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Undefeated fighter wins UFC contract after earning rave review from Dana White

This fighter brought the UFC CEO to his feet with a first-round finish.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

An undefeated prospect stepped up on extremely short notice to impress UFC CEO Dana White with a highlight-reel finish.

Somewhat lost in a busy week that began with the announcement of a new partnership between the UFC and Paramount and will end with a middleweight title bout between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, this year’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series officially kicked off on Tuesday night at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV.

The five-fight card featured an undefeated prospect in every matchup, and right in the middle of the event Baysangur Susurkaev stepped into the Octagon to put his unbeaten record on the line against Murtaza Talha.

Baysangur Susurkaev Folds Murtaza Talha With Vicious Body Kick

Talha previously competed on DWCS in 2023 but suffered a knockout loss to current UFC light heavyweight Rodolfo Bellato, which marked the first setback of either his professional or amateur careers.

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The 29-year-old was given a second opportunity to earn a UFC contract when he was matched up with Damian Pinas on Week 1 of DWCS, but when Pinas withdrew from the fight Susurkaev stepped in to replace him on just a weeks’ notice.

Undefeated in his professional career, Susurkaev was line as a sizeable pre-fight favorite against Talha and made good on those odds when he folded his opponent with a nasty body kick that didn’t event require him to land any follow-up shots once Talha hit the canvas.

"Hunter" Draws High Praise From UFC CEO Dana White

The incredible win marked the first and only finish of the 2025 season of DWCS. The first two scheduled bouts saw Yuri Panferov and Radley Da Silva take unanimous decisions over formerly-undefeated prospects Christopher Ewart and George Mangos, and Ty Miller and Ilian Bouafia closed out the night by extending their undefeated records against Jimmy Drago and Neemias Santana.

Susurkaev made his professional MMA debut in 2019 and stopped his opponent in just 36 seconds, which set the theme for a run of six-straight fights where the 24-year-old got things done via strikes in the very first round.

Baysangur Susurkaev earned yet another first-round finish against Murtaza Talha.
Baysangur Susurkaev earned yet another first-round finish against Murtaza Talha. | (Zuffa LLC)

Four of Susurkaev’s wins during that period came during the opening minute, but in 2024 the Russian showed that he’s also capable of getting things done over the three-round distance when he took a unanimous decision over Shane Sobnosky.

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“Hunter” stopped Irakli Kuchukhidze at Fury FC 102 in February in his last outing before stepping in to fight Talha on DWCS, and it was no surprise when UFC CEO Dana White awarded Susurkaev a UFC contract following yet another first-round finish.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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