Tom
Pagliarulo's career aspirations are finally coming to
fruition.

Pagliarulo (11-2) took on Ananias
Mulumba in a featherweight clash on Week 1 of
Dana White's Contender Series 2026. “The Phenom†left it all in
the cage, finishing Mulumba with ground-and-pound in the final
seconds of the fight, earning an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract for his efforts.

‘Most afraid I've ever been': Tom Pagliarulo details how his
team helped him stay focused ahead of DWCS Week 1

Pagliarulo admits that he was very nervous throughout fight week.
However, his coaches and teammate, UFC bantamweight Cory
Sandhagen, helped him stay dialed in. The 29-year-old is glad
to have finally made it to the biggest stage in MMA, even if it
came a little later than he expected.

“This is the most afraid I've ever been in my life, all week,â€
Pagliarulo said in his post-fight interview. “My coaches and Cory
Sandhagen back home kept me locked in. Just reminded me to go be
me, and that will always be enough. I'm like a cockroach; you got
to kill me if you want to put me away… I was never the most
talented or naturally gifted kid. Growing up, doing all these
sports, I fell short of all my goals. I was never the starter in
all of those team sports. But I was always the hardest worker in
the room; I kept showing up. My coaches back home told me, ‘You've
always had that fire.'â€

UFC CEO Dana
White later commended Pagliarulo's performance before awarding
him a contract.

“Thomas, you were in a dog fight, turned it on in the third round,
and finished a really tough kid,†White said. “Congratulations,
you're in.â€

GNP gets the job done 💪

Tom
Pagliarulo earns the first finish of #DWCS
S10!

[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/5AkTat5vp4

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 12, 2026

TOMMY P is in the UFC 🤩

Tom
Pagliarulo is signee #2 of S10 of #DWCS!

[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/WomRdRyzuK

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 12, 2026

Stephen
Thompson is looking to end his
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a bang.

Thompson (17-9-1) recently revealed that he has one fight left in
his current UFC contract. “Wonderboy†is looking to fight out his
deal at the UFC's annual New York City card in November at Madison
Square Garden, which will likely be UFC 334.

Stephen Thompson targets Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden with
one fight remaining on his UFC contract

Thompson is going through the welterweight roster to scout an
opponent who can deliver a potential banger with him.

“Madison Square Garden, Nov. 14, got to make it happen,†the former
title challenger told Home of Fight. “I've actually got one fight
left in my contract. We're looking at November… We'll see who we
get. We're kind of looking at the roster, trying to find out a good
fight. A good barnburner, if you will, for that card.â€

While Thompson never tasted UFC gold despite two attempts against
Tyron
Woodley, the former kickboxer has endeared himself to the
fanbase with his flashy striking style and well-mannered nature.
The 43-year-old is currently on a three-fight slump, losing to
Gabriel
Bonfim, Joaquin
Buckley and Shavkat
Rakhmonov in his recent bouts.

🔥 Stephen “Wonderboy†Thompson wants to
finish his UFC contract at Madison Square Garden on November 14—and
go out with one final barn burner.

“We have one fight left, and why not go out in front of everyone at
Madison Square Garden one last time?

We want to get the right… pic.twitter.com/WET4XM5FXZ

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
August 11, 2026

Joseph
Kropschot can't believe his opponent refused to tap to his
submission attempt on
Dana White's Contender Series.

Kropschot kicked off the DWCS 2026 Week 1 action in a middleweight
clash against Jonathan
Kunneman. He maintained higher output while his opponent
desperately looked for a Hail Mary overhand right. Kropschot also
locked in an armbar in the final seconds of the fight that looked
deep enough to secure a finish.

Joseph Kropschot revisits ‘gross' injury to opponent on
DWCS

Kunneman, perhaps too tough for his own good, refused to tap.
Kropschot eventually dislocated Kunneman's arm before walking away
with a unanimous decision win. The victor subsequently said that he
can't believe his opponent didn't tap to the armbar.

“I cannot believe he didn't tap,†Kropschot said in his post-fight
interview. “That bent like at the right angle. Gross.â€

Kropschot (9-3) was on a four-fight finishing streak going into his
DWCS opportunity, where he earned an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract for his performance.
Meanwhile, Kunneman (10-1) suffered his first professional
loss.

TOO MUCH ON THE LINE TO TAP 😤

Jon Kunneman vs Joseph
Kropschot goes to the scorecards!

LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus!
pic.twitter.com/UOpAYZ0Kd9

— UFC (@ufc) August
11, 2026

Joe Kropschot is ASTOUNDED that his opponent
didn’t tap to this armbar 🤯

[ #DWCS
| LIVE on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/9c52rQVY9l

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 11, 2026