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. 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. Emotions always run high, as a limited number of contracts can be given out on any given night, and many fighters can potentially have their dreams snubbed out solely because of bad luck.
In rare cases, however, a fighter gets a second look. This series will examine those.
Murtaza Talha (7-1 MMA)
Age: 29 years old
Height: 6’0″ / Reach: 74.5″
Weight Class: Middleweight (185lbs.)
First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 9)
Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Rodolfo Bellato (10-2 MMA)
Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2025 (Week 1)
New Opponent: Damian Pinas (7-1 MMA) Baysangur Susurkaev (8-0)
First Contender Series Fight
Murtaza Talha first competed on the Contender Series in 2023. Talha headed into that fight with a 6-0 record, mostly under the Brave CF promotion based out of Manama, Bahrain. Murtaza had also stopped every one of his opponents heading into his first Contender Series appearance, with just his debut fight making it out of the first round (and ending in the second).
All of Talha’s wins, under the Brave promotional banner, were against fighters with winning records. Murtaza made his debut against a fighter that was 5-1. Talha is a fighter that had an extensive amateur MMA fighting career as he went 12-0 and was a multiple time International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Champion as well as a European champion.
Talha was out struck and finished in the second round of his first appearance on the Contender Series to the surprise of many fans/oddsmakers.
First Contender Series Opponent
Murtaza’s first opponent on the Contender Series, Rodolfo Bellato, received a contract from his exciting finish over such a highly touted prospect.
Bellato was a redemption fighter himself, that had previously taken on Vitor Petrino in 2022 and came up short on his quest for a contract. Bellato’s wild unorthodox fight style is what earned him a contract but also what has cost him his consciousness.
Rodolfo was responsible for a very impressive 10-fight tear though the Brazilian regionals and was an LFA champ.
Since being singed to the UFC, Bellato is 1-0-1, 1 NC. He’s also had two canceled fights in the time period. Rodolfo has been a somewhat controversial fighter during his stint with the UFC. The Brazilian earned a performance bonus for his second-round finish of Ihor Potieria in December of 2023. Next, Rodolfo fought Jimmy Crute to a majority draw on UFC 312. And most recently, Bellato was rendered unable to continue via an illegal up kick in his controversial no contest with Paul Craig back in June.
This loss definitely hasn’t aged the best but at the same time hasn’t aged horribly for Murtaza.
The Road Back
Since his loss on the 2023 season of the Contender Series, Talha has only competed one time in pro MMA.
In February, Murtaza was slated to fight Luis Felipe Dias under the Belarusian Fight Championship (BFC) out of Minsk, Belarus. However the bout with the 15-5, 30-year-old fell through. Tells you the caliber of fighter Talha was attempting to take on. However, he ended up fighting 0-4 fighter, Oleg Klimov, instead and crushed him in 95 seconds. Hardly a fair fight, but the bout was not the original matchup.
Luis (the original matchup) is now scheduled to fight on this season of the Contender Series as well, on week 8.
Talha is too talented and has too extensive of an amateur record, especially for the middleweight division, to not be brought back for redemption on the Contender Series. Minimum effort required.
Gameplan/New Opponent
For his second appearance on the Contender Series, Murtaza will be taking on undefeated fighter Baysangur Susurkaev. Baysangur turned 24 earlier this year and is a veteran of the ACA Young Eagles Promotion as well as some local Russia regional circuit promotions. Susurkaev has finished six fights in the first round via strikes, including five inside of 90 seconds. He fights like a violent young fighter but went the distance last November against then 8-3 fighter, Shane Sobnosky, to win a unanimous decision. Baysangur’s last fight was a second-round finish against 4-1, Irakli Kuchukhidze in his Fury FC. These two fights were his introduction to fighting in the U.S. as well, so that won’t be a factor for the youngster.
Murtaza is a tall task for Baysangur. This fight is sure to be a good scrap, and fans should tune in to see if Murtaza’s experience is just too much for the young fighter.
