Dana White has offered up several UFC contracts after another successful week spotting talent on his Contender Series. 

This week, however, it was week seven’s main event heavyweight clash that shocked MMA fans, as one fighter earned himself a UFC contract against all odds.

White was left in shock after the heavyweight clashGetty

Although the Contender Series has already produced some shocking upsets since season eight began in August, this may be the best of them yet.

White’s Contender Series is a promotion separate to the UFC brand that offers up and coming fighters the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a bigger audience, and the UFC President himself, in the hope of earning a contract with the promotion.

Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley was one of the first fighters in the series to be offered a contract with the UFC back in season one which took place in 2017.

Meanwhile, Jamahal Hill became the first UFC champion to graduate from the series when he defeated Glover Teixeira for the light heavyweight title at the beginning of last year.

Going into the bout, Ukraine’s Danylo Voievodkin, 24, was a huge 8-1 betting underdog, but held an impressive 100 per cent winning and finishing rate in his last seven fights.

His opponent was Bailey Schoenfelder, a former American football college player. He is the current Cage Fury Fighting heavyweight champion and was unbeaten in all of his professional fights, until he met Voievodkin.

The 24-year-old came out aggressively at the beginning of the fight, landing precise leg kicks, before getting to work with his hands.

It was then only one minute into the first round when Voievodkin landed a nasty left hook that sent the American to the canvas. He quickly followed up with further strikes on the floor until he was able to grab the neck of Schoenfelder and force him to tap with a rear-naked choke.

White passionately spoke about the underdog after the fight when awarding contracts to those who impressed on the night.

He said: “You were an 8-1 underdog! 8-1 underdog! I love this s***. I love when guys come out and beat the odds makers. 

White was in awe of the underdog’s victory@UFC on X

“Odds makers don’t determine heart, determination and how bad somebody really wants something – you do and you did it tonight my friend. Welcome to the UFC.”

Voievodkin was among four other fighters who also landed a contract with the UFC on the night, but he said it was hard for him to fight in the unusual circumstances he found himself in.

“I was training in a foreign country,” he said. “I haven’t seen any of my relatives during this time, it was very hard to be here, but now it’s getting good and I’m going to be even better in the future.”

“It’s an amazing feeling. To be honest with you I still don’t believe it, it’s the greatest day of my life.”

He also had some strong words for the bookmakers who went against him.

“If I was American, I would have been the favourite for this fight. Everybody judges only professional fights but I have tons of amateur fights and I have beaten way stronger opponents than him [Schoenfelder],” Voievodkin added.

England’s Lone’er Kavanagh also shocked White in the first week of this season’s Contender Series by knocking out An Tuan Ho.

The 25-year-old has a professional MMA record of seven wins in seven fights and also earned himself a contract in the UFC following the bout.