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 flyweights…
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Jeffrey Molina
Record: 7-2
Age: 22
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Lakewood, N.J.
When it comes to in-cage appearances, Jeffrey Molina is one of the most experienced 22-year-old fighters in all of MMA. The Glory MMA and Fitness product is one of the gym’s secret weapons, having won six straight fights. With a 100 percent finishing rate, Molina brings a kill-or-be-killed savvy to the flyweight division. In his most recent fight in February, Molina choked out 16-fight veteran Kenny Porter. There aren’t a ton of top flyweights on the regional scene, so true tests will be few and far between. Worst-case scenario, Molina gets on DWCS and loses. There’s no harm in that. It’ll be win or learn. One thing is for sure, though: Someday Molina will be in the UFC. The sky is the limit.
Richard Palencia
Record: 7-0
Age: 30
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Phoenix
It’s been a slow burn for Richard Palencia, but he’s starting to finally turn some heads. Since his professional debut in 2015, Palencia has competed for LFA, Combate Americas, and RITC, among other promotions. Training under John Crouch and Co. at The MMA Lab in Phoenix, Palencia is consistently getting reps against top-tier training partners. To date, Palencia has passed all tests put in front of him. Now it’s time for a step up in competition on Season 4 of DWCS.
More fighters on the next page:
Mitch Raposo
Record: 4-0
Age: 21
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Fall River, Mass.
Mitch Raposo might be New England’s best kept secret. Training at Regiment Training Center and working his striking with Greg Rebello, Raposo is polished past his years. Frequently, Raposo brushes shoulders with the region’s finest, including the likes of Calvin Kattar and Rob Font among others. In 2019, Raposo turned pro on the heels of an impressive 6-0 amateur career. In the span of nine months, Raposo won four pro fights – all of which he finished. He was scheduled to compete at Cage Titans 48 in April, but the event was canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Some people may think it’s a little early for Raposo, but he’s shown no signs of being under-qualified for DWCS. Let him prove his worth.
Jerome Rivera*
Record: 9-2
Age: 24
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Santa Fe, N.M.
Jerome Rivera finishes fights. The 24-year-old Luttrell MMA product has seven wins by finis in nine victories. Opposite the successes, Rivera has a pair of skeletons in his closet: losses to Brandon Royval and UFC veteran Roberto Sanchez. However, he’s been fairly consistent overall, which is important. Plus, the loss to Royval was the result of a broken arm. In case he needed any more motivation for his DWCS bout this summer, Rivera will have the chance to redeem himself when he rematches Royval, the current LFA champ.
* = Rivera’s DWCS, Season 4 participation has been confirmed
More fighters on the next page:
Juancamilo Ronderos
Record: 4-0
Age: 25
Height: 5’3″
Birthplace: Bogota, Colombia
Juancamilo Ronderos has quietly compiled a solid resume just four fights into his professional career. A product of Xtreme Couture, Ronderos has defeated opponents with a combined record of 20-10 (at the time of the fights). At WXC 80 in July 2019, Ronderos put the MMA world on notice when he submitted then undefeated Matthew Elliot by an extremely rare head-guard choke. The finish went viral. From there, Ronderos topped his biggest win to date in his next performance. At WXC 85 in December 2019, Ronderos defeated UFC veteran Eric Shelton by five-round split decision. Despite a losing record in the UFC, Shelton was known to hang with the best. Ronderos’ win over Shelton proved he’s ready to make the jump to DWCS.
Brandon Royval*
Record: 10-4
Age: 27
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Denver, Colo.
Brandon Royval is the unofficial king of North American flyweights on the regional scene. After a failed attempt to claim LFA gold in 2018, Royval finally claimed the belt at LFA 79 in November. Against short-notice replacement Nate Williams, Royval pulled off a 23-second, title-earning armbar. The win was his second in a row and his fifth in six fights. Training under Marc Montoya at Factory X, Royval has crafted himself to be a serious challenge for any and all comers. He’ll look to prove he’s UFC-ready when he rematches Jerome Rivera on Season 4 of DWCS this summer.
* = Royval’s DWCS, Season 4 participation has been confirmed
More fighters on the next page:
Sean Santella
Record: 23-7-1
Age: 35
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Budd Lake, N.J.
Regionally, Sean Santella has fought pretty much everyone and anyone. Since his pro debut in 2008, Santella has competed for notable promotions Ring of Combat, CFFC, and V3 Fights. The current CFFC flyweight champion has won seven of eight, including victories over current CES flyweight champion Blaine Shutt and UFC veteran Naoki Inoue. In 2016, Santella was inked to the UFC – a dream come true. However, he had an issue with his pre-fight medicals and his UFC 201 bout versus Wilson Reis was scrapped. Since then, Santella has been trying to burst into the big leagues. Despite clearly being one of the best 125-pounders out there, Santella has been passed over. If the promotion questions his abilities, they should throw him on DWCS and let him rid doubt.
Jared Scoggins
Record: 9-1
Age: 25
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: South Carolina
The younger brother of UFC and RIZIN veteran Justin Scoggins, Jared Scoggins brings a lot of the same excitement. Competing at a weight class 10 lighter than his brother, Jared mirrors a lot of Justin’s abilities. In 10 pro fights, Jared Scoggins has only lost once. He holds four finishes – all by knockout. While he hasn’t competed since September 2018, Scoggins is still active in the gym. He was scheduled to headline LFA 79 against promotional champion Brandon Royval in November 2019. However, Scoggins had to pull out due to injury. With Royval appearing on DWCS, it’ll make sense if Scoggins follows suit.
More fighters on the next page:
Jacob Silva*
Record: 6-2
Age: 32
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Jacob Silva has flown under the radar since his professional debut in 2014. During his first three years as a pro, Silva was relatively inactive – only fighting three times from November 2014 to September 2017. When the clock struck midnight on New Years’ in 2018, Silva held a 2-2 record. Over the span of the next 26 months, Silva would go 4-0 with four finishes. He’s currently riding a six-fight winning and finishing streak and holds the Fury FC flyweight title. The 125-pound weight class is always in need of finishers, which may have contributed to his DWCS, Season 4 contract offer.
* = Silva’s DWCS, Season 4 participation has been confirmed
Nate Smith
Record: 6-0
Age: 24
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Chicago, Ill.
Watch out for Nate Smith. Aptly nicknamed “The Savage,” Smith wreaked havoc on the Midwest regional circuit before turning his attention to LFA. At LFA 82 in February, Smith made a successful promotional debut when he finished undefeated Sean Stebbins by second-round ground-and-pound. The finish was his first career knockout, Smith’s fourth finish in a row, and kept his undefeated record in tact. It’s no wonder Smith has been evolving at such a high clip. Training at Elevation Fight Team, Smith is getting world-class coaching in a prime fitness climate. Don’t be surprised if Smith graces DWCS this summer – be surprised if he doesn’t.
Other flyweights to watch out for: Cee Jay Hamilton, Ricky Calatayud, Eduardo Diez, Daniel Barez, Santos Curatolo, Carlos Candelario, Cristiano Souza, Russell Mizuguchi, Carlos Hernandez, and more.
