Dana White's Contender Series
Dana White's Contender Series Preview | Season 6, Week 7
A Closer Look At The Athletes Going For UFC Glory Tuesday Night On DWCS
Show up, show out, and then get called to “The Show.”
Through six weeks on Dana White’s Contender Series this season, that has been how things have played out, as 25 fighters have graduated to the UFC, including all five winners each of the last three weeks, and four of the six weeks, overall.
But don’t think this has just been a case of the UFC President handing out contracts all willy-nilly — the middle part of that three-step process is critically important, and over the last three weeks, everyone has showed out. There have been 11 finishes in the past 15 fights, with the bouts that went the distance standing as competitive, entertaining clashes where the victorious competitors merited an opportunity to showcase their skills on the biggest stage in the sport.
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And after another electric night of action inside the UFC APEX last Tuesday, the pressure is on this weekend’s band of hopefuls to reach those same heights… or maybe even exceed them.
Here’s a look at the matchups on tap for Week 7.
Vitor Petrino vs Rodolfo Bellato
It’s a rematch between talented Brazilian light heavyweights in this week’s final pairing as Vitor Petrino and Rodolfo Bellato get reacquainted under the Dana White’s Contender Series banner.
The 25-year-old Petrino started his career by defeating Bellato in 25 seconds before going on to fight various foes on the regional circuit. He showed that his power and his skills are legitimate and his upside is real last time out, however, as he dispatched UFC veteran Gadzhimurad Antigulov in the second round of their meeting at UAE Warriors 22 one year ago.
Bellato entered that initial pairing with Petrino with a 5-0 mark and has won three straight since then, arriving in Las Vegas with an 8-1 record and a score to settle on Tuesday night. He’s never been the distance in his career, and looks to build on his string of first-round stoppage wins in this rematch with Petrino.
Will Petrino” remain undefeated and collect a second win over Bellato or can “Trator” draw even and impress the UFC brass in the process?
Gabriel Bonfim vs Trey Waters
Gabriel Bonfim vs Trey Waters Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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Gabriel Bonfim vs Trey Waters Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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Gabriel Bonfim and Trey Waters meet in a clash between undefeated welterweight prospects Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Sporting a 12-0 record, Bonfim is one of the top welterweight prospects in Brazil, and would likely carry even more hype into this week’s DWCS appearance if either of his last two matchups went off as planned. Last summer, the 25-year-old was slated to Carlos Leal in the LFA Welterweight Grand Prix before being forced to withdraw, and earlier this year, Bonfim was scheduled to fight Quemuel Ottoni, the man who handed Alex Pereira his lone MMA defeat, before facing veteran Eduardo Garvon instead.
Unbeaten in six pro bouts, Waters trains in Jacksonville, Florida alongside UFC welterweight Preston Parsons. He’s earned five of his six career wins inside the distance, most recently collecting a late-third-round stoppage over Benjamin Bennett at LFA 133, and he should be a formidable test for Bonfim given his height and reach advantages.
Each of these men have clear, obvious upside, but only one will emerge victorious on Tuesday night, and figuring out who will get their hand raised should be all kinds of fun.
Jimmy Lawson vs Karl Williams
Heavyweights hold down the middle of this week’s card as Jimmy Lawson takes on Karl Williams in a battle of once-beaten UFC hopefuls.
A former wrestler at Penn State, Lawson lost his pro debut to Said Sowma in April 2019, but has been dominant since, rattling off four straight stoppage wins to land a UFC audition this week in Las Vegas. A tank of a man and training partner of UFC heavyweight newcomer Hamdy Abdelwahab, Lawson will look to continue running roughshod over the competition when he steps in against Williams.
A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands now training and living in Gwinnett, Georgia, where he works with the likes of Dhiego Lima and Roan “Jucao” Carneiro, Williams has won six of his seven pro bouts, with three victories by knockout. At 32, it’s time for Williams to make his move, and with three wins in a row, he’s got the momentum he needs to do it.
Ismael Bonfim vs Nariman Abbassov
Ismael Bonfim vs Nariman Abbasov Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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Ismael Bonfim vs Nariman Abbasov Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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The older brother of Gabriel Bonfim, Ismael Bonfim will look to earn the family’s first win of the night on Tuesday when he takes on Nariman Abbasov of Azerbaijan.
Bonfim touches down in Las Vegas having earned 11 consecutive victories dating back to his 2014 loss to UFC staple Renato Moicano. The 26-year-old has dominated less experienced and less skilled opposition to this point, so it will be interesting to see how he acquits himself against a talented adversary like Abbasov on Tuesday night.
Boasting a 28-3 record and 13 consecutive wins, Abbasov appears on paper to be one of the more “ready for the UFC” fighters to pass through the UFC APEX this season, and perhaps in the history of Dana White’s Contender Series. The AMC Fight Nights Global lightweight champion, Abbassov is a ridiculous 25-1 since losing consecutive bouts in early 2014, and looks to add to that impressive mark with a victory over Bonfim.
Will it be the start of a banner night for the Bonfim clan or will Abbasov keep rolling and collect a UFC contract for himself in the process?
Nayara Maia vs Tereza Bleda
Nayara Maia vs Tereza Bleda Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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Nayara Maia vs Tereza Bleda Preview | DWCS Season 6, Week 7
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Unbeaten flyweights Nayara Maia and Tereza Bleda kick off Week 7 inside the UFC APEX on Tuesday night.
Representing Nova Uniao and sporting a 7-0-1 record, Maia is a 32-year-old jiu jitsu player, coming off a first-round stoppage win over Costa Rican veteran Reina Cordoba in April. She’s dominated similarly untested talents at each step along the way, collecting five stoppages, and earning a pair of wins following her draw last summer with Nadia Vera.
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Undefeated in 14 fights across her amateur and professional careers, Bleda has earned four of her five pro victories inside the distance. The Reinders MMA representative claimed the Oktagon MMA flyweight title with a first-round stoppage win last time out, and posted a unanimous decision win over recently victorious UFC fighter Lucie Pudilova two summers ago.
Someone is leaving Las Vegas without a zero in her loss column and you can expect a fierce battle between these two flyweight hopefuls as they try to ensure they remain unbeaten.
