Dana White's Contender Series Season 5 Results & Scorecards

There was no feeling out process with these two as Maheshate shot across the cage and the duo traded in tight, with the Chinese fighter landing a clean shot that staggered Estremadura momentarily. The Canadian shook it off quickly and came forward, connecting with a heavy right hand on the end of a flurry that sat Maheshate down along the fence, prompting him to clinch.

Back in space, Estremadura controlled the center, walking down Maheshate as he circled on the outside before closing the distance and catching him again with another heavy right hand. They clinched along the fence and when they broke, Maheshate landed a nice knee to the head before taking the center. Maheshate attacked with a series of kicks, nothing landing with much force, before Estremadura again pressed forward behind wide hooks, landing sharply and finishing the round with a good left hook to the body.

The lightweights were a little more patient to start the second, feeling each other out a little more to start before engaging in another exchange where each man flashed their hands and their chins. Estremadura took the center and looked to dictate the terms of engagement, but Maheshate did well to push forward and stand his ground.

The output slowed, but the effectiveness remained high, as neither man threw many wasted shots, with Estremadura picking his spots and initiating a little more. With a little over a minute remaining, Maheshate pressed forward and connected flush with a jumping knee that Estremadura ate before clinching, crimson leaking from his nose as they battled for position along the fence before separating for the final 10 seconds of the round.

Maheshate was the more aggressive of the two coming out of the corner, but it was Estremadura who landed the better shot to start, sticking the jab in the Chinese fighters face. But Maheshate was undeterred, responding with a kick to the body and attempting another flying knee, getting a little loose and feeling himself a bit more.

Estremadura struggled to build anything through the first half of the round, throwing singles and getting worked backwards by Maheshate each time he looked to fire. Down the stretch, Maheshate continued to snipe at Estremadura, countering everything the Canadian had to offer and attacking with some stylish moves, including a stepping back elbow, closing out the contest in control.

Tasked with determining the winner in the final bout of the season, all three judges saw it the same way, awarding Maheshate the unanimous decision victory.

Official Result: Maheshate def. Achilles Estremadura by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The welterweights got after it straight away, with Lainesse throwing a high kick before changing levels, only for Burlinson to look for a guillotine. Lainesse escaped and landed in top position, with the Brit initiating a scramble immediately, chaining through submission attempts and forcing the Quebec native to defend.

Back on their feet in the center of the Octagon, the two men each looked to fire off power shots and Lainesse connected with a cracking left hook!

The sequence was reminiscent of the finish in the fight between Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy 11 years ago at UFC 120 in London, with a little sloppier technique and far more post-fight shouting and celebrating from Lainesse than there was from “The Natural Born Killer.”

What a massive finish for Yohan Lainesse!

Official Result: Yohan Lainasse def. Justin Burlinson by KO (left hook) at 1:37 of Round 1

Less than 30 second into the contest, Qiu caught a kick and dumbed da Silva to the canvas, allowing him back to his feet before sitting him down with a clean left hand in the center of the cage. Qiu backed off and called da Silva back to the feet, continuing to pressure with heavy inside leg kicks while da Silva looked to counter with heavy, wide shots. The flyweights opted to bite down on their gumshields and trade, each landing big shots in the pocket, prompting Qiu to change levels and look for a takedown along the fence.

The Brazilian grabbed a guillotine, but Qiu escaped without issue, circling back into space for the final two minutes of the round. Da Silva looked to land with a flying attack, but missed, giving Qiu the chance to put him on the canvas and work from top position. The Brazilian got back to his feet quickly and went on the offensive, catching Qiu with a right hand that had him wobbling, causing him to shoot for a panicked takedown that was easily stuffed.

Just a tremendously entertaining opening five minutes from these flyweights.

Both men were a little more patient and timid to start the second, neither really committing to anything sharp until nearly two minutes in, when Qiu caught a kick and dumped da Silva to the canvas. The Brazilian quickly scrambled to his feet and looked to land big single shots, only for Qiu to defend or evade, landing a couple clean strikes of his own, including a beautiful left hand down the pipe and a side kick that caused da Silva to stumble backwards.

Da Silva just missed with a powerful right of his own with 90 seconds remaining, and Qiu countered with a right hook that staggered “Gato” momentarily. Each time da Silva looked to land one of his own, Qiu responded with a cleaner, heavier blow.

Both men came out swinging to start the third, with da Silva showing greater urgency and aggression, closing the distance and putting Qiu on the deck less than a minute in, settling into his guard. The Brazilian briefly looked at an arm triangle choke, but gave up on it, allowing Qiu to create a scramble when he landed in top position, working towards a D’Arce choke of his own before letting it go and returning to the center for the final half of the round.

Qiu pressed in for a lazy takedown attempt and da Silva attacked a guillotine, briefly switching to a ninja choke, but he couldn’t complete. Qiu managed to get da Silva off his back and return to his feet, but da Silva remained the aggressor and more accurate of the two with his strikes. Once more, Qiu worked forward for a lazy takedown and da Silva dove on a guillotine, with Qiu patiently riding out the round, giving referee Mike Beltran the thumbs up before the final horn.

This was a fun, action-packed fight from these two flyweights, and when the scores were tabulated, the judges were unanimous in how they saw it, awarding Erisson Ferreira da Silva the unanimous decision victory. 

Official Result: Erisson Ferreira da Silva def. Qiu Lun by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Kawaihae closed the distance initially and opened with a kick, slipping as he threw, but getting up without issue. Bilharinho looked to work forward behind long strikes, but Kawaihae evaded the attacks and grabbed the clinch, pressing the Brazilian into the fence. Bilharinho landed a couple knees off the fence, with Kawaihaei answering in kind, keeping the lanky Brazilian on the wall, dealing with the Hawaiian’s weight and pressure.

Bilharinho landed a short elbow on the break, but failed to follow up, with Kawaihae landing a pair of outside low kicks as they moved back to the center, throwing sporadic shots without connecting on anything serious to the horn.

Kawaihae closed the distance to start again, walking through a heavy body kick from Bilharinho to look for a takedown, only for the Brazilian to successfully defend and break free. Each man was content to throw single shots, looking to land one blow before resetting, neither finding a real home for anything sharp. Midway through the round, Kawaihae got inside and changed levels, working up to a body lock before they each hit the other with a knee below the belt, resulting in the rare instance where both men needed time to recover.

Bilharinho recovered more quickly and they finally clapped the action back in after nearly two and a half minutes, with Kawaihae showing a little more urgency on the restart, chasing Bilharinho across the cage, landing a heavy kick and working back into the clinch. Bilharinho worked free and landed an elbow on the break once more, but continued throwing singles, landing a good kick to the body, but failing to follow it up.

He started to get a little more active in the final minute, connecting with another body kick and a couple good punches as they two stood in the pocket, chirping with one another to the buzzer.

The combatants shared a warm embrace in the center to start the third round, with the Brazilian showing a little more urgency out of the gate, throwing a little more frequently as Kawaihae looked to walk him down. While the Hawaiian continued to march forward, the Brazilian frequently circled out, landing counters until Kawaihae again got his hands on Bilharinho on the fence.

Bilharinho broke into space at the midway point of the round and continued to flash his speed and skill, picking at Kawaihae with single shots that landed clean, but had nothing else behind them, resulting in the Hawaiian never being forced backward. Late in the round, Bilharinho connected with a flush spinning hook kick that took Kawaihae off his feet, ending the contest instantly.

It took nearly 14 minutes, but the Brazilian finally connected with the telling blow he’d been looking for all fight, ending the contest in impressive fashion.

Official Result: Jonas Bilharinho def. Canaan Kawaihae by TKO (spinning hook kick) at 4:00 of Round 3

The flyweights spent the opening couple minutes feinting and feeling each other out at range, neither man really throwing much of anything before Puerta caught a kick and put Shang on the canvas, settling into his guard. Shang did a good job trying up Puerta and minimizing damage, while the American Top Team representative controlled from top position.

Late in the frame, Puerta worked to advance, but Shang created space and got back to his feet, only to eat a couple knees for his troubles. Shang caught another knee attempt and dumped Puerta to the deck, riding out the remainder of the round tied up in half guard.

Shang came out looking to close the distance to start, putting Puerta on the canvas just over 30 seconds into the second round, quickly advancing to the back, looking to trap the right arm as he sunk his second hook. Puerta remained patient and Shang fell off over the top, resulting in Puerta landing in top position. Shang looked to land some short punches off his back as Puerta was content to hang out in top position, drawing an urging to work from referee Mike Beltran.

As Shang looked to stand, Puerta floated to his back, sinking his near hook and landing short shots as he worked to flatten out the Chinese fighter, setting his second hook with just over a minute to go. Elbows and punches came from Puerta, but Shang did a good job of controlling the wrists, limiting the offence and damage to close out the round.

Shang closed the distance to start the final round, coming in behind wide, looping shots, while Puerta just moved laterally, looking to avoid getting clipped, but throwing little in return. Shang worked into the clinch with three minutes remaining in the round, but Puerta quickly reversed off the fence and broke into space, content to move on the outside, biting on Shang’s feints.

Shang continued coming forward, winging hard shots, looking for a finish and connecting with sporadic blows, getting into the clinch with a minute remaining in the contest. Puerta worked free and Shang stayed after him, hunting for a big shot right through to the final horn, closing things out as the aggressor.

The tens and nines were tallied and when the totals were added up, the judges were split, with Juan Puerta coming away with the split decision victory, extending his winning streak to 12 in the process.

Official Result: Juan Puerta def. Shang Zhifa by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The middleweights touched gloves to start and Silva took position in the center of the Octagon, connecting with a hard inside low kick to begin the action. But less than a minute in, Omargadzhiev closed the distance, smashed home a right hand, and changed levels, dragging Silva to the canvas without much trouble, settling into half guard.

Silva did a good job to recover butterflies, but Omargaszhiev worked elbows, forcing Silva to surrender guard. Each time he felt there was an opening, Omargadzhiev landed an elbow over the top, climbing back into Silva’s guard with a lunging right hand when it looked like the Brazilian might be able to work to his feet. Silva began attacking elbows from the bottom and did a good job controlling Omargadzhiev’s wrists, limiting his output and prompting him to drop back on a heel hook attempt.

While he couldn’t connect on the submission, Omargadzhiev stayed with it, shifting to a kneebar in the transition and quickly forcing Silva to tap.

A beautiful, vicious finish for Omargadzhiev to close out Week 9 of the Contender Series.

Official Result: Gadzhi Omargadzhiev def. Jansey Silva by submission (kneebar) at 4:19 of Round 1

Both men circled and feinted in space to start, with Quinonez using his length to land kicks and jabs, with Xiao answering with his own kicks, but struggling to find a home for his punches. Xiao kept trying to call Quinonez in, but the young Mexican fighter did a good job of cutting angles, landing and escaping before his Chinese foe could counter.

Quinonez caught a kick midway through the round and spilled Xiao to the canvas, but couldn’t do anything on the deck, with the two returning to their feet midway through the round. Xiao started having a little more success with his strikes, landing a few more kicks and a couple punches while closing the distance, but Quinonez did well to get back to range, backing up Xiao with a right hand with just under a minute remaining in the frame.

Xiao responded with a right of his own that wobbled Quinonez and the two closed out the opening stanza trading in tight, smiling at each other after the horn.

Quinonez offered a high kick to start, but Xiao blocked it and came forward, just missing with a reaching right hand, but connecting with a low kick. Xiao continued to pressure, working inside of Quinonez’s reach, finding little shots that were unavailable in the first. Through two minutes, Xiao worked first and more effectively, turning Quinonez into a counter fighter, which clearly wasn’t something the young Mexican was comfortable with.

Midway through the round, Xiao connected with a right hand that staggered Quinonez as he came forward, with the Chinese fighter continuing to stay active and mix his shots. Late in the round, Quinonez found a home for an uppercut as Xiao looked to change levels, following it with a long, sharp jab to Xiao’s bloody nose, sitting him down with a right hand seconds later, shifting the momentum of the round into his favor right before the close of the round.

Quinonez took the center to start and put a jab in Xiao’s face straight away, getting back to moving and working from range better than he did in the second.

An uppercut straightened up Xiao in the center of the cage and Quinonez followed it with more long-range attacks, picking apart his Chinese foe, leaving him busted up. While Xiao continued to fire low kicks and try to work from Quinonez’s range, he couldn’t find a home for his strikes, and the Entram Gym representative continued working a stick-and-move approach, picking his spots to attack and connecting at an impressive clip.

Xiao would not go away, and didn’t even flinch when Quinonez landed a spinning back kick right to the midsection, earning a standing ovation after the final horn from the UFC President.

This was a strong effort from Quinonez, who looks to join the growing list of fighters from Tijuana’s Entram Gym on the UFC roster, and become the second member of his family to compete in the Octagon, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jose Alberto “Teco” Quinonez.

Official Result: Cristian Quinonez def. Xiao Long by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Both men came out throwing kicks, with Basharat landing heavier and talking to Kahlon when he checked an early kick. A minute in, the London-based lightweight caught a kick and put Kahlon on the deck, settling into half guard and landing short elbows while looking to pass, talking to Kahlon the whole time.

Basharat stayed tight on Kahlon, landing good shots and not allowing the Israeli to create space and work to his feet, opening him up over the left eye of Kahlon. Basharat continued to land clean, heavy blows, attacking the cut, mixing to the body, and continuing to look to advance from top position.

Kahlon briefly looked at a heel hook as Basharat looked to transition, but there was nothing there, and the round ended with the Afghani fighter continuing to score from top position. Just an absolutely dominant opening frame from Basharat.

Kahlon came out looking to throw and land, connecting with a good right hand, but as soon as Basharat looked to answer, he landed heavily. The length, speed, and movement of Basharat looked to be stymying Kahlon, and when the two slipped and a scramble ensued, it was Basharat that controlled the exchange, briefly looking to take the back.

Kahlon worked out of danger, but nearly got taken down, grabbing the fence to keep himself upright, drawing a hard warning from referee Herb Dean. Basharat stayed in on the takedown and pulled Kahlon’s legs out from under him, moving to side control as the two engaged along the canvas. Basharat was a little more patient and Kahlon did a better job of managing his posture and keeping him from landing.

With a minute left in the round, Basharat looked to work a little more, but Kahlon did well to control the wrists and limit his opponent; playing defence rather than looking for opportunities to create space or get aggressive off his back.

Basharat crashed home a heavy low kick to start the third, following it with a spinning back kick that found a home and backed Kahlon up. Basharat continued walking down Kahlon, hitting him with a clean right hand and varying his attacks, mixing in low kicks and long punches, avoiding much of the return fire.

Another low kick took Kahlon off his feet and Basharat followed him to the ground, landing in Kahlon’s guard, but passing to half quickly, working elbows and punches atop the body and head as he looked to keep advancing. Basharat could not move to mount, but did work nonetheless, posturing up and putting it on Kahlon, chasing a mounted guillotine choke in the final minute and drawing out the tap.

What an absolutely dominant effort from the undefeated lightweight finisher, who nodded to his corner that he had the choke sunk as soon as he floated into mount. Just a brilliant effort all around.

Official Result: Javid Basharat def. Oron Kahlon by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of Round 3

Silva kicked Yan in the face right out of the gate, but the Chinese fighter wasn’t fazed, steadying herself and attempting to close the distance on her Brazilian foe. A minute into the contest, Yan got inside and put Silva on the canvas, landing in full guard and looking to rough Silva up while the Brazilian looked to lock Yan up and earn a standup.

Even though she was working from top position, Yan suffered a cut just above her eye, her blood spilling onto Silva’s face, making it look like the Brazilian was the one wearing the damage. Yan climbed back into Silva’s guard and continued looking to work from top position in the final minute of the round, connecting with short elbows. Late in the frame, Silva latched onto a gogoplata attempt, seemingly getting close to finishing the rare submission before her Chinese foe shook free and tried to land shots to the horn.

Silva began the second the same way she did the first, sticking Yan with a long-range front kick, before diving forward on a takedown attempt. While Yan defended well, Silva stayed dogged in her pursuit, only to finally be forced to break a minute into the round. Silva appeared to be slowing down, prompting Yan to press forward into a takedown attempt, where the Brazilian climbed onto a guillotine choke.

When Yan elevated and slammed Silva to the canvas, she slammed herself deeper into the choke, landing in Silva’s guard, tapping moments later. Silva moves to 14-4 with the victory, while Yan falls to 16-4 with the submission loss.

Official Result: Karine Silva def. Yan Qihui by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:44 of Round 2

Torres landed three straight long strikes to begin, sticking Englund with a jab, an outside low kick, and a front kick to the mush, staying active as Englund looked to respond. The long jabs had Englund marked up and leaking just a minute in as he continued struggling with the length and diverse attacks of Torres, prompting him to look to change levels.

Torres defended it well and when they broke into space, Englund covered his eye and looked to the official for a pause in the action. Referee Herb Dean didn’t call for a break and Torres pounced, blasting Englund with a series of heavy shots, chasing him to the canvas and pounding out the finish.

Terrific showing from the 26-year-old from the Entram Gym in Tijuana.

Official Result: Manuel Torres def. Kolton Englund by TKO (strikes) at 2:10 of Round 1

The featherweights came out swinging to start this week’s action, with Murad getting right in Xie’s face and connecting with a flurry of different attacks in the opening minute. But when Xie slipped on one of the decals in the Octagon, he used the level change to get Murad to the canvas, setting up shop in his full guard, landing the occasional short shot from top position through the midway point of the round.

Xie opted to climb out of Murad’s guard and the Miami-based fighter went back on the offensive, walking down the Chinese fighter and connecting with clean shots, led by a left cross and knees in the clinch. Just when Murad started finding his rhythm and gaining control, Xie changed levels and put him on the deck, landing in side control and dropping a few powerful shots from top position to close out the round.

Early in the second, Murad again found a home for his sharp left cross, sitting Xie down, which prompted the Chinese youngster to grab an ankle and halt Murad’s attack. Back in space, with blood leaking from his nose, Xie drove forward and landed a clean takedown, putting Murad on the floor and climbing to half guard with a little more than three minutes remaining in the round. Murad pushed off the fence and timed a roll perfectly, creating a scramble that allowed him to get back to his feet with just over two minutes remaining in the middle stanza.

Xie pressed forward a little more behind his striking, connecting with a couple long right hands as Murad appeared to slow, holding back a little to fend off takedown attempts. It wasn’t enough though, as Xie once again dragged him to the canvas, moving from side control to knee-on-belly, working short punches while short on time to once again finish the round in dominant position.

Murad flipped the script to start the third, looking for a takedown of his own, only to have Xie scramble well and scurry back to his feet. While he again landed well in space, Murad couldn’t keep things standing, as Xie put him on his back once more, settling into Murad’s closed guard. The 23-year-old Chinese fighter began attacking with slicing elbows, while Murad offered very little from his back, failing to create space or attack from bottom.

Xie stood momentarily, but as Murad looked to get up, he dropped back in and kept the Titan FC champ on the canvas heading into the final two minutes of the fight. Xie finally postured up and started landing heavy blows, and as Murad looked to scramble, he latched onto a D’Arce choke. Murad forced his way out of the choke and got to his feet with a little over a minute remaining, landing a series of clean shots down the stretch to close out the back-and-forth battle.

This was a competitive fight that played out in two distinct parts, with Murad having greater success on the feet and Xie controlling things in the grappling exchanges, leaving the judges to sort things out after 15 minutes. When the scores were added up, two of the three officials scored the fight in favor of Murad, who moved to 6-0 with the victory.

Official Result: Olivier Murad def. Xie Bin by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Parsons wasted no time firing off kicks from the southpaw stance, attacking all levels as Renfro looked to find a home for advancing, powerful strikes. They kept throwing power shots at one another and nearly clashed heads a couple times, with Renfro finding a home for a series of big shots that backed up and wobbled Parsons.

Renfro swarmed and looked for the finish along the fence, but Parsons did a good job to cover up, avoid the monster shots, and get back into space, returning to his kicking attacks in the center. As Parsons came forward with a kick, Renfro dropped him with a left hand, and while Parsons was able to get back to his feet, it was clear there was a vast power discrepancy between the two.

Late in the round, Parsons looked for a Muay Thai trip, but Renfro avoided it and secured a takedown of his own, before the welterweight sluggers got back to their feet and traded more punches before the end of the round.

Parsons did a better job picking his spots and mixing his attacks to start the second, varying between punches and kicks, working to different levels, slowing Renfro’s output in the early stages of the round. Both men were a little more measured in their output through the first half of the frame, with Parsons offering and landing a little more, picking his spots and steering clear of the heavy return shots from Renfro.

With just over a minute left in the round, Renfro deftly timed a takedown, dumping Parsons to the canvas and settling into half guard, looking for opportunities to land short blows from top position, but failing to find any before the horn sounded.

Parsons raced across the cage with a flying knee attack to start the third, listening to his corner that told him he needed a finish in order to get the victory. Renfro stayed right there with him, throwing hands of his own, the two running level through the first half of the final stanza.

Parsons found a home with a body kick that got Renfro’s attention and he looked to press forward behind it, but when he did, Renfro backed him off with hard strikes of his own. The remainder of the contest played out with the duo engaging in a tit-for-tat battle in the center of the Octagon, neither landing anything too spicy or dominating the action too clearly through to the horn.

When the tens and nines were totalled, it was Parsons that landed on the happy side of the split decision verdict, causing the Syndicate MMA representative to erupt in celebration.

Official Result: Jonny Parsons def. Solomon Renfro by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Machado came out and began leading the dance between these two strawweights, showing quickness and speed while working from the outside, jumping in to land a right hand that earned a nod from Rodriguez. The Brazilian continued to work an in and out approach, getting stung with a right hand by Rodriguez that took her feet out from under her briefly. To her credit, Machado wasn’t phased by the power shot, continuing to press forward and try to close the distance and land her shots, leading Rodriguez to look to wrestle.

Machado stuffed the takedown attempt, but ate a big shot on the break, with Rodriguez closing the distance again soon after, only for the Brazilian to keep it upright and split her open with an elbow in the clinch. When they broke into space, Machado continued pressing forward, doing a good job defending another takedown attempt just before the horn.

Machado came out confidently to start the second, backing Rodriguez up with long punches that found a home, avoiding the return fire coming her way. A lazy front kick resulted in Machado eating a clean right hand down the center line, but she ate it well, with each woman getting a little more loose with their hands once they got into range, trading big shots in close.

Rodriguez looked for a takedown just beyond the midway point of the round, but Machado defended it well, breaking free into space and coming forward behind long punches once again. She ducked under a spinning elbow attempt and secured a body lock against the fence, only to have Rodriguez reverse the position, finishing the round hunting for a takedown as the two traded short blows in close.

The combatants touched gloves to start the third with the opening exchange playing out the same as they had throughout the contest, with Machado pressing forward and landing long blows, but eating a heavy shot or two in return. Machado closed the distance and stung Rodriguez with another good right hand, but couldn’t avoid the clinch, with Rodriguez finally dragging her to the canvas.

But Machado worked back to her feet and took the fight to Rodriguez as they broke into space, again hitting Rodriguez with a couple clean shots, with Rodriguez’s return fire coming in much slower and more deliberately. Locked in the clinch heading into the final minute, Rodriguez dumped Machado to the canvas, but the Brazilian again worked back to her feet, only for Rodriguez to drag her to the canvas once more before the buzzer, climbing into mount and trying to unload punishment through to the horn.

This was a close, competitive fight and when the judges totals were added up, it was Rodriguez that came away with the unanimous decision victory.

Official Result: Piera Rodriguez def. Valesca Machado by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Fighting inside the UFC APEX for the second time in a handful of weeks, Borralho made the absolute most of his second opportunity, showing tremendous patience out of the gate, chipping away at Murray before connecting with a clean left hand down the pipe. Chasing him back towards the fence, Borralho unloaded, clipping Murray above the ear and following him to the canvas, unloading a torrent of strikes that forced referee Mike Beltran to step in and stop the fight.

Borralho didn't get a contract after beating Aaron Jeffery three weeks ago, but he might get one here after betting on himself and cashing in big time.

Official Result: Caio Borralho def. Jesse Murray by TKO (strikes) at 1: 41 of Round 1

Petrosyan stayed light on his feet to start, but Kolev was able to quickly close the distance and dump the kickboxer to the canvas, returning him there with force seconds after he worked back to his feet. He again worked to a standing position, but Kolev remained locked onto him, controlling the body positioning along the fence and locking onto a body lock as Petrosyan continued trying to fight hands and create space.

Kolev spun Petrosyan to the deck with a single leg at the midway point of the round, but again, the kickboxer scurried back to his feet quickly, returning to that clinch position along the fence. As soon as they broke into space, Petrosyan got loose with strikes, stinging Kolev with a right hand, only for the Bulgarian to again press forward, clinch up and avoid danger.

Petrosyan worked free quickly and once he did, he unleashed hell, blasting Kolev with a nonstop barrage of punches and kicks, stinging him with a pair of right hands and felling him with a knee to the head while throwing a kick.

This was a lights out performance for Petrosyan, who did an outstanding job with his defensive wrestling and capitalizing every second the duo was in space, earning one of the most impressive finishes of the season.

Official Result: Armen Petrosyan def. Kaloyan Kolev by KO (knee) at 4:27 of Round 1

Pedro Falcao vs. James Barnes

It only took 30 seconds for the bantamweight grapplers to work into the clinch, with Barnes closing the distance and putting Falcao against the fence and chipping away with short knees to the thighs. Falcao reversed the position and returned the short knees, but Barnes was able to work into space relatively quickly and go on the offensive, pressing forward and catching the Brazilian with a couple clean shots.

When Falcao rushed forward for a level change, Barnes stuffed it and locked onto a front headlock, working from there into the clinch, with neither man doing much as they battled along the fence for a second time. After seeming a little hesitant with his hands out of the clinch to start, Falcao finished the round landing a couple short, clean shots that Barnes didn’t seem to like.

Falcao came out more aggressive to start the second, popping Barnes with a couple more quick, crisp strikes, but the American veteran worked through it and into the clinch once again. This time, Falcao got free quickly and changed levels, scooping Barnes into the air and depositing him on the canvas, settling into top position and methodically looking to pass and attack.

He worked through to side control midway through the round, but Barnes was able to work up to his feet, only to have Falcao slam him to the deck once more. The Brazilian bided his time and floated into mount, quickly clamping down on an arm triangle choke. When he was unable to finish, Falcao let it go and attacked with punches through to the horn, entering the final stanza in complete control of this opening contest.

Barnes tried to come out aggressively to start the third, landing a leg kick and changing levels, but Falcao stuffed it with ease and worked into a body lock of his own, easily putting the veteran on the canvas. Barnes got back to his feet with ease and dumped Falcao to the ground, with the Brazilian looking at a guillotine that wasn’t there before wall-walking back to his feet.

When they broke into space, Barnes chased a sloppy takedown attempt that Falcao avoided, landing in top position as the American stumbled to the ground, settling into half guard and working to soften Barnes up with heavy lefts to the body and head. Falcao climbed into mount and postured up with just over a minute to go, unloading on Barnes and securing the finish, wrapping up a dominant performance with a stoppage.

This was the kind of urgency UFC President Dana White often talks about wanting to see from fighters on the Contender Series and it could very well make the difference between leaving with a victory or departing with a UFC contract in hand.

Official Result: Pedro Falcao def. James Barnes by TKO (strikes) at 3:55 of Round 3

The bantamweights wasted no time getting after it in the main event, with Rodriguez and Cortez meeting in the center and trading blows to start before Cortez initiated the clinch, looking to get into his wrestling game and wear on Rodriguez, who missed weight yesterday morning.

Rodriguez worked off the fence, but Cortez ducked under to take the back, securing his hands around Rodriguez’s waist. While he wasn’t able to get him off balance and put him on the floor, Cortez continued to stay after it before Rodriguez broke the grip and circled into space. Back in the center, Rodriguez started piecing up Cortez, cracking him with a “crispy” jab and cleaner, more technical strikes, busting him up a little and taking control of the fight in space.

The Roufusport product really started getting loose late in the frame, attacking Cortez with a sharp elbow and precise strikes through to the horn.

Rodriguez got right back into his bag to start the second, sniping home clean strikes with quickness, stuffing Cortez’s takedown attempt and getting right back in his face. Cortez ducked under a hurried Rodriguez punch, securing a body lock momentarily, but the 23-year-old Rodriguez worked free and resumed his assault.

Each time Cortez tried to respond and landed a couple shots of his own, Rodriguez responded with greater effectiveness, showing great hips every time Cortez looked to change levels. After a brief clinch along the fence, Rodriguez landed a heavy one-two that backed up Cortez, who showed tremendous toughness and grit, taking everything coming his way, but was clearly getting out-worked through two rounds.

Cortez looked to shoot right out of the chute, but Rodriguez sprawled beautifully, keeping the fight standing and again taking it to Cortez. The Fight Ready representative slipped under a Rodriguez punch and dragged him to the canvas, but couldn’t maintain control, with Rodriguez getting to his feet and into space without taking any punishment.

At each turn, Rodriguez was the sharper man, picking at Cortez who kept trying to grapple, but couldn’t muster much of anything. Just past the midway point of the round, Cortez again briefly put Rodriguez on the deck, but the Roufusport product got back up and got back after it, continuing to piece up Cortez.

While he didn’t get the finish he surely wanted, this was an impressive performance from the 23-year-old Rodriguez, who pushed his record to 6-0 with the unanimous decision win, handing Cortez his second career loss in the process.

Official Result: Christian Rodriguez def. Reyes Cortez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The action between the gigantic human beings Buday and Hood was just starting when the action was paused momentarily for what appeared to be an inadvertent eye poke. The replay looked like it might have been a punch from Buday, and when the action restarted, the Slovakian closed the distance and put Hood against the cage, leaning into him as the duo traded big knees in tight.

Hood got free from Buday’s clutches and opened up with his hands, connecting with heavy shots that had Buday backing up, prompting the Slovak to clinch once again. He again started working knees to the thigh, mixing in short punches to the head, busting Hood up as he continued to chip away with sharp knees to the quad.

Hood showed no ability to get himself off the fence and Buday continued to unload, landing short punches before launching a knee upstairs that landed clean, dropped Hood to a knee, and brought the fight to a close.

There was a rocky patch early, but Buday navigated the challenge and put it on Hood, overwhelming him with heavy shots along the fence before felling him with the knee Paul Felder was calling for throughout the contest.

In the same week as the first Slovakian fighter in UFC history is slated to compete, could Buday join his teammate Ludovit Klein on the UFC roster?

Official Result: Martin Buday def. Lorenzo Hood by TKO (strikes) at 4:56 of Round 1

Hadley got right into Raposo’s face to start this one, flicking out a jab and attacking with a kick to the body, marching down the Team Volkanovski veteran without concern for what was coming back his way. Raposo timed up a beautiful level change, putting Hadley on his back, but the Brit quickly started looking for submissions, transitioning from an omoplata to a gogoplata and an armbar before creating space and getting back to his feet.

Hadley once again looked to walk Raposo down, but this time, the Massachusetts native pushed him back with strikes of his own, keeping Hadley guessing a little more and throwing more volume than the Cage Warriors champion before driving through another takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the round, closing out the frame in top position.

The flyweights met in the center to start the second, Hadley again looking to press forward, Raposo doing a good job of firing back, snagging a single, but letting it go when he didn’t put Hadley on the deck. Hadley fired off another body kick, which Raposo blocked, but still felt, before the Brit dragged the fight to the canvas.

Hadley immediately controlled Raposo’s off-arm and climbed around to the back, locking in a body triangle and floating with the American as he looked to escape the position. Hadley clamped onto a neck crank and started squeezing, torquing Raposo’s head sideways, forcing the TUF 29 alum to tap.

Missing weight complicates things for Hadley, but this was a dominant performance by the undefeated Englishman, as he climbs to 8-0 while handing Raposo the first loss of his professional career.

Official Result: Jake Hadley def. Mitch Raposo by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:11 of Round 2

Borshchev opened with a high kick and continued looking to land strikes as Duncan remained patient, making his reads and trying to find an opening. The technical Borshchev bloodied Duncan’s nose early with his clean jab and took it to the Scotsman, landing combinations and stinging him with a thudding kick to the liver.

Duncan quickly (and wisely) changed levels and hunted for a takedown, dragging Borshchev to the ground and settling into top position, chipping away with small shots before they returned to their feet. Borshchev busted out a “Rolling Thunder,” but missed, and Duncan quickly changed levels again, scooping the Team Alpha Male representative into the air and dumping him to the canvas, only for Borshchev to scurry to his feet with ease.

Back in space, the lightweights kept slinging, Borshchev touching Duncan’s liver again with another kick, and the unbeaten Scottish fighter responding with some shots of his own to close out a frenetic opening five minutes.

Duncan pressed forward to start the second and the duo traded kicks to the body, with Borshchev continuing to show superior technique. As Duncan came in with a reaching left hand, Borshchev slid out of the way, countered with a left hand on the jaw, and put Duncan to sleep.

Just an absolutely brilliant performance and blistering finish from Borshchev, bouncing Duncan from the ranks of the unbeaten and bringing UFC President Dana White out of his seat.

Official Result: Viacheslav Borshchev def. Chris Duncan by KO (left hook) at 0:28 of Round 2

The women spent the opening two minutes of the first round working in space, feeling each other out, landing sporadic shots, with neither Silva nor Paprocki landing anything too sharp. Silva opted to close the distance and initiate the clinch, controlling Paprocki along the fence, chipping away with a smattering of knees to the midsection and thighs, but ultimately losing the position when referee Jason Herzog decided to split them apart.

Back in space, the women started swinging, with both athletes throwing heavy blows, connecting with a couple shots each before Silva once again crashed into the clinch, driving Paprocki back into the fence and resuming her work with knees in tight through to the end of the round.

Paprocki started the second quicker, looking to push the pace and take the fight to Silva, attacking with long punches and a sharp low kick before pressing forward in search of a takedown. Silva saw it coming and denied it with ease, using the opportunity to clinch and quickly twist Paprocki to the canvas, only for the Coloradan to return to her feet with ease.

The duo broke into space momentarily, with each woman throwing strikes, only for Silva to again close the distance and drag the fight to the canvas, landing in full mount and taking Paprocki’s back as she looked to escape the position. The Brazilian landed a series of short punches, fishing for submission opportunities and clamping down on a neck crank, with Paprocki fending off the uncomfortable hold before spinning into top position, only to eat a series of shots from Silva off her back.

Silva opened the third throwing low kicks, mixing strikes in between, catching Paprocki with a clean right before closing the distance and initiating the clinch once again. They broke into space much quicker this time, with Silva taking the center and each woman throwing from distance, landing very little before the Brazilian secured the body lock and took the fight to the canvas once more.

With just over two minutes left in the round, Silva climbed into mount, sliding to the back as Paprocki looked to find safety. Each time the American looked to adjust and turn into Silva, the Brazilian beat her to the punch, floating well and landing occasional punches, controlling the action throughout.

Each of the three officials saw the fight the same, awarding Silva the unanimous decision victory, advancing her record to 6-0 with the victory.

Official Result: Maria Silva def. Kathryn Paprocki by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Both men came out throwing kicks and trying to find their range with their hands. When he reached forward with two lunging punches that missed, Smotritsky dropped his head and Malott immediately jumped on the guillotine choke, adjusting his grip to secure the tap just 39 seconds into the opening stanza.

Team Alpha Male fighters have always been known for having nasty guillotines and Malott showed that he’s got one too. Just a dominant finish for the Canadian.

Official Result: Mike Malott def. Shimon Smotritsky by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:39 of Round 1

Barez pressed forward to start, with Hernandez moving laterally on the edges as the Spanish fighter looked to open up and immediately take control of the fight. Hernandez got his back off the fence and started attacking more, darting in to land shots before shuffling back out of range, catching Barez with a left hook as he looked to jump in with a knee.

The flyweights started getting a little more loose with their hands two minutes in, both fighters offering more offense and working multiple levels, digging shots to the body as well as targeting the head through the midway point of the round. Hernandez grabbed a single leg and pushed Barez into the fence, but couldn’t complete, with Barez looking for a guillotine choke that wasn’t there.

As they broke into space, Hernandez landed a flush knee that Barez somehow ate, and the ‘25s just stayed after it, both men working at a steady clip wherever the action was situated. Late in the round, Barez elevated Hernandez for a big takedown and climbed onto his back, attacking a neck crank through to the horn.

Terrific round from the flyweights!

It was back to full go to start the second, as Barez came forward. Hernandez responded by working inside, and each man landed solid shots. Barez cracked Hernandez with a right hand that backed him up to the fence, looking for space, only for Hernandez to drop Barez with a right of his own as he came hunting for more.

The two quickly hit the canvas, with Barez attacking an inverted triangle choke, but he got too aggressive and lost the position, resulting in Hernandez scrambling to side control. From there, the Chicago-based fighter took the back and flattened the Spaniard out, searching for a rear-naked choke. Barez defended well and it became a cat-and-mouse on the canvas, with Barez looking to neutralize Hernandez’s attacks and Hernandez trying to punch his way to openings.

With a minute left in the round, Barez scrambled back to his feet, but Hernandez remained the aggressor, only for the Spanish flyweight to change levels and hit a double leg takedown, finishing the round getting a breather inside Hernandez’s full guard.

Barez landed a clean right hand to start the third and looked to take the fight to Hernandez, buckling Barez with a left hand less than a minute in. Once more, Hernandez attacked with a flying knee that allowed him to work into the clinch, only for Barez to easily break free into space.

An accidental finger to the eye brought things to a pause as referee Chris Tognoni checked on Hernandez, who was good to continue.

On the restart, Hernandez tried to come forward, but each time he did, Barez cracked him with a check hook counter, timing a level-change right before the midway point of the frame. Just as soon as Hernandez got up and out into space, Barez dropped down again, driving him backward and to the canvas.

Hernandez kicked his way free and the two broke into space, with Barez chasing the takedown and getting stuffed. After landing a few punches, Hernandez went for a takedown of his own, which he couldn’t complete. Barez tried once again and Hernandez denied it, taking the fight to the Spaniard on the feet over the final 20 seconds.

This was an entertaining, fast-paced flyweight battle where both men had positive moments. For the first time this evening, the judges were called upon to determine the winner, and when the scores were tallied, the judges were split, with Hernandez landing on the happy side of the verdict.

Official Result: Carlos Hernandez def. Daniel Barez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Weems came out showing his quickness and diverse weapons, chopping at the lead leg and throwing hands behind them, spinning Garcia around with a couple kicks before running into a counter right as he looked to close the distance.

After breaking off the fence, Garcia stalked forward, backing Weems up and hitting him with a right hand behind the ear that sent him tumbling to the canvas. The follow-up blows came hot and heavy and referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop it, giving Fernie Garcia the first-round finish and a fifth straight victory.

Official Result: Fernie Garcia def. Joshua Weems by TKO (punches) at 2:10 of Round 1

The middleweights took the opening minute to feint and feel each other out, Barnes working out of a southpaw stance, while Holmes looked for openings from the orthodox position. After the first minute, Holmes started letting go with his strikes a little more, throwing long kicks and punches at the much shorter Barnes before the two clashed heads, bringing the fight to a momentary pause as referee Chris Tognoni checked on both fighters.

On the restart, Barnes attacked with a body kick, but Holmes quickly responded by closing the distance and looking to grapple, controlling the clinch along the fence, landing knees and looking to drag Barnes to the mat. Barnes showed good takedown defense, keeping things upright, leading to the two breaking into space.

Both continued attacking with kicks and the occasional punch, each having modest success before Barnes changed levels looking for a takedown, only to have Holmes stuff it, reverse position along the fence, and land a knee to the body right before the horn.

Barnes came out as the aggressor to start the second, backing up Holmes with reaching punches, taking the fight to the taller man, only to have Holmes respond with a body kick that echoed throughout the venue. Barnes responded with two of his own before Holmes worked into the clinch behind a long jab, quickly taking the fight to the canvas.

Holmes immediately took the back and secured a body triangle, fishing for a rear-naked choke and settling for a neck crank, drawing a tap out of Barnes to secure the victory.

“Uglyman Joe” looked solid here, playing to his strength in the second round to secure the finish and extending his winning streak to seven.

Official Result: Joseph Holmes def. Shonte Barnes by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:46 of Round 2

The opener took a little longer to get going than expected as White needed to return to the locker room to put on his cup and get his mouthguard, but once the action got started, the lightweights got after it.

White came out firing, forcing Valdez to grapple, with the Entram Gym fighter taking him to the canvas and controlling him with a waist lock through the opening minute. A brief break into space gave both men the opportunity to let loose with their strikes, and despite connecting with a couple good shots, Valdez looked to wrestle again.

For the third straight time, White quickly bounced back up to his feet, only for Valdez to chase a rear-naked choke. He got too aggressive and couldn’t seal the deal, but continued to take the fight to the wild Alaskan competitor, dislodging his gumshield while the two swung heavy hooks.

Valdez again took the fight to the canvas and rained down elbows from top position, but this time, White was able to reverse the position and have some success of his own. Late in the frame, White took it to Valdez, busting him up with big swings as both men battled exhaustion through to the horn.

What an absolutely insane round!

Out of the break to start the second, the lightweights picked up right where they left off at the end of the first, with White serving as the aggressor, taking the fight to Valdez. But once again, the momentum shifted, as Valdez sent White’s mouthguard flying for a second time with a counter left hook, chasing him down and dropping him with another two-piece that landed flush.

Just an absolutely chaotic opener where both men got after it and left it all in the Octagon.

Official Result: Genaro Valdez def. Patrik White by TKO (punches) at 0:44 of Round 2

Sudolski apologized on the restart and the light heavyweights worked their way right back to where they were, twisting each other back-and-forth along the fence, neither man able to gain a clear advantage or connect with anything too sharp in tight. But when they broke into space, Potieria quickly chased Sudolski down with long punches, a right hand knocking him to the ground.

The follow up blows came quickly and with precision, prompting referee Jason Herzog to call a halt to the action.

Just an outstanding finish for Ihor Potieria and a tremendous way to close out Week 5 on the Contender Series.

Official Result: Ihor Potieria def. Lukasz Sudolski by TKO (punches) at 3:41 of Round 1

As the two men circled each other in the center to start the second round, Borralho quickly changed levels and drove through a takedown attempt, though Jeffery was able to work back to his feet and into space without taking any damage. The Canadian resumed his forward pressure and almost ate another flying knee, but this time, he was able to get into the clinch, only to have Borralho dig an undertook and work off the fence.

Midway through the round, Jeffery once again crashed forward and closed the distance, getting Borralho up against the fence, hunting for takedowns, only for the Brazilian to put Jeffery on the deck momentarily. Once they stood up, Jeffery was right back into the clinch, showing impressive resiliency and determination, eating knees in tight while continuing to struggle to execute any real sustained offence.

After a touch of gloves and show of respect to start the round, Jeffery picked up where he left off to end the second, putting Borralho against the fence once more, only to have the Brazilian defend the takedown attempt and circle into space. As they returned to the clinch following a brief separation, Borralho once again dumped Jeffery to the floor, controlling the clinch position as they returned to their feet.

Jeffery showed increased urgency as the clock ticked down to two minutes remaining in the round, trying to throw more volume and land something sharp, attacking with elbows over the top on the clinch. But nothing crisp landed and Borralho defended well, tying up the Canadian through to the final horn.

This was a smooth, technical effort from Borralho and the judges rewarded him properly, handing him a well-earned unanimous decision victory.

Official Result: Caio Borralho def. Aaron Jeffery by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

They got right back after it on the restart, with Almeida again coming forward, only for Zellhuber to initiate a clinch sooner and drive the Brazilian to the canvas, settling into top position and starting to get off some heavy shots. A technical mistake gave Almeida the space he needed to scurry back to his feet, but when he did, it was clear his pace had slowed, as Zellhuber was able to have more success countering, using his range and quickness to control the striking and dictating the terms of engagement.

While Almeida still found a home for the odd shot, Zellhuber handled them far better than he did in the first and responded with much greater frequency and fire, adding a question mark kick in to showcase the full depth of his arsenal, his confidence growing to the point that he was taunting Almeida in the waning seconds of the round.

Both men came out throwing to start the third with Zellhuber maintaining the momentum he captured in the second — connecting with far greater frequency while avoiding much of what Almeida offered in return. The 22-year-old continued to stalk Almeida, his pace and output slowing, but his accuracy and his defensive movements remaining sharp.

Down the stretch Zellhuber got a little flashy, taunting Almeida, connecting with a spinning back kick and beautiful check left hook as he completed an impressive comeback after being on the business end of things in the opening round.

The judges were called on to render a decision, but there was no uncertainty of what the cards would reveal, with Zellhuber collecting a unanimous decision victory, pushing his winning streak to an even dozen while handing Almeida the first defeat of his career.

Official Result: Daniel Zellhuber def. Lucas Almeida by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Level at one foul each, Kuniev pressed forward on the second restart, crashing home heavy outside kicks to the thigh and initiating the clinch once more, finally chaining together a takedown attempt to put Santos on the canvas. The Brazilian reversed the position with a kimura sweep, scurrying to his feet and feeding Kuniev a knee to the body as he stood before the 28-year-old betting favorite put Santos back on the fence for the remainder of the round.

Kuniev opened the second offering a variety of kicks, closing the distance and working into the clinch without much pushback. Santos went searching with long punches when they broke into space, but came up empty, prompting Kuniev to close the distance once again and grind out more time on the fence.

The heavyweights began to fall into a pattern a couple minutes into the round, with Kuniev working into the clinch, Santos fighting his way off the fence, and Kuniev quickly pressing forward again. Midway through the round, the Eagle FC titleholder elevated Santos into the air and sent him crashing to the canvas, landing in side control, only to have the Brazilian go hunting for a kimura sweep again, forcing Kuniev to reset his pressure and settle back into top position, finishing the round pummelling Santos with heavy punches.

Kuniev called Santos in to begin the third, but before the Brazilian could take a forward step, Kuniev put a two-piece in his mush, closed the distance, and used a body lock takedown to put Santos on the canvas. As soon as Kuniev opened up with ground-and-pound, Santos rolled and covered up, prompting referee Mark Smith to quickly step in and stop the fight.

It was a bit of a slow start, but once Kuniev settled in, the talented 28-year-old showed he’s an intriguing potential addition to the heavyweight division.

Official Result: Rizvan Kuniev def. Edivan Santos by TKO (ground and pound) at 1:00 of Round 3

But Dobson actually had more success from being in Arkhagha’s guard, landing several heavy shots before he kicked free and got back to his feet. Arkhagha sprinted away from Dobson, who gave chase, landing heavy blows, leaving Arkhagha dazed and firing wild, winging punches in return. Stationed in front of his corner, Dobson unloaded with short punches, looking to secure the finish, shifting his game plan and sinking in a no-hooks rear-naked choke to secure the finish.

Just a blistering effort from the unbeaten American middleweight.

Official Result: AJ Dobson def. Hashem Arkhagha by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:21 of Round 1

Resuming with a little over 90 seconds to go in the round, Veretennikov came forward and found a home for a pair of clean punches, prompting Morales to look to wrestle, only to have Veretennikov quickly and easily spin him back into the center of the Octagon. Down the stretch, Veretennikov was the more active of the two, but Morales remained game, continuing to land from range and seemingly frustrate his opponent at times.

Veretennikov came forward again to start the second, but once again, it was Morales who landed the best shots early, connecting with a Superman punch and long-range attacks before changing levels and driving Veretennikov to the canvas. Morales settled into top position inside Veretennikov’s guard, trying to chip away with the Kings MMA fighter looking to tie him up and get a standup from the referee.

After getting told to work, Morales listened, attacking with a series of strikes before dragging Veretennikov back to the mat after he scrambled up to his feet. When Morales got a little loose from top position, Veretennikov scrambled back to his feet, but Morales continued to dominate the action, opening up more with his hands and putting it on his tiring opponent, forcing him to reach for a desperation takedown to avoid the punishing blows coming his way. Morales stuffed the takedown and battered Veretennikov with short shots to either side of his head, drawing a closer look from referee Mark Smith and sending himself into the third in total control.

Morales got right back after it to start the third, landing punches to the head and body as Veretennikov lumbered forward, clearly exhibiting superior freshness and confidence, beginning to showboat and add a little flair to his attack. Two minutes in, Morales pressed forward for a takedown and looked for a throw when he was stuffed, giving Veretennikov an opportunity to work from top position after hitting Morales with a hard knee to the body.

After fending off an armbar attempt, Veretennikov made a mistake and allowed Morales to climb off his back and return to being the aggressor, the two getting into a stalemate while Veretennikov hunted for a takedown against the lengthy fighter from Ecuador. When they got back to a standing position, Morales hit a slick sit-out, depositing Veretennikov on the canvas, hitting a statement throw right before the horn to seal up the victory.

Very impressive effort from the undefeated 21-year-old Morales, who moved to 12-0 with the victory, while bringing Veretennikov’s eight-fight winning streak to an end in the process.

Official Result: Michael Morales def. Nikolay Veretennikov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Rlayang timed a beautiful takedown and put Nguyen on the deck, but once again, the more experienced fighter quickly reversed the position, standing up and backing out, allowing Rlayang to get back up and the fight to retake it’s familiar distance and pace. Each time Nguyen looked to press forward behind strikes, he found success, but there was a little lack of urgency there, which allowed Rlayang to continue hanging around and chopping at his lead leg and Michael Bisping to question his approach from the booth.

Nguyen came out a little more aggressive to begin the third, heeding the advice of his coach, Sayif Saud, looking to land with a little more pop and trying to get Rlayang out of there. A low blow paused the action momentarily with just over three minutes remaining in the contest, and when they restarted, it was more of the same, with Nguyen fighting a clean, technical fight, landing the odd sharp blow, but failing to follow up on those punches.

An eye poke paused things again and Nguyen got a stern warning from referee Mike Beltran about his fingers, and when the action resumed, Rlayang cranked up the volume, trying to find a home for something sharp to change the direction of the fight. The action was halted for a third time in the round for a second eye poke, this time Rlayang catching Nguyen, with Beltran deducting a point from Rlayang.

With a minute remaining, Nguyen started opening up a little more, having success with his hands, but as he’d done throughout the fight, he stayed technical and safe, securing the victory without ever really being in any trouble.

It’s a nice rebound effort from Nguyen after his knockout loss in his first Contender Series appearance, but it remains to be seen if it was enough to secure a UFC contract at the end of the night.

Official Result: Steven Nguyen def. Theo Rlayang by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26)

It was more of the same out of the gate to start the second, with Rodrigues attacking with kicks to different levels, keeping Curatolo off balance and causing him to switch stances due to the accumulated damage of the inside low kicks to the lead leg. While the Staten Island-based flyweight tried to press forward a couple times, he was just too passive on the outside, and even after finally dragging Rodrigues to the canvas for the first time, the Brazilian was able to quickly get back to the feet and resume his forward attack.

An errant low kick momentarily brought the action to a pause, but it was more of the same when the action resumed, with Rodrigues confidently coming forward, clipping Curatolo with a spinning heel kick and blasting him with a knee up high as the two exited a clinch in the center of the Octagon, sending him into the final round in complete control.

Curatolo got a stern lecture from Sean Santella in his corner between rounds, with “Shorty Rock” imploring his charge to come forward and leave it all in the Octagon, and Curatolo responded initially, hitting Rodrigues with the best shot of the fight early in the round. But Rodrigues resumed dictating the terms of engagement soon after, the variety of kicks and range on his strikes causing Curatolo to hesitate and eat heavy kicks.

Even in the positions where Curatolo would seem to be favored, Rodrigues dominated, attacking well in the clinch with knees and short strikes, before clamping onto a guillotine choke with just over a minute left in the round. Curatolo took it to the ground and popped his head free, but once again, he was unable to control the Brazilian on the canvas, with Rodrigues working back to his feet and cracking the Nick Catone MMA representative with another hard shot on the exit.

This was a complete and impressive effort from the 25-year-old, who pushed his record too 7-1 overall and extended his winning streak to six with a one-sided decision win.

Official Result: Kleydson Rodrigues def. Santo Curatolo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The one-minute break between the first and second rounds didn’t lessen Rosales’ momentum, as he instantly closed the distance and opened up with his hands, stinging Martinez with combinations and getting the better of the exchanges in space before dragging his foe to the ground with another takedown. Martinez popped back to his feet and circled into space quickly, settling in a little more and starting to steal back the advantage, putting his shots together in combination more and varying his levels as Rosales’ pace slowed and his offerings became more labored.

Late in the frame, Martinez deftly stuffed a takedown attempt along the fence, digging an underhook and working off the fence, moving into space smacking Rosales with a combination to grab the momentum heading into the final round.

In the corner between rounds, Rosales spoke to to his coach Ben Jones about his right hand, while Martinez was urged forward by “The General,” Sayif Saud, with both coming out looking to throw to begin the final five minutes. Rosales clearly wasn’t throwing his right hand and struggled to get in on a takedown attempt, with Martinez slipping out easily and popping home shots throughout the round as the two remained in range of one another, slinging punches.

To his credit, Rosales continued coming forward, offering everything he could with his left hand and mixing in plenty of kicks, while Martinez sniped home individual counters while moving backwards into the final minute. Late in the round, Martinez bashed Rosales with a two-piece that connected flush, closing out the fight with a takedown, the duo drawing a standing ovation from UFC President Dana White once the final horn sounded.

The judges were called upon to render a verdict and when their scores were tallied, it was Martinez who came away with the victory with scores of 29-28 across the board.

Official Result: Victor Martinez def. Jacob Rosales by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

While there was nothing doing, it did create an opportunity for Almeida to get back to his feet, where Nasrudinov welcomed him with a heavy low kick, only for the Brazilian to again take him down with a beautiful outside trip, finishing the round peppering with shots and searching for yet another takedown.

Seconds into the second round, Almeida again collected Nasrudinov around the waist and put him on the canvas, sinking in one hook and keeping the Russian from spinning by controlling his wrist. He patiently worked to get the sink hook in, fished his arm under the neck, and locked up the choke, leaving Nasrudinov no choice but to tap.

The Brazilian instantly broke down in tears, overjoyed with the victory and what it likely means, closing out the show with a dominant performance and a massive upset win.

Official Result: Jailton Almeida def. Nasrudin Nasrudinov at 1:49 of Round 2

Lewis again came out looking to chip away with the low calf kicks, having some success initially before Miller pressed forward and backed him towards the fence. Lewis circled out well and connected with another hard low kick that got Miller’s attention, but the wrestler responded by sticking a sharp jab in Lewis’ mug that busted him up and created an opportunity to wrestle.

Just as he did in the first round, Miller easily put Lewis on the deck and controlled things from top position, keeping the Florida-based fighter stuffed up against the cage, landing sporadic ground-and-pound and not giving Lewis a chance to land anything of substance or get back to his feet.

Lewis worked forward to start the third, pressuring Miller and attacking with those same low kicks, but once again, the former All-American changed levels and continued to work for the takedown, staying with it until he put Lewis’ shoulders on the canvas. Lewis tried to attack from body, but Miller refused to give him any real space to work, keeping Lewis’ hips covered and peppering with short shots from top position.

Lewis created space and worked back to his feet with a little over 90 seconds remaining, coming forward and attacking with strikes, only to have Miller drop down, turn the corner, and put him on the canvas one more time, grinding out the final minute from top position.

This was a one-sided, wrestling-heavy showing from Miller, who dominated on the canvas and remains undefeated after sweeping the scorecards. While this wasn’t the most exciting effort of the night, it was a dominant showing from the Strong Style Fight Team representative, but will it be enough to secure him a contract at the end of the night?

Official Result: Mo Miller def. Brandon Lewis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

From there, the 32-year-old Xtreme Couture representative went and had a little chat with Dana White, asking the UFC President if he liked the performance (he did) and telling him he’d smash anyone in the division.

Just a dominant effort from Duraev from start to finish, all three-and-a-half minutes of it.

Official Result: Albert Duraev def. Ciao Bittencourt by submission (neck crank) at 3:29 of Round 1

Brzeski went right back to the calf kick to start the second, prompting Potter to fire back wildly, with the striking getting a little sloppy. The Polish heavyweight closed the distance and initiated the clinch, but wasn’t able to do anything with it, as Potter worked free into space without taking any damage. Though he appeared to be the fresher, looser man, Potter couldn’t land any real significant offense, prompting Brzeski to again push forward and unload combinations, forcing the American to cover up along the fence.

Midway through the round, Brzeski forcibly slammed Potter to the canvas from a body lock, quickly climbing into a mounted crucifix position and attacking with elbows. While Potter was able to escape the trapped position, he remained turtled on the canvas, with Brzeski attacking with short punches for the remainder of the round.

Brzeski started the third with another low kick before backing Potter up with punches, returning to the same position along the fence where he finished the second, only for Potter to work his way free and into space. While Brzeski was clearly tired, he continued pressing forward and throwing, taking the fight to the wilting American, who showed a ton of grit and heart, but little in the way of effective offense.

With two minutes remaining, Brzeski dumped Potter to the canvas with an easy takedown, attacking with a no-hooks rear-naked choke. After readjusting his positioning, Brzeski attacked the choke again and the fight was halted.

Potter questioned why the fight was halted, saying he never tapped, and replays showed he was likely trying to peel Brzeski’s arm away.

While the finish may have been hurried, the final outcome was never in doubt, as Brzeski dominated the contest and was headed towards a victory.

Official Result: Lukasz Brzeski def. Dylan Potter by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:51 of Round 3

The crispness and cleanness of Della Maddalena’s strikes was on display early in the second as he put together a series of shots that stung Loosa, prompting a “that didn’t hurt me” head shake from the Switzerland native, a telltale sign that it did indeed hurt. The former rugby man continued pressing forward behind his hands, finding additional success before the fight was paused due to an inadvertent knee below the belt, earning Della Maddalena a warning and Loosa a chance to shake it off.

Restarted with roughly half the round remaining, Della Maddalena again connected in combination, peppering Loosa as they stood in close range of one another. But Della Maddalena slipped in the center of the cage and Loosa capitalized, chasing him to the canvas and locking up a deep arm triangle choke, forcing the Aussie to defend and work his way free, timing his explosion and scramble perfectly. Back on the feet for the final stretch of the round, Della Maddalena began throwing lead elbows, clipping Loosa with a pair right before the horn.

Taking the center to begin the third, Della Maddalena again started by picking at Loosa, defending an early takedown shot to keep the action on the feet. As it had been throughout the contest, Della Maddalena continued to throw and land combinations, snapping home punches with much greater frequency than Loosa, mixing in a takedown attempt just to keep his foe off balance.

Fighting in the third round for the first time in his career, Della Maddalena began to slow and Loosa started having a little more success, only to have the Australian dig deep and begin upping his output once again. Late in the round, Loosa changed levels and drove through a takedown attempt, putting Della Maddalena on his back, only to have the Perth native show more urgency and aggressive before working his way back to his feet. Down the stretch, Della Maddalena closed it out by throwing more volume, taking it to the bloodied Loosa through the horn.

For the second time this week, the judges were called upon to declare the winner and all three saw it the same way, awarding Della Maddalena a clean sweep of the scorecards.

Official Result: Jack Della Maddalena def. Ange Loosa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

Jasudavicius controlled the action in close, logging knees to the midsection and forcing Polastri to carry her weight along the cage, but as they moved into space, the Brazilian again had success, sniping at the former CFFC title challenger, diversifying her strikes, and connecting with more than a couple solid blows prior to the end of the second.

Polastri continued walking down Jasudavicius and putting it on the Canadian to start the third, forcing her to move backwards while connecting with several solid shots as Jasudavicius’ energy bar continued to slide towards zero. Emboldened by her success, Polastri got a little over-confident and careless late in the round, allowing Jasudavicius to change levels and drive through a takedown, working to half guard and attacking with elbows, finishing the round and the fight in dominant fashion.

After the tens and nines were tallied, the judges all saw the fight the same way, awarding Jasudavicius the unanimous decision victory. With the win, the Canadian advances to 6-1, while Polastri falls to 8-3 with the loss. 

Official Result: Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Julie Polastri by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

While the Ohio native stayed upright, Quinlan chased him down and continued throwing, blasting him with a series of right hands, chopping Urban down a little more with each blow, prompting referee Mike Beltran to jump in and stop the fight.

What an absolutely brilliant showing from Josh Quinlan!

Official Result: Josh Quinlan def. Logan Urban by TKO (strikes) at 0:47 of Round 1

Njokuani came forward to start the second, and when Sousa looked to rush forward and throw, the veteran connected with a counter strike that stopped him in his tracks. Clinched along the fence, Njokuani landed at will inside, mixing in knees to the body and strikes to the head as Sousa looked to work free. The Brazilian changed levels and looked for a takedown, dragging Njokuani to the canvas, but the Texas native quickly reversed position, attacking from inside Sousa’s guard.

While Sousa tried to look for openings, Njokuani flowed with him, battering the Brazilian with elbows and punches from top position. As Sousa tried to control wrists, Njokuani happily banged home more elbows, avoiding every small opening the Brazilian manufactured, floating through scrambles and punishing Sousa all the while.

Njokuani walked down Sousa to start the third, grabbing the Thai clinch and felling the Brazilian with a knee to the midsection, following him to the canvas and resuming the offensive onslaught he delivered to close the second round.

Working in front of his corner, Njokuani poured on the pressure, forcing Sousa to cover up and Dean to stop the fight.

Just a tremendous all-around effort from the veteran middleweight to get the stoppage, pushing his record to 20-7 in the process.

Official Result: Chidi Njokuani def. Mario Sousa by TKO (strikes) at 1:35 of Round 3

Oliveira started the third with a flying knee attempt that fell short and the two started slugging it out, firing hammers in close quarters, with the Brazilian connecting with a straight right hand and stunning Alday. Surprisingly, Oliveira took the fight to the canvas, landing in Alday’s guard, providing the Mexican fighter a chance to recover before trying to work back to his feet.

Two minutes in, Alday got back to his feet and they broke into space with half of the round remaining. Alday called Oliveira in and the Brazilian obliged, driving through a takedown and putting him on the canvas in the center of the cage. Once again, the action on the ground was limited, with Oliveira looking to pass and Alday simply trying to tie him up and stall.

Back up with 30 seconds remaining, Oliveira called Alday in and hit him with two good shots, with the Mexican veteran looking to respond at the horn, sending the decision to the judges.

When the tens and nines were tallied, the officials were once again split, with two of the three seeing things for Oliveira.

Official Result: Saimon Oliveira def. Jose Alday by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Just a beautiful performance from the Pete Spratt protege against a talented, experienced opponent.

Official Result: CJ Vergara def. Bruno Korea by TKO (knee to the body) at 0:41 of Round 1

Anheliger swiftly reversed position and allowed Gafurov to get back to his feet, hitting him with a sharp elbow. As they traded along the fence, an errant knee from Gafurov landed low, prompting a pause in the action and a stern warning from referee Mike Beltran.

Restarted with two minutes remaining in the round, they went right back into the clinch, with Gafurov elevating Anheliger and depositing him on the canvas, settling into half guard, spending the rest of the round stationed in the position with Gafurov finishing the round with a little ground-and-pound.

Gafurov began the third closing the distance behind an overhand right, getting in on Anheliger’s hips, searching for a takedown, only for the Canadian to defend and break free into space. Stationed on the Howler Head logo in the center of the Octagon, Anheliger picked at Gafurov with strikes, prompting the Tajik fighter to close the distance. Once more, Anheliger stuffed the takedown and sniped from range, resulting in another level change and takedown attempt from Gafurov.

Anheliger again stayed upright and broke free, connecting with shots in space and landing in top position after a sloppy clinch attempt from Gafurov with 90 seconds remaining in the fight. As they got back to their feet, it was Gafurov who let loose a clean left hand while looking to close the distance, but Anheliger wore it well, with the two men trading punches through to the final horn.

This was a solid scrap to start the night and a closely contested battle, with the judges being tasked with determining the victor. When the scores were tallied, it was Anheliger that came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict, extending his unbeaten streak to nine in the process.

Official Result: Chad Anheliger def. Muin Gafurov by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

This was a blistering finish for the 32-year-old Russian, who was forced to withdraw from a UFC assignment in the spring of 2016, which ended up creating Dominick Reyes’ opportunity to enter the Octagon for the first time. Having now run his winning streak to 10 after closing out the show with a flash, there is a good chance Murzakanov will get another chance to make the walk to the Octagon for the first time in the not too distant future.

Official Result: Azamat Murazkanov def. Matheus Scheffel by TKO (punches) at 3:00 of Round 1

Ten seconds into the final round, Brito extended his finger in Lopes’ eye, bringing the action to a halt. The doctor came in to speak with Lopes, who relayed that he was having problem seeing out of both eyes, and the bout was ultimately waved off.

Brito had been warned by referee Chris Tognoni on multiple occasions earlier in the bout, and a point was deducted even after the fight was halted, as the round needed to be scored in order to determine the final decision.

Lopes was understandably heartbroken with the way the fight ended, fighting off tears as the fighters awaited the verdict. Brito emerged with the decision win, but he was none too excited either, disappointed that he wasn’t able to finish the contest the way he had hoped.

Official Result: Joanderson Brito def. Diego Lopes by technical unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

In the final stanza, Altamirano was the aggressor, getting off with his strikes far more than he did in the first two rounds as Candelario’s output waned and energy stores ran low. Though he wasn’t able to secure a finish, the 30-year-old clearly won the frame, sending the decision to the judges.

When the tens and nines were tallied, the judges were split, with Altamirano coming away on the happy side of the verdict. With the win, the LFA titleholder advances to 10-1 overall, while Candelario moves to 8-1 and falls from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Official Result: Victor Altamirano def. Carlos Candelario by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The welterweight hopefuls got after it right out of the gate, meeting in the center of the Octagon and swinging heavy leather immediately, skipping the entire feeling out process. After settling in a little and chopping at Damiani’s lead leg with a couple heavy calf kicks, Fletcher showed the range of his skill set, dropping down for a perfectly timed takedown that put the Italian on the deck.

While Damiani worked his way back to his feet, he remained with his back against the fence, and Fletcher capitalized, landing a picturesque flying knee. Damiani dropped in a heap and Fletcher erupted in celebration, closing out the first fight of the season in memorable fashion.

Official Result: AJ Fletcher def. Leonardo Damiani by KO (flying knee) at 2:24 of Round 1