Dana White denies UFC contract to Abe Alsaghir after DWCS win

UFC CEO Dana White has refused to offer a contract to lightweight Abe Alsaghir following his victory on Dana White's Contender Series. While four other winners from the Week 1 event received deals, Alsaghir was the sole victor left without a spot on the roster.

Alsaghir, who moved to 9-0 with the win, secured a split decision against Fabrizio Escarrega (9-2). The scoring was inconsistent, as one official turned in a 30-27 card for Escarrega, while the other two judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Alsaghir.

White expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance, noting that he expected the fighter to demonstrate more dominance in the third round. The decision to withhold a contract followed a night at the Meta Apex where several other prospects were rewarded.

Anthony Wint was a primary standout, improving his record to 7-0 by securing a TKO victory over Matt Adams (6-3) in just 34 seconds. Bilal Hasan also earned a contract after a 45-second TKO win against Mridul Saikia (9-2).

In the featherweight division, Thomas Pagliarulo (11-2) defeated Ananias Mulumba (10-4) via TKO. The referee stopped the contest with 36 seconds remaining in the third round. Joseph Kropschot (9-3) was the only other winner to receive a deal, handing Jon Kunneman (10-1) his first professional loss via a unanimous decision.

Despite the decision-based win for Kropschot, Alsaghir remains the only winner from the opening week of the series to be denied a UFC opportunity.