“I really want the Contender Series to add a little something different to it because I feel like this is meant to happen and they said it would happen and it really hasn’t. Guys that are on the verge of getting cut in the UFC, maybe fight in the Contender Series as well. A guy has one fight left on his deal, for instance, three fights or whatever… And they’ll probably get cut. Instead of just cutting ’em and not giving them that last fight, why not give them that last fight on the Contender Series at least? Instead of just cutting them. This way it kind of recycles and keeps the best guys there and the guys that can’t really hang will fall out and the new guys will come up in. You’ll have UFC veterans fighting against up and comers, hometown guys maybe even.”

The second season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series is underway and off to a thrilling start. In the two weeks so far we’ve already seen six UFC contracts handed out and a record-setting four of those came from just this week’s installment.

Featured on what is likely to be the second to last season of The Ultimate Fighter is featherweight, Suman Mokhtarian.

Going into the TUF house for season 27, Mokhtarian was one of the 16 undefeated fighters. Unfortunately, he lost in his first bout as well as suffering an ACL tear.

The Contender Series has already been a big hit from the first season to now and fans seem to be enjoying it more than TUF, which is why the tournament styled show is likely on it’s way out.

It’s an interesting proposition from Mokhtarian though to feature some of the UFC’s sputtering vets. Especially when considering those times when a fighter revitalizes their careers outside of the organization just to work their way back. This could potentially rekindle their fire and speed up that process.

Just take Andrei Arlovski and Roxanne Modaferri for prime examples. Two fighters who looked to be about done in terms of being relevant but once they left the UFC, they were able to completely turn things around and make their ways back.

What do you think of Mokhtarian’s idea for a possible “Saturday Night Survival Series”?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/21/2018