UFC president Dana White signed four new fighters following Week 1 of Season 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
There were five fights on the night, and White ended up signing four of the winners, though he passed on one of the fighters who won.
DWCS 4 Fighters Who Earned UFC Contracts
In the main event of DWCS Week 1, heavyweight Anthony Wint destroyed Matt Adams in just 34 seconds to earn a UFC contract. Wint is a former NFL player for the New York Jets, and he brings a ton of athleticism and raw talent to MMA, as he improved to 7-0 with the victory, earning a UFC contract to boot.
At flyweight, Bilal Hasan was a -5000 favorite, and he looked the part with a first-round KO win over Mridul Saikia, finishing his foe in just 45 seconds. The fight was undoubtedly a mismatch, as Hasan was the biggest favorite in DWCS history, but regardless, he earned a chance to fight in the UFC.
In a featherweight bout, Tom Pagliarulo finished Ananias Mulumba late in the third round via TKO. The two men exchanged strikes for the first two rounds, but Pagliarulo had the far superior cardio and ultimately earned the win by stoppage to earn a UFC deal.
Finally, Joe Kropschot defeated Jon Kunneman via unanimous decision in a hard-fought battle between two tough guys. Though Kropschot did not get the finish, White was impressed enough by his performance to give him a contract, as he nearly submitted Kunneman late in the third round with an armbar, but his opponent refused to tap and suffered an arm injury for it.
Dana White Passes on Others
The one fighter who earned a win but not a UFC contract was lightweight Abe Alsaghir, who defeated Fabrizio Escarrega via split decision. White said after the card that he did not feel like Alsaghir deserved the judges’ decision, so he decided to pass on him as he wasn’t impressed by his performance.
White also passed on all of the other fighters who lost their fights, though any of those fighters could potentially get another shot on DWCS next year.
Dana White Signs 4 New UFC Fighters After Week 1 of DWCS