Fresh Ink: Meet the 14 fighters the UFC signed in October 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in October and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

Check out the October 2023 list below.

Mauricio Ruffy wants it known after DWCS 65 contract win: ‘I’m going to be a champion of the UFC’

Mauricio Ruffy vows to become a UFC champion after earning a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series 65.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag] vows to become a UFC champion after earning a promotional contract at Dana White’s Contender Series 65.

Ruffy (9-1) stopped Raimond Magomedaliev (10-2) by third-round TKO on Tuesday at the UFC Apex, keeping his 100 percent career finish rate intact.

Having competed at lightweight and welterweight throughout his career, Ruffy is open to both divisions in his pursuit of gold.

“I think any of the divisions, I can see myself in any of them,” Ruffy told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at the DWCS 65 post-fight press conference. “I’m going to sit down, talk to my coaches, talk to my managers and see what’s going on. But I see myself in both of them.

“I just want to work, I came here to work. It’s such a long time to be able to be here, and that makes me want to work so much. File this to the UFC drawers and files, this guy said, ‘I want to be a champion of the UFC.’ I’m going to be a champion of the UFC. One day you’re going to look back, and I’ll say, ‘I told you so.'”

Despite the lackluster start to his fight with Magomedaliev, Ruffy was confident that his finish was contract-worthy, as he thinks the action picked up towards the end.

“I was very confident when the fight ended because it was an exciting fight,” Ruffy said. “I understand it was kind of lukewarm first round, then the second round things kind of got exciting, but I think people liked it. We were actually able to put on a show towards the end and I felt confident after it happened.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 65.

Dana White’s Contender Series 65 results: Four UFC contracts handed out – and impromptu fifth one

Check out the results from Dana White’s Contender Series 65 in Las Vegas, where eight fighters will compete for a UFC contract.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie reported from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 65 event at the UFC Apex.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC CEO Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

The ninth episode of Season 7 saw eight fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. A light heavyweight bout between Rodolfo Bellato (11-2) and Murtaza Talha (6-1) served as the featured matchup of the four-bout lineup.

Bellato defeated Talha by second-round TKO stoppage in a near-10-minute brawl of a fight. In doing so, he earned a UFC contract from White.

Along with the light heavyweight Bellato, bantamweight Victor Hugo, light heavyweight Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, and welteweight Mauricio Ruffy receives UFC offers form White.

Additionally, Jose Medina, who lost to Gadzhiyasulov, received a contract for his effort and competitiveness.

Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 64 include:

  • Rodolfo Bellato def. Murtaza Talha via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:46
  • Victor Hugo def. Eduardo Torres Caut via submission (kneebar) – Round 2, 2:16
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov def. Jose Medina via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mauricio Ruffy def. Raimond Magomedaliev via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 3, 4:45

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.