Kicking off this UFC Paris edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series welterweight, Zevan Hunt. Hunt discusses getting the call to fight on Contender Series and the emotions he felt when it came. Plus, he’s sharing the origin story of one of the most unique nicknames in the history of the show – “Cheese” – and discussing how it went from a family nickname to being used in the cage. All of that, plus we’ll be breaking down his fight on week six. He fights tough, Ecuadorian, knockout-artist, Mayton Perea for a shot at a UFC contract.

Fights, Dogs and Parlays: UFC Paris (14:58)

After an absolutely insane UFC Shanghai, the UFC will stay on the road for another banger of a card. UFC Paris takes place in France and is headlined by the country’s newest signee. Salahdine Parnasse steps right into the main event fire when he welcomes to Dan Hooker to the City of Light. Plus, in the co-main event, a pair of French lightweights do battle for a chance to move up the rankings. Axel Sola and Fares Ziam both look to take that next step on home soil. We’ll break down those fights as well as some of our other favorite fights on the main card. Plus, as always, we’re hitting you with an underdog and a plus-money parlay that we think will make your wallet fat this weekend. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Martin Kozak Interview (20:56)

Closing out this UFC Paris edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White Contender Series middleweight, Martin Kozak. The Slovakian prospect discusses bringing his style to the Contender Series and making a statement for his country. Plus, we get the origin of the nickname CEO and a breakdown of his fight on week five.

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Pereira (3-2) will take on Smilla Sundell (2-0) on the October 13, 2026 episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Journalist Léo Guimaraes was first to report news of the booking.

While neither fighter has what you would call an impressive record in mixed martial arts, their experience in other combat sports might make up the difference. Pereira, who has won her last two bouts and was most recently seen defeating Jade Masson-Wong on the MVP MMA 1 card back in May, has also competed in kickboxing, similar to her brother.

Like “Poatan,” Aline Pereira has appeared for GLORY kickboxing, while also going 3-0 under the Karate Combat banner.

By just 16-years old, Smilla Sundell was the number one ranked women’s featherweight Mauy Thai fighter in the world, per WBC MuayThai. The following year, she became the youngest title holder in ONE Championship history, winning strawweight Muay Thai gold at just 17. Ahead of her second title defense in May of 2024, Sundell was stripped of her title for missing weight (but won the bout regardless).

Her Muay Thai record stands at 36-5-1.

The age gap will likely be the talk of the fight: while Pereira is 35, Sundell is still just 21-years old.

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Smith will face Jordan Heiderman in the second round of the Gamebred FC heavyweight tournament on October 2, 2026 in the Dominican Republic, headlining the card. Promotion officials announced the booking on Tuesday, and in doing so released a statement outlining their decision to continue working with “Lionheart” in light of his legal troubles.

“Anthony is facing serious allegations, and like every person in this country, he is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence while his case moves through the courts,” a statement by Gamebred FC President Lex McMahon, who runs the promotion alongside Jorge Masvidal, read in part. “He has pleaded not guilty, and that process deserves time to play out fully and fairly, on its own timeline, without a promotion, a headline, or public opinion getting ahead of the facts.”

“Anthony also has a family to provide for, and competing is how he does that. Taking away his ability to earn a living before he has had his day in court is not something Gamebred FC is willing to do to him or the people who depend on him.”

Smith’s arrest this past July saw him facing charges in Sarpy County, Nebraska on counts of making terroristic threats, false imprisonment in the first degree, and domestic violence assault causing serious bodily injury. They stemmed from an altercation with his wife that appeared to kick off at a concert venue, then spill into the family home, where Smith allegedly threatened to shoot himself if police were called.

The fighter was released on bond, to the tune of $500,000. Smith’s wife has since spoken out in support of her husband, calling him a “good man, a great dad, and a wonderful husband who loves us endlessly.”

McMahon’s statement appeared to echo that sentiment. “Jorge and I have known Anthony and his family for years. What we have seen, up close and over time, is a loving, devoted husband and father – nothing else. That doesn’t mean we are closing our eyes to what has been reported. It means we also know there is more to this story than has made it into the headlines, and we believe Anthony deserves the chance to tell it, fully, in the appropriate setting, not through speculation.”

“Our support for Anthony going forward is not a statement on the specifics of the case – those will be decided by the court, as they should be. It is a statement about fairness, about due process, and about standing by someone we know until we are given real reason not to.” The statement finished by saying that no further comment on the matter would be issued.

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Allen (27-7) and Duncan (15-2) are set to face off atop the card at the Meta Apex on October 10, 2026 in middleweight action. Promotion officials announced the booking on Tuesday.

The pair are ranked #4 and #10 in the UFC’s official middleweight rankings as voted on by members of the media.

“All In” Allen has won his last three fights, picking up two Fight of the Night bonuses in the process. A former LFA standout, the 30-year old has defeated ex-title challenger Marvin Vettori, former ONE Championship double-champ Reinier de Ridder, and most recently Edmen Shahbazyan on his current run.

From 2022 to 2024, Allen compiled a seven-fight win streak, only to run into a pair of setbacks opposite Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez.

Those now appear to be firmly behind him.

As for Duncan, “CLD” has won five straight, over the likes of Roman Dolidze and former title challenger Jared Cannonier. A Cage Warriors veteran, the British middleweight has two Performance of the Night bonuses in that run.

The UFC Vegas 122 card now features the following reported match-ups:

• Brendan Allen vs. Christian Leroy Duncan
• Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi
• Jai Herbert vs. Matheus Camilo
• Francisco Prado vs. Artur Minev
• Darya Zheleznyakova vs. Alice Pereira
• Melissa Gatto vs. Ernesta Kareckaitė
• Felipe Franco vs. Alexander Poppeck
• Gerald Meerschaert vs. Julius Walker
• RJ Harris vs. Allen Frye Jr.
• Ketlen Souza vs. Loopy Godinez
• Andre Fili vs. Kai Kamaka III

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PFL Chicago is headlined by Liz Carmouche rematching Jena Bishop, this time for the promotion’s inaugural women’s flyweight title. Joining that flyweight fight atop the card will be another rematch, as Timur Khizriev (18-0) runs it back with Gabriel Braga (17-3) at featherweight nearly two years on from their first encounter.

Promotion officials announced the booking on Tuesday.

Khizriev first met Braga in the PFL’s 2024 tournament semifinal, earning a split decision nod to advance to the final. There, he would defeat Brendan Loughnane to win the season and collect a million dollars in prize money.

The 30-year old Dagestani, who has never lost a fight as a pro in MMA, has not competed since. The same cannot be said for Gabriel Braga, who has fought four times since his loss to Khizriev. The Brazilian has posted a 3-1 record in that span, defeating UFC vet Jeremy Kennedy among others.

Timur Khizriev is ranked #2, and Braga #5 in the promotion’s featherweight division.

PFL Chicago takes place at the Wintrust Arena on Friday, October 16, 2026. The following match-ups have been announced for the card:

• Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop – for the vacant PFL women’s flyweight championship
• Timur Khizriev vs. Gabriel Braga
• Denis Goltsov vs. Maxwell Djantou Nana
• Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Rafael Do Nascimento
• Alexander Shabliy vs. Landry Ward

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Bella Mir’s loss to Alex Apodaca may turn out to be the biggest storyline of the season, but there’s still plenty of fights to come as part of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10. Week 4 featured Patrick Rivera, a Shogun fighters welterweight, taking on Ireland’s Adam Darby, who had spent the entirety of his career with Cage Warriors. That clash promised to be one of several exciting match-ups, with lightweights, heavyweights, and middleweights also in action.

Tuesday’s returning fighters with Adam Livingston and Brandon Holmes, with Livingston kicking off the card opposite Hunter Smith at lightweight.

Where to Watch Dana White’s Contender Series

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 4 Results

Welterweight: Adam Darby def. Patrick Rivera by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 3, 2:42
Middleweight: Modestino Rodrigues def. Brandon Holmes by TKO (punches), Round 1, 0:15
Lightweight: Silvestre Sanchez def. Liam McCracken by KO (left hook), Round 3, 2:44
Heavyweight: Gabriel Lorenco def. Charlie Cleveland by KO (punches), Round 1, 2:02
Lightweight: Adam Livingston def. Hunter Smith by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Contract Winners: Adam Livingston, Gabriel Lorenco, Silvestre Sanchez, Modestino Rodrigues, Adam Darby

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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.

Brandon Holmes (6-1 MMA)

Age: 29 years old

Height: 6’2″ / Reach: 74″

Weight Class: Middleweight (185lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2025 (Week 2)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Cam Rowston (15-3 MMA)

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

New Opponent: Modestino Rodrigues (7-1 MMA)

First Contender Series Fight

Brandon Holmes had at least a four-fight amateur MMA career, including a title victory over a 3-1 fighter.

Holmes turned pro in 2023 and went 3-0 in the smaller promotions. With two finishes and a unanimous decision under his belt, Holmes took on a then 6-5, Zack Borrego on Fury FC 104 in May of 2024. Brandon delivered a finish with just two seconds to go in the fight. And even though Brandon had another fight booked on Fury FC the UFC called the middleweight up.

Brandon’s first Contender Series appearance was over pretty much as fast as it began. Brandon’s opponent immediately hurt him with a right hand then swarmed him with a barrage of well-placed strikes. When the dust settled Holmes had suffered the first loss of his pro career just over half a round.

First Contender Series Opponent

Cam Rowston, Brandon’s opponent, earned a contract as a result of his first-round finish. Rowston was actually a fighter looking redemption on the Contender Series from the 2024 season, so the signing wasn’t surprising.

The City Kickboxing fighter made his UFC debut a month and a week later as he fought a then 13-4 Andre Petroski. Rowston made quick work of Petroski, who was 8-3 with the promotion, stopping him midway through the first round.

Rowston appeared four months later at the end of January on the undercard of UFC 325. Cam took on the hyper-active Cody Brundage who was 6-6-1, 1 NC with the promotion heading into that bout. Cam stopped Brundage late in the second round with punches from back mount.

In Rowston’s most recent fight, he fought 18-6, Robert Bryczek to a unanimous decision victory. Bryczek entered that fight with a 1-1 promotional record, including a stoppage-victory over vet Brad Tavares.

Rowston is again scheduled to compete on a Volk card, this time on the prelims of UFC 333 in late October. Cam has drawn a ranked opponent this time as well, as he takes on the #14 ranked Abus Magomedov.

Cam has been putting in work in the middleweight division, and is super active, meaning this loss couldn’t have aged any better for Brandon at this exact moment.

The Road Back

Brandon has had one fight scheduled and competed one time since his first appearance on the Contender Series.

Rowston took on a 4-0 Preston LaGrange on the main card of Fury 112 back in January. Cam smoked his opponent, violently slamming him and stopping him with ground n’ pound punches midway through the first round. That performance in combination with all that his first Contender Series opponent has been doing since last year makes him a pretty easy fighter to bring back, especially within the middleweight division.

Gameplan/New Opponent

For his second appearance on the Contender Series, Brandon will be taking on Modestino Rodrigues. This isn’t Modestino’s second time being here, but he is more experienced in professional MMA than Brandon. Modestino is also a veteran of the K-1 Kickboxing Grand Prix 2025.

Rodrigues is very dangerous and gets the job done in a hurry more often times than not. His one loss was to a an 0-2 fighter that stopped him in one minute. His best win was against a 4-0 Virgilio Ailton in his most recent pro MMA fight (June 2025). Looks like Modestino is mostly blowing guys up in the first round, with his latest fight being 69 seconds into the second round. Fans should expect a true edge of your seat middleweight fight. And the winner is absolutely getting a contract.

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Joshua Pacio (24-5), a three-time ONE strawweight champ, will face off against Keito Yamakita (13-1) at ONE Samurai 5 on November 18, 2026. The event takes place at the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota in Tokyo, Japan.

ONE officials announced the booking on Wednesday.

Pacio, a.k.a. “The Passion,” is 4-1 across his last five fights, with the lone loss being a failed bid to claim flyweight gold opposite Yuya Wakamatsu last November. The Filipino champ returned in July, submitting Mansur Malachiev to defend his strawweight belt. Coincidentally, Pacio’s last four wins have come against just two opponents, as he has defeated both Malachiev and Jarred Brooks on two separate occasions.

19 of Pacio’s victories have come inside the distance.

Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita will be fighting at home in Japan come November. A former Pancrase champ, Yamakita has quietly built an impressive resume in ONE Championship, building up a 6-1 record inside the promotion. Picking up submission victories at the first two ONE Samurai shows appears to have punched his ticket to a title shot.

Yamakita holds victories over a pair of ex-ONE Championship title holds in Alex “Little Rock” Silva and Yosuke Saruta.

The post Joshua Pacio to Defend ONE Strawweight Title Opposite Keito Yamakita At ONE Samurai 5 appeared first on Cageside Press.

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.

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Song Yadong

In a year full of upsets, Song Yadong’s second-round KO of Umar Nurmagomedov will make the shortlist for ‘Upset of the Year’. After falling short to Sean O’Malley in January, Song has now managed to not only bounce back, but to put a stamp on his 2026. His fate now rests in the hands of Merab Dvalishvili this October. If Merab wins, then I think Song will get the next shot since there would be no appetite for Merab/O’Malley 3. If Petr Yan defends his belt, then the O’Malley rematch is a no-brainer. If we give the champion the benefit of the doubt, then Song will have to face Mario Bautista in a number one contender bout.

Song’s next fight: Mario Bautista

Denise Gomes

The strawweight has been in bad need of fresh names to rise and Denise Gomes has now added her name to the Fatima Klines and Alexia Thainaras of the world. Yan Xiaonan may be 37 years of age coming off a 16-month layoff, but she was still a top5 strawweight and former title challenger. Gomes didn’t just beat her, she clobbered her inside a round. This win was more impressive than Kline’s over Ricci or Thainara’s over Lemos. I get the sense that Tatiana Suarez may get the next shot at the title, so I say make Gomes vs Thainara in the meantime.

Gomes’ next fight: Alexia Thainara

Kai Asakura

The flyweight experiment may have failed for Kai Asakura, but the Japanese fighter looks a whole lot more promising at bantamweight. After earning back-to-back KOs at 135 pounds, Asakura called for a shot at a ranked opponent, and I wouldn’t be opposed to it. With everyone ranked 8^th to 13^th already booked, I say give Asakura a big jump and book him with Aiemann Zahabi in Canada this fall.

Asakura’s next fight: Aiemann Zahabi

Sumudaerji

After the No Contest in last May, the book on the Alex Perez-Sumudaerji rivalry is now closed, with the ‘Tibetan Eagle’ emerging victorious. Sandwiched in between a slew of impressive finishes, this fight won’t be remembered as the high point of the card, but it was carrying real stakes at flyweight nonetheless. After falling out of the rankings a couple years ago, Sumudaerji has now fought his way back inside the top15. A fight with Amir Albazi would make a lot of sense for both fighters.

Sumudaerji’s next fight: Amir Albazi

Liu Ce

It was a successful debut for Liu Ce as he not only scored the second-round KO of Levi Rodrigues Jr., but also earned ‘Fight of the Night’ honours. From Muhammad Saidov, Lucas Fernando and even Reinier de Ridder making the move up last week, to a former K1 kickboxer in Liu Ce the light-heavyweight division, which is in need of any exciting additions, has been adding some intriguing pieces lately. Let’s test Liu’s MMA striking against another former kickboxer in Dustin Jacoby.

Liu’s next fight: Dustin Jacoby

Bilal Hasan

From earning a sub-one minute KO on the Contender Series earlier this month to the Michael Jackson walkout, 25-year-old Bilal Hasan looks like a future star. Knowing Hasan has not gone to the scorecards since his MMA debut, I say the best move for the UFC is to keep him active against a consistent level of opposition. Give him as many reps in the octagon as possible to build his highlight reel and make him a known commodity to the casual fans. A veteran like Kevin Borjas is good enough to test Hasan, while being beatable enough that Hasan would be favoured. He’s exactly the kind of fighter the ‘IndoNinja’ should be facing.

Hasan’s next fight: Kevin Borjas

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