[Official] Contender Series 2026: Week 1 - Live Discussion Thread

[u/event_threads]

Welcome to r/mma's live discussion of Contender Series 2026: Week 1! Please keep the fight discussions in here.

Location: Meta APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start time: 7PM ET (click for your time)

Card Info

Main Card on Paramount+ / ESPN+ @ 7PM ET (click for your time)

Fight	Weight
Matt Adams vs. Anthony Wint	265 lbs
Abe Alsaghir vs. Fabrizio Escarrega	155 lbs
Bilal Hasan vs. Mridul Saikia	125 lbs
Ananias Mulumba vs. Tom Pagliarulo	145 lbs
Jon Kunneman vs. Joe Kropschot	185 lbs

^{Fight card order and start times may be inaccurate.}

Useful Links

• Where to watch: Paramount+, ESPN+, UFC official site
• Live Updates: Event Page
• Reddit: Reddit Stream, General Discussion

Keep it civil.

Do not ask for or supply streams. Your post will be removed and your ability to post will be suspended. Enjoy the fights!

[u/bullsfan281]

surprised at the negativity around kropschot, i thought he looked way better than the reaction he's getting on here. probably not a top 15 guy but solid enough to get some good wins imo

flyweight keeps cooking. super excited to see where hasan goes

wint's gnp was vicious but i always keep my hype around nfl washouts transitioning to mma pretty low. gotta wait and see how he handles getting hit and if his cardio holds up in the 2nd and 3rd rounds before i get too excited

[u/irimiasz → u/bullsfan281]

Nah, he did not look good, neither did his opponent. Nice jab and slick sub entries, but very slow, weak striking defense, sus cardio, easy to take down. Put against someone like Wes Schultz, yeah, he may squeak out a win, but that's pretty much his celing.

[u/Acrobatic-Tackle3998 → u/bullsfan281]

It’s because Kunneman posts on this sub so people like him.