Week 8 of
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10 featured just four
fights due to a last-minute cancellation.

Ilias
Bulaid and Erick
Visconde were scheduled to kick off the card in a featherweight
bout Tuesday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. However, the bout fell
through at the 11th hour after Bulaid fell ill despite making
weight. The matchup has been postponed to
Week 10 of DWCS 2026.

Dana White blasted Adama Diop's performance before awarding him
a UFC contract at DWCS Week 8

Aieza
Ramos Bertolso (8-0) took on Camila
Reynoso (9-2) in a strawweight matchup. Bertolso dominated
Reynoso in all aspects before forcing her to tap to a Brabo choke
in the first round.

While she was a -500 favorite going into the fight,
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White initially didn't believe the odds. However, White
admitted that Bertolso proved the oddsmakers correct with her
dominant showing.

“Let's start with Aieza… So, you looked great on your feet, you
looked great on the ground,†White said while awarding Bertolso a
UFC contract. “You're 8-0, 25 years old; you were a 5-1 favorite. I
don't believe anybody is a 5-1 favorite, especially here at the
Contender Series. You were definitely a 5-1 favorite. You looked
amazing. And I think you're gonna be a great addition to the
115-pound division. Welcome to the UFC.â€

Ian
Escuza (8-0) earned a controversial stoppage victory in his
featherweight bout against Luca
Borando (9-2). Escuza dropped Borando with a knee and followed
with a flurry to secure the stoppage in just 32 seconds. During the
finishing sequence, Escuza landed another knee to a grounded
Borando.

White said he believed the fight should have been ruled a no
contest. While he was reluctant to give Escuza a contract, UFC
matchmaker Sean Shelby went to bat for the undefeated Peruvian.

“Ian, unfortunately for you, I disagree with the athletic
commission,†White said. “I think this fight should have been a no
contest. It was an illegal knee. I don't think it was intentional.
But not the way it should have played out. I don't know how you get
in here on a DQ or a no contest. But let me tell you this: Sean
Shelby just fought hard for you in the back. Sean Shelby said,
‘This guy is great; he is very talented.' Don't make Sean regret
this. Welcome to the UFC.â€

White handed out UFC contracts to all four winners Tuesday night.
Adama
Diop (7-1) failed to impress the UFC boss despite scoring a
stoppage victory over Zaurbek
Sabanov (5-1). White said he believes Diop will get knocked out
by UFC heavyweights if he fights the way he did Tuesday. However,
he gave the 31-year-old Senegalese a UFC contract with a stern
warning.

“Alright, big guy [Adama Diop], your fight was horrible, sloppy and
one of the worst fights I have ever seen on the Contender Series,â€
White said. “Your stand-up is horrible; you tried to wrestle your
way to a win till the crowd started booing you out of this place.
And if you fought in the UFC, a UFC heavyweight will knock your *ss
out the way this kid didn't and get the win. And here's the even
bigger problem: you're 31 years old. If you don't get this
opportunity tonight, what are you gonna do? Where are you gonna end
up? How's it gonna go? Don't f*cking make me regret this.â€

Paddy
Pimblett's teammate, George
Staines (9-0), scored a slam knockout against Loai
Abushaar (7-2) in the main event. White was impressed with
Staines' dominant performance against his 6-foot-4 lightweight
opponent.

“George, you were up against a massive guy at 155 pounds and you
absolutely destroyed him,†White said. “One of the greatest
finishes ever; you made it look easy. Congratulations and welcome
to the UFC.â€

4 new signees to the UFC ðŸ‘

George
Staines, Adama Diop,
Ian
Escuza & Aieza Bertolso all are now UFC fighters!

[ #DWCS
| LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/tZyKTSLav9

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
September 30, 2026

Eric
Nolan wants to earn his first
Ultimate Fighting Championship victory for his fellow U.S.
Marines.

Nolan (8-5) is scheduled to fight Court McGhee (22-14) in a
welterweight matchup at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. He started
training in mixed martial arts while serving in the Marine Corps
and has always wanted to represent the Marines at the highest level
of MMA.

Eric Nolan seeks his first UFC victory against Court McGhee at
UFC 332

Nolan believes he has disappointed his fellow Marines by losing
both of his UFC fights so far and wants to earn his first Octagon
victory for them on Saturday.

“When I started MMA, I always said I wanted to represent the United
States Marine Corps at the highest level of the sport,†Nolan told
MMA Fighting. “And it took me eight years to get here. And I
finally have the opportunity to do that. And I've been
disappointing them. And I know my brothers and sisters out there
are rooting for me. So, now it's just time to turn it up and show
the world why I'm in the UFC.â€

Nolan enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school in
2015 and served until 2019. He also revealed that his DMs are
flooded with messages from Marines every time he fights and that he
tries to reply to every one to keep them motivated.

#UFC332’s
Eric
Nolan reveals his fellow Marines flood his DMs after his
fights:

“Every single time I’ve fought, I always answered every single
Marine. … I try to get back to all of them because I know what they
go through every single day.”

(🎥 @JoseYoungs)
pic.twitter.com/XLUNnpCO4e

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting)
September 29, 2026

Mikey
Musumeci is close to transitioning to mixed martial arts and is
targeting gold in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Musumeci, 30, defeated Bryce
Mitchell at UFC BJJ 11 on Sept. 24 and subsequently revealed
that he plans to make his MMA debut soon. The jiu-jitsu standout
eventually wants to become the UFC's flyweight champion but knows
that remains a distant goal.

Musumeci is developing his striking as he prepares for his MMA
debut

Musumeci is currently focused on developing his striking so that he
can take the fight to the ground without getting knocked out.

“My goal would be to go to the UFC at 125 pounds and win that
belt,†Musumeci told Ariel Helwani. “I have a lot of work to do
before then. That's us seeing super far ahead. One match at a time.
Let's get my level up, let's get me not to get killed standing and
let's get me to the floor. I think people are going to be really
surprised at my level.â€

Musumeci also revealed that he had planned to make his MMA debut
the day after his grappling win over Mitchell. While that matchup
fell through, Musumeci said he is in talks with multiple promotions
about making his MMA debut soon.

Mikey
Musumeci says his long-term MMA goal is to fight in the UFC and
win the flyweight title:

“My goal would be to go to the UFC at 125 lbs and win that
belt.

I have a lot of work to do before then. That's us seeing super far
ahead. One match at a time. Let's get my level up,… pic.twitter.com/sXGEKCBVuB

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
September 29, 2026