The 2025 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series officially wraps up tonight (October 14) as 12 fighters meet at the UFC Apex to try and punch their ticket to the UFC on Week 10.
Week 9 of DWCS kicked off with an incredible 15-second knockout from Luke Fernandez before Luis Dias and Imanol Rodriguez followed that up with stoppage-wins of their own. The night closed out with a pair of decisions and saw Mark Vologdin become one of the rare fighters to earn a contract even with a loss, and heading into Week 10 a total of 40 UFC contracts have now been handed out this season.
Fans will be treated to an extra fight on Week 10 with six total bouts scheduled rather than the usual five, and the evening will see fighters in every male UFC division other than flyweight and lightweight try to impress Dana White and earn themselves UFC contracts.
The opening bout for Week 10 will see Wez Schultz return for his second DWCS appearance to take on undefeated middleweight Mario Mingaj, who has won his last three fights via triangle choke.
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Mario Mingaj vs. Wes Schultz. / (Ken Hathaway/MMA Junkie)
Things will move to the heavyweight division next for a matchup between Octagon League Champion Azamat Nuftillaev and Jovan Leka. LFA standout Michael Oliveira will also put his undefeated record on the line when he meets Chile’s Victor Valenzuela, who won the interim Fury FC welterweight belt with a first-round knockout in his last outing.
Michael Oliveira vs. Victor Valenzuela. / (Ken Hathaway/MMA Junkie)
Beatdown Promotions and HEX Fight Series Featherweight Champion Marwan Rahiki will face Congolese finisher Ananias Mulumba before LUX Fight League Bantamweight Champion takes on former ONE Championship title challenger Kwon Won Il in the card’s penultimate fight.
Marwan Rahiki vs. Ananias Mulumba. / (Ken Hathaway/MMA Junkie)
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The final matchup of this year’s DWCS slate features two undefeated light heavyweight prospects, with American Freddy Vidal set for his second opportunity of the season against Brazil’s Levi Rodrigues after Vidal previously missed weight ahead of a win over Felipe Franco on Week 5.
Freddy Vidal vs. Levi Rodrigues. / (Ken Hathaway/MMA Junkie)
All fighters scheduled to compete on Week 10 successfully made weight for their respective bouts. The action is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET, and fans can catch the entire card live on ESPN+.
• Featured Bout: Freddy Vidal vs. Levi Rodrigues
• Juan Diaz vs. Kwon Won Il
• Marwan Rahiki vs. Ananias Mulumba
• Michael Oliveira vs. Victor Valenzuela
• Azamat Nuftillaev vs. Jovan Leka
• Mario Mingaj vs. Wes Schultz
• Brazilian soccer legend asks for photo with UFC star Charles Oliveira after UFC Rio
• Ex-UFC star Dustin Poirier shares heartbreaking admission about MMA retirement
• Merab Dvalishvili drops warning to ex-UFC flyweight champ for UFC title fight
• UFC Rio crowd goes wild as heavyweight fighter scores violent faceplant KO
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