Week 3 Preview | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9

Middleweights close out the third week of the season as American Trent Miller faces off with Ryan Gandra of Brazil.

Miller rolls into the APEX this week seeking his third victory of the year, having earned a split decision win in March and third-round finish at Tuff-N-Uff 144 back in May to extend his record to 8-2 overall. “The Terminator” has a Since Score of -9, but as Baisangur Susurkaev and Jose Delano showed during the first two weeks of the season, very good fighters can sometimes have negative scores and still success on Tuesday night when it matters most.

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A training partner of former middleweight title challenger and Top 15 mainstay Paulo Costa, Gandra touches down in Las Vegas sporting a 7-1 record and a six-fight winning streak, with all but one of those victories coming inside the distance. The 30-year-old, who is following the Jared Cannonier path, having begun his career as a heavyweight before dropping down to light heavyweight and settling at middleweight, has a +3 Since Score.

Marcio Barbosa vs Damon Wilson

Marcio Barbosa and Damon Wilson face off in the second consecutive bout featuring a Brazilian and an American, with this one being contested in the featherweight division.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, the 27-year-old Barbosa has a 16-2 record and has won six of his last seven fights, with his only setback coming in a bout with current UFC fighter Gabriel “Mosquitinho” Santos. His opponents have gone a combined 37-34-2 since they shared the cage (Since Score +14), which includes Santos beating Delano, dropping a split decision to top contender Lerone Murphy, and winning each of his last two UFC appearances.

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Wilson has fought almost exclusively under the Cage Warriors banner, amassing a 9-2 record while carrying a three-fight winning streak in Tuesday’s clash with Barbosa. “The Nomad” has a rough Since Score of -14, most of which is owing to one previous opponent, but he’s also faced the most established competition between the two, with his losses coming to veterans Tobias Harila and John De Jesus.

Alik Lorenz vs Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev

Action shifts to the light heavyweight division in the middle of Tuesday’s card as Alik Lorenz faces off with Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev.

Another member of the MMA Lab to make an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Lorenz is 6-1 and riding a five-fight winning streak, with all of those victories coming inside the distance. He has a Since Score of +7, which includes a win over “The Big Tuna” Ben Parrish, with all but one of his seven pro bouts ending in the first five minutes.

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Born in Chechnya and fighting out of Turkey, Yakhyaev has won all six of his fights to date, 
including winning and successfully defending the Ares FC light heavyweight title. Like his opponent, Yakhyaev has a +7 Since Score ahead of this one, with five of his wins coming by stoppage, including four in the first round. Expect fireworks in this one.

Cristian Pérez vs Manoel Sousa

Talented lightweights share the cage here as Cristian Pérez and Manoel Sousa throw down in hopes of earning a place on the UFC roster.

The 26-year-old Perez carries a sparkling 13-1 record and five-fight winning streak into his Week 3 appearance at the UFC APEX. He has not competed in MMA since December 2023 and has a Since Score of -8.5, which is actually quite solid given some of the fighters he faced early in his career.

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Sousa has only lost once through the first 13 appearances of his career, that coming against standout prospect Archie Colgan last September. He rebounded with a unanimous decision win in March, and sports a +15 Since Score, owing largely to being the only man to defeat recent TUF contestant Richard Martins and 15th-ranked UFC lightweight Mauricio Ruffy.

Donte Johnson vs Darion Abbey

This week’s opener takes place in the heavyweight division, with unbeaten Donte Johnson facing off with Darion Abbey.

The 26-year-old Johnson has gone five-for-five so far in his career, with each of his wins coming in the first five minutes. Much like Guilherme Uriel last week, “Lockjaw” has a Since Score of 0, but his comes as a result of none of his previous opponents having ever set foot back in the cage.

The 32-year-old Abbey is responsible for Lorenz’ lone professional loss and touches down in Las Vegas having earned wins in each of his last three bouts. He owns a +2 Since Score and in addition to having bested Lorenz, Abbey has shared the cage with a host of familiar names, including TUF alums Mitchell Sipe and Eduardo Perez, UFC veterans Tim Johnson and Alex Nicholson, “Tall” Steve Mowry.