Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.
With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.
Rumored for a late-June start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.
Up next, the bantamweights…
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Jose Johnson
Record: 11-5
Age: 24
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Flint, Mich.
In November 2019, Jose Johnson made his presence felt with a single, vicious elbow. At LFA 78, Johnson took on Rafael Costa, a top Brazilian prospect. As the fight approached the two-minute mark, Johnson landed a clean elbow that flattened Costa to the ground. The brutal manner in which the fight ended created a big-time highlight – one that went viral in a matter of hours. The knockout was Johnson’s fifth in as many fights. Eight of his 11 victories have come inside the distance. The UFC brass stresses how much they enjoy exciting fighters on DWCS. Johnson fits the mold.
Taylor Lapilus
Record: 16-3
Age: 27
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: France
Taylor Lapilus’ four-fight UFC tenure ended in surprising fashion. The French fighter went 3-1 in the UFC from 2015-2016 with wins over Rocky Lee, Ulka Sasaki, and Leandro Issa. His lone promotional loss came to Erik Perez. A training partner of Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane under coach Fernand Lopez, Lapilus is angling for a 2020 UFC return. With French MMA legalization going into effect in February, Lapilus seems like a layup signing for a home-country UFC return. What better way to get his foot back in the door than DWCS?
More fighters on the next page:
Mana Martinez
Record: 6-1
Age: 24
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
At 23 years old and with only six pro fights under his belt, it’s no slight that Mana Martinez has flown under the radar. A self-described “new breed” MMA fighter, Martinez has been competing since age 17. Now, six years after he kicked off his amateur career, Martinez is kicking opponents in the face at the professional level. All of Martinez’s victories have come by way of knockout, but in a variety of methods. Leg kicks, head kicks, leaping punches – you name it. Martinez frequently ends fights in emphatic fashion. Martinez was made for DWCS.
Levi Mowles
Record: 13-4
Age: 24
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Venus, Texas
Levi Mowles has been competing on the Texas regional scene for almost six years, but he’s only 24. After frequenting Legacy FC early in his career, Mowles has become a staple for LFA cards in Texas. A winner of seven of his most recent eight fights, Mowles is on arguably the most momentus run of his career. With 10 finishes in 13 victories, Mowles doesn’t like to leave the fight in the hands of the judges. His game is ever-evolving. Mowles is ready to be tested on the biggest stage to date. Don’t be surprised if you see him on Season 4 of DWCS.
More fighters on the next page:
Image via Johnny Munoz/Iridium Sports Agency
Johnny Munoz
Record: 10-0
Age: 27
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Corona, Calif.
One of the best pound-for-pound prospects in North America, it’s about time for Johnny Munoz to be noticed. One of the faces of King of the Cage for the past five years, Munoz is finally ready to venture outside the promotion. A versatile, multi-faceted finisher, Munoz presents a puzzle no opponent has been able to figure out yet. He holds an 80 percent finishing rate with five submissions and three knockouts. He currently holds the KOTC bantamweight title. To put it simply, Munoz on DWCS is an absolute no-brainer.
Irwin Rivera
Record: 9-4
Age: 31
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Irwin Rivera may not have the highest winning percentage of a fighter on this list. The numbers, however, don’t accurately represent his abilities – and they don’t account for excitement, either. A four-fight veteran of Titan FC, Rivera has gone 3-1 under the promotion’s banner and is riding a three-fight winning streak. With speedy, heavy hands, Rivera has put out three straight opponents. In his most recent outing, Rivera temporarily derailed highly-touted Danny Sabatello with a fourth round knockout. He’s exciting, he’s flashy, and he’s frenetic. Rivera is a DWCS-type guy.
More fighters on the next page:
Herbeth Sousa
Record: 15-1
Age: 26
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Brazil
For over a year, seemingly no one wanted to fight CFFC bantamweight champion Alexander Keshtov. When relative-unknown Herbeth Sousa stepped up to the plate at CFFC 81 in February, many people weren’t expecting much. So when he dethroned Keshtov and won the CFFC title by unanimous decision, Sousa turned some heads. With six finishes and five submission, Sousa can end the fight at any moment. For those reasons, it’d make all the sense in the world for Sousa to make the cut for DWCS, Season 4.
Ricky Steele
Record: 11-1
Age: 28
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Decaturville, Tenn.
On Season 3 of DWCS, Ricky Steele was successful in winning – but he was unsuccessful in earning a UFC contract. Going up against undefeated prospect Phil Caracappa, Steele won an unanimous decision. However, he didn’t do enough to truly impress Dana White. If he’s a tough outing for a fighter like Caracappa, Steele will be hard-pressed to find solid competition on the regional scene. Knowing what he had to work on and what the UFC brass is looking for, Steele may well have made the necessary improvements to punch his ticket. While Steele hasn’t competed since last summer, he deserves a second chance.
More fighters on the next page:
Kevin Wirth
Record: 8-1
Age: 32
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Durango, Colo.
If you’re a fan of a flowing striking attack with flashy kicks, you’ll love Kevin Wirth. His style is truly aesthetically pleasing for those watching outside the cage, and threateningly terrifying for those locked inside with him. Unassuming at first glance, Wirth is the real deal. In nine fights, he has eight wins, with three finishes. Since his debut in 2016, Wirth has strictly competed for notable regional promotions KOTC, LFA, and CFFC. With Wirth riding a three-fight winning streak, now is the perfect time for the bantamweight to be brought onto DWCS.
Adrian Yanez
Record: 10-3
Age: 26
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: La Porte, Texas
Competing for top promotions across Texas including LFA, Fury FC and a one-off in Bellator, Adrian Yanez has compiled a solid record through 13 fights. His only three losses have come to UFC fighters Domingo Pilarte and Miles Johns, as well as fellow top prospect Levi Mowles. If you haven’t seen Yanez fight before, go back and watch his performance against Kyle Estrada at LFA 78 in November. Both fighters had their moments in an exciting display of high-level technicalness. Yanez’s boxing reminds me a lot of Dustin Poirier’s – it’s powerful, sharp and decisive. If the UFC wants another Poirier-type fighter on their roster (which seems like a no-brainer), they should ink Yanez to DWCS and let him prove his worth.
Other bantamweights to watch out for: Nathan Maness, Liudvik Sholinian, Gregory Fischer, Cody Durden, Chris San Jose, Ricky Camp, Aaron Phillips, Saidyokub Kakharamonov, Dwight Joseph, Terry Bartholomew, Gustavo Lopez, Brady Huang, Jordan Winski, Kevin Natividad, Isaiah Gutierrez, Fernie Garcia, Denis Lavrentyev, Sergey Morozov, Khusein Askhabov, Ray Rodriguez, JP Buys, Mitch Martin, Carlos Augusto da Silva, Chad Anheliger, Jakub Wiklacz, Francesco Nuzzi, Daniel Marcos, and more.
