The UFC's best pipeline for talent is back, as "Dana White's Contender Series" returned for Season 9 on Aug. 12.
The show wasted little time proving why it is the premiere path to the Ocatgon in Week 1 as Khamzat Chimaev's Russian teammate Baysangur Susurkaev stole the show, knocking out Murtaza Talha with a vicious kick to the liver in Round 1 to earn a UFC contract.
Susurkaev immediately put his UFC contract to work, booking a spot on the UFC 319: Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis undercard in Chicago just four days later. Susurkaev rode the hype wave all the way to his first win, a second-round rear naked choke submission of fellow debutante Eric Nolan.
Could there be another breakout fighter this season? Here are the matchups, results and fighters who earned a UFC contract from each week.
How to watch the fights
Watch "Dana White's Contender Series" Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
FightCenter offers stats and analysis for every UFC and "DWCS" card.
"Dana White's Contender Series" Season 9 matchups and results:
Week 1 results
Middleweight: Ilian Bouafia def. Neemias Santana by unanimous decision
Welterweight: Ty Miller def. Jimmy Drago by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Baysangur Susurkaev def. Murtaza Talha by TKO1
Featherweight: Radley da Silva def. George Mangos by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Yuri Panferov def. Christopher Ewert by unanimous decision
Miller and Susurkaev were given UFC contracts.
Week 2 results
Featherweight: Jose Delano def. Manuel Exposito by unanimous decision
Middleweight: Cam Rowston def. Brandon Holmes by TKO1
Men's bantamweight: Louis Lee Scott def. Kaushik Saikumar by TKO3
Heavyweight: Josh Hokit def. Guilherme Uriel by TKO2
Featherweight: Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi by TKO1
Jimenez, Hokit, Scott, Rowston and Delano were given UFC contracts.
Week 3 results
Light heavyweight: Ryan Gandra def. Trent Miller by TKO1
Featherweight: Marico Barbosa def. Damon Wilson by TKO1
Light heavyweight: Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Alik Lorenz by TKO1
Lightweight: Manoel Sousa def. Cristian Perez by TKO3
Heavyweight: Donte Johnson def. Darion Abbey by KO1
Gandra, Yakhyaev, Sousa, Perez, Johnson and Barbosa were given UFC contracts.
Week 4 results
Welterweight: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Jack Congdon by KO1
Middleweight: Cezary Oleksiejczuk def. Theo Haig by KO1
Lightweight: Mandel Nallo def. Samuel Silva by KO1
Men's flyweight: Eduardo Chapolin def. An Tuan Ho by unanimous decision
Featherweight: Tommy McMillen def. David Mgoyan by majority decision
McMillen, Nallo, Oleksiejczuk and Lebosnoyani were given UFC contacts.
Week 5 results
Heavyweight: Steven Asplund def. Anthony Guarascio KO1
Featherweight: Lerryan Douglas def. Cam Teague by KO1
Light heavyweight: Freddy Vidal def. Felipe Franco by SUB3
Lightweight: Samuel Sanches def. Chasen Blair by KO1
Women's flyweight: Carol Foro def. Shanelle Dyer by unanimous decision
Foro, Dyer, Sanches, Douglas, and Asplund were given UFC contracts.
Vidal will fight again on Week 10.
Week 6 results
Bantamweight: Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee by unanimous decision
Light heavyweight: Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly by KO1
Lightweight: Thomas Gantt def. Adam Livingston SUB1
Middleweight: Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang by unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu KO3
Chovanchek, Gantt, Baraniewski and Sosa were given UFC contracts.
Week 7 results
Middleweight: Mantas Kondratavičius def. Dani Barbir by TKO1
Featherweight: Murtazali Magomedov def. Brahyan Zurcher by TKO1
Women's flyweight: Jeisla Chaves def. Sofia Montenegro by split decision
Featherweight: Javier Reyes def. Justice Torres by TKO1
Light heavyweight: Rafael Tobias def. Jair de Oliveira by SUB1
Tobias, Reyes, Chaves, Montenegro, Magomedov and Kondratavičius were given UFC contracts
Week 8 matchups
Middleweight: Vitor Costa vs. Damian Pinas
Men's bantamweight: Louis Jourdain vs. Magno Dias
Welterweight: Christopher Alvidrez vs. Eliezer Kubanza
Featherweight: Kurtis Campbell vs. Demba Seck
Men's flyweight: Rashid Vagabov vs. Paulo da Silva
Week 9 matchups
Lightweight: Lucas Caldas vs. Magomed Zaynukov
Men's bantamweight: Adrian Luna Martinetti vs. Mark Vologdin
Flyweight: Imanol Rodriguez vs. Roque Concecaio
Catchweight: Luis Felipe Dias vs. Jimmi Pace Jr.
Light heavyweight: Luke Fernandez vs. Rafael Pergentino
Week 10 matchups
Light heavyweight: Freddy Vidal vs. Levi Rodrigues
Men's bantamweight: Kwon Won Il vs. Juan Diaz
Featherweight: Marwan Rahiki vs. Ananias Mulumba
Welterweight: Michael Oliveira vs. Victor Valenzuela
Heavyweight: Azamat Nuftillaev vs. Jovan Leka
Middleweight: Mario Mingaj vs. Wes Schultz