Dana White’s Contender Series season 9 has been delivering some viral moments, and UFC CEO Dana White is loving every second. At DWCS 85 last week, White handed out $25,000 after Ecuador’s Adrian Luna Martinetti and Russia’s Mark Vologdin went to a literal war! And this time, Peruvian fighter Juan Díaz just took it up a notch, forcing the head honcho to call out broadcasting giant ESPN to make a crucial decision.

In DWCS 86, Díaz was scheduled to face South Korea’s Won II Kwon in the co-main event at 135 lbs. After a high-action first round, the Peruvian landed a spectacular spinning back-elbow at 4:58 of the second, just two seconds before the horn, completely flatlining his opponent. The finish was so brutal that Dana White screamed, “That’s insane!” from his chair. But that’s not the end of the reactions. White assertively demanded that his current broadcasting business partners, ESPN, put this finish on their Top 10 Plays of the day. 

Dana White reacts to viral DWCS 86 finish

At the post-event interview with Laura Sanko, Dana White said, “Alright. Where is Juan Díaz at? Juan… yeah… Absolutely incredible. I literally… listen to me. If you’re not number 1 tonight on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day, ESPN’s full of s—t. Okay! Juan Díaz, welcome to the UFC.” 

For the unversed, ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day features the best sporting moments from around the world that happened during the day. So far, the website has showcased Díaz’s ultimate finish. And it was justified that Dana White actually called for ESPN to put this amazing finish on their Top 10 Plays List. But how? 

Juan Díaz actually made it onto a very rare list. This year, the UFC has seen some spectacular spinning-elbow knockouts. Most notably, Lerone Murphy’s perfectly timed elbow on Aaron Pico at UFC 319, which put Pico unconscious. Then, Diego Lopes, who used the same technique against Jean Silva at UFC Noche. With that in mind, the Peruvian has now joined the ranks of current UFC superstars with that incredible knockout, so he deserved to be on ESPN’s list. 

However, even after securing his UFC contract in style, Díaz didn’t let it go to his head. On the contrary, the 27-year-old showed remarkable maturity, expressing nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to compete in the Apex MMA promotion.

Juan Diaz shows his humble side after viral DWCS KO

Before joining the UFC, Juan Díaz competed across various promotions. But ‘Pegajoso’s most prestigious moment came when he captured the bantamweight title in the Lux Fight League. And he didn’t just become the champion—the Peruvian successfully defended the belt a couple of times as well. He clearly has the mindset to handle the bright lights, and that showed in the way he spoke after earning his UFC contract.

At the post-fight interview, Juan Díaz told Laura Sanko, “Thank you so obviously much. Thank you for the opportunity. Because this is one more dream come true, and I just want to build it step by step, and get higher and higher. Thank you so much, and thank you to the UFC.”

Díaz currently holds a 15-1-1 record, with 7 of his wins coming by finish. He’s exactly the type of fighter Dana White looks for in his contenders—humble, yet deadly in his approach. And with that attitude, the young Peruvian could absolutely continue to evolve and climb the ranks by taking out some serious competition.

That said, what do you think about Dana White’s Contender Series putting on one banger after another? Has it actually surpassed The Ultimate Fighter in producing elite-level contenders? Let us know in the comments section below.