Dana White is quick to produce the reasons “Sugar” Sean O’Malley’s efforts on the Contender Series convinced him that the young bantamweight was going to be a star. There have been about 5.5 million of them so far, in fact. That’s the amount of people who have watched O’Malley’s first-round knockout of fellow American Alfred “The Fearless” Khashakyan (11-5), the win that landed the young fighter a contract with the UFC back in 2017. This Sunday – just four fights into his fully fledged UFC career – and the 25-year-old O’Malley (12-0) returns to the Octagon as a co-headliner against Ecuadorean Marlon “Chito” Vera (15-6-1). His rapid rise is serving as an inspiration for the fighters lining up in the current season of Contender Series, as well as those waiting for the Asian version of the reality show to come to fruition. “We strategically place people on these [UFC] cards because we know what numbers they do. That’s how big the Contender Series is for us,” White explained to SCMP MMA . “We take a kid that nobody knows, like O’Malley, and millions of people watch him fight. So if you get on the Contender Series and you win it and we pick you, it’s huge.” White was talking in a boardroom at the UFC’s Apex Centre in Las Vegas back in March, about a week before the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic put the sporting world on hold, as it did plans for the launch of the Contender Series Asia. The UFC boss wanted to explain the impact Contender Series graduates were having on UFC cards. On the walls around us were lists of fighters – and possible matchups – being lined up for future UFC cards, and with audience figures next to the names. The more numbers you attract, the bigger the show you’re being primed for – and O’Malley’s story sets the stage. Pure talent has been paired with a fan-friendly personality that’s perfect social media fodder and the Montana-born fighter has so far clocked up 176,000 followers on Twitter and 1.1 million on Instagram since shaking up the world on the Contender Series. White believes the series forces fighters to put it all on the line – pretty much you win, or you walk – and fans respond to that drama. “I think that this format works every way,” White said. “People just want to see if these kids can make it – and the fights are unbelievable.” The latest episode of the Contender Series – beamed out this past Tuesday from the Apex – saw five contracts handed out and the show stolen by Adrian Yanez (11-3) with a 39-second TKO of fellow American Brady Huang (11-2). “This dude’s a sniper and I look forward to seeing more in the UFC,” White said after the 26-year-old Texan’s win. Half a world away and the 40-odd members of the UFC Academy have just returned to the organisation’s Performance Institute in Shanghai after the pandemic forced it to close for four months. These athletes had hoped to be in the thick of the action themselves round about now, battling for UFC contracts against fighters from across Asia in the first series of the region’s very own Contender Series. But the global pandemic has put those dreams on hold for the moment. Among those waiting their turn is the 24-year-old strawweight prospect Liang Na (10-4), who’s back at the PI after a few months of home training. “I’ve been strictly controlling my diet and keeping up my exercises every day,” she said. “If I ate more for one day than I should have, I would add to my training volume. I am very much looking forward to Contender Series Asia because I want to prove myself. I want to know what level I am at and it would be a great experience when competing with top level athletes. I believe I will acquire a lot of positive things from this experience.” Fellow strawweight Huang Feier (8-4) also has her eye on graduating to the UFC's main roster proper from the series. “I think that all China’s MMA athletes would be willing to join the Contender Series,” said the 26-year-old. “Without a doubt, it will give me a different challenge. Its coming reminds me every minute that I have to train harder and harder as I want to shine on that series. It’s going to be a very tough and exciting time.” Now, from the UFC management side of matters the plan is to wait and have all the pieces in place when global conditions allow for the series to finally go ahead. “The timing isn’t yet right for us to host Dana White's Contender Series Asia at the PI Shanghai the way we want to do it, so in the meantime, our UFC Academy athletes will continue to prepare to compete in domestic promotions that are starting to come back now,” explained Kevin Chang, senior vice-president of the UFC’s Asia-Pacific operations. “There was a ton of interest from athletes around the region to participate in the series. Before Covid, we were ready to launch the series and host eight events this year. We are now monitoring how things progress and will start up again in 2021 if it makes sense to do so.”