Dana White’s Contender Series 95: Grading the winners

Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2026) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the four-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex. With a easy but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this collection has proven to have legs in a number of methods while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future occasions. With that development in thoughts, I once again will be taking a look at the successful fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

Alivia Bierley

• Weight class: Bantamweight

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Despite squeezing out a win as a slight underdog, I struggled to give Alivia Bierley anything larger than a C+ in a combat that I and many scored for Summer Onley.

I’m not sure if Tony Weeks, who was the lone decide who scored it 30-27 for Bierley, was watching the combat in ‘goon mode,’ but I felt that Onley landed the cleaner, more damage-inducing offense in the first and third frames (as effectively as arguably doing enough on the ft before getting taken down in Round 2).

Bierley confirmed strong aggression and transitions on the flooring, but she discovered herself outgrappled in the closing body thanks to a savvy half-guard sweep from Onley.

Despite ladies’s bantamweight being one of the most barren and stale weight courses under the UFC umbrella for some time now, I can perceive Dana White’s determination to cross on this spot. That said, both of these girls are succesful of getting wins in the group contemplating the present crop of rostered bantamweights, so I would not hate to see either get a second swing at bat.

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Mateus Soares

• Weight class: Bantamweight

Earning an simple A and a UFC contract is Mateus Soares, who makes fast work of Ryuho Miyaguchi as a enormous betting favourite.

Although there’s not much of a combat to recap given how shortly issues ended, it’s exhausting not to be impressed by the violent bursts of Soares.

Looking like the second coming of John Lineker, Soares comes out like a compact, pressuring Brazilian tank that packs a wallop of a punch. From exhausting leg kicks to hook-cross combos, everything Soares throws has severe stopping energy in tow.

Signing Soares is a no-brainer given his fan-friendly model, as effectively as his plug-and-playability from a matchmaking perspective. Although matching Soares up with Ilimbek Akylbek would really feel karmically applicable, I hope that the powers that be pair the Brazilian with Borislav Nikolic for a assured Round of the Year contender.

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Roque Conceicao

Earning a deserved A and UFC contract alike is Roque Conceicao, who makes good on his second swing at bat on the Contender Series.

Conceicao had the unlucky luck of operating into surging flyweight prospect Imanol Rodriguez on last 12 months’s season of the show, so he made sure to show off all of his abilities this time around reverse Alexander Chavez.

Although Chavez was recreation, Conceicao was finally in a position to come out on high of hooking and kicking exchanges, forcing a shocked Chavez to shoot. And once these two hit the flooring, we were privy to some enjoyable submission grappling and scrambles.

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However, it was in the end Conceicao who won out the entanglements by securing a triangle catch off a kimura grip that would’ve made someone like Neil Melanson proud.

I’m glad Dana White signed Conceicao and suspect that thrilling fights await him further up the food chain. That said, Fabia Stines seems like a wise first reserving for the Brazilian’s first official UFC task.

Salahuddin Everett

• Weight class: Welterweight

Earning an simple A and a contract is UFC worker Sal Everett.

Although I’m sure Everett got lots of side-eyes from his contemporaries for getting this alternative, the man who shares Dana White’s fridge proved to be a severe fighter by taking out Ozzy Martin in spectacular fashion.

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Martin confirmed strong pocket boxing and kicks to boot, but the New Hampshire native could not appear to keep the stress and energy of Everett off him. Everett was in a position to finally corrall his foe to the fence for a end, where Martin fell in a method that was eerily reminiscent to how Mirko Cro Cop fell to Gabe Gonzaga back at UFC 70.

I’m glad that Everett put the bizarre discourse about him having to give up his job to relaxation by stating that he desires to proceed to work with the UFC despite incomes a contract as a fighter (as I think about the pay has to be comparable to the insulting 10-and-10 contracts that these youngsters get out of the gate, but I digress).

We’ll see how sturdy UFC bias is by the method Everett gets matched up in the future, but I believe that someone like Cameron Nelson is a more than appropriate check for Everett’s first task.

Preston LaGrange

• Weight class: Light heavyweight

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After stepping up on less than a weeks’ discover and up an complete weight class, Preston LeGrange earns both an A and a UFC contract for taking out Nell Ariano.

Despite being favored 5-1 from a betting perspective, Ariano confirmed no indicators of life on the ft from Jump Street. In reality, LeGrange regarded to have shocked the French judoka anytime he was in a position to get some space between them.

It was an ugly and short combat, but that seems to be LeGrange’s modus operandi. I do not disagree with Dana White signing LeGragne, I just hope that we get to see the Iowa native on a full camp at his correct weight class of 185 kilos next time out.

I’m not sure if the UFC intends on conserving Tre’ston Vines or Yilizhati Maimaitijiang around after their draw, but either get together would make for an applicable first combat for LeGrange.

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This article initially appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White’s Contender Series 95: Grading the winners