Dana White’s Contender Series is back for its eighth season.
The show, which continues on its home on ESPN+, aims to give top prospects a chance to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract with the company. The show’s first episode of the new season takes place on August 13 and streams live on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.
MW: Wes Schultz (6-1, Pura Vida MMA, USA) vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik (5-0, MMA Masters, USA)
LHW: Mikheil Sazhiniani (13-2, Spitfire Gym, Georgia) vs. Bruno Lopes (12-1, China Team, Brazil)
FW: Ernie Juarez (8-0, Gracie Fighter, USA) vs. Jose Delgado (7-1, MMA Lab, USA)
WW: Meng Ding (34-8, Daqin Martial Arts, China) vs. Rami Hamed (12-3, MMA Masters, Lebanon/Russia)
FLY: An Tuan Ho (6-0, MMA Lab, Vietnam/USA) vs. Lone’er Kavanaugh (6-0, Great Britain Top Team, England)
Bruno Lopes had an opportunity on the Contender Series last year and was upset but Brendon Ribeiro. That fight is not representative of who Bruno Lopes is as a fighter, as he’s the most UFC-ready fighter on this card. There are probably better “long-term prospects”, but Lopes is the most developed right now. After losing to Ribeiro, he came back with a submission of Contender Series vet Maros Brigagao. He’s well-rounded, and hopefully he’s closed his defensive holes that were exposed in the Ribeiro fight. He has a tough bout with Mikheil Sazhiniani on deck here, which could serve as a great redemption fight for the Brazilian.
The first fight of this year’s Contender Series is a good one to set the pace. Top flyweight prospects An Tuan Ho and Lone’er Kavanaugh are going to go to battle and it’s going to be super exciting. Ho is a flashy striker with good knockout power. He’s explosive and has great quickness. Kavanaugh has a similar style to Ho, though he has a more proven ground game thus far. This one is an absolute banger and both of these guys will be in the UFC at some point in their careers, win or lose.
I had this spot reserved for Icaro Brito, who was to fight Ernie Juarez, but visa issues knocked him off this card. Instead we will go with MMA Masters rep and main eventer Mansur Abdul-Malik, an undefeated fighter who has been a bull in a China shop in the cage. Abdul-Malik is 5-0 with five first-round finishes. That said, his opponents have not been the highest of quality, but it’s clear Abdul-Malik has talent and perhaps this will be his coming out party.
There is a lot of talent on this episode, so it’s pretty hard to pick a longshot. As of now, wrestler Wes Schultz seems to be the longshot of the bunch. He has a strong ground game and is a finisher but has not really fought a great deal of competition. He has fought now-UFC fighter Dylan Budka, though he lost in that bout. That was his toughest fight to date. He now takes on unheralded prospect Mansur Abdul-Malik, who is an under-the-radar prospect and will give Schultz a tough fight.
| MW: Wes Schultz vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik | Abdul-Malik |
| LHW: Mikheil Sazhiniani vs. Bruno Lopes | Lopes |
| FW: Ernie Juarez vs. Jose Delgado | Juarez |
| WW: Meng Ding vs. Rami Hamed | Ding |
| FLY: An Tuan Ho vs. Lone’er Kavanaugh | Ho |