Dana White's Contender Series moves to Paramount+ for season 10

Dana White's Contender Series will begin its tenth season on Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+, MMA Mania reports, marking a new chapter for the talent-discovery program that has produced multiple UFC champions since launching in summer 2017.

The show will continue to originate from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Handpicked prospects compete in one-night showcases, with White awarding UFC contracts based on performance rather than results alone. Over 300 contracts have been issued across nine seasons, launching the careers of current heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg, bantamweight titleholder Sean O'Malley, and welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena, among others.

Paramount+ takes over from ESPN as broadcast partner

The move to Paramount+ represents a platform shift after the series spent its previous runs on ESPN+. White had predicted the show's growing reach would eventually land it on a major network. "When we put on fights now, these fights start trending worldwide like our pay-per-views do or our big fights," he said in 2022, per the report. "This will eventually, it should be, and eventually will be on ESPN the network."

Recent graduates include rising prospects Payton Talbott, Jean Silva, Carlos Prates, and Mauricio Ruffy. The format mirrors The Ultimate Fighter without the reality show elements, focusing strictly on in-cage action.

Season 10 opens Aug. 11 on Paramount+.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Dana White’s Contender Series headed to Paramount+ for historic 10th season on Aug. 11