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.
Sixth season of Dana White's 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 live on ESPN+, and is expected to air one episode per week. The UFC scouts the best fighters and gives them the opportunity to get contracts. Ten episodes are planned for the sixth season.
The main event features lightweights
Two promising prospects are fighting to win the title shot in lightweight division. The main event will feature former UFC fighters Ty Flores vs Rafael Alves. Both men are currently on a four-fight winning streak. Rafael Alves is a former Titan FC interim lightweight champion who now trains at MMA Masters in South Florida. Miguel Baeza, Miguel Alves' fellow fighter, has been a part of his rise to stardom.
Co-main event: Middleweights
The UFC 276 main event will feature two of best fighters from the division. 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's five-fight winning streak is over and he hopes to keep it going.
The co-main event will be held by the Welterweights
The co-main feature of the contender series features a fight featuring two former heavyweight champions. Both are undefeated. Bruno Assis from Brazil will face Diaz, who defeated a highly-rated opponent back in March. Two exciting bantamweight bouts will be featured on the card. Mayra Bueno Silvi will take on Wu Yanan while Carlos Aldo will be facing a top-rated middleweight prospect.
Lightweights are the co-main event
The lightweight division is back for the second time in as many years, with one of the top prospects in the UFC facing a lightweight. Brendan Battles (28-1, 2 KOs) faces Fred Grey in the co-main event. The winner will be eligible to fight in next year's lightweight championship fight.