Dana White's Contender Series Alums With The Most UFC Wins
Season seven of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) is well underway, with plenty of new talent signing with the UFC and more to come. With the alums of the series growing stronger as the years go by, now is the perfect time to look at the DWCS fighters who have the most wins in the UFC.
7: Ricky Simon (8 Wins, 3 Finishes)
Our first alum is the #12 ranked Bantamweight Ricky Simon. Simon debuted in 2018 in a chaotic fight against Merab Dvalishvili, winning with a buzzer-beater guillotine choke in the final second of the third round. Since then, he's racked up victories against highly rated prospects and divisional veterans, such as Jack Shore and Raphael Assunção. Despite losing his last bout to Song Yadong, Simon is entering the prime years of his career and will be looking to break into the top 10 of the division in his next matchup, which is currently unconfirmed.
6: Maycee Barber (8 wins, 4 finishes)
Our next entry with equal wins but an extra finish goes to "The Future" Maycee Barber. After an impressive display on the contender series, it was a no-brainer she'd be signed to the UFC, and she immediately started to live up to her nickname in the beginning, securing three TKO victories over Hannah Cifers, JJ Aldrich and Gillian Robertson. However, she'd hit a roadblock in her next few bouts, dropping decision losses to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso. Fans weren't convinced in her next bout, where she was awarded an incredibly controversial split-decision win over Miranda Maverick. However, she's now riding an impressive five-fight win streak and looks to add more names to her resume as she climbs the rankings.
5: Grant Dawson (8 wins, 5 finishes)
The final tied entry at the fifth spot goes to Grant "KGD" Dawson. Many fans have declared Dawson the dark horse of the Lightweight division, and after going 8-0-1 in the UFC with victories over Mark Madsen and Damir Ismagulov, it's clear to see why. The incredibly underrated grappler has been silently climbing his way into the rankings since his debut in 2019, where he beat Julian Erosa by unanimous decision. However, after struggling with making weight in the Featherweight division, Dawson would move up to Lightweight, where he is currently undefeated. Now ranked at #10 in the Lightweight rankings, a big matchup is undoubtedly on the horizon for Dawson.
4: Dan Ige (9 Wins, 4 Finishes)
One of the most exciting Featherweights around also holds the fourth-place spot on this list. Dan "50k" Ige debuted in 2018, which he lost via unanimous decision. However, the loss wouldn't deter Ige, and he went on a six-fight win streak, adding names like Edson Barboza and Mirsad Bektić to his resume. Since Ige entered the rankings and took a step up in competition, "50k" has dropped some decisions to the likes of Movsar Evloev and Calvin Kattar but has always stayed active and is now riding a two-fight win streak. His next scheduled bout is against Bryce Mitchell, where he'll look to get his tenth victory inside the UFC octagon.
3: Sean O'Malley (9 Wins, 6 Finishes)
The current Bantamweight Champion and UFC superstar Sean O'Malley has enjoyed a successful stay in the UFC, dropping just one loss to Marlon Vera across his entire career. After making a successful debut in 2017 and securing another win in 2018, O'Malley would be hit with a myriad of suspensions and, after going through hip surgery, wouldn't return until 2020. Since his return, O'Malley has terrorized the division, dominating opponents like Kris Moutinho and Raulian Paiva before competing against Former Champion Petr Yan and winning against him. His run to the title was capped off in August 2023, where he TKOed Aljamain Sterling in the second round to capture the throne, as fans eagerly await for his next matchup to be announced.
2: Brendan Allen (10 Wins, 7 Finishes)
Middleweight veteran Brendan Allen hasn't enjoyed the popularity of some of the other fighters on this list, but that doesn't stop him from being an absolute killer in the Middleweight division. Allen made his debut in 2019, winning via submission against Kevin Holland. He's only dropped two losses throughout his UFC career and has a stacked resume, including Punahele Soriano, André Muniz, and Bruno Silva. Allen is an exceptionally active fighter who averages three bouts per year and already has his next fight booked against Paul Craig despite just fighting in July.
1: Kevin Holland (12 Wins, 9 Finishes)
The funny story with Kevin Holland is that he didn't even receive a contract from his DWCS bout, as Dana White said he was too cocky. But after a last-minute replacement was needed for Light-Heavyweight contender Thiago Santos, White wanted to see if Holland, who would need to move up a weight class, would take the fight. Holland did, and now, he's got twelve victories inside the octagon, including nine finishes, seven performance bonuses, a knockout of the year contender in 2020, and the record for most bouts in a calendar year. Kevin Holland remains one of the most active fighters in the UFC, averaging 3-4 fights per year. With a bout against Jack Della Maddalena coming up in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2, Holland will be looking to separate his lead further and continue to add more names to his stacked resume.
Were there any names that surprised you on this list? And who will be holding the record this time next year? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
