Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series is all the rage. Having gone through two seasons and three episodes in Brazil, the Contender Series is THE go to show for the next big UFC talent. But here on MMA Mathematics, we like to put those claims to the test. Just how successful have Contender Series alumni been so far inside the octagon?
Is the Contender Series doing its job?
With standout stars like Suga Sean O’Malley, we always are sure to hear about how successful Contender Series fighters are. That’s just because the UFC brass wants the show to be successful, especially when it’s coming exclusively to ESPN+ next season. What we’ve done is not only combined all the in-octagon records for the Contender Series, we’ve broken it down by season as well to see how successful the fighters have been.
Season One of the Contender Series had many more fights than Season 2 and Brazil.
With 24 fights completed by fighters who were offered contracts from the show, as well as nine more offered after the show in short notice fights, Season One has racked up a record of 13-11, without the short notice fights, and 16-16 with the short notice fights.
It’s important to distinguish between the two. Having a full fight camp plays a major difference in the fights and it shows. Full camp Contender Series fighters from Season One have a .542 win percentage. Short notice, with a 3-4 record, drags that record down to an even .500.
Season Two fighters have only had four fights booked, and they have a 1-3 record. It’s also worth mentioning that one of those fights was a short notice fight, which was a loss. Without short notice fights, Season Two sits at a .333 win percentage, significantly lower than season one. A short notice fight loss doesn’t help, dragging it down to .250.
Keep in mind, every fighter on season one has fought with the exception of Boston Salmon. Season Two has only seen four of its twenty-two fighters signed. Compare that with Season One’s 20 fighters, and we’re looking at fairly even sample sizes. Look for Season Two to start adding on the wins and losses, as the season has multiple fighters signed to fight in the upcoming months.
Brazil, the Savior
Brazil is the third section of the show. Only airing three episodes, none of which were live, their sample size is a lot smaller. Brazil signed 11 fighters, half of Season Two. Of those 11, two have fought and gone 2-0. Yup, Brazil is batting 1.000 at the moment.
Overall, the Contender Series signees have compiled a record of 19-19, dead even. But, with much of Season Two getting ready for their UFC debut fights, and Season One getting ready to get their second fights in, these numbers are bound to change. You can be sure MMA Sucka will update you on those as the seasons roll by.
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