Dana White's Tuesday Night Contenders Series isn't just proving to be a stepping stone into the Ultimate Fighting Championship rankings, it's a legitimate springboard.
Recent DWTNCS standout Mike Santiago will make his official UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 115 on Sept. 2 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, taking on once-beaten Russian Zabit Magomedsharipov in a featherweight contest. Magomedsharipov was scheduled to take on Germany's Nick Hein, who withdrew last week due to an undisclosed training injury.
Intriguingly, Santiago was not one of the two fighters granted a UFC contract at DWTNCS 7 on Aug.