Only one week into Season 9 and a contract winner has already registered a victory in the UFC.
Baisangur Susurkaev, one of the two athletes awarded a contract following last week’s season premiere, got his wish to compete at UFC 319 in Chicago and promptly ventured to “The Windy City” and registered a second-round submission win over game opponent Eric Nolan, pushing his record to 10-0 and establishing himself as a prospect to watch in the middleweight division in the process.
This week, five more pairs of hopefuls venture into battle at the UFC APEX, looking to impress and inspire UFC President Dana White and join Susurkaev and Ty Miller as members of the DWCS Class of ’25, and there were plenty of impressive efforts to choose from.
Each of the first four fights ended inside the distance while the finale featured a dominant showing from a Brazilian standout. It didn’t take long for White to make his decisions, and several more competitors were added to the roster.
Unbeaten prospects Ramiro Jimenez, Josh Hokit, and Louis Lee Scott were added to the featherweight, heavyweight, and bantamweight divisions respectively, while middleweight Cameron Rowston punched his ticket to the main roster — and perhaps a fight in Perth towards the end of September — and Jose Delano earned high praise from the UFC brass while securing his opportunity to compete inside the Octagon as well.
That’s the first five-pack of the season and far more indicative of what Tuesday nights at the UFC APEX are usually like.
Get a rundown of all the action from inside the Octagon below and check back later in the evening to find out who was victorious and which athletes landed a chance to join the UFC roster.
This page will be updated live throughout the night with full fight recaps, scorecards, plus interviews with Dana White and tonight’s contract winners.
Ramiro Jimenez kicked off Week 2 with a dominant stoppage win over Tommy Cuozzi in a battle of unbeaten featherweights.
The 10-0 Mexican prospect came out aggressive, but not hurried, offering steady output and impressive variety, mixing things up well and stinging Cuozzi multiple times. Jimenez scored a knock down with a left hand down the pipe a couple minutes in and never allowed his opponent back into it, turning up the output and the intensity to secure the finish.
Now 11-0 as a professional, the 26-year-old Jimenez looked a step ahead throughout the contest and showed the kind of poise and intensity that makes a prospect really stand out. This was an outstanding effort for “El Cachanilla” and a tremendous way to kick off Episode 2.
Josh Hokit broke Guilherme Uriel with his unrelenting wrestling, wearing him out in the first round before securing the finish early in the second.
The Jackson Wink MMA Academy product scored five takedowns in the first round, breaking the spirit of his Brazilian foe. As soon as the second began, the former All-American wrestler and NFL practice squad player put Uriel on his back in the center of the Octagon, where he quickly pounded out the finish.
That’s six straight wins for the 27-year-old American, who backed up his brash talk from his pre-fight interview with his performance inside the cage. A quality athlete with an unbeaten record, “The Incredible Hok” is an intriguing prospect to keep tabs on in the heavyweight division.
It was striker versus grappler in the swing bout on Tuesday’s fight card and the striker emerged victorious, as Louis Lee Scott put away Kaushik Saikumar in the third round.
Saikumar, a disciple of TUF winner Ryan Hall, attacked the legs early looking to lock up a heel hook and catch Lee Scott before he got settled. The Brit defended well and found his rhythm on the feet, attacking the body and remaining relentless in pressuring “The Pride of Chennai.”
Though Saikumar chased a couple more opportunities, “Lightning” again stayed safe and got back on the offensive, eventually wilting his Indian adversary just ahead of the midway point of the third round. It was a strong effort by the Manchester Top Team man, with his weight miss on Monday sitting as the only blemish from an otherwise impressive performance.
Cameron Rowston made the most of his second opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series, scoring a first-round stoppage win over Brandon Holmes.
The 30-year-old City Kickboxing man, who lost to Torrez Finney early last season, looked outstanding in his sophomore appearance at the UFC APEX, landing a right hand that rattled Holmes. Recognizing his opponent was hurt, Rowston stayed on him, mixing up his attacks and punishing the woozy Holmes, sending him to the canvas and forcing referee Blake Grice to halt the action.
That’s now four straight wins for “The Battle Giraffe,” who moves to 12-3 with the victory. He trains with a great crew and has only lost to UFC caliber competition, and showed all the work he does in the room has elevated his game since last year.
Jose Delano busted up Manuel Exposito in Tuesday’s featherweight finale, showcasing his striking and looking UFC ready while registering a unanimous decision victory to close out Week 2.
The 28-year-old Brazilian Top Team member was patient and precise, working behind long strikes and smooth combinations to batter his Argentinian opponent, showing he was a level ahead. Exposito refused to quit and continued trying to press forward, but each time he did, Delano met him with clean, impactful strikes.
Though it went to the judges, the outcome was never in question, as Delano earned a clean sweep of the scorecards. That’s now four straight wins for the Brazilian, who maintained his impressive output throughout while turning in a dominant effort to wrap up the night.
