Dana White’s Contender Series 2026

Below is the roster for the 2026 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Heavyweight

  1. Matthew Adams (dropped to 6-3, Raw MMA, United States)
  2. Charlie Cleveland (6-1, Demolition Fight Team, United States)
  3. Adama Diop (6-1, Mantas MMA, Senegal)
  4. Gabriel Lourenco (7-1, Chute Boxe, Brazil)
  5. Mario Piazzon (10-1, Galpao da Luta, Brazil)
  6. Zaurbek Sabanov (4-0, Alania Fighting Team, Russia)
  7. Guilherme Uriel (7-2, Evolution Combat MMA, Brazil)
  8. Anthony Wint (moved to 7-0, Kill Cliff FC, United States): SIGNED BY UFC

Light Heavyweight

  1. Mahamed Aly (dropped to 5-2, Team Lloyd Irvin, Brazil)
  2. Nell Ariano (6-0, Platinum MMA Training Center, France)
  3. Arlind Berisha (5-0, Sarpsborg Chi Kickboxing & MMA, Norway/Albania)
  4. Ivan Gnizditskiy (7-0, Chingi Tura, Russia)
  5. Alik Lorenz (moved to 8-2, MMA Lab, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Quentin Pasley (3-0, Fighting Arts Academy, United States)
  7. Damian Piwowarczyk (11-4, Uniq Fight Club, Poland)
  8. Emilio Quissua (8-0, Planet Eater, Germany)

Middleweight

  1. Juan Andres Cabrera (9-1, La Base MMA, Bolivia)
  2. Igor Cavalcanti (13-2, Infinity Fight Team, Brazil)
  3. Nick Galanti (7-1, Dante Rivera BJJ, United States)
  4. Hugo Guillon (7-1, Ghost Arena, France)
  5. Luis Hernandez (7-0, Freedom Fighters, United States)
  6. Brandon Holmes (6-1, TNT Martial Arts & Fitness, United States)
  7. Martin Kozak (6-0, Mattix MMA, Slovakia)
  8. Joe Kropschot (moved to 9-3, Team Santos Jiu Jitsu, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  9. Jon Kunneman (dropped to 10-1, Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, United States)
  10. Trent Miller (moved to 10-3, Xtreme Couture, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  11. Norbert Novenyi Jr (10-1, London Shootfighters, Hungary)
  12. Carlos Petruzella (15-1, Brothers of Life MMA, Argentina)
  13. Oscar Ravello (13-3-1, Sniper Gym, Peru)
  14. Douglas Rodrigues (dropped to 6-2, Fight Master MMA, Brazil)
  15. Modestino Rodrigues (7-1, Revira Black Team, Brazil)

Welterweight

  1. Gary Balletto Jr (11-3, Tri-Force MMA, United States)
  2. Kaik Brito (moved to 20-6, Black Thai Team, Brazil): SIGNED BY UFC
  3. Sean Clancy Jr (8-0, Higher Level Martial Arts, Scotland)
  4. Adam Darby (7-1, Team Ryano MMA, Ireland)
  5. Alvi Dasuyev (9-0, Deathrow MMA, Belgium)
  6. Sal Everett (4-0, Freestyle MMA, United States)
  7. Namo Fazil (dropped to 10-2, Tiger Muay Thai, United States)
  8. Luis Francischinelli (6-1, California MMA, Brazil)
  9. Ronald Humphrey (4-0, American Top Team, United States)
  10. Zevan Hunt (7-0, American Elite MMA, United States)
  11. Reginaldo Junior (11-1, Fighting Nerds, Brazil)
  12. Ozzy Martin (4-0, Nostos MMA, United States)
  13. Alexis Miranda (9-2, Entram Gym, Mexico)
  14. Jaden Ortega (6-0, Sikjitsu, United States)
  15. Mayton Perea (8-3, DC Team Machala, Ecuador)
  16. Will Rentz (8-2, Gracie Pac MMA, United States)
  17. Patrick Rivera (13-4, Crazy 88 Jiu-Jitsu, United States)

Lightweight

  1. Akbar Abdullaev (13-0, al-Munar FC, Kyrgyzstan)
  2. Loai Abushaar (7-1, MMA Lab, United States)
  3. Abe Alsaghir (moved to 9-0, Porrada Training Center, Lebanon/United States)
  4. Callum Connor (8-0, Manchester Top Team, England)
  5. Fabrizio Escarrega (dropped to 9-2, Victory Fight Club, Mexico)
  6. Anthony Figueroa (9-1, AntDawg’s MMA Training Center, United States)
  7. Piero Guaylupo (11-0, Los Perros Sarnosos, Peru)
  8. Adam Livingston (7-1, Long Island MMA, United States)
  9. Liam McCracken (8-1, Aspire Combat Sports Academy, England)
  10. Logan Paxton (dropped to 10-2, Havoc MMA, United States)
  11. Cristian Perez (moved to 15-2, The GOAT Shed, Mexico): SIGNED BY UFC
  12. Silvestre Sanchez (9-1, Llamas Brothers MMA, Mexico)
  13. George Staines (10-0, Next Generation MMA, England)
  14. Hunter Smith (8-1, Performance Evolution Training Center, United States)

Featherweight

  1. Luca Borando (9-1, Aurora MMA, Italy)
  2. Ilias Bulaid (9-0, SB Gym, Netherlands)
  3. Ian Escuza (7-0, Pitbull Martial Arts Center, Peru)
  4. Apollo Gomes (12-2, Chute Boxe, Brazil)
  5. Sean King (6-0, Mid City MMA, United States)
  6. Antonio Monteiro (18-5-1, Nova Uniao, Brazil)
  7. Ananias Mulumba (dropped to 10-4, Elite Training Center, Democratic Republic of Congo)
  8. Tom Pagliarulo (moved to 11-2, New England Cartel, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  9. Roman Puga (moved to 6-1, MMAFC, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  10. Taner Trembley (dropped to 7-1, Start BJJ, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  11. Erick Viscondi (17-3, California MMA, Brazil)
  12. Tyshawn Williams (8-0, Xtreme Couture, United States)

Bantamweight

  1. Ryuho Miyaguchi (7-1, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo, Japan)
  2. Mateus Soares (11-2, Refit Pro Fighters, Brazil)

Flyweight

  1. Jarret Betancourt (9-0, MMA Science Academy Sunrise, United States)
  2. Alexander Chavez (9-0, Pitbull Martial Arts Center, Peru)
  3. Roque Conceicao (11-3, Revira Black Team, Brazil)
  4. Marcos Degli (14-3, Vale Top Team, Brazil)
  5. Bilal Hasan (moved to 9-0, Charlie’s Combat Club, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Colton Loud (7-1 Genesis BJJ, United States)
  7. Paris Moran (14-3, Gracie Barra, United States)
  8. Mridul Saikia (dropped to 9-2, Syndicate MMA, India)
  9. Frank Silva (8-0-1, Renovacao Coari Team, Brazil)

Women’s Bantamweight

  1. Alex Apodaca (3-1, FactoryX Muay Thai, United States)
  2. Bella Mir (4-0, Syndicate MMA, United States)
  3. Summer Onley (6-0, Ronin MMA, England)

Women’s Strawweight

  1. Camila Reynoso (9-1, Centro Deportivo ADM, Argentina)
  2. Hailai Wushamo (10-1, Yi Fight Training Center, China)

Matchups

Episode 3 (Aug 25)

WBW: Bella Mir (4-0) vs. Alex Apodaca (3-1)

MW: Carlos Petruzella (15-1) vs. Nick Galanti (7-1)

HW: Mario Piazzon (10-1) vs. Guilherme Uriel (7-2)

WW: Gary Balletto Jr (11-3) vs. Sean Clancy Jr (8-0)

WW: Alexis Miranda (9-2) vs. Ronald Humphrey (4-0)

Episode 4 (Sept 1)

HW: Gabriel Lourenco (7-1) vs. Charlie Cleveland (6-1)

MW: Modestino Rodrigues (7-1) vs. Brandon Holmes (6-1)

WW: Patrick Rivera (13-4) vs. Adam Darby (7-1)

LW: Hunter Smith (8-1) vs. Adam Livingston (7-1)

LW: Silvestre Sanchez (9-1) vs. Liam McCracken (8-1)

Episode 5 (Sept 8)

LHW: Arlind Berisha (5-0) vs. Quentin Pasley (3-0)

MW: Juan Andres Cabrera (9-1) vs. Martin Kozak (6-0)

WW: Reginaldo Junior (11-1) vs. TBD

FW: Apollo Gomes (12-2) vs. TBD

FLY: Frank Silva (8-0-1) vs. Colton Loud (7-1)

Episode 6 (Sept 15)

MW: Luis Hernandez (7-0) vs. Hugo Guillon (7-1)

WW: Mayton Perea (8-3) vs. Zevan Hunt (7-0)

LW: Akbar Abdullaev (13-0) vs. Anthony Figueroa (9-1)

FW: Antonio Monteiro (18-5-1) vs. Tyshawn Williams (8-0)

WSW: Hailai Wushamo (10-1) vs. Camila Reynoso (9-1)

Episode 7 (Sept 22)

LHW: Damian Piwowarczyk (11-4) vs. Emilio Quissua (8-0)

MW: Norbert Novenyi Jr (10-1) vs. TBD

WW: Alvi Dasuyev (9-0) vs. Jaden Ortega (6-0)

LW: Piero Guaylupo (11-0) vs. Callum Connor (8-0)

FLY: Marcos Degli (14-3) vs. Paris Moran (14-3)

Episode 8 (Sept 29)

HW: Adama Diop (6-1) vs. Zaurbek Sabanov (4-0)

MW: Igor Cavalcanti (13-2) vs. Oscar Ravello (13-3-1)

FW: Erick Viscondi (17-3) vs. Ilias Bulaid (9-0)

FW: Luca Borando (9-1) vs. Ian Escuza (7-0)

Episode 9 (Oct 6)

LHW: Ivan Gnizditskiy (7-0) vs. Nell Ariano (6-0)

WW: Sal Everett (4-0) vs. Ozzy Martin (4-0)

BW: Mateus Soares (11-2) vs. Ryuho Miyaguchi (7-1)

FLY: Roque Conceicao (11-3) vs. Alexander Chavez (9-0)

Episode 10 (Oct 13)

WW: Will Rentz (8-2) vs. TBD

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