Week six of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Season 5 saw a five-fight card lined up for Tuesday, October 5. All five fights spanned five weight classes, with bouts in the flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight divisions planned.
Originally, Fernie Garcia had been paired up with Paul Capaldo for a bantamweight bout, but with the latter pulling out, Joshua Weems stepped in.
Last week, only two contracts were handed out by Dana White. Would the show surpass that in week six? Here’s a look ahead.
Welterweight: Shimon Smotritsky Vs. Mike Malott
Tale of the Tape
21-years-old
6’2″
Holon, Israel
Teampact Holon
7-0
3 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission
29-years-old
6’3″
Born in Ontario, Canada but living in Sacramento, California, US
Team Alpha Male
6-1-1
3 KO/TKOs, 3 Submissions
Pros and Cons
Shimon Smotritsky
Pros
- Solid wrestling
- Good jiu-jitsu
- Chain wrestles well
- Good ground and pound
- Solid jiu-jitsu
- Smooth back take
- Tight grappling
- Submission threat
- Good upperbody/clinch takedowns
- Improved hands
- Solid kickboxing
Cons
- Has trouble against the cage
- Slows slightly as the fight goes
Mike Malott
Pros
- Good muay thai knees
- Good kicks
- Solid ground game
- Good one-two
- Chopping leg kicks
Cons
- Head sits on the centerline
Who has the advantage?
Striking: Malott
Speed: Even
Output/Volume: Malott
Knockout Power: Malott
Chin: Smotritsky
Kickboxing: Smotritsky
Footwork: Malott
Wrestling: Smotritsky
Grappling: Even
Submissions: Smotritsky
Cardio: Even
Prediction
This is a very good fight made by the matchmakers that is quietly flying under the radar. Smotritsky was someone I wasn’t familiar with but was impressed with his tape. Malott, I scouted years ago and was impressed. Beating a guy like Solomon Renfro in his last fight proves he’s who I thought he was back then.
On paper, Smotritsky looks to have the better grappling but it’s near even. Wrestling wise Smotritsky has a slight advantage but not by much. Both are talented strikers but Malott has more tools. So far in their careers, Malott has been touched up more and the hands of Smotritsky have improved with each fight. It’s close but I’m edging it to Malott. With Smotritsky I think he has to find the win from landing more output and setting finishing sequences up. Malott on the other hand can end it at any time and as the fight goes he’s likely to get stronger.
