Overview

• All ten Week 1 competitors successfully made weight at Monday’s official DWCS weigh-ins, clearing the way for opening night
• The premiere was moved up to a 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT start on ESPN+ to avoid conflicting with The Ultimate Fighter finale
• Week 1’s middleweight-heavy card pairs undefeated prospects Ilian Bouafia and Baysangur Susurkaev with returnees Christopher Ewert, Murtaza Talha and Yuri Panferov seeking second chances
• BetOnline odds list Bouafia at –260 and Susurkaev at –350 as the early favorites on Week 1’s slate
• Dana White will award UFC contracts at his discretion over the 10-episode run, extending a pipeline that has produced 287 deals since 2017