UFC

Five Fighters Earn UFC Contracts After Contender Series Week 3

By LockerRoom Team August 27, 2025

Five fighters secured UFC contracts after an action-packed Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday night at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

For the second straight week, UFC CEO Dana White handed contracts to all five winners, as four finished their bouts in the first round while one earned a dramatic third-round comeback victory.

In the main event, Ryan Gandra extended his winning streak to seven with a dominant first-round TKO over Trent Miller. Gandra overwhelmed Miller with a barrage of punches that forced referee Mark Smith to step in at 2:51 of Round 1.

The co-main event saw Marcio Barbosa continue his trend of first-round finishes, stopping Damon Wilson with heavy hooks at 4:14 of the opening frame. Barbosa has now earned 16 career wins, 16 of which have come by stoppage.

Earlier in the night, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev remained undefeated at 7-0 after dismantling Alik Lorenz in just 30 seconds. Yakhyaev blitzed his opponent with sharp punches, quickly securing a first-round TKO and a UFC deal.

The lone fight to reach the third round came when Manoel Sosa rallied back from two difficult rounds to stop Cristian Perez at the 3:00 mark of the final frame. Perez controlled much of the early action with his wrestling and submission attempts, but Sosa turned the tide with relentless striking in the last round to earn the comeback victory.

In the opening bout of the evening, Donte Johnson delivered another fast finish, stopping the much larger Darion Abbey at 1:04 of the first round. Despite a significant size disadvantage, Johnson stunned Abbey early and sealed the win with a flurry of punches.

Contender Series Week 3 Results:

  • Ryan Gandra def. Trent Miller via TKO (punches), Round 1, 2:51

  • Marcio Barbosa def. Damon Wilson via TKO (punches), Round 1, 4:14

  • Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Alik Lorenz via TKO (punches), Round 1, 0:30

  • Manoel Sosa def. Cristian Perez via TKO (punches), Round 3, 3:00

  • Donte Johnson def. Darion Abbey via TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:04

With the Week 3 results, five more fighters now join the UFC roster, continuing the Contender Series tradition of showcasing future stars.