Overview

• Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series is underway Tuesday at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, streaming at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S. and on UFC Fight Pass internationally.
• The main event pits Ryan Gandra against short-notice replacement Trent Miller at middleweight after Gandra’s original opponent, Vitor Costa, was unable to secure a U.S. visa.
• Featherweights Márcio Barbosa and Damon Wilson meet in the co-main event, with Abdul‑Rakhman Yakhyaev vs. Alik Lorenz (light heavyweight), Cristian Pérez vs. Manoel Sousa (lightweight), and Donte Johnson vs. Darion Abbey (heavyweight) rounding out the card.
• All fighters hit their marks at Monday’s weigh-ins, keeping all five bouts intact for the broadcast.
• UFC reported seven signings through the first two weeks of Season 9, underscoring the series’ pipeline role as Gandra cites impending fatherhood and work with Paulo Costa’s camp for motivation, while Miller steps in after a crowded August schedule.