Dana White returns to our screens once again with the latest season of his Contender Series starting in August 2025.
The UFC CEO is embarking on the ninth season of Dana White’s Contender Series, as the program continues to grow and grow since its inception in 2017.
UFC Champions like Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill first made their name on the TV show before making the jump into professional fighting, showing that it is a real pipeline for young fighters to get their start in MMA.
Here is everything you need to know about Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
When is Dana White’s Contender Series 9?
Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series begins on August 12 with a five-fight card that seeks to find up-and-coming fighters to become future stars in the UFC.
The series runs from August 12 to October 14, with each episode expected to see multiple fighters earning contracts to compete in the UFC.
The show starts at 7:00 PM (ET), 4:00 PM (PT), and 12:00 AM (BST) on August 2 and is the same time each week until the finale on October 14.
How to watch Dana White’s Contender Series?
The only way to watch the newest season of Dana White’s Contender Series is on ESPN+, the streaming package offered by ESPN to its biggest sports fans.
This is the only place to watch the series in the United States or the United Kingdom.
Dana White’s Contender Series TV schedule
There are ten episodes scheduled for the ninth season of Dana White’s Contender Series, broadcasting over the next ten weeks to find some stars to make it big in the UFC.
The show kicks off on August 12th with five fights scheduled to take place on average on each episode of the show.
The full schedule is as follows:
- Episode 1 – August 12
- Episode 2 – August 19
- Episode 3 – August 26
- Episode 4 – September 2
- Episode 5 – September 9
- Episode 6 – September 16
- Episode 7 – September 23
- Episode 8 – September 30
- Episode 9 – October 7
- Episode 10 – October 14
Jamahal Hill and Sean O’Malley prove that Dana White’s Contender Series works
Dana White has proved that his Contender Series is a viable pipeline to source undiscovered MMA talent, with numerous fighters coming from the series to make a name for themselves in the UFC.
Two of the biggest names to go through the show are O’Malley and Hill, who competed on season 2 and season 3 of the program, respectively.
Both won contracts on the show before O’Malley went on to become UFC Bantamweight champion, while Hill is a former Light Heavyweight champion in the promotion.
Title challengers like Alex Perez and Talia Santos also got their start on Dana White’s Contender Series, as did UFC stalwarts Kevin Holland and Dan Ige.
This 2025 series is the chance for more hungry MMA fighters to impress on the biggest stage of their career and hopefully forge a new path in the UFC if they are successful on ESPN+.