The ninth season of Dana White’s Contender Series is here! Last year, the UFC awarded 42 contracts to winners from the eighth season. This show has produced many contenders and elite fighters in the past. The Main Event for Week 1 features a middleweight matchup between Ilian Bouafia vs. Neemias Santana. Seven countries are represented throughout this week’s card. Three of the five matchups are taking place in the Middleweight division.
Bouafia is a talented prospect from France, boasting a 6-0 record with five knockouts in his career. His opponent, Santana, is from Brazil and has a 7-2-1 record with seven finishes. Since Santana’s last loss, he has gone 3-0-1 with three knockouts. Bouafia is a -185 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, as Santana is a +154 underdog.
A Welterweight match between Ty Miller vs. Jimmy Drago is the co-main event. Miller is 5-0 while Drago has a 7-2 record. Drago has won three straight fights, with two wins by KO/TKO. This is Miller’s first fight since December 2024, which ended via a no-contest. Drago is a +164 underdog while Miller is -198.
A rising prospect from Kill Cliff FC, Baysangur Susurkaev vs. Murtaza Talha, is the third contest on this card. Susurkaev,24, is training at one of the world’s top MMA gyms, led by Head Coach Henri Hooft. He is 8-0 with seven knockouts in his young career. Susurkaev is facing Talha, who has already made an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. He lost to Rodolfo Bellato on Season 7, two years ago. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Susurkaev is the largest betting favorite on this card at -395.
George Mangos from Australia is facing Canada’s own, Radley da Silva. Mangos has an impressive 7-0 record with six finishes at just 21 years old. Meanwhile, da Silva is 7-1 and has won seven straight contests. Mangos is a -130 favorite, with da Silva +110.
Yuri Panferov also has previous experience on Dana White’s Contender Series. He lost via submission to Torrez Finney in October 2023. Panferov returns to the show after knocking out his last two opponents. He is taking on another talented, undefeated prospect in Chris Ewert, who is a -218 favorite.
This event starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Check out the entire card below.
Full Card
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| Ilian Bouafia vs. Neemias Santana Main Event | 6-0 vs. 7-2-1 | Middleweight | -185 vs. +154 |
| Ty Miller vs. Jimmy Drago | 5-0 vs. 7-2 | Welterweight | -198 vs. +164 |
| Baysangur Susurkaev vs. Murtaza Talha | 8-0 vs. 7-1 | Middleweight | -395 vs. +310 |
| George Mangos vs. Radley da Silva | 7-0 vs. 7-1 | Featherweight | -130 vs. +110 |
| Christopher Ewert vs. Yuri Panferov | 7-0 vs. 8-1 | Middleweight | -218 vs. +180 |
