The UFC’s best pipeline for talent is back, as «Dana White’s Contender Series» returned for Season 9 on Aug. 12.
The show wasted little time proving why it is the premiere path to the Octagon in Week 1 as Khamzat Chimaev‘s Russian teammate Baysangur Susurkaev stole the show, knocking out Murtaza Talha with a vicious kick to the liver in Round 1 to earn a UFC contract.
Susurkaev immediately put his UFC contract to work, booking a spot on the UFC 319: Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis undercard in Chicago just four days later. Susurkaev rode the hype wave all the way to his first win, a second-round rear naked choke submission of fellow debutante Eric Nolan.
Could there be another breakout fighter this season? Here are the matchups, results and fighters who earned a UFC contract from each week.
How to watch the fights
Watch «Dana White’s Contender Series» Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
FightCenter offers stats and analysis for every UFC and «DWCS» card.
«Dana White’s Contender Series» Season 9 matchups and results:
0:40
Baisangur Susurkaev improves to 9-0 after a 2nd round submission
Baisangur Susurkaev locks in the rear-naked chokehold on Eric Nolan to remain undefeated.
Week 1 results
Middleweight: Ilian Bouafia def. Neemias Santana by unanimous decision
Welterweight: Ty Miller def. Jimmy Drago by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Baysangur Susurkaev def. Murtaza Talha by TKO1
Featherweight: Radley da Silva def. George Mangos by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Yuri Panferov def. Christopher Ewert by unanimous decision
Miller and Susurkaev were given UFC contracts.
Week 2 results
1:16
Cam Rowston gets big TKO win over Brandon Holmes
Cam Rowston puts on a nice performance in a TKO win vs. Brandon Holmes.
Featherweight: Jose Delano def. Manuel Exposito by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Cam Rowston def. Brandon Holmes by TKO1
Men’s bantamweight: Louis Lee Scott def. Kaushik Saikumar by TKO3
Heavyweight: Josh Hokit def. Guilherme Uriel by TKO2
Featherweight: Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi by TKO1
Jimenez, Hokit, Scott, Rowston and Delano were given UFC contracts.
Week 3 results
1:00
Ryan Gandra makes short work of Trent Miller with big 1st-round TKO
Ryan Gandra knocks Trent Miller to the ground and earns a first-round TKO in the main event of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Light heavyweight: Ryan Gandra def. Trent Miller by TKO1
Featherweight: Marico Barbosa def. Damon Wilson by TKO1
Light heavyweight: Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Alik Lorenz by TKO1
Lightweight: Manoel Sousa def. Cristian Perez by TKO3
Heavyweight: Donte Johnson def. Darion Abbey by KO1
Gandra, Yakhyaev, Sousa, Perez, Johnson and Barbosa were given UFC contracts.
Week 4 results
0:34
Mandel Nallo gets a big first-round TKO
Mandel Nallo gets a big first-round TKO
Welterweight: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Jack Congdon by KO1
Middleweight: Cezary Oleksiejczuk def. Theo Haig by KO1
Lightweight: Mandel Nallo def. Samuel Silva by KO1
Men’s flyweight: Eduardo Chapolin def. An Tuan Ho by unanimous decision
Featherweight: Tommy McMillen def. David Mgoyan by majority decision
McMillen, Nallo, Oleksiejczuk and Lebosnoyani were given UFC contacts.
Week 5 results
0:47
Samuel Sanches secures vicious KO win in 1st round
Samuel Sanches unloads a flurry of punches on Chasen Blair en route to a knockout victory in the first round.
Heavyweight: Steven Asplund def. Anthony Guarascio KO1
Featherweight: Lerryan Douglas def. Cam Teague by KO1
Light heavyweight: Freddy Vidal def. Felipe Franco by SUB3
Lightweight: Samuel Sanches def. Chasen Blair by KO1
Women’s flyweight: Carol Foro def. Shanelle Dyer by unanimous decision
Foro, Dyer, Sanches, Douglas, and Asplund were given UFC contracts.
Vidal will fight again on Week 10.
Week 6 results
1:10
Iwo Baraniewski needs just 20 seconds to knock out opponent
Iwo Baraniewski wastes no time sending his opponent to the floor with a ridiculous punch.
Bantamweight: Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee by unanimous decision
Light heavyweight: Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly by KO1
Lightweight: Thomas Gantt def. Adam Livingston SUB1
Middleweight: Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang by unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu KO3
Chovanchek, Gantt, Baraniewski and Sosa were given UFC contracts.
Week 7 results
0:39
Mantas Kondratavičius secures TKO win early in 1st round
Mantas Kondratavičius lands a vicious punch on Djani Barbir, leading to a TKO win just over a minute into the first round.
Middleweight: Mantas Kondratavičius def. Dani Barbir by TKO1
Featherweight: Murtazali Magomedov def. Brahyan Zurcher by TKO1
Women’s flyweight: Jeisla Chaves def. Sofia Montenegro by split decision
Featherweight: Javier Reyes def. Justice Torres by TKO1
Light heavyweight: Rafael Tobias def. Jair de Oliveira by SUB1
Tobias, Reyes, Chaves, Montenegro, Magomedov and Kondratavičius were given UFC contracts.
Week 8 results
0:44
Damian Pinas’ 1-2 punch lands him TKO win
Damian Pinas drops Vitor Costa with a 1-2 punch combo, earning him a first-round TKO win.
Middleweight: Damian Pinas def. Vitor Costa by KO1
Men’s bantamweight: Louis Jourdain def. Magno Dias by SUB3
Welterweight: Christopher Alvidrez def. Eliezer Kubanza by TKO1
Featherweight: Kurtis Campbell def. Demba Seck by TKO1
Men’s flyweight: Rashid Vagabov def. Paulo Henrique by unanimous decision
Campbell, Alvidrez, Jourdain and Pinas were given UFC contracts.
Week 9 results
0:56
Luke Fernandez KO’s opponent in 15 seconds
Luke Fernandez knocks out Rafael Pergentino just 15 seconds into their fight.
Lightweight: Magomed Zaynukov def. Lucas Caldas by unanimous decision
Men’s bantamweight: Adrian Luna Martinetti def. Mark Vologdin by unanimous decision
Flyweight: Imanol Rodriguez def. Roque Conceição by TKO1
Catchweight: Luis Felipe Dias def. Donavon Hedrick by SUB2
Light heavyweight: Luke Fernandez vs. Rafael Pergentino by KO1
Fernandez, Dias, Rodriguez, Martinetti, Vologdin and Zaynukov were given UFC contracts.
Martinetti and Vologdin were each awarded $25,000 bonuses.
Week 10 results
1:00
Wes Schultz pulls off rare Suloev Stretch
Wes Schultz locks in a Suloev Stretch on Mario Mingaj and earns the submission victory just under two minutes into the fight.
Light heavyweight: Levi Rodrigues def. Freddy Vidal by TKO1
Men’s bantamweight: Juan Diaz def. Kwon Won Il by TKO2
Featherweight: Marwan Rahiki def. Ananias Mulumba by TKO2
Welterweight: Michael Oliveira def. Victor Valenzuela by TKO2
Heavyweight: Jovan Leka def. Azamat Nuftillaev by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Wes Schultz def. Mario Mingaj by SUB1
Schultz, Oliveira, Rahiki, Diaz and Rodrigues were given UFC contracts
