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 (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. Davi Cabral (7-0, War Room Kickboxing & MMA, Brazil)
  2. Igor Cavalcanti (13-2, Infinity Fight Team, Brazil)
  3. Douglas da Lapa (6-0, Clayton Mangueira Team, Brazil)
  4. Christian Echols (8-4, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, United States)
  5. Nick Galanti (moved to 8-1, Dante Rivera BJJ, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  6. Hugo Guillon (7-1, Ghost Arena, France)
  7. Theo Haig (7-1, American Kickboxing Academy, United States)
  8. Luis Hernandez (7-0, Freedom Fighters, United States)
  9. Brandon Holmes (dropped to 6-2, TNT Martial Arts & Fitness, United States)
  10. Martin Kozak (6-0, Mattix MMA, Slovakia)
  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 (10-1, London Shootfighters, Hungary)
  15. Carlos Petruzella (dropped to 15-2, Brothers of Life MMA, Argentina)
  16. Oscar Ravello (13-3-1, 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 (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 (moved to 5-0, American Top Team, United States): SIGNED BY UFC
  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 (dropped to 9-3, Entram Gym, Mexico)
  14. Isaac Moreno (8-0, Primetime Headquarters, United States)
  15. Jaden Ortega (6-0, Sikjitsu, United States)
  16. Mayton Perea (8-3, DC Team Machala, Ecuador)
  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 (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. Piero Guaylupo (11-0, Los Perros Sarnosos, Peru)
  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. George Staines (10-0, Next Generation MMA, England)
  13. Hunter Smith (dropped to 8-2, 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. Antonio Monteiro (18-5-1, 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 (8-0, Xtreme Couture, United States)

Bantamweight

  1. Apollo Gomes (12-2, Chute Boxe, Brazil)
  2. Won Il Kwon (14-6, 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 (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. Christian Natividad (9-0, 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 5 (Sept 8)

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

MW: Christian Echols (8-4) vs. Martin Kozak (6-0)

WW: Reginaldo Junior (11-1) vs. Isaac Moreno (8-0)

FW: Won Il Kwon (14-6) vs. Apollo Gomes (12-2)

FLY: Christian Natividad (9-0) vs. Colton Loud (7-1)

Episode 6 (Sept 15)

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

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)

Episode 7 (Sept 22)

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

MW: Norbert Novenyi Jr (10-1) vs. Theo Haig (7-1)

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)

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: 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)

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: Sean King (6-0) vs. TBD

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

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

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