Dana White stunned after disgusting spinning elbow knockout at DWCS

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Zain Bando | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 6:43 AM ET

(Zuffa LLC)

In one of the best seasons the history of Dana White’s Contender Series, the 10th and final week of Season 9 didn’t disappoint, with some electrifying finishes across the board from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada Tuesday night.

One of those fights with an unforgettable moment was in the co-main event of the evening between Kwon Won-Il and Juan Diaz at bantamweight, which ended rather emphatically - as had the majority of the night’s action.

Diaz (15-5-1 MMA) traded blows with Won-Il (14-6 MMA) before doing the unthinkable in the closing seconds of Round 2.

In a fight UFC CEO Dana White highly encouraged ESPN's "SportsCenter Top 10" to include in the show's nightly highlight package, Diaz landed a now-viral spinning-back elbow to become one of five fighters signed in the season's final episode and add his name to the season's 36-fight list of finishes across a 10-week span.

Dana White Goes Nuts Over Juan Diaz's KO

(Zuffa LLC)

HOLY SPINNING ELBOW

JUAN DIAZ JUST GAVE US ONE OF THE BEST KOs IN #DWCS HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/foUOwM1fEe
— UFC (@ufc) October 15, 2025

White kept his reaction relatively simple when asked to comment further on the fight, in only the most White-esque way possible.

"Koreans have a rough time with those elbows," White said.

In a general sense, though, White was pleased with the season as a whole.

"I f****** love this show," White told reporters at the post-fight presser. "It's great. These kids come in and they literally let it all hang out. It's very rare we get a fight in here [at the APEX] where it's like 'eh,' you know what I mean?"

As far as the show's future is concerned, White did confirm the show would be continuing throughout the Paramount era, all but confirming newer seasons of the show would end up on Paramount Plus beginning next year.

White added his goal is to see the show move outside of the United States to territories such as Abu Dhabi, for example.

The Future Of DWCS In 2026 And Beyond

Chris Unger-Zuffa LLC

All in all, 46 contracts were awarded this season. The number is tied for the most ever in the show's history, as Season 7 also saw an identical number of UFC signees. White says the number can fluctuate, but in reality, the sport's timeline and talent pool remain the two biggest factors when predicting how a season shakes out.

"Obviously, the talent, the show, the sport [of MMA] evolves and gets better, but I think the mindset coming into this competition now — people understand what it's gonna take to get signed and maybe that's it," White said.

It remains to be seen how the show evolves, but for now, the ninth season is in the books as an all-time classic.