If you are looking for a new fighting tournament to look forward to between UFC bouts, or want to watch live fights on a weekly basis, then Dana White’s Contender Series is for you. Originally an experimental fighting series between unknowns, it is now one of the most famous promotions and the best shot any new fighters have of breaking into the UFC.
Dana White’s Contender Series was launched in 2017, and it was a bit of a gamble in the beginning. It strived until 2019 when Covid hit it, and it looked like the show had reached the end of its run. ESPN caught wind of the fight series and acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, before announcing that the show would continue in August. Skip forward to the present day, and Dana White’s Contender Series has become arguably the best fighting series to watch new talents. It runs every year between August and October, with 10 fights billed per season, and is a must-watch for all MMA fans.
Watch the Dana White’s Contender Series on ESPN/ESPN+
How Dana White’s Contender Series Works
Dana White’s Contender Series takes place from August to October and there is one season per year, unless there is a special (such as Season Brazil in 2018). Originally, the seasons were held in June or July and lasted through to August, but since 2023 they have taken place from August to October. There are 10 episodes in each season, and they all take place at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas. All fighters in Dana White’s Contender Series have no prior affiliation with the UFC.
These fighters are poached from local and international MMA promotions, or “UFC feeder leagues“. The most prominent of which are the following:
- Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFC) – A US-based fighting promotion, the biggest feeder league for the UFC
- Cage Warriors – A UK-based cage fighting promotion, where Conor McGregor came from
- Titan FC – Another UFC feeder league based in the US
- Cage Fury Fighting Champions (CFFC) – A similar promotion to the Titan FC and LFA promotions
- King of the Cage – One of the oldest MMA promotions in the US
- Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) – A Russian MMA promotion
- Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) – A South African MMA promotion
- Shooto – A historic Japanese MMA promotion
- Pancrase – Another Japanese MMA promotion
Weight Classes and Contracts
Each episode features a number of fights across different weight classes. The DWCS has the same number of weight classes as those used in UFC, from Flyweight to Heavyweight for the men’s divisions and from Strawweight to Bantamweight for the women’s. During each season, Dana White can offer UFC contracts to fighters, based on their performances in a night. This is a real game changer for fighters, as they not only want to win here but to also impress the president of the UFC for a chance to fight in arguably the biggest fighting promotion in the world. It doesn’t really matter where they come from, what style of fighting they use, or how much they are worth – the UFC only wants to find proven winners with a ruthless edge.
Dana White generally picks a mixture of fighters across different weight divisions, but more emphasis is put on those divisions where the UFC wants to increase its roster. Not everyone can win a contract, and there are some episodes in which Dana may only offer 2 fighters contracts. Episodes can feature anywhere from 4 to 6 fights, and only winners can receive a valuable UFC contract.
Famous Alumni from DWCS
Sean O’Malley, Kurt Holobaugh, Karl Robertson and Alex Perez all featured in Season 1 of the DWCS and have since become big names in the UFC. There have been plenty of DWCS alumni who have shot through the UFC Rankings and become established UFC fighters. Sean O’Malley eventually became the UFC Bantamweight Champion, and he is not the only one, as Jamahal Hill (2019 DWCS alumni) became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2023.
How to Bet on Dana White’s Contender Series
Our experts are always up for a challenge, and the Contender Series is just that. You never really know what you are in for with the DWCS, as you can get fighters from anywhere in the world, and in a lot of cases they are relatively fresh to MMA. This translates to excellent value when picking your bets, but you have to be careful.
Usually, we try to identify fighters by their fighting style and try to determine who has the edge by experience, physical advantage, and what techniques they employ. There can be some major upsets, and a lot of good value on underdogs.
The top sportsbooks cover Dana White’s Contender Series well, and you will find an abundance of betting markets to experiment with for each episode. You can stick to moneylines and total rounds, or, when presented with the opportunity, try your hands at markets such as Method of Victory, Will the Fight Go the Distance, Winning Round, and loads more. Stick with us and find out more about the fighters and available betting markets on each episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Not sure when to watch the next episode? You can check the schedule on ESPN or find our preview (when it becomes available) and the next date for upcoming DWCS fights and episodes.
