Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series is underway, and one fighter stood out early with a clean, composed TKO win.
The show is back as Dana White continues his search for the next wave of UFC talent, bringing together top prospects from around the globe.
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Following the rise of fighters like Sean O’Malley and Kevin Holland, who both got their start on the series, this new group will be eager to make their mark and secure a place in the UFC.
Here’s a rundown of what happened in episode one, including the two fighters who walked away with UFC contracts.
Ilian Bouafia kicks off the new series with a win over Neemias Santana
The main event of the night saw Ilian Bouafia pick up a decision win over Neemias Santana, with the ‘Gorilla’ using his size and power to control most of the fight.
Bouafia looked a bit tentative early on in front of Dana White, getting taken down and then catching an illegal headbutt in what was already a scrappy start.
The rest of the bout didn’t see much action, but when Bouafia did choose to engage, he was clearly landing the cleaner shots.
He walked away with a unanimous decision win on his US debut, but despite getting his hand raised, Dana White wasn’t convinced enough to hand him a contract.
Ty Miller stays unbeaten with decision win
Ty Miller picked up a UFC contract after an impressive win over Jimmy Drago on the opening night of Dana White’s Contender Series.
The American controlled the fight from start to finish, using his reach to land clean punches and keep Drago at bay. It was a solid display of the skills that brought him to this stage.
The judges all gave him every round, and White didn’t hesitate to offer him a spot in the UFC right after the decision.
Baysangur Susurkaev earns UFC contract with a calm knockout finish
Baysangur Susurkaev stood out on the opening week of the show, delivering the only finish of the episode and making a strong first impression.
The Russian middleweight showcased his technical skills with a TKO win over Murtaza Talha, introducing himself to MMA fans in the US.
Early in the fight, he landed a precise kick to Talha’s midsection, who went down immediately. The strike didn’t seem powerful at first glance, but it was enough for an early stoppage.
The quick finish secured Susurkaev his UFC contract, capping off an impressive debut performance.
Radley Da Silva hands George Mangos his first professional loss
Radley Da Silva handed George Mangos the first defeat of his professional career, but neither fighter did enough to catch Dana White’s attention.
Da Silva managed to take the Australian down multiple times across the opening two rounds, but neither fighter was able to land anything significant or do much damage throughout the contest.
Da Silva won two of the three rounds on all three judges’ cards, but it wasn’t enough to earn a UFC contract.
Yuri Panferov returns to DWCS with dominant win over Christopher Ewert
Yuri Panferov was back on the Contender Series for the first time in two years, looking to make up for his earlier defeat, and he started this season strong.
The ‘Russian Polar Bear’ had lost to Torrez Finney during his first appearance on the show’s seventh series, but this time he left no doubt, finishing Christopher Ewert in front of White.
It turned into a slugfest early on, allowing Panferov to display both his boxing and wrestling skills as the fight progressed.
He won every round convincingly but still walked away without a UFC contract despite the clear win.
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