Dana White's Contender Series 2026 Week 1 results: Anthony Wint, Bilal Hasan earn UFC contracts
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- Bilal Hasan finished Mridul Saikia at bantamweight in 45 seconds, prompting Dana White to call him "the biggest favorite in the history of Contender Series" and confirming his UFC contract on the spot.
- Anthony Wint, a former FIU linebacker who landed on the New York Jets practice squad, starched Matt Adams in 34 seconds in the heavyweight main event; his coach is former UFC champion Robbie Lawler.
- Thomas Pagliarulo rallied from being rocked in round one to submit Ananias Mulumba with third-round ground and pound at featherweight — Mulumba is now 0-2 on DWCS after also losing to Marwan Rahiki a year ago.
- Joe Kropschot earned the fourth contract via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over Jon Kunneman, while Abe Alsaghir took a split decision over Fabrizio Escarrega but did not receive a deal.
- Wint told White after the fight he wanted to compete "in Philly this weekend" or otherwise in Los Angeles, signaling an immediate promotional push for the heavyweight finisher.
Why it matters: Four fighters locked UFC roster spots on opening night, with two of the five fights ending inside one minute — a pace that positions Hasan and Wint as fast-tracked signings rather than developmental adds. The Mulumba subplot is notable: a fighter who lost on DWCS in 2025 came back and lost again, illustrating how narrow the path through the show actually is.
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