Dana White created the Contender Series to help the younger fighters on regional circuits. This season's main show will feature the Lightweight title battle, with the Middleweights & Welterweights serving as co-mains. The Ultimate Job Interview was cancelled because of injuries to main event participants. This tournament is a great way to find out if your are the next big thing within the UFC.
Dana White's sixth Season of the Contender Series
The premiere date for the sixth season of Dana White’s Contender Series is Tuesday, July 26th at 8 PM ET. The program will air on ESPN+ live and air one episode per semaine. The UFC's newest fighters are scouted and offered contracts. The sixth season will feature ten episodes.
The main event will be dominated by lightweights
Two promising prospects will be fighting for the title shot at the lightweight division. In the main event, former UFC fighters Ty Flores will face Rafael Alves. Both have a winning streak of four fights. Rafael Alves is a former Titan FC interim lightweight champion who trains at the MMA Masters in South Florida. Miguel Baeza, Miguel Alves' fellow fighter, has been a part of his rise to stardom.
The co-main show will feature middleweights
The co-main event of the UFC 276 contender series will feature two of the best fighters in the division. In the co-main event, No. 6 ranked Jack Hermansson will face No. 7 ranked Sean Strickland. Both fighters hope to face reigning division champion Israel Adesanya. Hermansson is a winner of nine fights since 2016, including six of his eight last fights. Strickland has a winning streak of five fights and hopes to extend that streak.
The co-main event will be held by the Welterweights
The co-main fight of the contender series features two former heavyweight champions who are both undefeated. Bruno Assis, a Brazilian challenger to Diaz, will take on Diaz. Assis was beaten by a highly rated opponent in March. There will also be two exciting bantamweight matches. Mayra Bueno Silvi will take on Wu Yanan while Carlos Aldo will be facing a top-rated middleweight prospect.
The co-main event will be the lightweights
The lightweight division is back, for the second straight year. It features one of the most promising prospects in UFC against a lightweight. Brendan Battles (28-1 KOs, 2 KOs), takes on Fred Grey, an unknown opponent, in the comain event of the contender Series. The lightweight division champion fight will be won by the winner.