DWCS 2026 Week 9: 4 fighters earn UFC contracts

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship added four new fighters to its roster on Tuesday, including a UFC employee.

9th week about
Dana White Candidate Series Season 10 concluded on October 6 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where four finishes resulted in the same number of contracts.

Dana White signs Mateus Soares, Roque Conceicao, Salhahuddin Everett and Preston LaGrange

Alivia Bierley (6-1) and Summer Oneley (6-1) started the game going the distance in his weight class. Bierley won by unanimous decision and Dana White didn’t see enough to sign him to a UFC contract.

“I was 1-1 in the third round,” White said. “And I felt like neither girl really tried to get in there and impose their will and really show that they wanted to win this fight. I didn’t see that in that third round and that made me make my decision. So unfortunately not tonight.”

While White was disappointed in the first fight, the second gave him everything he was looking for. Mateus Soares (12-2) needed just over a minute for the knockout Ryuho Miyaguchi (7-2) in his bantamweight match.

“Soares, you’re exactly what I’ve been looking for,” White said when signing Soares to the UFC. “That’s what I wanted to see tonight. You’re an absolute killer at 22 years old. And I’m excited to see your career in the UFC. Congratulations, welcome to the UFC.”

Roque Conceicao Moreira Jr (12-3) took over Alexander Chavez (9-1) in the flyweight tilt. Conceicao held his own against Chavez on his feet before being punched. He took advantage of the maneuver by locking up the triangle choke and forcing a tap in the first round.

“It was an unbelievable fight,” White told Conceicao upon signing the UFC contract. “Both of you were killer. Nasty jabs, great exchanges, then a straight triangle kick. I loved everything about your fight. We saw you punch, punch, punch, punch and impressively win by submission. Welcome to the UFC.”

Salhahuddin Everett (5-0), who works as a personal runner for UFC CEO Dana White, made his bid for the fighter’s contract in a welterweight bout. Ozzy Martin
(4-1). White had admitted before the fight that he was supporting his employee. The UFC CEO said he’s rarely heard Apex as loud as he did during the Everett match.

White also revealed that his friends in Boston had warned him that Everett would be in trouble. However, Everett took less than two minutes to put Martin to sleep with a vicious combination. White praised Everett’s personality when signing him to the UFC. He also thought the undefeated welterweight would now have to quit his UFC day job to focus on training full-time.

“We have title fights here; I don’t know if it’s ever been as loud as it was today during your fight,” White said. “And listen, everybody in the UFC loves you. You’re a great kid. Forget the whole fight and the contract; you’re a great person. It couldn’t have happened to a better person. You’ve worked your way up. And let me tell you what — all the guys in Boston were texting me on my phone tonight saying, ‘Your kid is in trouble.’ And you couldn’t have won more impressively. It’s kind of weird because you’re already in the UFC, but Sal, welcome to the UFC… It’s a life-changing contract. So, I highly doubt he has to show up to UFC HQ every day unless he’s training at PI.”

Preston LaGrange (7-1) and In the Aryan language
(6-1) closed out the card at light heavyweight. LaGrange began to get the better of Ariano, who then decided to have a slugfest.

LaGrange knocked out Ariano with a right hand in a notable upset. White admitted that he felt for the fighters before the match, as it would be difficult to top Everett’s performance in the previous bout. Still, a first-round knockout of the +400 underdog was enough to impress White.

“Preston, when I was in the back before your fight, I said, ‘I feel bad for Preston now that they have to come out after Sal did what he did,”’ White said of LaGrange’s UFC contract. “But holy shit, 4-1 underdog, that’s all I have to say. Bring your *ss here. Good luck.”