Dana White's Contender Series
Results
Week 5 Results + Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series Season 8
Contract Winners, Scorecards, Recaps And More From The Newest Round Of UFC Hopefuls
Last week marked the first time all season that UFC CEO Dana White handed out contracts to all five winners, bringing the total number of fighters called to compete in the UFC to 17 through four weeks, and sending us into Week 5 eager to see how things continue to play out.
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 5
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Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 5
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This week’s contests spanned nearly the entire expanse of weight classes in the UFC, with the four pairs of athletes making the walk at the UFC APEX in hopes of impressing White and the matchmaking tandem of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard representing the flyweight, bantamweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions, with the group including one returning competitor, three undefeated prospects, and a Canadian that was originally slated to take part in Season 7 looking to finally get the Great White North on the board this year.
Tuesday’s slate lost a fight during the broadcast, as the lightweight contest between Quemuel Ottoni and Kody Steele was cancelled after Ottoni withdrew, changed his mind, and then changed his mind once more. The undefeated Steele will be re-booked against a new opponent later in the season according to White.
In the bouts that did make it to the cage, the victors all impressed, with three of the four successful combatants earning a call to the Octagon, as flyweight Nicolle Caliari, bantamweight Josias Musasa, and light heavyweight Navajo Stirling all joined the list of fighters graduating from Season 8 to the UFC roster.
Here’s a look at how things played out at the UFC APEX on Week 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 5 Results
- Navajo Stirling defeats Phillip Latu by KO (left hook) at 2:21 of Round 2
- Yousri Belgaroui defeats Taiga Iwasaki by TKO (strikes) at 2:34 of Round 3
- Josias Musasa defeats Otari Tanzilovi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Nicolle Caliari defeats Corrine Laframboise by verbal submission (armbar) at 4:45 of Round 1
Post-Fight Press Conference | Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 5
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Post-Fight Press Conference | Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 5
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Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 5 Fight Card
Nicolle Caliari defeats Corrine Laframboise by verbal submission (armbar) at 4:45 of Round 1
Just when it seemed like things were trending in the wrong direction for Nicolle Caliari, the Brazilian attacked an armbar and tapped out Corrine Laframboise to collect the first-round stoppage victory.
After starting the fight by depositing Laframboise on the canvas with a couple hard throws, Caliari seemed to be slowing down, getting stuck in a back crucifix and eating a string of elbows. But with Laframboise in top position late in the round, Caliari isolated an arm, went belly-down, adjusted, and secured the verbal submission.
That’s now four straight stoppage victories for the 27-year-old Thai Brasil representative, and three straight by submission. Following nearly a year on the sidelines, this was an impressive outing from the promising flyweight prospect against a talented foe from north of the border.
Josias Musasa defeats Otari Tanzilovi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Josias Musasa went the distance for the first time in his career in this clash with Otari Tanzilovi, but that didn’t change the outcome, as the bantamweight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo remained unbeaten.
Tanzilovi was the more effective of the two in the first, mixing in a variety of strikes with timely wrestling to largely keep Musasa from finding much effective offense. But as the fight progressed, the 25-year-old “K.O. Wizard” started to find more success, keeping the pressure on the Georgian and landing with a little more force while having a greater ability to keep himself upright.
The judges were called upon to render a verdict, with two of the three officials seeing the fight in favor of Musasa. Now 8-0 as a professional, it’s clear that the bantamweight prospect has a ton of upside and is one to watch going forward, whether he gets a contract later in the evening or not.
Yousri Belgaroui defeats Taiga Iwasaki by TKO (strikes) at 2:34 of Round 3
After landing on the wrong side of things last season, Yousri Belgaroui returned to the UFC APEX on Tuesday night and earned himself a victory over Taiga Iwasaki.
The former Glory Kickboxing standout and current training partner of light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira was clearly the more effective of the two, battering Iwasaki with clean strikes at range and good work inside. He was docked a point at the end of the second following repeated eye pokes, but it didn’t ultimately make a difference as Belgaroui was able to finally put away the resilient Japanese fighter midway through the third.
Belgaroui has now won three straight since his loss to Marco Tulio last season and five of his last six overall. His striking is clearly world-class and he trains with an outstanding group at Teixeira MMA, so it will be interesting to see how the 32-year-old continues to progress as he gains further MMA experience in the future.
Navajo Stirling defeats Phillip Latu by KO (left hook) at 2:21 of Round 2
Remember the name Navajo Stirling, as the City Kickboxing man looks like the next promising prospect from the Auckland, New Zealand super crew.
While his bout with Phillip Latu was a little tepid to start, the action started picking up in the second, with both men getting off with a little more offense. Midway through the second round, with the light heavyweights working in tight, Stirling uncorked a left hook that caught Latu clean on the chin and sent him crashing to the canvas, with no need for a follow up.
Just 26 years old and unbeaten in five professional fights, Stirling has tremendous size for the division, sharp kickboxing, and obvious power. He trains with a host of elite talents, and clearly has the potential to stand alongside of them on the biggest stage in the sport.
