Dana White’s Contender Series has awarded 38 UFC contracts through eight weeks of Season 10, with two episodes left. The 10th anniversary season began on Aug. 11 and wraps up on Oct. 13 from Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Week 8, on Sept. 29, delivered four more signings, the first slam knockout in show history, and some blunt feedback from the UFC CEO.
Where Season 10 Stands Right Now
The show remains the UFC’s main pipeline for young talent. Ten weekly episodes air on Tuesday nights, and every card features prospects who fight for a shot at a UFC deal. Dana White decides on the spot who earns a contract.
Here is a quick snapshot of the season so far:
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Season | 10th anniversary season |
| Venue | Meta APEX, Las Vegas |
| Premiere | Aug. 11, 2026 |
| Finale | Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Contracts awarded through Week 8 | 38 |
| Latest event | Week 8, Sept. 29 |
How to Watch the Contender Series
Paramount+ carries the entire season in the U.S. Episodes start at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) every Tuesday. Fans in Canada can watch on SportsNet.
Each card usually runs five fights. Week 8 shrank to four bouts after a last-minute illness forced a postponement.
Week 1: Wint Opens the Season With a Bang
The season opened on Aug. 11 with four contract winners. Heavyweight Anthony Wint, a former NFL player, knocked out Matt Adams in just 34 seconds and moved to 7-0.
Flyweight Bilal Hasan entered as the biggest betting favorite in the show’s history. He lived up to the hype with a 45-second knockout of Mridul Saikia. Tom Pagliarulo finished Ananias Mulumba late in the third round, and Joe Kropschot beat Jon Kunneman by unanimous decision.
Abe Alsaghir won a split decision over Fabrizio Escarrega. He did not receive a contract.
Week 2: A Night of Redemption Brings Six Deals
Half of the Aug. 18 lineup featured fighters who had appeared on the show before. White rewarded that second chance in a big way.
Former Oktagon welterweight champion Kaik Brito knocked out Namo Fazil with 12 seconds left in the third round. Trent Miller submitted Douglas Rodrigues with a Von Flue choke in round two. Cristian Perez stopped Logan Paxton in round two and quickly landed a spot on an upcoming Noche UFC card.
All five winners earned contracts. Taner Trembley also got a deal even though he lost to Roman Puga. Those six signings pushed the season total to 10 after two weeks.
Weeks 3 and 4: Apodaca and Darby Shine
Week 3, on Aug. 25, featured a bantamweight main event between Alex Apodaca and Bella Mir. Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, entered at 4-0. Apodaca took a unanimous decision on scores of 29-28 across the board. She picked Mir up, bloodied her nose and made the fight difficult for the full 10 minutes. The win earned her a UFC contract.
Week 4 arrived on Sept. 1. Ireland’s Adam Darby beat Patrick Rivera in the welterweight main event. Adam Livingston and Hunter Smith also traded blows in a lightweight bout on the card.
Week 5: Pasley Earns a Jon Jones Comparison
The midway point on Sept. 8 produced four more contracts. Undefeated light heavyweight Quentin Pasley improved to 4-0 with a violent finish of Arlind Berisha in the main event. White compared him to Jon Jones while handing him a deal.
Isaac Moreno survived late submission attempts from Reginaldo Junior and won a unanimous decision. He got married hours later, and White called the contract a wedding gift.
Martin Kozak finished Christian Echols with body shots at 1:32 of round two. Echols missed weight for that bout. Christian Natividad opened the card with a first-round knockout of Colton Loud, also with body shots.
Week 6: Perea Stuns an Unbeaten Prospect
The Sept. 15 card ended with a shock. Mayton Perea knocked out previously unbeaten Zevan Hunt in 45 seconds of the welterweight main event.
Earlier that night, Akbar Abdullaev needed only 19 seconds to stop Ednilson Santos. Igor Cavalcanti finished Oscar Ravello in round one, and Luis Hernandez submitted Hugo Guillon with a rear-naked choke in round two. Tyshawn Williams took a unanimous decision over Antonio Monteiro.
Week 7: Novenyi Wins but Misses Out
Middleweight Norbert Novenyi Jr. beat Theo Haig by unanimous decision on Sept. 22, yet White did not give him a contract. The other four winners all signed deals.
White also surprised fans by signing two fighters who lost. Jaden Ortega and Callum Connor both earned contracts despite coming up short. That decision showed how much the UFC values potential over a single result.
Other results from the night included Alvi Dasuyev’s unanimous decision over Ortega and Marcos Degli’s second-round submission of Paris Moran.
Week 8: Staines Makes History
The Sept. 29 card turned heads for several reasons. Ilias Bulaid fell ill, so his fight with Erick Visconde moved to Week 10. That left four bouts, and all four winners earned contracts.
England’s George Staines headlined against Loai Abushaar in a lightweight bout. Staines slammed his opponent and finished the fight in the first round at 1:01. UFC.com called it the first slam knockout in the show’s history. Staines improved to 11-0.
Senegal’s Adama Diop stopped Zaurbek Sabanov in the second round of a heavyweight fight. White did not hide his frustration with the performance. He called the bout atrocious, warned Diop that UFC heavyweights would knock him out, and still gave him the contract.
Brazil’s Aieza Bertolso, 25, submitted Camila Reynoso with an inverted D’Arce choke in round one. She improved to 8-0, and White praised her work on the feet and on the ground.
The Ian Escuza Controversy
Peru’s Ian Escuza stopped Luca Borando with knees in the first round after just 32 seconds. The finish drew attention because Escuza landed a knee on a downed opponent.
The Nevada Athletic Commission still awarded him the TKO win. White said he disagreed and believed the fight should have been a no contest. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby then pushed hard for Escuza, and White agreed to sign him.
That moment gave fans a rare look at how contract decisions actually happen behind the scenes.
Season 10 Contract Count by Week
| Week | Date | Contracts Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Aug. 11 | 4 |
| Week 2 | Aug. 18 | 6 |
| Week 5 | Sept. 8 | 4 |
| Week 7 | Sept. 22 | 6 |
| Week 8 | Sept. 29 | 4 |
| Season total through Week 8 | 38 |
The other 14 deals came from Weeks 3, 4 and 6 combined. What to Expect in the Final Two Weeks
Week 9 airs on Tuesday, Oct. 6, followed by the season finale on Oct. 13. Both shows start at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
The postponed bout between Ilias Bulaid and Erick Visconde now sits on the Week 10 schedule. Fans can look for that bout to close out the season.
Season 10 Fighters Worth Watching
Several signees arrive in the UFC with real momentum. Here are a few names to track:
- George Staines: The England native is 11-0 after the slam finish that made Contender Series history.
- Aieza Bertolso: The 25-year-old Brazilian is 8-0 and will join the UFC’s 115-pound division.
- Anthony Wint: The former NFL player moved to 7-0 with a 34-second knockout in the season opener.
- Quentin Pasley: The undefeated light heavyweight earned a Jon Jones comparison from White after his Week 5 win.
- Cristian Perez: The Mexican lightweight landed on an upcoming Noche UFC card right after his Week 2 win.
Why the Contract Total Matters
The Dana White Contender Series has handed out contracts at a rapid pace in recent years. The 2025 season gave out a record-tying 46 deals across 10 episodes.
Critics argue that so many signings dilute the prize. Supporters point out that the show now works as the UFC’s primary entry point and feeds the roster with fresh talent every year.
Season 10 already sits at 38 contracts with two episodes still to go. White has also shown he will sign fighters who lose, as he did with Ortega and Connor, and pass on winners, as he did with Alsaghir and Novenyi.
Final Thoughts
Season 10 has delivered knockouts, upsets, second chances and plenty of drama. Week 8 alone gave fans a history-making slam, a controversial knee and a very candid press conference.
Which Season 10 fighter do you think will make the biggest impact in the UFC? Drop your pick in the comments and keep checking back for more Contender Series updates!