Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.
With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.
Rumored for a late-June 2020 start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.
We begin with the big boys – heavyweights.
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Hugo Cunha
Record: 5-0
Age: 27
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro
Brazil is known for its roots in jiu-jitsu, but Hugo Cunha lives by his wrestling. A coach to Alex Oliviera, Thiago Santos and more, Cunha is highly touted among Brazilians for his wrestling abilities, but his ground skills don’t stop there. Cunha also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Competing for Future FC, Titan FC, and WOCS, Cunha has finished all five of his professional fights. He’s green, but he’s improving. What better way to figure out if he’s ready for the big leagues than DWCS?
Image via CFFC
Chris Daukaus
Record: 8-3
Age: 30
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: Philadelphia
Brother of DWCS Season 3 competitor Kyle Daukaus, Chris Daukaus deserves his fix, too. After starting his career at 2-2, Daukaus has won six of seven. His lone loss in the stretch came against Azunna Anyanwu – a fight he was largely winning. Daukaus is currently booked to face a DWCS alumnus Shawn Teed, one of the three men to hold wins over Daukaus. If Daukaus successfully defends his CFFC title and avenges a loss in the process, DWCS should be next.
More fighters on the next page:
10 heavyweights you can expect to see on Dana White's Contender Series, Season 4
