The newest season of Dana White’s Contender Sequence continued with a spotlight, finished-filled evening in Las Vegas.
DWCS started in 2017 and has produced a notable variety of fighters presently on the UFC’s roster. For the reason that present’s inception in 2017, a pair have even gone on to assert UFC championships. Generally known as “The last word job interview,” DWCS options 5 fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Final yr’s version noticed 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s main MMA group throughout 10 occasions, barely down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode seven of season 9 this week noticed six prospects earn the chance to style the Octagon’s vibrant lights.
The evening had a robust begin, courtesy of Rafael Tobias scoring a win over Jair de Oliveira. Tobias landed a counter shot within the opening minute of the combat, showing to harm de Oliveira and forcing him to make use of the clinch to get better. Tobias didn’t let up on the stress and energy, nonetheless, chopping off the cage on a continuing foundation. Tobias was capable of rating a takedown after a physique kick, and he locked in a rear-naked choke on de Oliveira, scoring a first-round submission and incomes a UFC deal.
Issues solely received higher with Javier Torres pulling off a comeback end of Justice Torres. Torres regarded to convey stress to Reyes early and get him towards the fence together with his putting. However Reyes was capable of finding a gap and land a proper hook to the physique, beginning up a sequence of energy that overwhelmed Torres. The pictures would convey Torres all the way down to the mat overlaying up, giving Reyes the first-round end and a UFC contract.
In what’s going to go down as among the finest fights DWCS has ever seen, Jeisla Chaves got here out on prime in a warfare with Sofia Montenegro. Chaves and Montenegro got here out with putting exchanges immediately, with each women sporting blood on the edges of their faces throughout the first minute. Montenegro’s straight pictures have been discovering their mark, however Chaves’ mixtures and hooks have been additionally leaving an influence. After a violent first spherical that earned praises for each girls, Montenegro’s putting dropped Chaves within the first minute of spherical two. Chaves was capable of get to her ft and landed some robust pictures within the spherical’s ultimate minute, however many of the spherical noticed her pinned to the bottom and fence by Montenegro.
The bloody warfare continued right into a strong third spherical, with Chaves incomes the break up determination victory in a combat that might have fallen both means. It really was among the finest fights of the DWCS season, and White displayed that by giving each girls contracts. This makes each girls’s fights this season the 2 fights to this point to have each the winner and loser earn contracts.
Finishes returned within the co-main occasion, as Murtazali Magomedov pulled off a victory over Brahyan Zurcher. As the 2 appeared to get their putting going within the opening body, Magomedov landed a jab that appeared to stumble Zurcher, getting by way of his guard and wobbling him. Magomedov then pressed and scored the end seconds later, incomes a victory and a UFC contract in fast trend.
And yet another robust efficiency got here courtesy of the principle occasion, as Mantas Kondratavicius put away Dani Barbir. Kondratavicius pressured immediately, aspiring to get the combat to the bottom shortly. He was ready to take action, however Barbir scambled up and pressed himself. After a minute, Kondratavicius landed a one-two with a proper hand that put Barbir’s lights out, giving him a UFC contract and capping off among the finest DWCS nights of the season.