DWCS, also known by its full title, Dana White’s Contender Series, is set to begin its ninth season on the air next week. Since its launch in 2017, the Tuesday night MMA promotion has seen future UFC champions touch down in Las Vegas, first at the TUF Gym, and currently at the UFC Apex facility, to secure a contract in MMA’s top promotion.
As has become commonplace over the last six years, the show is streamed every Tuesday over a 10-week period on ESPN+ inside the United States. The streaming media home of DWCS beyond this new season could change.
At the present time, UFC CEO Dana White is considering a larger media rights deal for 2026 and the future, which could see the UFC package split multiple ways. He’s also said that future seasons of DWCS might have its annual episode output increased to 20 from the current number of 10.
Dana White just announced with the new TV deal they are working on, they will be doing twice as many #DWCS fights. Wow.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) June 21, 2025
FL: Dana White Receives Key To City Of Miami MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 11: CEO and President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Dana White speaks during the Dana White key to the city ceremony at Miami City Hall on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Alberto E. Tamargo/Sipa USA Miami Florida United States of America NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xAlbertoxE.xTamargox Editorial use only
DWCS Features Exciting Crop of Fighters in Season Nine
With DWCS’ ninth season right around the corner, beginning next Tuesday night at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT from the Apex and continuing for the next 10 weeks, there’s no better time than right now to start thinking about this year’s contestants who will traverse to Nevada for their chance at a UFC deal. You’ll notice a common thread about them:
These are some amazing scrappers appearing on DWCS this year. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
DWCS Must-See Fighters: Radley Da Silva
When you think about contestants who will be making the walk on Contender Series this ninth season, there’s no fighter hotter in the cage than Radley Da Silva (7-1 MMA) a stalwart of Canada’s Battlefield Fight League. Da Silva will be fighting on opening night of season nine of DWCS versus George Mangos (7-0 MMA) of Australia.
It’s a little bit surprising, in all honesty, that Radley Da Silva, who hasn’t gone down in defeat in an MMA fight since didn’t already get a straight call-up to the UFC. His resume speaks for itself.
He’s the current BFL Featherweight Champion, initially winning the 145-lb division’s strap in February of 2024, defending his title three successive times. Back in January, he retained the belt via rear-naked choke over Drew Brokenshire (19-10 MMA) inside the second round in BFL 82.
Da Silva is the kind of fighter that Dana White looks for when he and his team put together fights for DWCS every summer and early fall. If he can bring the fireworks again on Aug 12, he’ll be signing a UFC deal shortly thereafter.
DWCS’ Must-See Fighters: Jose Delano
Moving onto week two, the Aug. 19 program will be headlined by Jose Delano in a featherweight contest vs. Manuel Exposito (13-2 MMA.) Delano (15-3 MMA) will be making his 19th walk to the cage as a professional that evening.
Jose Delano is a mainstay on the LFA’s active roster, going 6-1 in that organization between March of 2022 and February of this year. During the Feb. 7 LFA 201 card in Sao Paulo, he scored a first-round knockout (punch) over Abu Muslim Alikhanov (7-1 MMA,) an alumnus of ONE Championship.
Delano also has a championship to his credit. Prior to being selected to appear on this season of DWCS for its Aug. 19 episode, he secured the LFA Featherweight Championship (unanimous decision) in 2022 versus Jonas Bilharino (11-3-1 MMA,) following it up with another unanimous decision victory over Michael Stack (8-4 MMA) that June.
The LFA Featherweight Championship isn’t the only title on his resume, having also won a featherweight belt in Shooto Brazil in November of 2020. Will fight number 19 result in a contract in MMA’s big leagues?
DWCS’ Must-See Fighters: Mandel Nallo
We now move onto the Sept. 2 show and move up to the lightweight ranks, where we’ll find Canada’s Mandel Nallo (13-3, 1 NC MMA,) a veteran of the late Bellator MMA and Samourai MMA. The evening after the Labor Day holiday, Nallo will be making his first appearance in MMA in a year and three days’ time to square off against Samuel Silva (13-4-1 MMA) on DWCS.
Nallo went 4-3 with one no-contest in Bellator MMA from 2017 to 2023. His last appearance under the Bellator promotional banner saw him come out on the losing end of a rear-naked choke submission from Adam Piccolotti (15-6 MMA, 10-5 MMA) in March of 2023.
Last summer, he got into victory lane with a first-round rear-naked choke submission against Robert Seres (8-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in Samourai MMA Chapter 11’s co-main event of the evening.
He’s already had a stint in major MMA when he fought in Bellator. Can he join the UFC?
DWCS’ Must-See Fighters: Paddy McCorry
Though the Sept. 16 DWCS card isn’t fully finalized at press time, one of the night’s contest features an exciting middleweight contestant, Paddy McCorry (6-1 MMA) of Cage Warriors. He’s scheduled to face off with In Soo Hwang (8-1 MMA) on the last Tuesday night of the summer.
McCorry has posted a 4-1 record under the Cage Warriors banner since his debut in November of 2022. The Sept. 16 fight vs. In Soo Hwang is actually Paddy McCorry’s second chance at getting a UFC contract.
During the 2024 season of The Ultimate Fighter television series on ESPN+, McCorry submitted Mark Hulme with a rear-naked choke in the first round of the fight. His next fight on TUF didn’t go quite as well as the first one did, losing via armbar in the opening stanza to Robert Valentin.
Fighters getting a second chance at a UFC promotional deal through DWCS is nothing new by any stretch of the imagination. With McCorry having come up short during last year’s TUF season, expect him to fight with frustration on Sept. 16.
Final Thoughts
Which fighter or fighters are you looking forward to seeing on DWCS this summer and early fall? Let us know in the comments.