Former Cage Warriors standout and Paddy Pimblett teammate George Staines punched his ticket to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with a knockout Type Abushaar with a vicious slam tonight (Tuesday, September 29, 2026). 8th week Contender series Season 10 At Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The featherweights traded nasty low kicks to open the fight before Abushaar narrowly missed with a high kick. Staines then closed the distance, secured the takedown and forced his opponent to work back to his feet.
Abushaar was able to stand up, but he wasn’t up for long.
Staines immediately picked him up and did a brutal mat back that knocked Abushaar unconscious. The undefeated Englishman landed a couple of unnecessary follow-up kicks before the referee could intervene.
Check out the devastating finish below:
Staines, 26, improved to 11-0 with the biggest win of his young career.
Liverpool’s next generation MMA prospect trains alongside Pimblett and fellow undefeated standouts Luke Riley. Despite only turning pro three years ago, Staines has already faced respectable competition from both Cage Warriors and OKTAGON MMA.
Staines now owns a 45 percent finish, three submissions and two knockouts. After such a highlight Contender serieshe shouldn’t have to wait long to hear from the UFC CEO Dana White and co to call his name for his UFC debut.
As for Abushaar, the loss snapped his four-game winning streak. He’s still a talented prospect who could eventually find his way to the UFC – it just won’t happen this year.
For more information Contender series news and notes, be sure to click through our comprehensive archive here.
