Staines’ next fight will be with the UFC
Hull’s George Staines reacts after defeating Loai Abushaar in Dana White’s Contender Series
Unbeaten Hull fighter George Staines won a contract with the UFC in emphatic fashion on Tuesday night.
Staines, who grew up on the Avenues, took on Arizona’s Loai Abushaar in Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday in las Vegas and the lightweight dispatched of him in devastating fashion, claiming the knock out in the first round.
Lifting his opponent off the ground, Staines slammed him to the canvas before delivering a barrage of hammer fists that ultimately saw the fight stopped by the referee with just one minute on the clock.
That was enough for the 26-year-old, who trains with MMA superstar Paddy Pimblett in Liverpool, to earn his coveted his deal in the UFC.
In doing so, Staines becomes the first man from Hull to earn a contract in the sport’s premier organisation and he’ll be keen to put his beloved hometown on the map when he gets his first opportunity to fight with the UFC branding on his gloves.
The Hull City fan is now unbeaten through 11 fights with the finish being his fifth. That’s a career that has spanned spells in Oktagon and Cage Warriors with his last four fights prior to Tuesday’s being with the latter.
After such a quick fight in Vegas, Staines might look to make his UFC bow before the end of the year as he bids to make his mark in the competition.
Fellow Hull fighter Joe Fields isn’t far behind Staines with the flyweight currently boasting an unbeaten professional record after seven fights.
Fields’ last fight came in March 2026 when he knocked out Iago Silva in Cage Warriors.