Dana White's Contender Series
Notable Alumni From Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7
Last Season’s Edition Of Dana White’s Contender Series Has Already Given Fans More Than A Handful Of Hot Prospects To Follow
Another season of Dana White’s Contender Series begins this week, which means 10 weeks of potential stars make their way to the Octagon in the UFC APEX looking to impress the UFC CEO for the first time. The show has been nothing but an outright success, giving early looks at champs like Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill to hot prospects like Jack Della Maddalena and Joe Pyfer.
As much is expected from Season 8, but before we see who gets signed this year, we’d be remiss to look past some of last season’s crop of already-exciting alumni.
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Payton Talbott
In pole position as the most notable alumnus from Season 7, the undefeated Payton Talbott has been nothing short of sensational since earning his contract via unanimous decision last August. The Reno-bred bantamweight is 3-0 in the Octagon with three finishes, each more impressive than the last. After a standout performance over Cameron Saaiman in his sophomore appearance, the hype train got rolling, but it went full steam ahead when he starched Yanis Ghemmouri 19 seconds into their fight at UFC 303.
Talbott’s entertaining style, mixed with his unique personality, make him one of the most intriguing prospects in the loaded bantamweight division, and his fourth appearance will certainly be must-watch TV.
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Jean Silva
Talbott’s main competition to Season 7’s brightest spot is Jean Silva. The Brazilian arguably holds the best win from anyone on the season: a short-notice, knockout win over Drew Dober in Denver two weeks after knocking out Charles Jourdain at UFC 303. A representative of the red-hot Fighting Nerds team, the 27-year-old Silva is absolute fireworks personified through three UFC fights and wins.
Jean Silva Delivers TKO In His UFC Debut | UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Walker 2
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Jean Silva Delivers TKO In His UFC Debut | UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Walker 2
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Although he has also finished his trio of Octagon appearances, the one blemish to his tenure thus far is a mishap on the scale ahead of his bout with Jourdain. He showed he has the power to hang with the most dangerous of knockout artists at 155, but if featherweight is his home, the scale is one of the only things he needs to figure out before making even more noise in the division.
Carlos Prates
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While we’re talking about the Fighting Nerds, it seems like a good place to bring up Silva’s teammate Carlos Prates. The 30-year-old has also turned in a pair of spectacular knockouts in his first two appearances, first over veteran Trevin Giles and then another against Charles Radtke.
“The Nightmare” is already picking up cult-favorite status for his habit of celebrating his wins with smoking cigarettes, but regardless of that, the rising welterweight gets his toughest test to date in Li Jingliang at UFC 305 on August 17. If Prates bests “The Leech,” he is on the inside track to getting a crack at the rankings.
Maurício Ruffy
The final member of the Fight Nerds trio coming out of Season 7 is Maurício Ruffy. “One Shot” only made one appearance since earning his contract, but he made the most of it in the form of a first-round knockout of veteran banger Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 301.
The 28-year-old now boasts 10 wins all via knockout on his professional record, the exact kind of resume that gets Dana White excited about a fighter.
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Hyder Amil
The Bay Area’s Hyder Amil is perhaps one of the lower profile prospects coming out of last season, but the undefeated 34-year-old is positioning himself well through two fights. The featherweight picked up his second knockout win in two UFC fights with a first-round steamrolling over JeongYeong Lee, handing the Korean his first loss in the Octagon.
Due to his age, Amil will need to work quickly to make noise in the loaded featherweight division, but he seems well on his way to doing so.
Oban Elliott
Wales’ Oban Elliott has plenty of the ingredients you want in a young fighter. The 26-year-old turned in two sharp performances on pay-per-view cards this year, first a decision win over Val Woodburn at UFC 298, followed with another decision win over Preston Parsons at UFC 304. Having a nickname like “The Welsh Gangster” helps, as does his engaging personality.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya
Zachary Reese
Although a 1-1 record through two UFC fights doesn’t pop off the page, Zachary Reese’s 20-second knockout win over Julian Marquez in Denver is enough to earn a spot on this highly unofficial list. Additionally, Reese seems allergic to a second round. Through eight professional bouts, he’s breached the two-minute mark just once. When you get your work done in that fashion, you warrant attention. He gets his chance at a second UFC fight in his third bout of his UFC account when he faces José Medina on August 24.
Jhonata Diniz
Famously, the heavyweight division is always eager to welcome a new prospect to its ranks, and Jhonata Diniz seems positioned to accept that mantle. The undefeated Brazilian recently picked up his second win and first via decision in a gritty and sharp performance over Karl Williams at UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2 and already boasts a performance bonus. The 33-year-old big man is affable, powerful and holds kickboxing credentials that could point to exciting knockouts moving forward.
Danny Barlow
A knockout artist of a different ilk, Danny Barlow has shown himself to be one of the most explosive fighters off last season. “LeftHand2God” battered Josh Quinlan in his UFC debut despite suffering a broken arm and picked up his second win in a technical performance over Nikolay Veretennikov. The proud Memphis representative came into the organization having won five of his six professional wins via first-round knockout, so Barlow seems primed to do as much in the Octagon.
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