Puga and Trembley both earn UFC contracts after brutal DWCS featherweight war

Roman Puga and Taner Trembley both walked out of the Octagon with UFC contracts on Tuesday after delivering one of the most entertaining fights of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026, with Puga taking the featherweight bout by unanimous decision at DWCS Week 2.

The contest was a back-and-forth war from the opening bell. Puga scored an early knockdown in round one, only for Trembley to survive and rock him before the horn. The pattern continued across all three rounds, with both men visibly hurting each other multiple times yet somehow refusing to go down for good. The fight went the full distance — a result that surprised even Puga himself.

Dana White’s reaction said everything. The UFC CEO stood up after each round and, once the final decision was read, stepped inside the Octagon to personally congratulate both fighters before announcing that each had earned a contract.

Puga, speaking in his post-fight interview, admitted he had arrived with a finish in mind but came away with a new respect for his opponent’s durability.

“I feel overwhelmed; grateful,” Puga said. “I was hoping to put him out, but Taner is a dog. Great fighter. Really earned my respect. Absolutely [I was surprised]. I was hitting hard and I felt like it was doing some wear and tear on him. But nonetheless, I told myself I can go for it in the first round and knock him out. But if not, be ready for a war. And that’s what you guys saw tonight — I was ready for a war. I wanted that knockout, but I showcased I’m that dog and I got it.”

The dual-contract outcome is relatively rare on the Contender Series, where White typically rewards only the winner. The decision to sign Trembley despite the loss underlines just how much the featherweight’s heart and resilience impressed the promotion, and it signals that both men will be ones to watch when they make their UFC debuts.