The penultimate episode of Dana White’s Contender Series is good to go after a brief scare on the scales.
After one fighter needed an extra hour to get to his proper marks, all 10 combatants for Week 9 of DWCS is official. The show that posts up in its usual location of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday night saw Anthony Drilich briefly come in heavy for his flyweight match with Sean Gauci. After initially hitting 127 pounds, he returned an hour later to reach the 126-pound cap, and all systems are go.
The ninth edition of the 2024 season will be headlined by a light heavyweight collision between power-punching Frenchman Islem Masraf (204.5) and former Glory kickboxing great Artem Vakhitov (205.5). The Tuesday card, as always, kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Just three bouts listed on his pro resume, Masraf made a splash in Ares FC in 2023, tapping Azamat Aboukhanov in the second round. A pair of first-round knockouts, including one under the Professional Fighters League banner in just 10 seconds, propelled him into this contract-winning opportunity.
Also a pro in MMA since 2023, Vakhitov left the sport of kickboxing to dabble in MMA while still in his early 30s. While an injury threw cold water on his debut, the Russian bounced back this year by laying waste to Siyavush Salokhov and Valisher Khambaev in a combined 1:54. As a kickboxer, Vakhitov twice won the Glory light heavyweight strap, first claiming it in a revenge match with Saulo Cavalari in 2015 and then again in his 2021 rematch with Alex Pereira—the current UFC 205-pound king.
Contender Series Week 9 Weigh-in Results:
Islem Masraf (204.5) vs. Artem Vakhitov (205.5)
Kody Steele (156) vs. Chasen Blair (156)
Lucas Triverio Camacho (240) vs. Mario Pinto (244)
Vanilton Antunes (171) vs. Islam Dulatov (171)
Sean Gauci (126) vs. Anthony Drilich (126)
