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 sixth episode of the new season takes place on Sept. 16 and airs live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
BW: Hecher Sosa (13-1, AFC Villalba, Spain) vs. Mackson Lee (9-0, Markine Fight, Brazil)
LHW: Iwo Baraniewski (5-0, Aligatores Fight Club, Poland) vs. Mahamed Aly (4-0, Team Lloyd Irvin, Brazil)
LW: Thomas Gantt (10-0, Jaw Breaker Boxing, United States) vs. Adam Livingston (6-0, Long Island MMA, United States)
MW: In Soo Hwang (8-1, KPW Single Combat Changwon, South Korea) vs. Paddy McCorry (6-1, Fight Academy Ireland, Ireland)
BW: Raphael Uchegbu (10-1, 4 Corner Combat, England) vs. Cody Chovancek (8-0, Niagara Top Team, Canada)
Team Lloyd Irvin was a big name in MMA back in the day, but fell off over time for various reasons. That said, one of their members, Brazil’s Mahamed Aly, looks to be the best prospect on the card. There are other very solid prospects on this card, but Aly is in his prime now and has a respectable Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. You’d think he’d be submitting his way through his short MMA career thus far, but it’s been his kickboxing which has shined, surprisingly. That includes his most recent win, the biggest of his career, over UFC veteran Jared Gooden by unanimous decision.
This episode legitimately has some great fights, so this is a tough call. While I am really looking forward to Cody Chovancek-Raphael Uchegbu, I think the bout between Hecher Sosa and Mackson Lee could be the fight that steals the show. Lee is a massive bantamweight lengthwise, being 6’1″ with long limbs. He has never gone to a decision in his undefeated career. Sosa is a proficient finisher as well, so he will not backdown from the aggressive style of Lee. I expect the UFC brass to love this bout.
There are a couple of dark horses on this episode to keep an eye out for, but Canada’s Cody Chovancek is the one I am watching the hardest. Right now, he’s one of the top prospects coming out of that country, possessing a flashy submission arsenal and solid boxing. He’ll have to continue to show improvements in his counter-wrestling, but seeing he will be fighting a banger like Raphael Uchegbu, we likely won’t see if that weakness has been sewn up yet. It should be a fun one.
It was tough to find a long shot on this episode, as there are a lot of solid prospects and fighters here. By process of elimination, we will go with 26-year-old Pole Iwo Baraniewski, an insanely experienced fighter between his amateur and pro career. He’s a judo black belt that has shown a great submission arsenal and great ground striking. That goes with his strong clinch and takedown game, making him an all-around grappling threat. That grappling acumen will be heavily tested by the aforementioned Aly.
| MW: In Soo Hwang vs. Paddy McCorry | McCorry |
| LHW: Iwo Baraniewski vs. Mahamed Aly | Aly |
| BW: Hecher Sosa vs. Mackson Lee | Lee |
| BW: Raphael Uchegbu vs. Cody Chovancek | Chovancek |
| LW: Thomas Gantt vs. Adam Livingston | Gantt |