Preview: DWCS Season 3, Episode 10

Dusko Todorovic vs. Teddy Ash

Todorovic is as good a prospect as any from the first two seasons of DWCS. The Serbian is a perfect 8-0 with eight finishes. The 25-year-old has not padded his resume with low-level talent, as he already holds wins over top prospect Alexander Poppeck and current UFC welterweight Michel Pereira. The southpaw is a strong technical striker who packs some nice pop in his fists. His jab is one of his best weapons, and his body work is a thing of beauty. He does make the mistake of standing a little too high with his hands low, making him a big target for an orthodox fighter’s straight right hand. His elusive head movement makes up for his defensive deficiencies elsewhere. He also does well at initiating the clinch when he enters the the pocket, so he is the fighter on the offense in the position. The Secutor MMA representative is a capable wrestler who gets most of his takedowns from trips and throws inside the clinch. Once on top, the undefeated fighter has shown excellent top control and an ability to easily move from being in the closed guard all the way to mount. His ground-and-pound is relentless, and once he gets his opponents down, they are going to be met with a barrage of hard shots or forced to fight off a submission attempt. Todorovic has three submission wins on his record.

Ash enters the fight as a seasoned veteran with a lot of experience against high-level competition. The Canadian is the Unified MMA middleweight champion and has handled his business in back-to-back fights. He is a larger middleweight, as he used to compete at 205 pounds. He has compiled a 14-4 record and has 11 stoppage victories. He holds wins over UFC veterans Victor Valimaki, Seth Baczynski and Dominique Steele and DWCS alum Cameron Olson. “The Bear” has made great improvements over his career, winning eight of his last nine fights. The Shaved Bears MMA rep is a well-rounded fighter who can pick up victories on the feet or the canvas. The 29-year-old is not the most technically sound fighter but makes up for it with grit. He is a high-output striker who is willing to take a punch to unleash one of his own. He shows insane toughness by simply walking down his prey until he gets into his desired range and unloads a torrent of power shots. He is willing to slug it out, believing his chin will outlast that of his counterpart. He is quite hittable fighter due to his lack of head movement but has nice power and can end the fight with a single punch. He also throws hard calf kicks. Ash is not an explosive wrestler, but he manages to find takedowns due to his relentless style. Once on the ground, the Canadian batters his foe with punishing ground-and-pound. The biggest strength of Ash’s game is his deep gas tank. He appears to get stronger as the fight hits its second half. His takedown defense might be the most glaring weakness in his game, but he does well at working back to his feet.

Todorovic has shown some world-class skills, while Ash’s spirit appears to be unbreakable. Both men already possess UFC-worthy resumes. Ash will press the action and do everything in his power to win, but the Serbian is simply too skilled for him. Ash’s lack of defensive skills will eventually be his downfall. Todorovic catches him with a big blow midway through the contest, pounces and finishes with ground-and-pound in the second round. The performance thrills UFC brass and earns Todorovic a contract.