"Dana White's Contender Series began back in 2017. Since then, the Contender Series has produced some big-name upcoming stars like Dan Ige, Sean O'Malley, Geoff Neal, Maycee Barber, and Edmen Shahbazyan. In short, it has been a huge success for finding talent. A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant."
"A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant. Holding the Contender Series with a smaller cage inside the UFC Apex venue makes for a tense atmosphere, and with only close friends and family of the competing fighters in attendance as spectators."
"Wes went 6-1 as an amateur, winning multiple middleweight championships in the process from 2019 to 2021. Schultz turned pro in late 2021, with his first three opponents having a combined record of 21-24. Some very experienced matchups for a fighter starting out as a pro, with two of those fights being under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner- a Texas, USA based promotion and leading producer of UFC talent."
Dana White's Contender Series began in 2017 and has produced notable UFC prospects such as Dan Ige, Sean O'Malley, Geoff Neal, Maycee Barber, and Edmen Shahbazyan. Contender Series fights carry high stakes as fighters must impress the UFC president to earn contracts. Events at the UFC Apex use a smaller cage with only friends and family in attendance, creating a tense atmosphere and limited contract awards. Wes "Party Time" Schultz is a 29-year-old middleweight (7-2 pro) who first fought on DWCS in 2024 against Mansur Abdul-Malik and returned in 2025 to face Mario Mingaj. Schultz went 6-1 as an amateur, turned pro in late 2021, faced experienced early opposition including two LFA bouts, lost a unanimous decision to Dylan Budka, then began a multi-fight win streak.
Read at Cageside Press
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