Nick Piccininni is the DWCS Week 3 fighter to watch

Week 3 of Dana White's Contender Series features five big fights, all with some UFC hopes and aspirations. The fighter to watch this week is none other than Oklahoma State University standout, Nick Piccininni.

Piccininni being from Oklahoma State University immediately puts him in some great company. Don Frye, Randy Couture, and Daniel Cormier all went on to have legendary UFC careers after their Oklahoma State wrestling careers came to an end. Piccininni looks to join some legendary company, and that all begins on Tuesday when he fights Jack Duffy in Week 3 of the Dana White Contender Series.

The 24-year-old stands at 5 feet 6 inches, and weighs 125 pounds. He wrestled for the Cowboys from 2016 to 2020. During his time there, he became a three-time NCAA Division 1 All-American, and a four-time Big 12 Conference Champion. He finished his time at OSU with an outstanding record of 112-17. However, Piccininni knew he always wanted to make the transition to MMA. So, he began training at AKA with Daniel Cormier.

Despite his young age, Piccininni has shown why he has a ton of potential to do big things in the UFC one day. He is currently on a six fight winning streak. Five of those wins came thanks to submission, while just one came down to a decision. In Piccininni's arsenal, he contains a lethal arm-triangle choke and rear-naked choke, that have put his opponents away. Prior to switching to MMA, Piccininni obtained a freestyle record of seven wins and four losses.

UFC president Dana White has never shied away from what he is looking for during Dana White Contender Series bouts. The fighters there have to finish, or at least give maximum effort in looking to put their opponents away. Having a fighting style that entertains fans, also is a huge plus in earning that prestigious UFC contract. But the main way a fighter can get a UFC contract is plain and simple, finish the fight. Piccininni possesses the ability to do all of this and then some.

So far, this year Piccininni has only fought once. At Fury FC 92 in June, Piccininni put Jomar Pa-ac away in the fourth round, with a rear-naked choke. This was not out of the ordinary for Piccininni, as the fight before that in Sept. 2023, he defeated Victor Gonzalez at Fury FC 83 with a arm-triangle choke. Piccininni's biggest strength is his ground game, specifically, his submission holds.

Who is Jack Duffy?

He will be facing the undefeated, Jack Duffy. Duffy was originally supposed to face Jose Ochoa, but Piccininni was revealed to be replacing Ochoa in this flyweight bout. Duffy is one inch taller than Piccininni, standing at 5 foot 7 inches. Duffy is a scrappy fighter, showing that he can win both by submission, and knockout. However, there are some question marks with Duffy, mainly if can handle the pressure.

Duffy has been a pro for a very long time, 12 years to be exact. For Duffy, this has to feel like this is his moment. After being a pro for 12 years, to say the pressure is on would be an understatement. On the other side, Piccininni was a Division 1 wrestler and has been in big spots before still very early in his career. This fight is really just going to come down to one thing, the mat game.

If Piccininni can get Duffy to the ground, he would be in a good spot to win the contest. Duffy is no slouch and is a great grappler in his own right, but the ground advantage would certainly go towards Piccininni in the wrestling department. If Piccininni can finish an undefeated fight in Duffy, it could go a long way. This could give Piccininni a great case to make to Dana White as to why he should receive a UFC contract. Piccininni's wrestling style and ability to finish makes for what could a fun fight, and that's why he's this week's fighter to watch.