The landscape of mixed martial arts has been altered drastically since the introduction of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017. Alongside it’s role as an intriguing piece of dramatic content in the UFC‘s extensive media portfolio, the reality show now serves as the primary pathway for fighters to graduate from the regional scene into the world’s leading promotion.
The expansion of the UFC’s roster (now made up of over 700 fighters) and the need to fill fight cards on an almost-weekly basis has increased the demand for exciting talent.
Whereas once the tried and tested path toward the big show may have been to win belts in other organizations and prove yourself to be one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC, nowadays we see fighters making the breakthrough earlier in their careers via the likes of DWCS and The Ultimate Fighter.