Dana White's Contender Series
DWCS Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues
Every Fighter Competing This Saturday Who Started Their UFC Journey On Dana White’s Contender Series, And How They’ve Fared In The Octagon Thus Far
UFC returns to the APEX on Saturday for a card featuring 11 fighters who earned their spot in the promotion by impressing UFC CEO Dana White on his hit Tuesday night show, Dana White’s Contender Series.
From ranked contenders to newcomers, UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues will showcase some of the most anticipated prospects in the sport. Here’s a look at the fighters who first made their mark on the show:
Edmen Shahbazyan (Season 2, Episode 5)
UFC middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan couldn’t have had a better showing on DWCS when he competed on Season 2 back in 2018. It only took him 40 seconds to stop Antonio Jones to guarantee he was heading home with a contract.
Top Finishes: Edmen Shahbazyan
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Top Finishes: Edmen Shahbazyan
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“The Golden Boy” has fought inside the Octagon 11 times since, securing six wins, five by finish. He’ll look to rebound from a loss to Gerald Meerschaert last summer against Dylan Budka on Saturday.
Dylan Budka (Season 7, Episode 5)
While Shahbazyan’s opponent this Saturday, Dylan Budka, wasn’t able to pull off such a rapid finish on DWCS, his 15-minute, dominant performance over Chad Hanekom was enough to prove he was ready to test himself in the UFC.
"The only thing we can do now is take over and make this year about me; show everybody I can do it, and it starts February 15."
— UFC News (@UFCNews) February 11, 2025
Dylan Budka (@DylanBudka83kgs) is prepared to start the year off right with a win at #UFCVegas102 ➡️: https://t.co/sVHsf9Tzauhttps://t.co/sVHsf9Tzau
Budka still searches for his first win in the promotion after dropping bouts to Andre Petroski and Cesar Almeida, two tough tests for someone still only 11 fights into their professional career. He’ll try to kickstart a positive 2025 with a win over Shahbazyan.
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
Ismael Bonfim (Season 6, Episode 7)
One half of the Bonfim brothers, Ismael was one of three Brazilians to earn a contract on Season 6, Episode 7, alongside his sibling Gabriel and Vitor Petrino. Bonfim was the only of the three to need al 15 minutes to get his hand raised, but all that time just showed how ready he was for the UFC lightweight division.
White knew he made the correct decision once Bonfim recorded a highlight-reel finish over Terrance McKinney in his UFC debut. Bonfim is now 2-1 in the UFC as he takes on Nazim Sadykhov this weekend.
Nazim Sadykhov (Season 6, Episode 4)
Nazim Sadykhov’s performance on Dana White’s Contender Series was exactly the kind of display White looks for on the show. Entering the third round, it was clear Sadykhov wanted to finish his opponent, Ahmad Hassanzada. The finish came with just under two minutes left in the final frame when the “Black Wolf” landed a perfect right hook to shut Hassanzada’s lights out.
Sadykhov is currently unbeaten in the UFC with two wins and one draw. After having two bouts cancelled in 2024, Sadykhov will look to regain his momentum against Bonfim.
Connor Matthews (Season 7 Episode 10)
Featherweight Connor Matthews is one of two athletes on this list to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series more than once but ultimately punched their ticket after leaving a final good impression on White.
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Matthews suffered a defeat on Season 6 but came back the following season to defeat Jair Farias via unanimous decision to earn a contract. Matthews is 0-1 in the UFC and aims to collect his first win against Jose Delgado in this weekend’s main card opener.
Jose Miguel Delgado (Season 8, Episode 1)
The MMA Lab product Jose Miguel Delgado was part of one of the most exciting episodes on the latest season of DWCS. After Lone’er Kavanagh scored a one-punch KO in the season opener, Delgado stopped Ernie Juarez with a knee early in the second round to keep the highlights rolling. That night also featured finishes from Bruno Lopes and Mansur Abdul-Malik.
He makes his UFC debut on Saturday against the aforementioned Matthews.
Rafael Estevam (Season 6, Episode 10)
Undefeated flyweight Rafael Estevam is one of the hottest 125-pound prospects to come out of DWCS in recent years. It took less than two rounds for him to put away João Elias and earn a contract on the show.
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Estevam followed that up with an even more impressive performance in his UFC debut by defeating current No. 12 ranked flyweight contender Charles Johnson by unanimous decision. He’ll try to continue that success against the surging Jesus Aguilar.
Jesus Aguilar (Season 6, Episode 5)
After submitting three opponents via guillotine choke prior to his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aguilar used the same technique to stop Erisson Ferreira in round three in front of White and earn a contract.
Despite losing his UFC debut to Japanese rising star Tatsuro Taira, Aguilar’s had a very impressive stint in the UFC so far. He rides a three-fight win streak into his bout against Estevam, which includes a thunderous knockout of Shannon Ross and yet another guillotine choke against Stewart Nicoll last time out.
Gabriel Bonfim (Season 6, Episode 7)
The younger of the Bonfim brothers, Gabriel, put his elite grappling on display in front of White back in 2022, stopping Trey Waters in just over four minutes via Von Flue choke.
Despite one setback to Nicolas Dalby, Bonfim has shown numerous signs he’s one to watch in the UFC welterweight division after picking up first-round submissions over Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles, and most recently securing a unanimous decision victory in July over Ange Loosa. This Saturday, Bonfim collides with Khaos Williams in what should be an action-packed bout at 170 pounds.
RELATED: Bonfim Brothers Spotlight
Elijah Smith (Season 8, Episode 6)
Bantamweight newcomer Elijah Smith shined under the bright lights in Season 8, Episode 6’s main event, securing a unanimous decision victory over Aaron Tau and earn his way to the UFC.
At UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues, Smith will square off against former DWCS competitor Vince Morales, who searches for his first win in his second stint with the UFC following a 3-5 run inside the Octagon from 2018-2022.
Don’Tale Mayes (Season 3, Week 4)
The third time was the charm for Don’Tale Mayes who appeared on the show on three separate seasons before securing a contract. Mayes suffered defeat in 2017 and scored a TKO win in 2018, but it took a first-round stoppage against Ricardo Prasel in 2019 for Mayes to claim a contract.
Mayes has now fought 10 times in the UFC, featuring wins over Andrei Arlovski and Caio Machado. He currently is the No. 15 ranked contender in the UFC heavyweight division and aims to lock in his position in the rankings with a win over Valter Walker.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 15, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!