Dana White’s Contender Series has become a destination 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 victory on the show, and you’re in the UFC.
Rumored for a late-June 2020 start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced 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 welterweights…
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Theo Christakos
Record: 11-2
Age: 29
Height: 6’3″
Birthplace: Australia
One of the top pound-for-pound prospects in the Australia/New Zealand regional scene, Theo Christakos has quietly built a solid resume. He’s picked up two titles along the way, under the BRACE MMA and Australian FC banners. In his most recent outing at Australian FC 23, Christakos outpointed and submitted fellow up-and-comer Andrew Mills in Round 2. The rear-naked choke win was the sixth of his career by that submission. Win or lose, Christakos has only seen the judges’ scorecards once in his pro career. A do-or-die fighter? Sounds like Christakos fits the DWCS mold.
Vinicius de Jesus
Record: 9-2
Age: 30
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
The current CES MMA welterweight champion and a Bellator veteran, Vinicius De Jesus presents a lot of problems for fighters of all skillsets. A third-generation Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he usually sticks to his striking, which consists largely of power shots from the outside and heavy leg kicks. He holds legitimate wins over Jeremiah Wells, Tim Caron, James Boran, and Chris Lozano. He’s only lost once sine 2013 – a controversial split decision defeat at the hands of Joaquin Buckley. De Jesus’ knockout power, combined with his mic skills, makes him a prime candidate to be a target of DWCS.
More fighters on the next page:
Matt Dixon
Record: 9-0
Age: 24
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Evansville, Indiana
An undefeated amateur, Matt Dixon’s lack of losses continued in the professional ranks. Largely competing for Oklahoma-based promotion Xtreme Fight Night, Dixon ran through the competition. To date, Dixon has accumulated six finishes, with five knockouts and one submission. Dixon has power, speed and the mentality of a contracted UFC or Bellator athlete. His attitude is positive and confident, and he’s very polished when it comes to his mic skils. He’s had major offers in the past, but contractual obligations have prevented him from accepting. Now free of said contractual ties, he’ll be able to pursue whatever comes his way.
John Gotti III
Record: 5-0
Age: 27
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: New York
Although he only has five pro fights to his name, John Gotti III is already well-known on the national MMA scene. A grandson of the infamous New York gangster with the same name, Gotti is undefeated inside the cage. After bullying his first four opponents en route to first-round victories, Gotti showed he could successfully go the distance at CES 60 in January. Against Marcos Lloreda, Gotti displayed heart, durability, and the ability to overcome. With that, he also opened himself up to displaying some holes in his game for the first time publicly. That said, it will likely serve as a good learning experience. Now, he has something to work on. After his fight, Gotti told MMA Junkie he’d prefer to get a few more fights before entering the UFC. However, Gotti seems like the perfect candidate for DWCS. If the UFC comes knocking, it’s unlikely he’ll say no.
More fighters on the next page:
Andrzej Grzebyk
Record: 16-3
Age: 29
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Poland
It’s unlikely many American fans are familiar with Andrzej Grzebyk. The Polish kickboxer has competed exclusively overseas since he was 22. Now 29 years old, Grzebyk has accumulated wins for various European promotions including Fight Exclusive Night, XFN, and more. Riding an eight-fight winning streak, Grzebyk has never been a hotter commodity. A savage knockout artist, any promotion would be lucky to have Grzebyk thrilling their fans. On DWCS season 3, Europeans trickled onto the show. If the upswing of international fighters continues into season 4, expect Grzebyk’s name to top the list.
Anthony Ivy
Record: 8-2
Age: 30
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas
When Anthony Ivy stepped into the cage against highly-touted prospect Willis Black at WXC 82 in September, he was the underdog in the eyes of many – despite having a solid resume of his own. The Texan quickly dismissed the doubters by dominating, then finishing Black with a punch in Round 4. The win extended his streak to five – all of which ended inside the distance. His most recent three opponents have a combined record of 21-4 (at the times of the fights). Ivy is no longer an under-the-radar fighter. He’s proven himself to be one of the best 170-pounders in the world. With a win on DWCS, he’ll be able to show what he can do in the big leagues.
More fighters on the next page:
Michael Lombardo
Record: 10-2
Age: 29
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: Jupiter, Fla.
Michael Lombardo competed at middleweight on last summer’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series and was not successful. Taking on top middleweight prospect Kyle Daukaus, Lombardo went the distance and showed he’s able to hang with top-tier regional talents. Now dropping to 170 pounds, Lombardo is looking to avenge the loss of this past summer. Since his DWCS fight, Lombardo went 2-0 with a. no contest. The UFC should give the American Top Team product another shot this season.
Kamal Magomedov
Record: 8-0
Age: 28
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Russia’s Kamal Magomedov burst onto the American regional scene in April 2019 when he picked up the Titan FC interim welterweight title. A finisher through and through, Magomedov has never gone the distance in his pro career. Magomedov was scheduled to fight UFC veteran Michael Graves in February in a title unification bout, but withdrew for unknown reasons. Should he be healthy and ready to go for DWCS, he seems like a shoe-in.
More fighters on the next page:
Jeremiah Wells
Record: 8-2-1
Age: 33
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Penn.
Jeremiah Wells has come a long way in a short time. While his professional debut came in 2012, the Renzo Gracie Philly product started fighting more consistently in 2016. In the span of his past three fights, Wells captured the CES MMA and CFFC welterweight titles. Both promotions have a history of producing future UFC stars, so that works in Wells’ favor. Wells has always had the raw skills, but he’s becoming increasingly technical each fight. He’s a versatile finisher with three knockouts and three submissions in eight victories. A strong wrestler, Wells doesn’t leave his opponents many options. DWCS is the perfect next step.
Jason Witt
Record: 17-5
Age: 33
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: Kansas City, Mo.
Jason Witt has been on a slow, steady improvement incline since his professional debut in 2013. A seasoned veteran with 23 fights, Witt has faced a plethora of notable names on his climb up the regional ranks. He’s competed in Bellator, Titan FC, LFA, and Victory FC among other promotions. Despite the length of his career, there hasn’t been a time where Witt has built up the momentum he has behind him right now. A winner of 9-of-10, Witt has taken on tough competitor after tough competitor. Training under James Krause at Glory MMA and Fitness, Witt could have the opportunity to join a handful of his teammates in the UFC if he’s given a DWCS opportunity.
Other welterweights to watch out for: Saygid Izagakhmaev, Aliaskhab Khizriev, Dmitry Bikrev, Magomed Umalatov, Adam Proctor, Jeremiah Wells, Kerim Engizek, Justin Jaynes, Julien Williams, Mike Breeden, Tyler Ray, Orion Cosce, Adrian Hadribeaj, Tyler Ingram, Miles Hunsinger, Nikolay Veretennikov, Devin Goodale, Joilton Santos, Rhys McKee, Phil Huges, Ion Surdu, Vladislav Kanchev, Jesse Urholin, Luis Felipe Dias, Jared Gooden, and more.
