Dana White's Contender Series returns tonight, and I'm especially excited because two competitors are fighters I've been watching for a while.

In my work for Spectation Sports, I've had the pleasure of interviewing Abe Alsaghir and Tom Pagliarulo when they fought for promotions that aired there. There's something special about watching the next wave of fighters come up, and through a career in combat sports. It's one of the reasons I am so high on Justin Gaethje when he competes.

I watched Gaethje's evolution when he came up competing in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF, not known as the PFL) and won their lightweight title. It's how you learn about these athletes: by watching them evolve with every fight, and learning their patterns and mistakes in their journey.

It's how I knew Gaethje would win at the White House, and I feel the same about these two competitors for tonight.

So, what should we expect from these two?

Abe Alsaghir 8-0

I first spoke with Alsaghir when he made his pro debut.

He is one of the most professional fighters I have had the pleasure of interviewing multiple times since Legends of Combat aired many events on Spectation Sports. His focus and drive are something a lot of fighters have, but not many display well.

Alsaghir has been an open book about that his whole career. Even when he was injured, he was told he would be out of commission for more than a year, but he was able to get back to competition level within that time, like eight months from what I recall.

He brings that drive into every fight.

To beat him, the opponent would have to kill him.

I know a lot of fighters say that, but for Alsaghir, it's probably more true than ever. His opponent, Fabrizio Escarrega (9-1) is no slouch. None of the fighters that get the call for Contender Series are, so I expect a war, but I can't see Alsaghir losing.

Tom Pagliarulo (10-2)

Pagliarulo loves competing in MMA.

It's something he spoke to me about when he made his Cage Titans debut last year. I remember his energy being contagious and his love for competition being his driver. He has fun in there, and it's produced most of his wins by knockout since he's been fighting.

Plus, his ectomorph dimensions point to him as being a problem for anyone he faces in MMA.

His opponent tonight, Ananias Mulumba (10-3), is certainly going to present a challenge, but I think Pagliarulo has had more quality opponents in his career to help him get his hand raised.

If you want more details on fighters that have fought on Spectation Sports, check out Adam Martin's preview here.

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