Dana White's Contender Series
Dana White’s Contender Series | Season 8, Week 9 Preview
Setting The Table For What Is Set To Transpire At The UFC APEX On Tuesday Night
Business has been picking up on Tuesday nights at the UFC APEX!
Over the last five weeks, all but two victorious athletes have walked out of the building as a part of the UFC roster, capped by consecutive weeks where all five triumphant talents have impressed UFC CEO Dana White enough to land the opportunity to compete inside the Octagon next time out.
This hasn’t been some Oprah Winfrey “Everybody Gets A Car!” business either: 15 of the 24 fights have ended inside the distance, and the last several weeks have delivered some of the biggest upsets, cleanest knockouts, and smoothest submissions of the last few years on the annual talent-search series, in addition to producing decision wins from promising young talents Quillan Salkilld, Josias Musasa, Elijah Smith, and David Martinez.
DWCS: How To Watch In Your Region
After consecutive weeks where all five winners were called up to the UFC, this week’s competitors have a high bar to clear if they’re going to up the ante and keep things rolling.
Let’s take a closer look at this week’s pairings as we ready for the penultimate week of action this season.
Artem Vakhitov vs Islem Masraf
Artem Vakhitov and Islem Masraf clash in a heavyweight battle to close out Week 9 at the UFC APEX on Tuesday.
Vakhitov is the latest kickboxer to cross over into MMA and eye a place on the UFC roster, having debuted in the summer of 2023 with a loss due to injury before registering a pair of rapid finishes at the start of the year to get things moving in the right direction. The two-time Glory Kickboxing titleholder comes from a Muay Thai background and split a pair of bouts with Alex Pereira while amassing a 23-6 record overall.
Also just three fights into his pro career, Masraf has earned finishes in all three outings, registering a 10-second head kick finish in his most recent appearance. “Lightning” has only seen the second round since in five fights between his pro and amateur careers and has the opportunity to make a splash by taking out the more established Vakhitov this week in Las Vegas.
Kody Steele vs Chasen Blair
Kody Steele takes another stab at stepping into the cage at the UFC APEX, returning to face off with fellow American Chasen Blair.
Steele was wrapped and ready to go on Week 5 when his opponent, Quemel Ottoni, decided he didn’t want to compete. Sporting a 6-0 record in MMA, the experienced grappler will look to finally showcase the skills that produced finishes in each of his last three outings when he makes the walk on Tuesday evening.
A winner of three straight who has garnered the co-sign of one Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett for his work ethic, Blair has posted first-round finishes in five of his six career wins, with his remaining victory taking him just 39 seconds into the second round. He’s competed exclusively under the Cage Warriors banner, and will look to follow the last man that beat him, Ahmad Hassanzada, from Season 8 to the UFC by handing Steele his first loss here.
Mario Pinto vs Lucas Camacho
Unbeaten heavyweight prospects collide in the middle of Tuesday’s card as Mario Pinto and Lucas Camacho share the cage.
Born in Portugal, but fighting out of London, England, Pinto is a perfect 8-0 as a pro, with five finishes. In March 2023, he claimed the Levels Fight League heavyweight title with a decision win over Moreno Kacapor, and has since successfully defended it twice, most recently earning a unanimous decision victory in February.
The 31-year-old Camacho has earned victories in each of his six professional appearances, though his career has been broken into two parts — his four fights through the end of 2019 and his two victories since. Since returning to action in November 2023, the Brazilian has posted consecutive stoppage wins under the LFA banner, and will look to maintain that success in Las Vegas against Pinto.
Islam Dulatov vs Vanilto Antunes
The action shifts to the welterweight division in this one, as Germany’s Islam Dulatov and Brazilian Vanilto Antunes clash at the UFC APEX.
After losing his professional debut in the autumn of 2019, Dulatov has rattled off 10 consecutive victories spread across several different promotions, including GMC Fight Night, Brave CF, and Oktagon MMA. Sporting a 100 percent finishing rate and just a solitary trip out of the first round, Dulatov profiles as must-see TV heading into his DWCS appearance this week.
Antunes has earned three wins on the bounce and sports a 16-6 record overall, entering Tuesday’s contest having most recently claimed the LFA welterweight title with a first-round stoppage win over Geraldo Neto. The 29-year-old is just 6-3 over his last nine outings, with each of those fights ending inside the distance, which, combined with Dulatov’s proficiency when it comes to finishing fights, means this one should be electric for as long as it lasts.
Sean Gauci vs Anthony Drilich
It’s Aussie versus Aussie (Oi! Oi! Oi!) in Tuesday’s opener as Sean Gauci faces off with Anthony Drilich in a captivating flyweight clash.
Gauci is a two-weight champion under the Hex Fight Series banner, having claimed the bantamweight title in February 2023 before adding the vacant flyweight strap to his collection in May with an 87-second stoppage win. The Queensland-based 27-year-old is 9-1 as a professional and riding a six-fight winning streak, which began with a victory over recent UFC title challenger Steve Erceg.
Drilich looks to be the third lad from Perth to earn a contract this season after Cody Haddon and Quillan Salkilld accomplished the feat in Week 2 and Week 4, respectively. A teammate of another DWCS grad from Perth, Jack Della Maddalena, the 30-year-old has earned six straight wins, including a pair of successful defenses of his Eternal MMA flyweight title.