Dana White’s Contender Series is back for its ninth 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 second episode of the new season takes place on Aug. 19 and airs live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
FW: Jose Delano (15-3, Brazilian Top Team, Brazil) vs. Manuel Exposito (13-2, Morro 555 Jiu Jitsu, Argentina)
FW: Ramiro Jimenez (10-0, The GOAT Shed, Mexico) vs. Tommy Cuozzi (8-0, Kamicuozzi MMA, United States)
HW: Guilherme Uriel (6-1, Evolution Combat MMA, Brazil) vs. Josh Hokit (5-0, Jackson Winklejohn MMA, United States)
BW: Louis Lee Scott (9-0, Manchester Top Team, England) vs. Kaushik Saikumar (5-0, Fifty-50 Martial Arts, India/United States)
MW: Cam Rowston (11-3, City Kickboxing, Australia) vs. Brandon Holmes (5-0, TNT Martial Arts, United States)
There are a lot of good prospects on this episode, but because there aren’t a lot of promising prospects in the heavyweight division, Josh Hokit becomes the consequential prospects of the episode. Josh Hokit is one of the few heavyweights outside of a major organization to keep your eyes on and for good reason. The former Fresno St. wrestler and football player has been an absolute juggernaut since coming to professional MMA. He started his career with Bellator, but found himself quickly as a free agent when the company was bought by the PFL. He was 2-0 in Bellator with two submission wins. He then went to the LFA, where he’s scored three more finishes on the ground with a tapout and two ground-and-pound wins. The UFC needs heavyweights. A win for Hokit, assuming it isn’t the most boring fight in history, gets him on the roster.
If you’re looking for a firefight that’s going to be highly exciting, then the bout between Jose Delano and Manuel Exposito should tickle your fancy. Delano is an animal that loves to brawl on the feet and has skills on the ground. Exposito is more of a grappler, though he doesn’t shy away from a firefight. That should make for some exciting drama in the cage.
England’s Louis Lee Scott is a serious prospect that should have been on the Contender Series last year, but contractual obligations to Ares FC prevented that. Now, Scott has his chance, as the lightning-quick striker looks to show that he’s ready for the UFC. He should have a favorable matchup against Kaushik Saikumar.
Despite being undefeated and having a solid wrestling background, I still see Tommy Cuozzi as the longshot on this episode. The 25-year-old has spent his entire career fighting in the Carolina regional scene, which isn’t exactly the biggest pool of regional talent. Most of his opponents have been .500 or sub-.500 fighters. On top of that, Cuozzi’s amateur record saw him go 5-4, which is a bit of a concern as well. He has a seasoned veteran in Ramiro Jimenez as his opponent here, which will be a tough matchup for the American.
| FW: Jose Delano vs. Manuel Exposito | Delano |
| FW: Ramiro Jimenez vs. Tommy Cuozzi | Jimenez |
| HW: Guilherme Uriel vs. Josh Hokit | Hokit |
| BW: Louis Lee Scott vs. Kaushik Saikumra | Scott |
| MW: Cam Rowston vs. Brandon Holmes | Holmes |