On Tuesday, the UFC will debut its fifth season in Dana White's Contender Series at the Apex facility located in Las Vegas.
This show pits unsigned talent against each other in a one night audition for a UFC contract. It's not very old but has already produced 117 additional UFC fighters, including 37 last year. Dana White and his team will tell fighters who impress them after their fights whether they have been awarded a UFC contract or if they are eligible to attempt again in the future.
Although the show has yet to produce a UFC champion (although it did produce Alex Perez, a flyweight) in 2020, it did produce its first title challenger.
Derek Brunson has a winning streak of four fights into Saturday's fight against Darren Till. Both UFC middleweights are looking to get into the title picture. UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till
Saturday, Sept. 4, UFC Apex, Las Vegas Main card: 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Prelims at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Subscribe now to ESPN+ for exclusive UFC live events, weigh ins, and more. Dana White's Contender Series and other exclusive MMA content.
Season 5 opens with an international vibe. Only two of eight Week 1 fighters hail from the United States. The main event features Matheus Scheffel (light heavyweight), one of three Brazilian Week 1 fighters, against Azamat Murzakanov (9-0), who is one of three undefeated fighters featured on the card, along with A.J. Fletcher
Here are my votes for the top three fights on the show as the promotion prepares to award a new set exclusive fight contracts.
You can watch Season 5, Episode 1 on ESPN+ of Dana White’s Contender Series.
14-1 overall, 6-1 UFC (with four KOs).
The O'Malley hype almost makes it seem like some strange thing has happened, right? It cuts both ends, in fact. Some people see him as a future champ. Others view him more as an overrated, protected UFC fighter and not a top-10 talent.
Personally, I prefer the former to the latter. It's easy for O'Malley to post pictures on Instagram and make assumptions about him that are untrue. It's also easy to overlook the real, important things O'Malley has going for it. O'Malley is smart, mature, and hardworking. He is 26 years old and extremely confident in his abilities. This I consider a positive thing.
I love the personality and the flair of this sport. However, underneath I see a talented bantamweight. It would be no surprise if he ascended to the rank of champion. There is a lot of potential in this area.
Geoff Neal (left) had a difficult fight with Stephen Thompson in December, but managed to get some shots. Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Geoff Neal, welterweight
13-4 overall, 5-2 UFC (with 3 KOs & 1 submission).
UFC Fight Night Pick'Em Make your selections and enter for a chance at winning a free stream of UFC 266. Take Your Picks
Neal is currently coming off two consecutive losses in his career. But, I can tell you that we were very close at seeing Geoff Neal emerge in 2020. The 31-year old welterweight suffered a series of setbacks. In the first half 2020, he was diagnosed with a severe COVID-19 infection. This required him to be admitted to an intensive care unit. After that difficult experience, he was confronted with one of the most challenging challenges in the division, a five-round bout against Stephen Thompson. He lost by decision to Thompson last December. In a three-round decision, Neal lost to Neil Magny four months later.
This seems like a spot where some will jump on the Neal bandwagon. But I am holding firm. While I'm not making excuses for him, I think we didn't see the best of him in his two last fights because of circumstances beyond his control. He sounds healthy and is close to making a comeback. I have high expectations for him.
Jimmy Crute, light-heavyweight
12-2 overall, 4-2 UFC (with 2KOs and 2 submissions).
Crute was voted the No. 1 fighter by ESPN last year. Crute was voted the No. 1 fighter in the world by ESPN last year. This gives you an indication of how highly we regard him.
Pablo Torre, ESPN Daily's host, gives you an inside look at some of the most fascinating stories at ESPN. This podcast is available Monday through Friday. Listen
They have the skills and the record proves it. In his last fight, he was in a "too many, too soon" position. He lost to Anthony Smith in the first round of a stoppage. Crute was clearly suffering the most in that fight. However, it is worth noting that he sustained a rare leg injury which caused the fight to be stopped.
Crute's ceiling is still very high to me, at the end of the day. Crute wouldn't be out of his league in any potential matchups at weight 205. He is a rising star and he's still young. You could do worse than to invest all your Contender Series stock in Crute, or any of the Contender Series alumni.
How to see the fights
You can watch ESPN+. WatchESPN
Are you not a subscriber to ESPN+? Get ESPN+ here.
FightCenter also offers live updates on every fight card.
Tuesday's fight card
ESPN+, 8:15 p.m. ET
Light heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Matheus Scheffel
Men's featherweight: Diego Lopes vs. Joanderson Brito
Men's flyweight: Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Candelario
Welterweight: A.J. Fletcher vs. Leonardo Damiani
