Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Episode 9 Highlights As 6 Awarded UFC Contracts

The most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Collection continued with among the best episodes within the present’s historical past tonight in Las Vegas.

DWCS started in 2017 and has produced a notable variety of fighters at the moment on the UFC’s roster. For the reason that present’s inception in 2017, a pair have even gone on to assert UFC championships. Often called “The final 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 9 of season 9 this week noticed six prospects earn the chance to style the Octagon’s brilliant lights.

Luke Fernandez made a press release to open the motion, scoring one of many quickest knockouts within the historical past of Dana White’s Contender Collection. In mere seconds, he landed a left jab and a proper hand that cracked Rafael Pergentino on the jaw. A couple of follow-up photographs later, and Fernandez earned the win and a UFC contract.

Luis Felipe Dias continued the finishes with a submission win over Donavon Hedrick. Dias rapidly labored his option to Hedrick’s again to begin the battle and appeared to get the higher of the placing exchanges early within the first spherical. Hedrick labored his approach again in, however Dias appeared to briefly stun him late within the spherical. Hedrick scored a takedown through the second spherical, and did some injury with ground-and-pound. However Dias scored his personal takedown and managed the motion in a dominant place, touchdown ground-and-pound and threatening a few chokes.

Dias would lastly sink in a rear-naked choke with lower than 30 seconds left within the second spherical to attain the tapout win and a UFC deal.

The Final Fighter season 33 participant Imanol Rodriguez then made probably the most of his second alternative at a UFC contract, scoring a first-round end of Roque Conceicao. Rodriguez had a wrestling-based focus, but it surely was his placing that received the job completed. After surviving a knockdown on a proper hand by Conceicao, Rodriguez tagged Conceicao a number of occasions, beginning with a proper hand after blocking a excessive kick try. Rodriguez then rocked Conceicao with a knee and scored a few knockdowns and unleashed flurries, ending with a left-right combo that slept Conceicao.

Within the night’s co-main occasion Adrian Luna Martinetti and Mark Vologdin produced one of many biggest fights of 2025, not to mention of the best fights within the historical past of Dana White’s Contender Collection, each incomes contracts in addition to — in a Dana White first — $25,000 bonuses. Vologdin stayed on the skin, however Martinetti managed to work his attain benefit by tagging him and placing him to the fence. However Vologdin not solely fought out of it, however he proceeded to commerce with Martinetti blow for blow, making a violent, all-out motion battle. Within the second spherical, nevertheless, Martinetti’s strain and clinch knees appeared to get the higher of Vologdin, however once more, he managed to clip Martinetti and get again proper into issues.

Martinetti had already damaged the DWCS bantamweight document for most vital strikes in a battle in simply two rounds; he landed 213 in whole by the battle’s finish. However Vologdin rushed Martinetti, showing to harm him within the first minute of the ultimate spherical, earlier than Martinetti scored a takedown. After one other motion packed conflict, Martinetti scored the choice win 29-28 on all three scorecards.

In the primary occasion, Magomed Zaynukov made a press release with a one-sided beatdown of Lucas Caldas. Zaynukov needed to endure an early knockdown and a number of eye pokes within the battle, leading to a one-point deduction for Caldas. However Zaynukov poured on the strain and placing, setting a brand new DWCS light-weight document for important strikes (making it two straight fights on the evening to set division DWCS information in important strikes) with 248. Actually, if the battle had taken place within the UFC, it could have set the document there, too.

Zaynukov scored the unanimous choice 30-26 on all three playing cards.

Luke Fernandez vs Rafael Pergentino

Luis Felipe Dias vs Donavon Hedrick

Imanol Rodriguez vs Roque Conceicao

Adrian Luna Martinetti vs Mark Vologdin

Lucas Caldas vs Magomed Zaynukov

Source link