Jaden Ortega UFC Contract: Signed After a Loss at DWCS

A Jaden Ortega UFC contract was the last thing most people in the building expected to see handed out that night — including, probably, Ortega himself. He lost his fight. Clean, unanimous decision, all three judges in agreement. And Dana White signed him anyway.

I was in the room for this one — Week 7 of DWCS Season 10 at the Apex, September 22. The fighters stood in the cage waiting to hear their fate while White stayed off to the side, out of the room’s direct line of sight, before stepping forward to deliver the verdicts. Ortega’s name came up as a winner on a night he technically lost. Here’s what actually happened, and why.

What Happened in the Cage

Ortega, a 6-0 welterweight out of Spokane, Washington, faced the undefeated Alvi Dasuyev in the night’s featured welterweight bout. Dasuyev won a clean unanimous decision, with scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. Ortega’s unbeaten record ended on the judges’ scorecards, not in his performance.

“Alvi and Jaden, incredible fight,” White said to both competitors afterward, per the Spokesman-Review.

Dasuyev earned his contract outright, as the winner. What made the night notable is what happened next: White signed Ortega too.

A Full Card of Contracts, Almost No Finishes

Six fighters left the Apex with UFC contracts that night: Alvi Dasuyev, Jaden Ortega, Marcos Degli, Piero Guaylupo, Callum Connor, and Damian Piwowarczyk — a near-clean sweep of the card. Sherdog’s own recap of the night put it plainly: six contracts were awarded “despite very few finishes.”

That detail matters more than it might look at first glance. DWCS has built its reputation on signing fighters who finish — White and his matchmakers have said for years that finishing instinct is a bigger factor than the win itself. A night that hands out six contracts on close decisions, including one to a fighter who lost, is a genuine departure from that pattern.

Why a Losing Fighter Still Got Signed

Ortega’s coach, Rick Little, has compared DWCS to an NFL draft combine: fighters aren’t just being scored on the result, they’re being evaluated on tools, toughness, and upside against a tougher class of opposition than they’d typically face regionally. Ortega’s team has argued the loss reflected the level of competition, not a drop in his ability — strength and conditioning coach Dr. Dylan Lemery called the Contender Series route “much more difficult” specifically because prospects are matched against seasoned, well-regarded opponents.

The decision to sign him anyway suggests White’s panel saw enough in the loss — durability, composure, a competitive scorecard against an undefeated opponent — to view Ortega as UFC-ready regardless of the result. It’s a reminder that on this show, the contract decision is a separate judgment from the final scorecard, made by people watching for something beyond who had their hand raised.

The Bottom Line

Jaden Ortega lost his DWCS Week 7 bout to Alvi Dasuyev by clean unanimous decision and still received a UFC contract, one of six awarded that night on a card Sherdog described as light on finishes. The result is a clear example of how little the final scorecard alone decides on this show — White’s panel is judging the performance underneath the result, and a competitive loss against tough opposition can carry more weight than the win column suggests.

Sources

Sherdog — Jaden Ortega fighter profile and DWCS Week 7 recap, “Dana White signs 6 at DWCS Week 7, including 2 fighters who lost”

The Spokesman-Review — “Unbeaten Jaden Ortega looks to fast track his MMA career in Dana White’s Contender series” (Sept. 21, 2026)

The Spokesman-Review — “Spokane fighter Jaden Ortega earns UFC contract” (Sept. 23, 2026)

Wikipedia — “Dana White’s Contender Series season 10,” Week 7 results and contract awards

Tapology — Jaden Ortega fight record and DWCS Week 7 result