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 sixth episode of the new season takes place on Sep. 17 and streams live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
LW: Ahmad Hassanzada (11-3, Team Alpha Male, Afghanistan/USA) vs. Dylan Mantello (8-3, Longo and Weidman MMA, USA)
BW: Aaron Tau (8-0, Makoto MMA, New Zealand) vs. Elijah Smith (6-1, Team Victory, USA)
WW: Benjamin Bennett (6-1, Elevation Fight Team, USA) vs. Joey Hart (6-1, Start BJJ, USA)
HW: Arthur Lopes (6-1, Netinho Fight Team, Brazil) vs. Talisson Teixeira (6-0, Team Lucas Mineiro, Brazil)
MW: Yura Naito (6-0, Reversal Gym, Japan) vs. Ateba Gautier (5-1, Manchester Top Team, Cameroon)
They don’t make many fighters 6’8”, 250-plus pounds in MMA these days, nonetheless guys that are not only that that size, but talented. Talisson Teixeira is a very good fighter with those dimensions and could be the best prospect on this episode. At just 24 years old, Teixeira’s best days are ahead of him and he’s already this talented. The LFA vet is a very good striker that uses his distance well but combines it with lethal power. All but one of his wins come by way of knockout and they have been highlight reels. He has a very winnable fight in front of him in Arthur Lopes.
Once again, the lower weight class fights appear to be the best fights on these Contender Series episodes. This time it’s Aaron Tau vs. Elijah Smith. Smith is a late-notice opponent for Tau, as Tau was originally slated to fight Quang Le. He has strong striking both on the feet and on the mat. He has finished every one of his fights minus one, showing he will be looking for the kill here. Tau is a psycho in the cage, possessing a similarly violent striking style as Smith. These two are going to meet in the middle of the cage and have an absolute throwdown.
Instead of a “dark horse” I should really call this a potential “diamond in the rough.” That’s what Ateba Gautier could be. The Cameroon-born fighter, who now trains out of England, is a very talented striker with great athleticism and scary power. He has a great deal of potential but is still largely unproven. If he wins here, he’s a major project for the UFC, especially considering they are still building up their arsenal in Africa. Win or lose, you should be impressed with Gautier’s striking display.
This episode has a mix of strong prospects and some guys that really have something to prove as prospects. The guy I have the most questions about is Joey Hart, an LFA vet with a good finishing rate. He does have a couple of solid wins, but his decision loss to 0-1 Diyar Kuraev has me concerned about where he’s at in his MMA career. Most of his wins come by knockout and he’s been working his grappling with Start BJJ, so he’s working hard to round his game. He has a good matchup against Benjamin Bennett, so he can really prove himself here if he can score a convincing win. However, Bennett is no pushover.
| LW: Ahmad Hassanzada vs. Dylan Mantello | Hassanzada |
| BW: Aaron Tau vs. Elijah Smith | Smith |
| WW: Benjamin Bennett vs. Joey Hart | Bennett |
| HW: Arthur Lopes vs. Talisson Teixeira | Teixeira |
| MW: Yura Naito vs. Ateba Gautier | Gautier |