Adama Diop earned a UFC contract on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after stopping Zaurbek Sabanov by TKO in Week 8 of Season 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas. The 31-year-old heavyweight, a Hexagone MMA alum, becomes the first Senegalese fighter signed by the promotion, according to MMA Weekly and Senegalese outlet Wiwsport.
A second-round TKO against an unbeaten opponent
Nicknamed “Blindé”, Diop faced Russia’s Zaurbek Sabanov, who came in at 5-0, at the Meta APEX. Diop was a 4-to-1 underdog, per MMA Weekly. After absorbing early pressure, he turned the fight around and forced the stoppage at 2:13 of the second round, according to LowKick MMA and Wiwsport.
The win moves his record to 7-1. Sabanov faded badly as the fight went on, something Dana White pointed out himself afterwards.
Dana White harsh, then convinced
The UFC president did not hold back when announcing the contract. As reported by Sherdog, he called it “horrible, sloppy and one of the worst fights I have ever seen on the Contender Series”. He also warned Diop that a UFC heavyweight would not gas out like Sabanov did and could knock him out.
According to Heavy, White admitted he was on the fence before deciding in Diop’s favor. MMA Weekly cites the two reasons behind it: the fighter’s age and the unpredictable nature of the division. “Anything can happen with the heavyweights,” White said, before telling Diop not to make him regret it.
From Hexagone MMA to the UFC
Before Las Vegas, Diop competed for Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC Worldwide) and Hexagone MMA, the French promotion where he held the heavyweight title, per Wiwsport. He is the second Senegalese fighter to appear on the Contender Series, after Demba Seck in 2025.
He joins a division whose title is held by France’s Ciryl Gane. You can follow the pecking order on our UFC rankings page and find other French-speaking fighters on our French UFC fighters page.
The other three contracts of the night
All four winners were signed. In the main event, lightweight George Staines (9-0) beat Loai Abushaar (7-2) in the first round with a slam followed by ground strikes, the first slam finish in Contender Series history according to LowKick MMA. “You absolutely destroyed him,” White told him, calling it one of the greatest finishes the show has seen.
At strawweight, Aieza Ramos Bertolso (8-0), a -500 favorite, submitted Camila Reynoso (9-2) in the first round. At featherweight, Ian Escuza (8-0) stopped Luca Borando (9-2) in 32 seconds, in a sequence that included a knee White considered illegal; he said the bout should have been a no contest. Matchmaker Sean Shelby fought for Escuza behind the scenes, per Sherdog.
A fifth bout, Ilias Bulaid vs. Erick Visconde, was scrapped after Bulaid fell ill despite making weight. It has been moved to Week 10.
What comes next
The sources consulted do not yet mention a date for Diop’s Octagon debut. It will appear on our 2026 UFC schedule as soon as it is officially announced, and the next event can be followed on our UFC tonight page.
