Unbeaten Pasley earns UFC contract with brutal elbow finish as White draws Jon Jones comparison

Quentin Pasley earned a UFC contract with a dominant first-round finish over Arlind Berisha in the main event of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026 Week 5 on September 8, prompting White to compare the unbeaten prospect to former double champion Jon Jones.

Pasley, who entered the bout at 3-0, took Berisha down and unleashed a series of brutal elbows to secure the stoppage, improving his record to 4-0. White admitted he had been surprised to see Pasley headline the card given his limited professional experience, but the performance quickly silenced any doubts.

The finish was a product of deliberate preparation, according to Pasley. “I knew if he tried to grapple me, that would be the end of the fight,” he said in his post-bout interview. “My grappling has been good all camp. So, once he was down there, I was just looking for the finish. Submission or ground-and-pound, didn’t matter.”

White drew the Jones comparison while presenting Pasley with his UFC contract, a moment that carried personal weight for the new signee. Jones is Pasley’s favourite fighter, making the praise from the promotion’s president all the more meaningful — though Pasley was quick to assert his own identity.

“[Feels] Special, [Jones] is my favorite fighter,” Pasley said. “So, to hear that comparison is crazy… I’m my own person; I got my own style.”

Berisha, who entered the contest at 5-1, had no answer for Pasley’s grappling once the fight reached the mat. The finish underlined Pasley’s credentials as one of the more complete prospects to emerge from the 2026 Contender Series, and his UFC debut will be closely watched given the lofty early comparisons.