The 10th annual season of Dana White’s Contender Series kicked off with plenty of action in Las Vegas.
DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception, four have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Last year’s edition saw 46 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly up from the 42 handed out in 2024. Episode four of season 10 this week saw five prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.
Patrick Rivera vs. Adam Darby
Darby dominated in the opening frame, landing jabs at will with kicks behind him. Rivera didn’t pressure, and he was consistently tagged as a result. Darby continued this pace in the second round, landing about 200 strikes combined through the fight’s first 10 minutes and busting Rivera open badly around the face. Darby continued to pour it on in the third, forcing a doctor’s stoppage.
Brandon Holmes vs. Modestino Rodrigues
Rodrigues came forward right away, and all he needed was one right hand to put Holmes down. A couple of follow-up shots brought the fight to a quick end.
Liam McCracken vs. Silvestre Sanchez
Sanchez pinned McCracken against the fence early, holding him tight in the clinch for the first minute. Sanchez looked to land kicks around McCracken’s jab and straight attempts while trying to get back in the clinch. Sanchez got McCracken down in the final minute of round one, hunting for a choke or ground-and-pound, but McCracken returned to his feet by the horn.
Sanchez looked to get McCracken down again, but Sanchez reversed position and momentum, pinning him against the fence and landing a number of strikes. While McCracken had a couple of notable exchanges, Sanchez still managed to get McCracken down on multiple occasions.
Suddenly, in the third round, he landed a counter left in the midst of an exchange in the center, knocking McCracken out.
Gabriel Lorenco vs. Charlie Cleveland
The two came out swinging with heavy leather. Cleveland pursued Lorenco, trying to land overhands and body shots. But he got too aggressive at one point, and Lorenco landed a right hand that dropped him. Lorenco then landed heavy ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in.
Hunter Smith vs. Adam Livingston
Smith and Livingston started with a lot of trading. About a minute in, Livingston landed a spinning backfire and a kick of the body, which seemed to do damage as Smith stumbled back. Smith battled back, however, and took the forward pressure despite a lot of hard-hitting trading between the two.
In round two, Livingston tried to continue to land spinning attacks, and tried to stay toe-to-toe, but Smith pressed him, including a solid body kick. Livingston continued to fight on the back foot in round three, but still landed with volume and power, helping him to gain the split decision win.
