Unbeaten finisher Gnizditskiy signs UFC deal after visa issues derail Contender Series debut

Ivan Gnizditskiy has signed a UFC contract without ever setting foot on Dana White’s Contender Series, after visa complications forced the unbeaten Russian light heavyweight to withdraw from his scheduled DWCS Season 10 bout against Nell Ariano (6-1). His manager, Ali Askarov of Crown Sports Management, confirmed the deal to MMA Junkie.

Gnizditskiy (7-0) is expected to make his UFC debut in December, stepping straight into the promotion through a direct signing rather than the traditional DWCS pathway.

The 30-year-old’s perfect record is built entirely on stoppages — six wins by knockout or technical knockout and one by submission. That finishing rate, combined with his unbeaten status, appears to have been enough to convince UFC matchmakers to bypass the audition format altogether.

Gnizditskiy competed twice under the One Championship banner in 2025, most recently stopping Tursunbek Sodikov in March to extend his unblemished record before the UFC came calling.

His route to the world’s premier MMA organisation is unconventional. DWCS exists precisely to give prospects a high-stakes showcase before a contract offer, and fighters who miss their slot typically have to wait for another opportunity. Gnizditskiy instead secured his deal without throwing a single punch under the bright lights of the UFC Apex’s Tuesday-night series.

With a light heavyweight division that has seen considerable movement at the top in recent years, a 7-0 finisher arriving in December will be one to watch — though the UFC has yet to announce a specific opponent or event for his promotional bow.