Dana White’s Contender Series 85 full card faceoffs
Check out the faceoffs for the five-fight lineup at Dana White’s Contender Series 86, which airs on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and will see athletes attempt earn a UFC contract.
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If you’ve trolled him, Wes Schultz has seen your comments about his Dana White’s Contender Series loss in 2024.
He’s amused, but he has some push back.
“People roasting me in the f*cking comments like, ‘This guy needs a striking coach,'” Schultz recently told MMA Junkie. “I’m like, bro, try formulating your body into like nice crisp punches when your brain’s like a f*cking stew.”
Schultz (7-2) was rocked early as he tried to earn a UFC contract in front of Dana White, Hunter Campbell, Mick Maynard, and Sean Shelby. He survived that scare, but was finished by Mansur Abdul-Malik in Round 2.
Schultz impressed the UFC brass enough in defeat that the promotion attempted to give him a second shot on the same season, but injuries caused him to withdraw. It was back to the regional scene.
The loss aged well, considering Abdul Malik’s UFC success since. Schultz finally returned in April and finished Dustin Paper in 55 seconds. That’s when his phone rang again.
“I wasn’t really sure if I was going to get called back or get something short notice or an actual UFC fight, so it’s good to get some sort of call,” Schultz said. “… That’s a good feeling. They like guys that show up and fight, which apparently I do, and when you lose and you bring it for the most part, and you’re trying hard to get to finish the entire time. So I mean, I was pretty sure I was going to get a call back and I’m happy they ended up doing that. It feels good. It feels good to be brought back, and now that I’m familiar with the whole process, it seems fun.”
Schultz, 29, has dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of UFC greatness. While he didn’t have to move far to begin training at Pura Vida BJJ under coach Jake Klipp early in his combat sports journey, Schultz went far enough away where he rerouted his life.
Rather than use his college degree, Schultz has focused almost completely on fighting, with bartending shifts on the weekends to support himself.
That’s why he’s not taking his second DWCS crack, a bout Tuesday vs. Italy’s Mario Mingaj (7-0), for granted.
“That would be, I don’t want to say vindication, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t motivating because the stage is that big,” Schultz said. “I had a f*cking degree. I could have spent my 20s doing anything and probably make a lot more money doing it so far, but I chose to do this.”
