Dana White Contender Series Season 8: Three Asian MMA Talents To Fight For A Chance To Land UFC Contracts

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Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) season 5 returns this week with the first episode starting on August 13, Tuesday, featuring Asian MMA athletes China's Meng Ding, Vietnam's An Tuan Ho and Hong Kong's Lone'er Kavanagh.

DWCS is a special platform for the world's hottest MMA prospects to fight in front of UFC President Dana White for a chance to earn a UFC contract. The season which starts on August 13, will end on October 15.

Notable fighters who won UFC contracts on the show include bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, Raul Rosas Jr, Joe Pyfer, Bo Nickal, and Payton Talbott.

On DWCS Season 5, six Chinese athletes from the UFC Academy at the Performance Institute Shanghai participated, and Maheshate became the first Chinese athlete to earn a UFC contract on the show. On Season 6, Yusaku Kinoshita became the first and only fighter from Japan to win and be signed.

DWCS Season 8 will be the most international to date, and will include several prospects from Asia, reflecting the promotion's commitment to global talent development, and representation of Asian fighters in UFC. Kicking off DWCS this week, three will be featured:

• In a flyweight bout, Lone'er Kavanagh half-Irish, half Chinese Hong Konger, faces Vietnamese-born An Tuan Ho.
• In a welterweight bout, China's Meng Ding will face Rami Hamed out of Moscow by way of Lebanon.

Bantamweight Bout: An Tuan Ho versus Lone'er Kavanagh

An Tuan Ho was born in Tan Phong, Vietnam and spent his childhood there before moving to the US. The opportunity to fight on DWCS is destiny for him, being undefeated as a professional.

"As a kid growing up, I was never great at anything. But the first week after training MMA, I knew I was going to do it for the rest of my life, and I knew I was going to be right here."

Lone'er Kavanagh is half Irish, half Chinese, raised by a Hong Kong mom who instilled in him a love for combat sports at just eight years old. "My mom got me into Wushu and Sanda. Having a strong Chinese mom behind me definitely pushed me to excel. Now I'm working towards being the "final boss" in MMA!"

Both bantamweights enter this match with records of 6-0. They are sizing up each other in a pivotal challenge that will alter the course of their life.

Ho believes they are both well-rounded, and it will come down to whoever makes the right decision at the right time. "But I have put every single ounce of sweat and blood into preparing for this fight. I'm very confident I will get the contract."

Kavanagh also doesn't take his opponent lightly. "He has to be at a good level to get to where he is now. But I'm excited to show what I can do against someone like that."

Ho hopes to become only the third Vietnamese-born athlete signed to UFC. "I feel very honored to represent Vietnam. Fighting in Dana White's Contender Series and trying to get a UFC contract means the world to me."

Kavanagh's confident as well, and looks even further down the road. "I want to show Dana that I can be exciting on the feet, on the ground, in wrestling department. To show him that I'm the next person to get the bantamweight title."

Welterweight Bout: Meng Ding versus Rami Hamed

Meng Ding is China's next highly touted athlete looked at for a UFC contract. He is a tall welterweight with a significant record of 34-8, amassed over eight years in China's MMA leagues.

"I'm a two-time $1 million RMB tournament winner in China. They can't find guys in China big enough and fast enough for me! I came from Chinese Sanda in Xi'an, but I'm more well-rounded now, and I'm proud to represent China."

Meng sees this opportunity as his launch pad to greatness. He's got confidence backed by skills in every aspect of MMA. "I'm super happy to fight in DWCS in front of Dana White. I trained with Weili's BJJ coach. I trained with Leech. Now I'm at Team Oyama's getting ready.

"I'm ready to kick some ass. I know I'm going to be top five in my division in the world, and I can't wait to be picked up at the airport for my next fight in UFC's stretch limo!"