DWCS 79: Midweek Promotion Offers Lone MMA Show in Light Schedule This Week

As usual, live coverage of DWCS 79 is shown gavel-to-gavel stateside on ESPN+ starting at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT. Internationally, the show is seen on UFC Fight Pass. Let’s dive into this week’s card.

DWCS 79 Main Event: Trent Miller vs. Ryan Gandra

At the top of the bill this Tuesday, the middleweights take to the fabled Octagon inside the UFC Apex facility. Tuff-N-Uff alumnus Trent Miller (8-2 MMA) enters the Apex for a short-notice affair against Ryan Gandra (7-1 MMA.) All fights on the show are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.

Miller will be making the walk this week having posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights. At the moment, he’s gotten his hand raised in victory twice in a row. Back on May 22, he finished Said Magomed Abdulgaziev (7-10 MMA) with a third-round knockout.

DWCS 79 wasn’t on Miller’s radar initially. This main event is his third scheduled fight in the month of August. A planned fight on last Friday’s LFA 215 versus Jake Woodley (5-1 MMA) was postponed.

Afterward, he was supposed to have fought the next night against Malik Abdulmumin (5-2 MMA) in Tuff-N-Uff 147, which was scrapped after he got the call for DWCS 79. How will he do this week?

Meanwhile, Ryan Gandra was supposed to square off in the main event of DWCS 79 versus Vitor Costa (8-1 MMA) at light heavyweight before the contest was scrubbed after his would-be opponent could not obtain a visa to gain entry into the United States. Gandra is sporting a 5-0 record as part of an ongoing six-fight winning streak.

Last November, he bested Vladimir Calvo (5-1 MMA) with a first-round knockout (right hook)  during LFA 197 on UFC Fight Pass. There are two questions here:

One: How has Gandra adjusted from a light heavyweight contest to one at 185? Two: What kinds of alterations to his gameplan has he had to make here? Tune in Tuesday to find out.

DWCS 79 Co-Main Event: Damon Wilson vs. Marcio Barboza

Immediately prior to the headliner, the DWCS 79 co-main event takes place at featherweight. Damon Wilson (9-2 MMA) squares off against Marcio Barboza (16-2 MMA.) Wilson, a veteran of Cage Warriors, touches down in America having posted a mark of 4-1 in his last five contests.

Currently, he’s won three fights in a row, including a March 14 knockout (knees) in the first round against Leandro Carmago (6-5 MMA) in Cage Warriors 184 from BEC Arena in Manchester. With Wilson on a hot streak going into Tuesday’s card, one can expect him to fight with vigor once the cage door shuts.

Across the way, Marcio Barboza has a 4-1 record himself in his last five fights. Like his opponent, he’s also won three in a row. Back on Nov. 22, 2024, he punched his way to a first-round knockout versus Felipe Oliveira (11-4 MMA) in LFA 197.

Although this isn’t the main event of DWCS 79, this is a very entertaining fight all the same. Get your popcorn ready, everybody.

DWCS 79: Abdul-Rahkman Yakhyaev vs. Alik Lorenz

Also on DWCS 79, you’ll be seeing a light heavyweight fixture matching Abdul-Rahkman Yakhyaev (6-0 MMA), Ares FC Light Heavyweight Champion, against Alik Lorenz (6-1 MMA.) Yakhyaev enters Nevada with an undefeated record thus far in his professional career.

Last time out, he scored a first-round submission by way of rear-naked choke over Jacky Jeanne (4-2 MMA) to defend the title in Ares FC 25 in September of 2024. This was his third championship fight in a row.

He hasn’t fought in almost 11 months heading into DWCS 79. Thus, the age-old question of ring rust gets asked again before Tuesday’s fight: What kind of training camp has he had after a long layoff?

In the other corner, Alik Lorenz has posted a 4-1 record over the course of his last five fights. He’s been on a tear of late, winning four fights in succession.

Last fall, Lorenz stopped Ryan Parker (6-8 MMA) with a third-round submission due to rear-naked choke in LFA 196. An April contest in LFA 206 versus Starling Simmons (5-3 MMA) was postponed ahead of the scheduled date.

Can Lorenz take down a former champ? Only time will tell.

Rest of the Card

Two other contests comprise the full bout order of DWCS 79 this Tuesday night, a lightweight affair pitting Cristian Perez (13-1 MMA) against Manoel Souza (11-1 MMA), and a heavyweight fight pairing Donte Johnson (5-0 MMA) with Darion Abbey (7-1 MMA.)

Which fight or fights are you looking forward to on DWCS 79?