Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8
United States
Main Card • Final
Aruba
R1, 1:46
UFC Contract Winner
Brazil
Canada
R3, 0:39
UFC Contract Winner
R1, 4:44
UFC Contract Winner
Democratic Republic of the Congo
England
R1, 1:20
UFC Contract Winner
Senegal
Russia
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
Official Dana White’s Contender Series Contracts
Official UFC Contract Recipients
UFC Contract Awards: UFC CEO Dana White awarded official UFC promotional contracts to all four stoppage winners on the card: Kurtis Campbell, Christopher Alvidrez, Louis Jourdain, and Damian Pinas.
Performance Bonus Note: No traditional $50,000 Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night cash bonuses are awarded on Dana White’s Contender Series broadcasts.
Contract Decision: Rashid Vagabov secured a clean 30-27 unanimous decision victory in the opening flyweight contest but was not offered a promotional contract by Dana White.
Reported Payouts & Fighter Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 | |
| WIN | $5,000 | $5,000 | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $5,000 | — | — | $5,000 |
*Purses represent standard athletic commission baseline payouts for Dana White’s Contender Series bouts ($5,000 show / $5,000 win). Four victorious athletes (Damian Pinas, Louis Jourdain, Christopher Alvidrez, and Kurtis Campbell) received formal UFC promotional contracts from Dana White at the conclusion of the event.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8
Damian Pinas became the first mixed martial artist representing Aruba to headline a Dana White’s Contender Series event and successfully earn an official UFC contract.
With four stoppages across five scheduled bouts (3 TKOs and 1 submission), Week 8 recorded an outstanding 80% finish rate, tying the highest mark of Season 9.
Dana White awarded promotional contracts to 100% of the fighters who earned a stoppage victory on the evening (Campbell, Alvidrez, Jourdain, and Pinas).
The four contracts awarded at DWCS 84 brought the cumulative total of signed prospects to 35 through the first eight episodes of Contender Series Season 9.
England’s Kurtis Campbell delivered the fastest finish of the evening, dismantling Demba Seck in just 1:20 of the first round via knee and punch combinations.
Closing as a +210 betting underdog, Christopher Alvidrez scored two emphatic knockdowns to hand BRAVE CF veteran Eliezer Kubanza his first career defeat via TKO at 4:44 of Round 1.
With his third-round rear-naked choke submission over Magno Dias, Louis Jourdain punched his ticket to the UFC, joining his brother Charles Jourdain on the active roster.
Three of the card’s five bouts ended inside the opening five minutes (Kurtis Campbell at 1:20, Damian Pinas at 1:46, and Christopher Alvidrez at 4:44).
Russian flyweight prospect Rashid Vagabov controlled Paulo Henrique for 6 minutes and 46 seconds while scoring 3 takedowns and 3 submission attempts to sweep 30-27 on all cards.
Damian Pinas stopped former Jungle Fight double-champion Vitor Costa via doctor’s stoppage at 1:46 of the first round following heavy facial lacerations caused by a straight right hand.
Christopher Alvidrez became the only welterweight in DWCS Season 9 to record multiple knockdowns (2) inside a single round before achieving a stoppage victory.
Kurtis Campbell continued the growing pipeline of UK-based regional champions graduating to the big stage, securing his UFC contract at just 23 years of age.
When and where did Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8 take place?
Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8 took place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at the Meta APEX (UFC Apex) in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Vitor Costa and Damian Pinas?
Damian Pinas defeated Vitor Costa via TKO (doctor’s stoppage from punches) at 1:46 of Round 1 in their middleweight headliner.
Who won UFC contracts on Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 8?
UFC CEO Dana White awarded four contracts to the event’s stoppage winners: Kurtis Campbell (featherweight), Christopher Alvidrez (welterweight), Louis Jourdain (bantamweight), and Damian Pinas (middleweight).
Why was Rashid Vagabov not awarded a UFC contract despite winning his fight?
Although Rashid Vagabov won all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards (30–27, 30–27, 30–27), Dana White elected not to sign him, citing a lack of offensive urgency and finishing threat against an opponent he was heavily favored to finish.
Is Louis Jourdain related to UFC veteran Charles Jourdain?
Yes. Louis Jourdain is the younger brother of long-time UFC featherweight and bantamweight contender Charles Jourdain. With his third-round submission win over Magno Dias, the Jourdains became the latest brother duo in the UFC.
How did Christopher Alvidrez defeat Eliezer Kubanza?
American welterweight Christopher Alvidrez pulled off a major betting upset by scoring two knockdowns against previously undefeated power puncher Eliezer Kubanza, finishing him with punches at 4:44 of Round 1.
What was the fastest knockout of the night at DWCS Season 9, Week 8?
England’s Kurtis Campbell registered the fastest stoppage of the card, stopping Demba Seck in just 1 minute and 20 seconds of the first round with a clinch knee and follow-up strikes.
How many fights ended in a finish at DWCS Season 9, Week 8?
4 out of the 5 fights ended inside the distance (an 80% finish rate), with three first-round knockouts and one third-round submission.
What was Damian Pinas’ record and background entering the main event?
Representing Aruba, 23-year-old Damian “The Baba Yaga” Pinas entered the bout with a high-finishing record, stopping Brazilian veteran Vitor Costa in just 106 seconds to earn his spot on the UFC roster.
Where was Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Week 8 broadcast?
The event streamed live across the United States exclusively on ESPN+ and Paramount+, and internationally via UFC Fight Pass.
UFC news
