Contender Series 2026 Week 9 continues with a fight between Ryuho Miyaguchi and Mateus Soares in the bantamweight division. Check out our Contender Series odds series for our Miyaguchi-Soares prediction and pick.
Ryuho Miyaguchi (7-1) suffered his first defeat in May, submitting to Chungreng Koren’s second-round rear-naked choke at Road to UFC. Previously, he defeated Teruto Ishihara by unanimous decision in November, moving beyond his knockout-heavy beginnings but exposing grappling vulnerabilities, as he comes into his fight this week against Mateus Soares.
Mateus Soares (11-2) stopped Edson dos Anjos with first-round punches in May, following November’s first-round TKO of Luiz Henrique Pacifico, both in LFA. Those consecutive early finishes extend his winning streak to four, underscoring his dangerous striking momentum as he comes into his fight this week against Ryuho Miyaguchi Tuesday.
Contender Series Week 9 Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Contender Series Week 9 Odds: Ryuho Miyaguchi-Mateus Soares Odds
Ryuho Miyaguchi: +168
Mateus Soares: -210
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Why Ryuho Miyaguchi Will Win
Ryuho Miyaguchi has a credible route to victory built around measured striking, disciplined positioning, and the finishing threat behind his 7-1 professional record. Six knockout victories demonstrate his offensive danger, while his decision win over Teruto Ishihara shows he can succeed without forcing a stoppage.
That combination matters against Mateus Soares, whose aggressive finishing record makes reckless exchanges an unnecessary gamble rather than Miyaguchi’s smartest approach. Instead, Miyaguchi should make Soares initiate, answer with compact combinations, and exit before the Brazilian can turn isolated exchanges into sustained pressure.
The Ishihara victory provides an encouraging reference point because Miyaguchi successfully navigated three rounds against an opponent with UFC experience. It supports a strategy centered on patience and round management, although it does not establish a guaranteed technical advantage over Soares.
His recent submission defeat also makes defensive grappling an essential priority, particularly when striking exchanges spill into clinches or scrambles. Miyaguchi needs controlled separations and secure positioning rather than speculative attacks that leave his neck exposed or surrender advantageous positions.
The most realistic winning scenario is Miyaguchi managing distance, limiting prolonged exchanges, and accumulating cleaner work across three competitive rounds. A unanimous decision is the stronger prediction, with a counterstriking stoppage possible.
Why Mateus Soares Will Win
Article Continues BelowMateus Soares has a strong case to beat Ryuho Miyaguchi because his 11-2 record combines volume, finishing ability, and a deeper body of professional experience. He owns 10 knockout or TKO wins, meaning more than 90 percent of his victories have ended before the scorecards become relevant.
That finishing profile matters in a matchup with Miyaguchi, another dangerous karate-based striker who has stopped six opponents. Soares should be comfortable matching his opponent’s aggression, but his smartest approach is to apply pressure in layers rather than chase a single, fight-ending shot.
Miyaguchi’s lone loss came by second-round rear-naked choke, which makes clinch control and positional pressure a meaningful avenue for Soares. Although Soares is primarily a finisher on the feet, he has a submission win on his record and can make Miyaguchi consider takedowns or back-taking sequences during scrambles.
Soares also appears to hold an experience advantage against stronger aggregate opposition: one matchup database rates his past opponents’ average career win percentage at roughly 65 percent, compared with 49 percent for Miyaguchi’s slate. That is an imperfect metric, but it supports the broader idea that Soares has had more exposure to capable resistance.
The most realistic winning formula is steady forward pressure, disciplined entries, and a body-to-head attack that forces Miyaguchi backward. I favor Soares by second-round TKO, while recognizing Miyaguchi’s counterstriking makes an early exchange dangerous.
Final Ryuho Miyaguchi-Mateus Soares Prediction & Pick
Ryuho Miyaguchi is my pick by unanimous decision, but Mateus Soares presents a dangerous test that should demand disciplined striking rather than reckless exchanges. Miyaguchi brings a 7-1 record and six knockouts, with his karate background offering a potential foundation for distance management and counterattacks.
Expect Miyaguchi to probe from the outside, drawing Soares forward before responding with combinations and moving away from prolonged pocket battles. His clearest route is making the Brazilian reset repeatedly rather than matching aggression with aggression.
Soares enters at 11-2 with consecutive first-round TKO victories, so Miyaguchi cannot afford careless openings during the early exchanges. If Soares closes distance consistently, his finishing momentum could turn this into a much more uncomfortable fight than Miyaguchi wants.
Ultimately, I favor Miyaguchi to manage the pace, avoid unnecessary risks, and produce the cleaner work over three rounds. The prediction is a competitive decision, not a straightforward domination.
Final Ryuho Miyaguchi-Mateus Soares Prediction & Pick: Ryuho Miyaguchi (+168)