Dana White’s Contender Series is back for its seventh season, and the roster is filling up fast. The series, which has become a popular platform for up-and-coming fighters to showcase their skills, is set to launch in the summer of 2023. The series has been a launching pad for many fighters who have gone on to become UFC stars, including Sean O’Malley, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Bo Nickal.
Remember when…
Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) earned a UFC contract by submitting Donovan Beard with a triangle choke in 52 seconds on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Nickal returns at #UFC290 this Saturday.#MMATwitter #ufc #mma pic.twitter.com/Bj7auPtb0I
— Curtis Calhoun (@CalhounOnMMA) July 5, 2023
Contender Series Season 7 Roster
The roster for Season 7 is already taking shape, with several fighters confirmed to be participating. Here are some of the fighters who have been announced so far:
Week 1 – Aug. 8
- Flyweight: Kevin Borjas (8-1) vs. Rickson Zenidim (14-1)
- Bantamweight: Junior Cortez (7-2) vs. Payton Talbott (5-0)
- Heavyweight: Caio Machado (7-1-1) vs. Kevin Szaflarski
- Middleweight: Cesar Almeida (3-0 vs. Lucas Fernando (9-1)
- Lightweight: Bogdan Grad (11-1) vs. Tom Nolan (5-0)
Week 2 – Aug. 15
- Women’s strawweight: Eduarda Moura (8-0) vs. Janaina Silva (5-0)
- Bantamweight: Charalampos Grigoriou (7-3) vs. Cameron Smotherman (8-3)
- Heavyweight: Paulo Renato Jr. (12-2) vs. TBA
- Featherweight: Hyder Amil (7-0) vs. Emrah Sonmez (14-4)
- Lightweight: Abdul-Kerim Al-Selwady (14-3) vs. George Hardwick
Week 3 – Aug. 22
- Featherweight: Luis Pajuelo (7-1) vs. Robbie Ring (6-0)
- Women’s strawweight: Josefine Knutsson (5-0) vs. Isis Verbeek (4-1)
- Flyweight: Felipe Dos Santos (7-0) vs. Luciano Pereira (13-1)
- Welterweight: Kaik Brito (16-4) vs. TBA
Week 4 – Aug. 29
- Middleweight: Marco Tulio Silva (9-1) vs. TBA
- Featherweight: Timmy Cuamba (6-1) vs. TBA
- Welterweight: Carlos Prates (16-6) vs. Mitch Ramirez (7-0)
- Lightweight: Bolaji Oki (7-1) vs. Dylan Salvador (5-1)
- Heavyweight: Chandler Cole (10-3) vs. TBA
- Featherweight: Mateo Vogel (8-2) vs. TBA
Week 5 – Sep. 5
- Women’s flyweight: Corinne Laframboise (8-4) vs. TBA
- Light heavyweight: Bruno Lopes (11-0) vs. Brendson Ribeiro
- Featherweight: Jean Silva (10-2) vs. Kevin Vallejos (11-0)
- Women’s bantamweight: Rainn Guerrero (5-1) vs. TBA
- Bantamweight: Serhiy Sidey (9-1) vs. TBA
Week 6 – Sept. 12
- Heavyweight: Jhonata Diniz (7-1) vs. Eduardo Neves (5-0)
- Lightweight: James Llontop (13-2) vs. Malik Lewis (6-1)
- Featherweight: Steven Nguyen (8-1) vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
Week 7 – Sept. 19
- Women’s strawweight: Stephanie Luciano (5-1) vs. Fabiola Pidroni (5-0)
- Flyweight: Jhonata Silva (8-1) vs. TBA
- Heavyweight: Shamil Ghaziev (10-0) vs. Greg Velasco (6-0)
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
Week 8 – Sept. 26
- Heavyweight: Mario Piazzon (6-0) vs. Alexander Soldatkin (14-3)
- Women’s flyweight: Ernesta Kareckaite (4-0-1) vs. Sora Rakhmonova (4-1)
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
Week 9 – Oct. 3
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
Week 10 – Oct. 10
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
- TBA vs. TBA
Dana White’s Contender Series has become a must-watch for MMA fans, as it provides a glimpse into the future of the sport. With Season 7 set to launch in the summer of 2023, fans can expect to see some of the best up-and-coming fighters in the world compete for a chance to earn a UFC contract. The series has been a launching pad for many fighters who have gone on to become UFC stars, and Season 7 is shaping up to be no different.
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