Episode 3 of DWCS 2025 arrives this Tuesday, with the latest crop of Contender Series fighters and UFC hopefuls including some familiar names. Among them, Bellator vet Manoel Sousa and Cage Warriors alum Damon Wilson.
Dana White was a little more reserved in week one this year, handing out just two contracts, but week two saw all five winning fighters granted entry into the UFC. Will that trend continue once again, or will the more reserved approach return? Of course it will depend in large part on individual performances. In any case, let’s get on to our breakdown and predictions for DWCS 2025 Episode 3!
Middleweight, Trent Miller (8-2) Vs. Ryan Gandra (7-1)
Notable Notes
- Miller is taking this fight on short notice
- Miller’s two losses come by submission
- Miller trains out of the superior team in Xtreme Couture
- Six of Miller’s eight wins come against losing records
- Gandra’s only loss came by KO/TKO
- Gandra has won by KO/TKO, Submission, and Decision
- Both have a combined ten first-round finishes
- This will be the US debut of Gandra
Trent Miller
-Hits hard
-Hands too low/wide
-Loads up
-Soft to the body
-Doesn’t deal well with pressure
-Weak chin
-Poor cardio
-Gets walked down
-Plodding footwork
-Advances in recklessly
Signing someone like Miller is clearly the matchmakers looking for chaos. He’s only gone the distance once, and his style is pure hammer-or-nail. He’s nowhere near UFC level, but he checks the boxes for what Contender Series often looks for. The only real attribute that stands out is his power, but even that is limited. His punches are wide and telegraphed—you can see them coming a mile away. There’s nothing straight, nothing set up, just wild bursts in exchanges where he sometimes finds a shot.
The problem is that he doesn’t handle return fire well. He backs up easily, reacts poorly when hit, and often panics into sloppy wrestling. While he’s strong enough to muscle his way into top positions, he doesn’t have the technique to keep it or make it dangerous. Overall, Miller is a very limited fighter: at best, a regional journeyman who thrives on chaos but falls apart against anyone composed.
Ryan Gandra
-Hits hard
-Dangerous in burst
-Decent wrestling
-Poor cardio
-Sloppy striking
-Overzealous a lot
-Flat-footed
-TDD lacks
-Reckless
Gandra fights like a man possessed— zero defense, all offense. He throws everything with full power from the opening bell, charging into the pocket with wild, looping shots that look like they’re launched from the floor. There’s no real technique behind his approach, just chaos, pressure, and pure aggression.
It’s a risky style, especially for someone with a questionable chin. He’s only been officially stopped once, but he’s been badly rocked multiple times. As the fight wears on and his power fades, the flaws in his game become even more apparent. When forced to rely on his grappling, things don’t improve much. His ground game is serviceable at best and not something he can depend on at higher levels.
To his credit, Gandra’s recklessness makes for entertaining fights, and he’s shown the ability to keep pushing even as the fight slips out of his preferred chaos zone. He’s tailor-made for the Contender Series: exciting, volatile, and always hunting a finish. But at the UFC level, where structure and durability matter more, his style doesn’t look sustainable.
Prediction: This has all the makings of a wild one, an all-action brawl with little defense and plenty of chaos. Both guys are going to fight on the inside and see who goes down first. Gandra, I think, has more power and more tools to fall back on. His defense is shaky, but Miller, we know, is chinny. I think it’s as simple as Gandra hits harder and gets the quick knockout.
