The ninth season of Dana White's Contender Series begins on August 12, with some highly-rated prospects involved in the fighting show.
The program invites a host of unsigned MMA fighters to compete for the chance to win a contract with the UFC to kick off their career in MMA.
Dana White's Contender Series season 9 is looking like one of the most impressive ones yet, with a host of talented fighters looking to make their name and impress Dana White in the octagon.
Many fighters each year earn a contract through this format, including former champions like Sean O'Malley and Jamahal Hill, and this year will be no different.
We've compiled a handy list of five of the top prospects from the first episode of the ninth season of Dana White's Contender Series
At 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing in at over 200 lbs, Frenchman Ilian Bouafia is a force to be reckoned with in the first episode of Dana White's Contender Series.
The 6-0 Light Heavyweight is nicknamed "The Gorilla", which tells you all you need to know about the undefeated fighter.
Bouafia has only gone the distance once in his career, showing his incredible knockout power which should be on display on the first episode of the ninth season of the show.
Since turning professional in 2022, 25-year-old Ty Miller has impressed with six wins on the bounce inside the octagon to build up to his debut in front of White.
The 6 feet 2 inches tall American looks to be a hot prospect at Welterweight, having trained with Tom Vaughn to get himself ready for his career in fighting.
He faces another tough American in Jimmy Drago, in the first episode of the show. While Drago has five years of experience on Miller, expect the youngest fighter to use his knockout power to his advantage in Las Vegas.
Chechnya continues to produce impressive fighters for the UFC, and Baysangur Susrukaev looks to be another addition to that group.
The Russian Middleweight is gearing up for a fight against Murtaza Talha, a man who enjoys a 9kg weight advantage over him.
However, Susrukaev has proved himself against tough opponents his entire career, and has yet to taste defeat in his first seven bouts of his career.
This included five first-round knockout victories, showing that the Russian has the power in him to fell any foe, which should make him an exciting fighter to watch on August 12.
The next fighter who could be a top prospect to come from Dana White's Contender Series is the promising George Mangos.
The Australian fighter is already the top-ranked Featherweight in Australia and New Zealand and is considered the #2 pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the entire region.
He has already won titles as an amateur and a professional, going 7-0 as a professional in just the past two years.
This upcoming fight in Las Vegas is a chance for Mangos to make a name for himself in the United States and prove that he is as good as the stats suggest.
One of the most impressive fighters to come out of Chile is Christopher Ewert, who will be in action in the first episode of the upcoming TV series.
"El Tanke" is a 6 feet 1 inch Middleweight with a powerful punch and a killer instinct in the octagon, which has done him well so far in his career.
He was initially planned to make his UFC debut at UFC 317, bypassing the Contender Series completely to appear on the undercard.
However, he weighed ten pounds over the weight limit, severely damaging his relationship with the promotion.
This opportunity is a chance to mend fences and prove he can be trusted as a UFC star, which should start with a big victory on the first episode of the Dana White Contender Series.