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.

Adam “Bomb” Livingston (7-1 MMA)

Age: 25 years old

Height: 6’2″ / Reach: 73.5″

Weight Class: Lightweight (155lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2025 (Week 6)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Tommy Gantt (12-0 MMA)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2026 (Week 4)

New Opponent: Hunter Smith (8-1 MMA)

 

First Contender Series Fight

Adam Livingston had a seven-fight amateur combat sports career beginning in early 2020. He was a multiple time champion and went 6-2 as an ammy in MMA. When Adam went pro in 2022, he continued fighting under the Flex Fights promotion.  Submitting his then 0-11, opponent in the first. Livingston would appear couple more times under the New York based regional promotion. One of those fights would include him beating a 1-0 fighter for the vacant Lightweight Flex Fights strap. But Livingston would also fight in larger regional promotions like CFFC and LFA.

After defeating via finish a then 8-4 Hugo Oyarzun, who had cage time against future UFC-level competition, Livingston got the call.

In Livingston’s first Contender Series appearance he was never able to really get anything going against his opponent. Adam was completely overwhelmed by the wrestling of his opponent and committed multiple fence grabs. Just midway through the round, Adam got caught in a guillotine and was submitted.

First Contender Series Opponent

Adam’s first opponent on the Contender Series, Tommy Gantt, received a UFC contract for his round one victory. Gantt also improved to 8-0.

The NC State University alum would not make his promotional debut till May when he was supposed to take on an 18-7 Trey Ogden, who is 3-3, 1 NC with the UFC. But Ogden withdrew due to injury.

Instead, Tommy fought 7-0 Fury FC regional product Artur Minev in what was also his UFC debut. Tommy smothered Artur with more chain wrestling and then he could handle, eventually getting the second-round TKO.

Gantt has been booked to fight 16-3-1 Drakkar Klose on the undercard of Noche UFC on September 12. Klose is close to being a 10-year vet of the UFC with a 10-3 promotional record. Obviously, UFC brass thinks highly of Gantt.

Makes sense for Livingston to get a second look as well.

The Road Back

Since his first appearance on the Contender Series Adam has had two booked fights and one cancellation.

Livingston was supposed to fight a 3-2 Quintezs Sapp (who also had at least eight amateur MMA fights under his belt). That fight was scheduled for back in February.

In May Livingston fought a 7-3 Kyle Pufahl on the main card of LFA 232. Livingston landed a highlight reel worthy spinning back elbow to get the victory towards the end of the second round.

That in combination with having faced a fighter like Gantt in his first appearance, and it’s an obvious fighter to bring back.

Gameplan/New Opponent

For his shot at redemption on the Contender Series, Livingston will take on Hunter Smith. Hunter had at least a six-fight amateur MMA career including winning a championship with the Gulf Coast promotion.

Most of Hunter’s fights were under the regional Louisiana based promotion, American Kombat Alliance (AKA). Smith’s one loss was to Elliot Hebert, who was 2-1 when he submitted Hunter in 2024. Smith’s most recent fight, back in March was the rematch the AKA championship. Hunter delivered with a first-round KO and birthed his appearance on the Contender Series.

Smith has only heard the final bell twice in his career. He’s got some vicious punches, so it’ll be a totally different, and probably more welcome, look this time around on the show.