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 (dropped to 6-2, Demolition Fight Team, United States)
  3. Adama Diop (6-1, Mantas MMA, Senegal)
  4. Gabriel Lourenco (moved to 8-1, Chute Boxe, Brazil): SIGNED BY UFC
  5. Mario Piazzon (dropped to 10-2, Galpao da Luta, Brazil)
  6. Zaurbek Sabanov (4-0, Alania Fighting Team, Russia)
  7. Guilherme Uriel (moved to 8-2, Evolution Combat MMA, Brazil): SIGNED BY UFC
  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 (dropped to 5-1, Sarpsborg Chi Kickboxing & MMA, Norway/Albania)
  4. Preston LaGrange (6-1, Hard Drive MMA, United States)
  5. Alik Lorenz (moved to 8-2, MMA Lab, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Quentin Pasley (moved to 4-0, Fighting Arts Academy, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  7. Damian Piwowarczyk (moved to 12-4, Uniq Fight Club, Poland): SIGNED BY UFC
  8. Emilio Quissua (dropped to 8-1, Planet Eater, Germany)

Middleweight

  1. Davi Cabral (7-0, War Room Kickboxing & MMA, Brazil)
  2. Igor Cavalcanti (moved to 14-2, Infinity Fight Team, Brazil)
  3. Douglas da Lapa (6-0, Clayton Mangueira Team, Brazil)
  4. Christian Echols (dropped to 8-5, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, United States)
  5. Nick Galanti (moved to 8-1, Dante Rivera BJJ, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Hugo Guillon (dropped to 7-2, Ghost Arena, France)
  7. Theo Haig (dropped 7-2, American Kickboxing Academy, United States)
  8. Luis Hernandez (moved to 8-0, Freedom Fighters, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  9. Brandon Holmes (dropped to 6-2, TNT Martial Arts & Fitness, United States)
  10. Martin Kozak (moved to 7-0, Mattix MMA, Slovakia): SIGNED BY UFC
  11. Joe Kropschot (moved to 9-3, Team Santos Jiu Jitsu, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  12. Jon Kunneman (dropped to 10-1, Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, United States)
  13. Trent Miller (moved to 10-3, Xtreme Couture, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  14. Norbert Novenyi Jr (moved to 11-1, London Shootfighters, Hungary)
  15. Carlos Petruzella (dropped to 15-2, Brothers of Life MMA, Argentina)
  16. Oscar Ravello (dropped to 13-4-1, Sniper Gym, Peru)
  17. Douglas Rodrigues (dropped to 6-2, Fight Master MMA, Brazil)
  18. Modestino Rodrigues (moved to 8-1, Revira Black Team, Brazil): SIGNED BY UFC

Welterweight

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

Lightweight

  1. Akbar Abdullaev (moved to 14-0, al-Munar FC, Kyrgyzstan): SIGNED BY UFC
  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 (dropped to 8-1, Manchester Top Team, England): SIGNED BY UFC
  5. Fabrizio Escarrega (dropped to 9-2, Victory Fight Club, Mexico)
  6. Piero Guaylupo (moved to 12-0, Los Perros Sarnosos, Peru): SIGNED BY UFC
  7. Adam Livingston (moved to 8-1, Long Island MMA, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  8. Liam McCracken (dropped to 8-2, Aspire Combat Sports Academy, England)
  9. Logan Paxton (dropped to 10-2, Havoc MMA, United States)
  10. Cristian Perez (moved to 15-2, The GOAT Shed, Mexico): SIGNED BY UFC
  11. Silvestre Sanchez (moved to 10-1, Llamas Brothers MMA, Mexico): SIGNED BY UFC
  12. Ednilson Santos (dropped to 14-8-1, Cruz MMA, Brazil)
  13. Hunter Smith (dropped to 8-2, Performance Evolution Training Center, United States)
  14. George Staines (10-0, Next Generation MMA, England)

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. Antonio Monteiro (dropped to 18-6-1, Nova Uniao, Brazil)
  5. Ananias Mulumba (dropped to 10-4, Elite Training Center, Democratic Republic of Congo)
  6. Tom Pagliarulo (moved to 11-2, New England Cartel, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  7. Roman Puga (moved to 6-1, MMAFC, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  8. Taner Trembley (dropped to 7-1, Start BJJ, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  9. Erick Viscondi (17-3, California MMA, Brazil)
  10. Tyshawn Williams (moved to 9-0, Xtreme Couture, United States)

Bantamweight

  1. Apollo Gomes (moved to 13-2, Chute Boxe, Brazil)
  2. Won Il Kwon (dropped to 14-7, P-Boy MMA, South Korea)
  3. Ryuho Miyaguchi (7-1, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo, Japan)
  4. Mateus Soares (11-2, Refit Pro Fighters, Brazil)

Flyweight

  1. Jarret Betancourt (9-0, MMA Science Academy, United States)
  2. Alexander Chavez (9-0, Pitbull Martial Arts Center, Peru)
  3. Roque Conceicao (11-3, Revira Black Team, Brazil)
  4. Marcos Degli (moved to 15-3, Vale Top Team, Brazil): SIGNED BY UFC
  5. Bilal Hasan (moved to 9-0, Charlie’s Combat Club, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Colton Loud (dropped to 7-2 Genesis BJJ, United States)
  7. Paris Moran (dropped to 14-4, Gracie Barra, United States)
  8. Christian Natividad (moved to 10-0, Fight Ready MMA, United States)
  9. Mridul Saikia (dropped to 9-2, Syndicate MMA, India)

Women’s Bantamweight

  1. Alex Apodaca (moved to 4-1, FactoryX Muay Thai, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  2. Alivia Bierley (5-1, Spratt Hybrid Systems, United States)
  3. Bella Mir (dropped to 4-1, Syndicate MMA, United States)
  4. Summer Onley (6-0, Ronin MMA, England)
  5. Aline Pereira (3-2, Teixeira MMA & Fitness, Brazil)
  6. Smilla Sundell (2-0, Diaz Combat Sports, Sweden)

Women’s Strawweight

  1. Aieza Bertolso (7-0, MSP, Brazil)
  2. Camila Reynoso (9-1, Centro Deportivo ADM, Argentina)

Matchups

Episode 8 (Sept 29)

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

LW: George Staines (10-0) vs. Loai Abushaar (7-1)

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

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

WSW: Camila Reynoso (9-1) vs. Aieza Bertolso (7-0)

Episode 9 (Oct 6)

LHW: Nell Ariano (6-0) vs. Preston LaGrange (6-1)

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)

WBW: Summer Onley (6-0) vs. Alivia Bierley (5-1)

Episode 10 (Oct 13)

MW: Davi Cabral (7-0) vs. Douglas da Lapa (6-0)

WW: Will Rentz (8-2) vs. Luis Francischinelli (6-1)

FW: Tyshawn Williams (9-0) vs. TBD

FLY: Jarret Betancourt (9-0) vs. TBD

WBW: Aline Pereira (3-2) vs. Smilla Sundell (2-0)

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