Mateus Soares Earns UFC Contract After 63-Second Knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series

Mateus Soares needed just 63 seconds to make his case for a UFC contract. The 22-year-old Brazilian bantamweight delivered a devastating first-round knockout against Ryuho Miyaguchi on DWCS 95, earning a UFC contract in the process. 

Soares stopped Miyaguchi with punches at the 1:03 mark of the opening round at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.

Mateus Soares Showcases Intensity in DWCS 95 Win

Soares entered the bout with an 11-2 professional record and had already established himself as one of Brazil’s more dangerous young prospects. Miyaguchi arrived with a 7-1 record, making the matchup an intriguing clash between two fighters looking to turn a single opportunity into a UFC career.

There was little feeling-out process. Soares immediately applied pressure, forcing Miyaguchi backward while looking for opportunities to land his power shots. The Japanese fighter attempted to establish his own striking rhythm, but Soares continued moving forward and eventually found the opening he needed.

Miyaguchi stepped in with a jab, and Soares answered with a sharp one-two combination. The second punch landed cleanly and sent Miyaguchi down, prompting the referee to intervene and bring the fight to an end.

The official UFC result lists the finish as a knockout by punches at 1:03 of Round 1. Tuesday's victory pushed Soares' professional record to 12-2, with 11 of those wins coming inside the distance.

Soares Riding Momentum into DWCS 95

It also marked his 10th career knockout, underlining the finishing ability that made him such an appealing addition to the Contender Series lineup. Soares had plenty of momentum entering the UFC APEX.

According to UFC's preview, the Rio de Janeiro native had won four consecutive fights heading into the bout and had recorded 10 finishes in his first 13 professional victories. His recent run included consecutive first-round stoppages, while his broader career featured championship experience in Brazil and appearances for LFA and Shooto Brasil.

His background also helped explain the aggressive style he brought into the cage. UFC described Soares as a product of Rio de Janeiro's Jacarezinho community who developed his striking through Muay Thai and karate.

He also entered the fight openly confident that he could knock Miyaguchi out and earn the UFC contract he had been chasing. Dana White clearly liked what he saw.

Dana White Impressed by Mateus Soares

After the finish, the UFC CEO told Soares that he was exactly what White had been looking for and praised the young Brazilian's performance before officially welcoming him to the promotion. White specifically highlighted Soares' age, finishing ability and overall aggression.

Soares was one of four fighters to earn UFC contracts during Week 9 of Dana White's Contender Series. Roque Conceicao, Salhahuddin Everett and Preston LaGrange also received deals after scoring first-round finishes on the same card.

For Soares, however, the night was about more than another victory on his record. He walked into the UFC APEX as a promising 22-year-old prospect and walked out with the biggest opportunity of his career.

Real Challenge Awaits Mateus Soares

Now comes the difficult part. The UFC bantamweight division is one of the deepest weight classes in MMA, and Soares will quickly discover that the competition becomes considerably tougher once the Contender Series lights are replaced by the UFC Octagon.

After 63 seconds in Las Vegas, the new UFC signing has already made one thing clear: He doesn't intend to waste time getting noticed.