents a different mix of experience and opportunity. Adam Livingston and Brandon Holmes return after falling short in previous Contender Series appearances, while Liam McCracken reaches the Meta APEX after recovering from injuries that once placed his fighting career in doubt.
At the top of the card, Irish welterweight Adam Darby meets Patrick Rivera in a matchup between fighters who have each won six consecutive bouts. Darby enters as the largest favorite of the night, while Rivera brings more than a decade of professional experience into his DWCS debut.
The five-fight card gets underway at 7:00 p.m. ET, with every matchup streaming live on Paramount+.
Dana White’s Contender Series Week 4 Odds
Four of Tuesday’s five favorites carry prices of -210 or shorter at Hard Rock Bet, with the main event being the lone exception:
Favorite | Underdog |
|---|---|
| Adam Livingston (-190) | Hunter Smith (+150) |
| Charlie Cleveland (-225) | Gabriel Lourenco (+180) |
| Liam McCracken (-140) | Silvestre Sanchez (+115) |
| Brandon Holmes (-170) | Modestino Rodrigues (+140) |
| Adam Darby (-425) | Patrick Rivera (+325) |
Dana White’s Contender Series Week 4 Fight Card Preview
The action begins with two lightweights squaring off and concludes with Darby and Rivera meeting at welterweight.
Adam Livingston (-190) vs. Hunter Smith (+155)
Adam Livingston knows exactly what can go wrong when an opportunity on the Contender Series arrives before a fighter is fully prepared.
Livingston accepted his first DWCS matchup against Tommy Gantt on approximately five weeks’ notice last September. He entered with an unbeaten 6-0 record but suffered a first-round submission loss, allowing Gantt to leave the Meta APEX with a UFC contract.
Rather than waiting for another invitation, Livingston returned to regional competition in May and stopped Kyle Pufahl by second-round knockout. The result improved his record to 7-1 and gave him six finishes across seven professional victories.
The 25-year-old lightweight now gets another opportunity against Hunter Smith, an 8-1 prospect from Louisiana who has won four straight.
Smith has built his record around his punching power. Six of his eight victories have come by knockout, four have ended in the first round and his two most recent appearances both resulted in stoppages.
Livingston also owns five knockout victories, giving the opening matchup two fighters who have combined for 11 wins by strikes.
Charlie Cleveland (-210) vs. Gabriel Lourenco (+165)
The judges have rarely been involved when Charlie Cleveland or Gabriel Lourenco enters the cage.
Cleveland owns a 6-1 professional record with six finishes. Five of those victories came in the opening round, including consecutive first-round knockouts in his two most recent appearances for LFA.
Known as “The Reaper,” Cleveland has produced two head-kick knockouts during his career and has also won by submission. His only defeat came when recent UFC debutant RJ Harris submitted him in 2024.
Lourenco’s career also includes only one loss. The Brazilian heavyweight was stopped in his professional debut before responding with seven consecutive victories.
Six fights during that run ended in the first round. Lourenco grew up training in taekwondo, considers kickboxing the foundation of his game and represents Brazil’s renowned Chute Boxe camp.
The two heavyweights have combined for 13 wins and 12 finishes, creating one of the card’s clearest candidates for an early ending.
Liam McCracken (-140) vs. Silvestre Sanchez (+115)
Few fighters on Tuesday’s card have overcome more just to reach this opportunity than Liam McCracken.
McCracken was struck and dragged by a bus while completing a run in September 2023. He suffered four fractures in his back, a fractured pelvis and serious injuries to his legs, neck, knee and shoulder. Four surgeries followed, along with the possibility that he might never walk again.
The Liverpool native eventually worked his way back to competition and continued the career that had been placed on hold. McCracken now arrives on DWCS with an 8-1 record, five consecutive victories and a 100% finishing rate.
His eight professional wins are divided between five knockouts and three submissions. McCracken is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, making him a threat whether the fight remains standing or moves to the canvas.
Silvestre Sanchez brings a five-fight winning streak of his own into the matchup. The 24-year-old lightweight is 9-1 with eight finishes. Although he began his martial arts development in Muay Thai, Sanchez has produced five submission victories to go along with three knockouts.
Brandon Holmes (-170) vs. Modestino Rodrigues (+140)
A loss in his first Contender Series appearance did not end Brandon Holmes’ pursuit of the UFC.
Holmes entered last season’s matchup against Cam Rowston without a professional defeat but was stopped in the second round. Rowston secured a contract with the victory and has since opened his UFC career with three consecutive wins.
Seven months after that setback, Holmes returned against unbeaten prospect Preston LaGrange. LaGrange threatened with a triangle choke, but Holmes lifted him from the canvas and escaped by delivering a knockout slam. That emphatic response moved Holmes to 6-1 and helped earn the 29-year-old a second invitation to the Meta APEX.
His opponent, Modestino Rodrigues, has never recorded a professional win by submission or decision. The 22-year-old Brazilian is 7-1, and all seven of his victories have ended by knockout. Five of those stoppages came in the first round. Rodrigues originally entered martial arts through Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but his aggressive striking has become the defining feature of his professional career.
Adam Darby (-425) vs. Patrick Rivera (+325)
Something has to give when the two longest active winning streaks on the Week 4 card collide in the welterweight main event.
Adam Darby has won six consecutive fights since suffering the only defeat of his professional career in 2022. The 27-year-old owns a 7-1 record with three knockouts and three submissions.
Darby’s momentum was interrupted by serious hand and finger injuries that kept him out of competition for 17 months. Since returning, the 6-foot-3 Irishman has won four straight fights and continued building his reputation with Cage Warriors.
His latest performance produced one of the more unusual submissions in MMA. Darby caught Thiago Habib in a first-round ninja choke, earning a performance bonus and securing his opportunity on the Contender Series.
Patrick Rivera arrives with far more professional experience and an identical six-fight winning streak. Rivera has been competing professionally for more than a decade and owns a 13-4 record. Ten of his victories have ended inside the distance, with six knockouts and four submissions.
The 34-year-old also brings experience from outside MMA. Rivera has competed as a professional boxer, previously won a kickboxing world championship and established himself as a regional champion while spending much of his career with Shogun Fights.
Five of Rivera’s six victories during his current streak have been finishes, but he faces a significant height difference against the 6-foot-3 Darby.
That combination of size, youth and recent form has made Darby the night’s biggest favorite at -425. Rivera enters the main event at +325.
Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10 Schedule
Tonight marks the fourth installment of a 10-week season that will continue uninterrupted into the middle of October.
Each remaining Tuesday will introduce a different collection of prospects attempting to impress Dana White and the UFC matchmakers at the Meta APEX. The Season 10 finale is scheduled for October 13.
Here are the remaining dates on the calendar:
- Week 4: Tuesday, September 1
- Week 5: Tuesday, September 8
- Week 6: Tuesday, September 15
- Week 7: Tuesday, September 22
- Week 8: Tuesday, September 29
- Week 9: Tuesday, October 6
- Week 10: Tuesday, October 13
Betting on Dana White’s Contender Series at Hard Rock Bet
Winner odds are available for every fight scheduled on Tuesday’s Week 4 card.
To locate the markets, open the MMA section of the Hard Rock Bet website or mobile app and choose Dana White’s Contender Series from the available competitions. Each matchup will appear with the latest prices for both fighters.
Dana White’s Contender Series Week 4 Event Info
- đź“… Date: Tuesday, September 1
- ⏰ Start Time: 7:00 PM ET
- 🏟️ Location: Meta APEX – Las Vegas, Nevada
- đź’» Streaming: Paramount+
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