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 2020 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.
We begin with the big boys – heavyweights.
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Hugo Cunha
Record: 5-0
Age: 27
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro
Brazil is known for its roots in jiu-jitsu, but Hugo Cunha lives by his wrestling. A coach to Alex Oliviera, Thiago Santos and more, Cunha is highly touted among Brazilians for his wrestling abilities, but his ground skills don’t stop there. Cunha also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Competing for Future FC, Titan FC, and WOCS, Cunha has finished all five of his professional fights. He’s green, but he’s improving. What better way to figure out if he’s ready for the big leagues than DWCS?
Chris Daukaus
Record: 8-3
Age: 30
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Brother of DWCS Season 3 competitor Kyle Daukaus, Chris Daukaus deserves his fix, too. After starting his career at 2-2, Daukaus has won six of seven. His lone loss in the stretch came against Azunna Anyanwu – a fight he was largely winning. Daukaus is currently booked to face a DWCS alumnus Shawn Teed, one of the three men to hold wins over Daukaus. If Daukaus successfully defends his CFFC title and avenges a loss in the process, DWCS should be next.
More fighters on the next page:
Justin Frazier
Record: 12-3
Age: 30
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Charleston, S.C.
Does the name Justin Frazier ring a bell? It’s quite possible. The Arksanas-based brute upset back-to-back opponents en route to The Ultimate Fighter 28 finals in 2018. However, his UFC stint was short-lived. Taking on Juan Espino at the TUF 28 Finale, Frazier was submitted in 3:36. Shortly thereafter, Frazier was released. In 2019, Frazier rebounded, going 2-0. Most UFC fighters aren’t given a second chance, but Frazier is one of those exceptions. Pairing that fact with his post-UFC success, Frazier might land himself a shot at redemption.
Kirill Kornilov
Record: 3-0
Age: n/a
Height: 6’5″
Birthplace: Russia
A former GLORY kickboxer, Kirill Kornilov’s transition to MMA has been smooth. Standing at 6’5,” Kornilov is a lengthy figure. Despite being so early in his career, Kornilov already has showed glimpses of greatness. After defeating a 12-5 fighter by first-round knockout in his MMA debut in early 2019, Kornilov finished his sophomore and junior experiences in similar fashion. He’s 3-for-3 in fights and finishes. On March 1, Kornilov likely faces his toughest test to date, Edilson Lopes. Legitimate wins are hard to come by. Should he defeat Lopes, Kornilov will have more than enough legitimacy to his name for the UFC, at minimum, to roll the dice on a 4-0 prospect.
Chris Larsen
Record: 5-1
Age: 32
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Chris Larsen might just be Canada’s best kept secret. At 6’4,” 263 pounds, Larsen has the size and strength to mess up most of the Great White North’s finest behemoths. Since his pro debut in late 2016, Larsen has accumulated five wins by TKO. In his most recent fight in September, Larsen avenged the lone loss of his pro career when he finished Jared Kilkenny in 70 seconds. Only one opponent has lasted to the second round. Larsen is currently riding a three-fight winning streak and is set to face Grayson Wells at Unified MMA 40 in March.
More fighters on the next page:
Anatoly Malykhin
Record: 8-0
Age: 32
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Kemerovo, Russia
While there were some, there weren’t many Russian fighters featured in the first three seasons of DWCS. However, the series has become more globally encompassing each season. Enter Anatoly Malykhin. A strong Russian heavyweight, Malykhin has outmuscled, outwrestled, and outlasted all eights opponents placed in front of his as a professional en route to an extensive perfect record. Despite having a wrestle-heavy attack, Malykhin always goes for the kill when the fight hits the mat – submission or TKO. Malykhin competed twice in Fight Nights Global, ending both fights inside the distance. In 2019, Malykin went 3-0 including a victory over former WSOF/PFl fighter and current RIZIN heavyweight Jake Heun.
Brett Martin
Record: 9-1
Age: 25
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Hesperia, Mich.
When reviewing the United States regional scene, LFA titleholder Brett Martin sits atop the heavyweight list. His most recent two victories came via disqualification, but Martin’s fights to reach that point show falling upwards isn’t responsible for his full notoriety. Prior to the two disqualification wins, Martin defeated legitimate competition including Josh Parisian, Ryan Pokryfky, and Jesse Hernandez. He holds four finishes, competing for other notable promotions WXC, Lights Out Championship, and KOP among others. If he gets through longtime regional legend Tony Lopez in late March, Martin will have compiled a 10-1 record.
Josh Parisian
Record: 12-3
Age: 30
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Escanaba, Mich.
Josh Parisian has been there before. On season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Parisian stepped in on days’ notice to take on top New England heavyweight Greg Rebello. One spinning backfist later, Parisian picked up his second win in as many months. The knockout didn’t land him in the UFC, however. Instead, UFC president Dana White offered him a slot on The Ultimate Fighter 28. Parisian accepted, but was eliminated in the first round of the tournament by a wrestle-heavy opponent, Michel Bautista. Since TUF 28, Parisian has gone 5-1 with five TKO victories. Parisian fight at WXC 87 in April and should he win, he’ll be out of tests on the regional scene.
More fighters on the next page:
Dylan Potter
Record: 9-4
Age: 25
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: Yelm, Wash.
The Northwest’s next “big” thing, Dylan Potter has won three straight fights. Early in his career, Potter suffered a fair share of learning experiences in his defeat. While there’s still room for much improvement, Potter’s evolution is starting to reach a point where the Northwest regional scene isn’t sufficing. In his most recent outing at WXC 85, Potter looked light on his feet. Using angles and flowing striking, Potter finished opponent Charles Brown in a death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts-esque manner. All of Potter’s pro victories have come inside the distance – and at 25 years old, he could be exactly what Dana White is looking for.
Roggers Souza
Record: 10-2
Age: 30
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Roggers Souza is a beast. The 6’4″ heavyweight has taken on – and largely handled – the toughest tests available to him. An alumnus of ACA, M-1 Challenge, TKO, and Jungle Fight, Souza has competed across the globe. Souza has two career losses, one of which came against surging UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane. Despite losing to Gane, he showed his toughness and heart throughout the duration of the fight. His chin was on full display and proved he’s a hard guy to put away. Since the loss to Gane, the Brazilian heavyweight has won back-to-back fights against opponents with a combined record of 16-5-1 (at the time of their fight).
Other heavyweights to watch out for: Jared Vanderaa, Everett Cummings, Irivns Ayala, Said Sowma, Dustin Joynson, Hasan Mezhiev, and more
