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 third episode of the new season takes place on Aug. 26 and airs live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
MW: Trent Miller (8-2, Xtreme Couture, United States) vs. Ryan Gandra (7-1, Flavio Baiano Team, Brazil)
FW: Marcio Barbosa (16-2, Giants Team, Brazil) vs. Damon Wilson (9-2, Alliance MMA, United States)
LHW: Abdulrakhman Yakhyaev (6-0, MMA Nurnberg, Russia/Turkey) vs. Alik Lorenz (6-1, Hard Drive MMA, United States)
LW: Cristian Perez (13-1, The GOAT Shed, Mexico) vs. Manoel Sousa (12-1, Acadamia Octogono, Brazil)
HW: Darion Abbey (7-4, Down to Fight MMA, United States) vs. Donte Johnson (5-0, Gnosis Combat Sports, United States)
One of the hardest hitting featherweights competing in MMA right now, Marcio Barbosa is the guy to look out for on this episode. The power puncher has been a stud for LFA and has been knocking people out left and right. A good comparison for recent Contender Series alums would be Jean Silva, as they have similar styles. He has a very winnable fight on his hands in Damon Wilson, who will have no problem throwing hands with him.
I don’t often like to say “Oh, this fight should be on a UFC card!” because so many MMA fans/pundits/etc say that constantly. However, this is the rare occurrence I would agree. Both Manoel Sousa and Cristian Perez are studs that have unfortunately been matched up against each other to fight for a UFC contract. Both men are very well-rounded fighters who put on fan-friendly striking bouts on the feet. This is going to be a high-quality affair that should have the UFC brass on their feet.
There are a couple dark horses on this episode, but I think Abdulrakhman Yakhyaev is the guy to keep your eye on. The Ares FC veteran is a very well-rounded fighter who has dynamite in his striking and has a relentless wrestling ability. He seems to be UFC ready now, so he will be using this as a warm up on his way to the main roster. I have a feeling he impresses the bosses against a tough opponent.
I know heavyweights are hard to come by outside of the major organizations, but there are still a number of guys that are blips on the radar. Neither Darion Abbey nor Donte Johnson are guys I would have considered for this Contender Series slot in the heavyweight division despite the lack of depth of prospects in the weight class. Regardless of who wins this fight, I don’t think either are UFC quality and are long shots to score success in the world’s largest MMA organization. I imagine the winner gets signed if this ends in knockout. Otherwise, this could be one of those old-school Bellator prelim heavyweight bouts that’s a gas fest.
| MW: Trent Miller vs. Ryan Gandra | Gandra |
| FW: Marcio Barbosa vs. Damon Wilson | Barbosa |
| LHW: Abdulrakhman Yakhyaev vs. Alik Lorenz | Yakhyaev |
| LW: Cristian Perez vs. Manoel Sousa | Sousa |
| HW: Darion Abbey vs. Donte Johnson | Johnson |