Guilherme Uriel earns second Dana White Contender Series chance

Guilherme Uriel entered his first Dana White’s Contender Series appearance with a 6-1 record, and all six of his victories had come by first-round stoppage. He will receive another opportunity on the series after winning his most recent fight at LFA 229.

Uriel stopped Leonardo Fraga in 96 seconds in that bout. Since his first Contender Series outing last year, he has fought only once, while two other scheduled contests were cancelled. That victory was enough to bring him back despite the difficult circumstances of his debut.

His first opponent was Josh Hokit, who overwhelmed him with pressure and wrestling before finishing the fight with ground-and-pound. Hokit was awarded a UFC contract after that performance and has since built a strong record inside the promotion.

Hokit stopped Max Gimenis in 56 seconds on his UFC debut and later finished Denzel Freeman at the end of the opening round. He then defeated Curtis Blaydes by unanimous decision before stopping Derrick Lewis with punches in the second round. Hokit is now ranked sixth in the UFC heavyweight division, giving Uriel’s earlier defeat added context.

The second opportunity will come against Mario Piazzon, another fighter seeking to recover from a previous setback on the Contender Series. The winner will be competing for a UFC contract, the defining prize of an event designed to identify talent for the promotion.

Dana White’s Contender Series has operated since 2017 and has helped launch the UFC careers of fighters including Dan Ige, Sean O’Malley, Geoff Neal, Maycee Barber and Edmen Shahbazyan. Its fights take place at the UFC Apex, where competitors must make a strong impression on UFC president Dana White to secure a place in the organisation.