Dana White's Contender Series
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Week 6 Results + Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series Season 8
Contract Winners, Scorecards, Recaps And More From The Newest Round Of UFC Hopefuls
Week 5 of this season of Dana White’s Contender Series delivered an interesting collection of performances and discussion points, as three athletes graduated to the UFC roster, including the teammate of one of this week’s combatants.
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 6
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!
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 6
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Flyweight Nicolle Caliari scored a first-round submission win over Corinne Laframboise to punch her ticket to the UFC, while bantamweight prospect Josias Musasa showed enough in his split decision win to prompt UFC CEO Dana White to bring him into the fold as well. While returning competitor Yousri Belgaroui collected a third-round finish, it wasn’t enough to impress White, but Navajo Stirling’s second-round knockout of Phillip Latu to close the night most certainly was.
In addition to the fights that transpired, there was also one that didn’t, as Quemel Ottoni, the first man to defeat current UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira in MMA, pulled out of his fight with Kody Steele while getting his hands wrapped. It’s the first time someone has simply opted out of making the walk on Tuesday night, leaving Steele to get re-booked later this season.
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On Tuesday night, another set of five hopefuls stepped into the fray inside the UFC APEX with designs on impressing the UFC brass and earning a place on the roster, and when the night was over, several competitors had accomplished their goal.
Returning lightweight Ahmad Hassanzada, 22-year-old middleweight Ateba Gautier, towering heavyweight finisher Talisson Teixeira, and second-generation fighter Elijah Smith all impressed White and the matchmakers enough to garner a call to the Octagon.
That’s four new additions to the roster, bringing the total count for Season 8 to 24 through six weeks, with three of this week’s four athletes all coming in at age 24 or younger.
Here’s a closer look at how things played out.
Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 6 Results
- Elijah Smith defeats Aaron Tau by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Talisson Teixeira defeats Arthur Lopes by KO (right hand) at 1:57 of Round 1
- Benjamin Bennett defeats Joey Hart by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ateba Gautier defeats Yura Naito by TKO (strikes) at 4:00 of Round 2
- Ahmad Hassanzada defeats Dylan Mantello by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:41 of Round 3
Post-Fight Press Conference | Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 6
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 6
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Dana White's Contender Series Season 8, Week 6 Fight Card
Ahmad Hassanzada defeats Dylan Mantello by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:41 of Round 3
Ahmad Hassanzada won the battle of returning DWCS alums to open Week 6, digging deep to find a finish in the third round of his clash with Dylan Mantello.
Hassanzada fought well in the opening round, taking the fight to Mantello and showcasing his grappling advantage. He got cracked with a right hand early in the second and began to fade hard, but the Afghani lightweight was able to force a grappling entanglement early in the third that allowed him to work around to Mantello’s back, where he laced up the rear-naked choke and put the Longo and Weidman MMA representative to sleep.
After losing to Mantello’s teammate Nazim Sadykhov in his first appearance at the UFC APEX, Hassanzada picked up his third straight win by rallying in Tuesday’s opener.
Ateba Gautier defeats Yura Naito by TKO (strikes) at 4:00 of Round 2
The power of 22-year-old Ateba Gautier was too much for Yura Naito, as the prospect from Cameroon collected a second-round stoppage win to push his winning streak to five.
Naito grappled well in the first round, neutralizing the offensive power of Gautier by keeping him stapled to the canvas. He looked to do the same in the second, but Gautier was more effective in keeping the right standing before blasting his Japanese foe with a right hand, left hook combination that put Naito on the deck. It took some time, but Gautier eventually postured up and started to drop head shots, forcing the stoppage.
Gautier has now earned five straight stoppage finishes to advance to 6-1 overall. He’s clearly still raw, but his upside is undeniable and it will be interesting to see how he progresses going forward.
Benjamin Bennett defeats Joey Hart by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Welterweights Joey Hart and Benjamin Bennett engaged in a clash of styles in the middle of Tuesday’s fight card at the UFC APEX.
The towering Hart used all of his length and reach to snipe at Bennett whenever the two were standing, landing good shots throughout. However, the Forge Fight Team representative did well to change levels and drag Hart to the mat in each of the first two rounds, neutralizing his weapons and grinding time off the clock before the two spent the third trading big shots on the feet.
For the first time on the night, the judges were called upon to render a verdict, and when the tens and nines were tallied, it was Bennett that came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict. That’s now four straight wins since his loss to DWCS grad and rising welterweight Trey Waters, and we’ll see later this evening if he’s set to join him on the roster.
Talisson Teixeira defeats Arthur Lopes by KO (right hand) at 1:57 of Round 1
In the penultimate fight of the evening, Talisson Teixeira delivered the first-round knockout many anticipated to advance to 7-0 in his professional career and maintain his 100 percent first-round finish rate.
The towering Teixeira had to deal with some aggressive offense from Arthur Lopes in the early stages of the fight, as his compatriot valiantly marched forward, swinging for the fences. While Lopes landed some shots, Teixeira handled them with aplomb before uncorking a right hand down the pipe that caught Lopes’ chin and ended the fight in a flash.
Standing six-foot-seven, the unbeaten 24-year-old is a fascinating prospect with unquestionable power and upside. As he continues to develop and garner more experience, Teixeira has the potential to develop into an intriguing figure in the heavyweight division.
Elijah Smith defeats Aaron Tau by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Elijah Smith showed the full spectrum of his developing game in Tuesday’s final matchup, out-working City Kickboxing man Aaron Tau to claim a unanimous decision victory.
The 22-year-old prospect worked behind a long jab and sound wrestling to get the better of things early in his clash with the unrelenting Tau, who never stopped coming forward. Smith tired in the second after doing a great deal of grappling, but managed to withstand the offensive output from the Maori bantamweight, having his own moments of success along the way.
Both men were spent when the final horn sounded, with UFC CEO Dana White rising to his feet to salute the combatants. When the scores were totalled, it was Smith that came out on top, earning 29-28 scores across the board to collect his fifth straight victory.
