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'I Don’t Care': Dana White Refuses to Sign Contender Series Fighter After Struggling Win

Originally posted on EssentiallySports
By Dushyant Patni | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 12:50 AM ET

Since its inception in 2017, the Contender Series has always been more than just a fight card. It’s a job interview, one night where careers are made or crushed under the bright lights. Fighters step in not just to win but to convince boss Dana White they belong on the biggest stage in MMA.

This week, the message was loud and clear. Winning alone wasn’t enough. Russia’s Rashid Vagabov entered as the biggest betting favorite of the night, but after three rounds of work against Brazil’s Paulo da Silva, his decision victory left White cold. The result? No UFC contract, no handshake, and no seat at the big table.

Dana White shuts the door for Rashid Vagabov despite winning big at DWCS

Speaking after the fights, the UFC boss broke down his decision by stating, “Let’s start with Rashid, 7-1 favorite, talking to me during the fight, telling me you’re going to be a world champion while you’re having a tough time beating the guy who was a 7-1 underdog. Not tonight my friend, maybe again. You’re obviously a talented guy, get back in the gym and maybe we’ll see you again, you’re young.”

The numbers backed White’s frustration. Vagabov swept the scorecards (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) but struggled to put away da Silva, who entered with Charles Oliveira in his corner. Despite controlling much of the action, Vagabov failed to deliver the explosive finish that the Contender Series has become known for.

Laura Sanko then asked the UFC head honcho how much the betting lines impact his decision-making. His answer was blunt as he confessed, “They don’t but I just look at them. And listen, I walk in here knowing nothing.”

White pointed out that UFC matchmakers only bring in fighters they believe in. But the audition is what matters most as he further shared in the video, “And I don’t care if you talk to me, I don’t care if you talk, I don’t care what you do. But if you’re going to come in, and you’re going to be yelling at me, telling me that you’re the next world champion, while you’re having trouble fighting a guy that the odds makers made 7-1, I’m not too excited about it.”

The statement summed up the UFC’s ruthless reality: past success doesn’t guarantee future opportunities. As MMA journalist Damon Martin pointed out in a series of posts on X, “Dana wasn’t sitting at his table waiting to greet Vagabov. That tells you all there is to know: He’s not getting signed. On tape, Vagabov seemed the most UFC-ready of any of these guys. He was finishing everyone in his way lately. Just goes to show you Dana doesn’t care about what you did before, he only cares about what he gets to see during your job interview on #DWCS”

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but also a familiar story for many fighters who have walked through the Contender Series cage. You can be a decorated prospect, a fan favorite, or even a heavy favorite on the betting lines. But if you don’t deliver fireworks, the UFC door stays shut. While Vagabov left empty-handed, others seized their chance. Damian Pinas scored a knockout in under two minutes. Louis Jourdain pulled off a slick rear-naked choke in the third round.

Christopher Alvidrez scored a late TKO, and Kurtis Campbell needed just 80 seconds to get his finish. All four earned contracts, leaving Vagabov as the lone winner without a golden ticket, and one of them can now follow in his brother’s footsteps to make history in the UFC!

Canadian prospect impressed White as he calls for a slot at UFC Vancouver alongside his brother

For Louis Jourdain, the moment carried extra weight. The bantamweight prospect walked into the UFC Apex with a goal: win his fight, secure a contract, and join his brother Charles Jourdain on the UFC roster. His opponent, Magno Dias, wasn’t easy to put away. For most of the fight, it was a competitive battle. But in the third round, Jourdain saw his opening.

Just 39 seconds into the frame, he latched onto Dias’s neck, locked up a rear-naked choke, and forced the tap. It wasn’t just a win. It was the kind of emphatic finish Dana White looks for on Contender Series.

Speaking to Laura Sanko in his post-fight interview, the Canadian standout confessed, “We started training together, but I had a lot of injuries, then COVID happened and I couldn’t get a fight. It’s time, I really hope I’m going to get the contract and maybe fight in two weeks in Vancouver. ”

The Vancouver card on October 18 holds special significance. His brother Charles is already slated to compete there. If Louis joins him, it would mark the first time a pair of Canadian brothers has fought together on a UFC event. That kind of history is hard to ignore, and Jourdain knows it. And with a record of 9-3, plus the ability to finish fights in the clutch, he made a convincing argument that the UFC stage is where he belongs.

As such, the Contender Series’ week 8 was a reminder of just how unforgiving Dana White’s standards can be. Rashid Vagabov discovered that even dominance on the scorecards won’t cut it if the spark is missing, while Louis Jourdain showed that one perfectly timed finish can change everything. That’s the dual edge of DWCS; one fighter leaves with questions about his future, another with a life-changing contract and a chance at history alongside his brother!

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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