Dana White returns to our scenes again with the last season of his Contender Series from August 2025.
The UFC CEO starts the ninth season of the Contender Series of Dana White, while the program continues to grow and grow since its founding in 2017.
UFC champions such as Sean O'Malley and Jamahal Hill made their name in the TV program for the first time before they made the leap in professional fights, which shows that it is a real pipeline for young hunters to get their start in MMA.
Here is everything you need to know about season 9 of the Contender Series of Dana White.
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When is Dana White's Contender Series 9?
Season 9 of the Contender Series of Dana White starts on 12 August with a five-field card looking for emerging hunters to become future stars in the UFC.
The series runs from 12 August to 14 October, with each episode being expected to see several hunters to compete in the UFC.
The show starts at 19:00 (et), 16:00 (PT) and 12:00 (BST) on August 2 and is every week until the final on October 14.
How do you view the Contender Series of Dana White?
The only way to view 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 view the series in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The TV schedule of the Contender Series of Dana White
Ten episodes are planned for the ninth season of Dana White's Contender Series, which will be broadcasting in the coming ten weeks to find a number of stars to make it big in the UFC.
The show starts with five fights planned on 12 August to take place on average in every episode of the show.
The full schedule is as follows:
- Episode 1 – 12 August
- Episode 2 – 19 August
- Episode 3 – 26 August
- Episode 4 – 2 September
- Episode 5 – 9 September
- Episode 6 – 16 September
- Episode 7 – 23 September
- Episode 8 – 30 September
- Episode 9 – 7 October
- Episode 10 – 14 October
Jamahal Hill and Sean O'Malley prove that Dana White's Contender Series works
Dana White has proven that his competition series is a feasible pipeline to find undiscovered MMA talent, with countless fighters from the series to make a name for himself in the UFC.
Two of the biggest names to go through the show are O'Malley and Hill, who participated respectively in season 2 and season 3 of the program.
Both won contracts in the show before O'Malley UFC became Bantamweight Champion, while Hill is a former light heavyweight champion in the promotion.
Title finalers such as Alex Perez and Talia Santos also got their start in the Contender Series of Dana White, just like UFC Stalwarts Kevin Holland and then Ige.
This 2025 series is the chance for more hungry MMA hunters to impress the biggest stage of their career and hopefully forge a new path in the UFC if they are successful on ESPN+.