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.
In the final installment, we feature 10 deserving female fighters …
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Erin Blanchfield
Record: 5-1
Age: 20
Height: 5’4″
Birthplace: New York
Weight Class: Flyweight
Six fights into her professional career, Erin Blanchfield has only lost once – a close split decision to current UFC fighter Tracy Cortez in February 2019. She’s competed four times under the Invicta FC banner and won three of them. She holds wins over notables Victoria Leonardo and Kay Hansen. She’s finished back-to-back fights by head kick and Americana, which shows her versatility. At 20, there’s no rush. However, Blanchfield is ready to take the next step on DWCS.
Lupita Godinez
Record: 4-0
Age: 26
Height: 5’2″
Birthplace: Aguascalientes, Mexico
Weight Class: Strawweight
Born in Mexico, Lupita Godinez has taken her talents north, across two borders, into Canada. After wins in the United States and Mexico, Godinez added “The Great White North” to her resume this past November. At BTC 8, Godinez won the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title, going all five rounds against home-country fighter Lindsay Garbatt. Although it’s fairly early on in Godinez’s career, DWCS would be a great gauge to see where she is at. If worse comes to worst, she’ll need to go back to the regional scene for more sharpening. Regardless, the learning experience of DWCS will help her as she progresses.
More fighters on the next page:
Kay Hansen
Record: 6-3
Age: 20
Height: 5’3″
Birthplace: United States
Weight Class: Strawweight
It’s been a pleasure watching Kay Hansen develop her game over the past two-plus years. In late 2017, Hansen debuted at 18. While she’s had her ups and downs since then, in 2020, she’s really putting all of her tools together. Hansen has gone 3-0 since mid-2019, including an exhibition bout at Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 2. In each outing she showed strides in both the striking and grappling departments. In her most recent outing in early March, Hansen defeated Liana Pirosin at Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 3. Riding high on her winning streak, 2020 would be the perfect year for Hansen to test herself on the DWCS stage.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels
Record: 4-0
Age: 29
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Weight class: Flyweight
The next big thing of Canada, Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels is starting to get some hype behind her. The Battlefield Fight League (BFL) women’s flyweight champion, Wessels has kicked, punched and choked her way to victory in each of her four professional outings and two amateur fights. She’s finished all four of her professional opponents, including, most recently, Jade Masson-Wong. There’s only a small sample size to judge her off of, but Wessels is showing all the signs of a future champion. Should she get on Season 4 of DWCS, she could take one more step to proving that.
More fighters on the next page:
Jasmine Jasudavicius
Record: 4-0
Age: 31
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Canada
Weight Class: Strawweight
Less than one year into her pro career, Jasmine Jasudavicius is showing much promise. In Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ontario, Jasudavicius has fought and won. In July 2019, Jasudavicius made a successful pro debut, submitting Brigid Chase. In September, she defeated Kylie O’Hearn for Cage Titans. November rolled around and Jasudavicius defeated Christina Adcock with body shots 52 seconds into their fight. Jasudavicius most recently competed at CFFC 81. She defeated Gabriella Gulfin with knees in 97 seconds. Let’s see what she’s got on DWCS.
Melissa Martinez
Record: 7-0
Age: n/a
Height: 5’2″
Birthplace: Mexico
Weight Class: Strawweight
Known to her fans as “Super Melly,” Melissa Martinez is one of the most fun fighters to watch outside of the UFC. The six-time Combate Americas veteran is currently the promotion’s 115-pound titleholder. While she is a fairly complete mixed martial artist, Martinez is known for her striking abilities. In seven fights, Martinez has picked up five finishes by strikes. In her most recent outing, Martinez defeated Desiree Yanez by split decision. While some viewers thought Yanez should have been awarded the win, the name is still a great feather for Martinez to have in her cap. Martinez may have contractual obligations with Combate Americas, but if not, she seems like a shoe-in for DWCS, Season 4.
More fighters on the next page:
Miranda Maverick
Record: 7-2
Age: 22
Height: 5’3″
Birthplace: Tunas, Mo.
Weight class: Flyweight
At Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 3, Miranda Maverick proved she’s one of the best women’s flyweights in the world. Maverick defeated Victoria Leonardo, Shanna Young and DeAnna Bennett in the same night. The victory over UFC veteran Bennett, a third-round submission, avenged a loss earlier in the year. What does that show? It shows a lot of things – improvement, persistence, and the ability to make game-planning adjustments. After winning the one-night tournament, Maverick returned to the cage in February to take on UFC veteran Pearl Gonzalez. Maverick defeated Gonzalez by unanimous decision. Maverick is already on the UFC’s radar – so it makes sense DWCS might be next.
Casey O’Neill
Record: 4-0
Age: 22
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Scotland
Weight class: Flyweight
The daughter of accomplished regional promoter (and former fighter) Cameron O’Neill, Casey O'Neill has MMA running through her veins. Competing for her father’s promotion, O’Neill fought her way to the Eternal MMA title in February. Along the way she picked up three decisions and a rear-naked choke. At 22, the sky is the limit. There haven’t been a ton of Australia or New Zealand-based fighters on DWCS, but the promotion should look into pulling out the stops for O’Neill.
More fighters on the next page:
Natalia Silva
Record: 12-5-1
Age: 23
Height: 5’4″
Birthplace: Brazil
Weight class: Flyweight
Brazil’s best kept secret, Natalia Silva has slowly but surely molded herself into a very solid fighter. After starting her career off at 6-5-1, Silva rides a six-fight winning streak. Like with most Brazilian fighters, not a ton of tape exists of Silva. However, what is available shows a lot of potential. She finishes fights, which is a plus in the eyes of matchmakers and fans alike. The American installment of DWCS has upped its use of Brazilian fighters as the seasons have progressed. If the promotion is looking for a female fighter from Brazil, Silva seems like the perfect choice.
Julija Stoliarenko
Record: 9-3-1
Age: 26
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Lithuania
Weight class: Bantamweight
Fans of the UFC and “The Ultimate Fighter” likely remember Julija Stoliarenko from her time on “TUF 28.” She had one UFC appearance on the heels of the reality show – a split decision loss to Leah Letson in November 2018. However, the season wasn’t an accurate representation of Stoliarenko and the skills she brings to the table. First off, Stoliarenko isn’t a featherweight. Since her UFC one-off, she’s proved bantamweight is the best fit for her. After winning four consecutive fights, Stoliarenko defeated Lisa Verzosa for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight championship in March. The unofficial queen of the bantamweights outside of the UFC, DWCS should come knocking on Stoliarenko’s door this summer.
Other female fighters to watch out for: Yasmine Jauregui, Sam Hughes, Grace Cleveland, Olivia Phoenix, Courtney King, Vanessa Demopoulos, Anastasia Nikolakakos, Chelsea Hackett, Mayra Cantuaria, Anna Rudenko, Taneisha Tennant, Emily Corso, Svetlana Gotsyk, Luana Pinheiro, Maria Silva, Maria Alves, Hilarie Rose, Jinh Yu Frey, Pam Sorenson, Vanessa Porto, and more.
