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.
Up next, the middleweights …
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KB Bhullar
Record: 8-0
Age: 28
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
One of Canada’s premier middleweights, KB Bhullar is unblemished in his MMA career. Major promotions are always in need of up-and-coming middleweights, as well as fighters who push the boundaries and expand MMA’s pull in non-American countries. Canada’s Bhullar checks off both of those boxes. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters in “The Great White North,” Bhullar added a UFC veteran to his resume in September when he defeated Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision at Unified MMA 38. It’s important to note Bhullar is recovering from surgery. Should he be ready, Bhullar should be a shoe-in – easy.
Kyle Daukaus
Record: 9-0
Age: 27
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Last summer, Kyle Daukaus was passed over on Dana White’s Contender Series. While the UFC president was happy with Daukaus’ performance, he believed the middleweight needed more work on the regional scene. Since that time, Daukaus has put his foot on the gas pedal. The CFFC middleweight champion picked up two more wins since last summer’s DWCS. Both victories were second-round D’arce choke submissions. A submission specialist, Daukaus possesses a well-rounded grappling attack which compliments his striking abilities. Twenty-seven-year-old undefeated middleweight prospects aren’t a common commodity, so DWCS should welcome Daukaus back with open arms.
More fighters on the next page:
Ayub Gimbatov
Record: 10-1
Age: 29
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Russia
Ayub Gimbatov presents a higher-level resume than your average Dana White’s Contender Series competitor. However, when it’s DWCS season, the promotion is much more hesitant to make direct-to-UFC-roster signings. It could be Gimbatov’s only way into the UFC for the time being. As for his skills, he’s an excellent fighter who’s taken on experienced competition. Gimbatov has seven finishes by a variety of methods and is riding a five-fight winning streak. In his most recent outing in January, Gimbatov finished UFC veteran Steven Kennedy with strikes in 34 seconds. The time is now for the Russian middleweight to ring the UFC’s doorbell. Let’s see if the UFC lets him in.
Impa Kasanganay
Record: 6-0
Age: 26
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fight fans likely remember Impa Kasanganay as being one of the, if not the most impressive fighter from Season 2 of “Dana White’s Contender Series” not to earn a UFC deal. Despite being the perceived “B-side” of his matchup against then-undefeated Kailin Hill, Congolese-American Kasanganay put on a tactical, dominant performance against the LFA veteran. It earned massive underdog Kasanganay the nod from all three judges, but UFC president Dana White sent him back to the regional scene to get more experience. Since DWCS, Kasanganay has been unlucky. Three of his regional fights have been cancelled, and he hasn’t been able to compete. Improvement comes in the gym, however, so maybe he’s made the strides the promotion was looking for. The best way to find out is for him to return at DWCS.
Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
Record: 8-0
Age: 30
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Germany
Underrated and undefeated, Germany’s Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz has torn up the Canadian regional scene and beyond. A professional since 2011, Ksiazkiewicz hasn’t been as active as your average regional fighter. However, he’s been consistent – which is much more important. From October 2016 to August 2018, Ksiazkiewicz went on a 22-month hiatus. Upon his return, he looked as sharp as ever. Since then, Ksiazkiewicz has finished two opponents with a combined record of 25-10 (at the time of the fight). In eight fights, only one opponent has lasted the full 15 minutes with Ksiazkiewicz. A lengthy, aggressive fighter, Ksiazkiewicz goes for the kill at all times. Dana White and Co. will likely love “The Iron Pol” should he have the chance to compete in front of them this summer.
More fighters on the next page:
Ramazan Kurmagomedov
Record: 7-0
Age: n/a
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Russia
Fans who watched DWCS season 3 likely remember Ramazan Kurmagomedov from his three-round classic against Jordan Williams. The fight was back-and-forth and closely contested. However, UFC president Dana White thought the judges got the final decision wrong, so he elected to pass on Kurmagomedov. That shouldn’t take away from his performance that night – and it’s unlikely the UFC will hold it against him. After all, he wasn’t the one scoring the fight. Regardless, Kurmagomedov is a UFC-level talent. He’s competed in thrice in ACB and once in PFL. He has four finishes in seven fights – one of which he picked up since DWCS. It’s time to give him another shot – perhaps a rematch against Williams (keep reading).
Andreas Michailidis
Record: 12-3
Age: 31
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Greece isn’t known as an MMA hot bed, but Andreas Michailidis may be the one to put his home country on the map. The 15-fight veteran is a finisher, who improves every single outing. Greece doesn’t have the local competition options other countries have, but Michailidis has been able to work around the issue. He’s challenged himself, traveling around the globe. From Bulgaria to Florida to Abu Dhabi, Michailidis has competed everywhere. He’s won seven of eight, including wins over UFC veteran Marcel Fortuna and current Bellator fighter Ion Pascu. A finish-happy fighter, Michailidis seems like a perfect candidate for DWCS – should he win the Cage Warriors title in April.
More fighters on the next page:
Dustin Stoltzfus
Record: 12-1
Age: 28
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: Lancaster, Penn.
An American fighter who has competed his entire professional career in Germany, Dustin Stoltzfus is an anomaly of sorts. The 28-year-old middleweight fighter hasn’t lost since 2015, competing one to two times per year en route to a nine-fight winning streak. His record is filled with submissions of all kinds – including a twister in his most recent bout. Despite his submission-heavy game, Stoltzfus has never repeated the same submission method of victory more than once in pro competition. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Stoltzfus was slated to compete at Brave CF in Brazil. The cancellation may have put Stoltzfus on the market, and if so, the UFC should take notice immediately.
Jarod Trice
Record: 4-0
Age: 31
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Highland Park, Mich.
When Bellator announced a handful of cuts in August, Jarod Trice’s release was surprising. A three-time All-American wrestler at Central Michigan University, Trice was signed in the midst of Bellator’s initial influx of blue-chip wrestling prospects. In 2016, Trice made his professional MMA debut at Bellator 167. That fight, and the three that followed, were winning efforts for “Doughboy.” He accumulated three decisions and one TKO. Trice’s most recent fight came at Bellator 205 in September 2019. What better time to make a return from 21-month hiatus than in June for Dana White’s Contender Series?
Jordan Williams
Record: 8-3
Age: 29
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Menomonee Falls, Wisc.
Jordan Williams has been a fighter for much of his life – inside and outside the cage. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 19 years old, Williams had to figure out how to manage his life as a fighter with his condition. In doing so, he’s excelled. With a likable personality, a story of perseverance, and an exciting fighting style, Williams has a lot working in his favor. A crisp striker with heavy hands and good cardio, Williams has appeared twice on DWCS. In 2018, Williams beat down New England’s Tim Caron. In 2019, he dropped a razor-thin split decision to Ramazan Kurmagomedov – a fight many people thought he won. In 2020? That’s yet to be seen. Regardless, another DWCS crack should be in the cards for the 29-year-old.
Other light heavyweights to watch out for: Daniel Madrid, Julien Williams, Anthony Adams, Gregory Rodrigues, Jordan Wright, Collin Huckbody, Ty Flores, Al Matavao, Cody Brundage, Kailin Hill, Dricus Du Plessis, Jared Revel, Nayib Lopez, Laszlo Senyei, Andrzej Grzebyk, Cezary Kesik, Robert Vorbyov, Andreas Berg, Anton Turkalj, Rinat Fakhretdinov, Joaquin Buckley, Claudio Cesario, and more
