Dana White’s Contender Series is back for its 10th season.
The show, which airs on Paramount+, aims to give top prospects a chance to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract with the company. The eighth episode of the new season takes place on Sep. 29 and airs live on Paramount+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.
WSW: Camila Reynoso (9-1, Centro Deportivo ADM, Argentina) vs. Aieza Bertolso (7-0, MSP, Brazil)
After serving as an alternate on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, Camila Reynoso instead gets the call on this episode of the Contender Series. She was set to fight the other alternate, Wushamo Hailai, but will instead face top prospect Aieza Bertolso. Reynoso likes to strike it out on the feet, which will likely be her strategy here. Bertolso will take the opposite approach, as she’s a very good submission grappler. This stylistic chess match should be an interesting one, with LFA strawweight champion Bertolso being the favorite despite taking this fight on late notice.
LW: George Staines (10-0, Next Generation MMA, England) vs. Loai Abushaar (7-1, MMA Lab, United States)
One of the best prospects coming out of Europe right now is George Staines, an impressive kickboxer who has an underrated submission game. He has dominated during his time in Cage Warriors and Oktagon, two of the bigger promotions in Europe. He takes on Loai Abushaar, who jumps off the page due to his 6-foot-4 frame, which is wild for the lightweight division. He is going to need to create distance and stay out of Staines’ kickboxing range. He may also want to wrestle Staines and put him on his back. This is an under-the-radar fight.
FW: Luca Borando (9-1, Aurora MMA, Italy) vs. Ian Escuza (7-0, Pitbull Martial Arts Center, Peru)
If a war on the feet is what you are looking for, this fight between Luca Borando and Ian Escuza should be an absolute war. Escuza is quite the flashy striker, using a vast array of strikes, including spinning attacks, knees, elbows, front kicks and everything in between. He’s the Inka FC champion in Peru, where he has been smoking the competition in impressive fashion. Borando’s style is very similar, though maybe not as flashy and a little more hard-nosed. Don’t blink for this one.
FW: Erick Viscondi (17-3, California MMA, Brazil) vs. Ilias Bulaid (9-0, SB Gym, Netherlands)
For Ilias Bulaid, one of the best fighters on this season of the Contender Series, the path to the UFC seemed to be a matter of when, not if. He’s a very gifted kickboxer with a lot of high-level experience from his time in Bellator MMA. He takes on Erick Viscondi, the LFA featherweight champion, who will have no problem squaring off with him on the feet. Viscondi would be better advised to grapple, but he could be looking to impress with the excitement the fight may bring while standing up. We will have to see.
HW: Adama Diop (6-1, Mantas MMA, Senegal) vs. Zaurbek Sabanov (4-0, Alania Fighting Team, Russia)
The heavyweight division continues to starve for talent, and it gets two interesting prospects squaring off here. On one side, you have Adama Diop, who is obviously a guy the UFC would love to have as it continues to expand into the African MMA market. Diop is a wild power puncher who is a hammer in search of a nail. Zaurbek Sabanov is a tall, long striker with solid wrestling to boot. I don’t expect this fight to go too long.
We stated earlier that Bulaid is one of the best fighters in this 10-episode season. Top-level kickboxing, experience in major promotions and his strength of schedule prove that he’s a UFC-ready fighter right now.
While Luca Borando-Ian Escuza lasts, it’s going to be an absolute firefight. I wouldn’t be shocked if both of these guys ride to the hospital together when the dust settles.
At just 25 years old, Staines has yet to hit his prime, and he’s already this impressive. His nasty kickboxing game and well-roundedness have made him formidable to this point. I think this fight should be his coming-out party.
He will be in the best fight of the night, but I think he has the longest road to go here. He has a recent loss to an opponent who was 3-2, and he’s taking on a guy whose strength is his strength.
| Lineup | Fight Prediction |
|---|---|
| WSW: Camila Reynoso vs. Aieza Bertolso | Bertolso |
| LW: George Staines vs. Loai Abushaar | Staines |
| FW: Luca Borando vs. Ian Escuza | Escuza |
| FW: Erick Viscondi vs. Ilias Bulaid | Bulaid |
| HW: Adama Diop vs. Zaurbek Sabanov | Sabanov |