The second half of Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series maintained the momentum of the previous four weeks, as the action inside the UFC APEX on Tuesday night was once again electric.
Cody Chovancek opened the night with a third-round stoppage win over Raphael Uchegbu, connecting with a right hand seconds into the final frame despite being up on the scorecards. After TUF 32 alum Paddy McCorry scored a unanimous decision win over In Su Hwang, All-American wrestler Tommy Gantt registered a rapid submission win over Adam Livingston, only for Polish light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski to follow him into the Octagon and collect a 20-second knockout win over BJJ world champ Mahamed Aly.
And in the final bout of the evening, Hecher Sosa used his grappling to dominate the previously unbeaten Mackson Lee.
Much like the last handful of weeks, it didn’t take UFC President Dana White long to make his contract decisions and they were numerous, as he called four more competitors to compete in the Octagon going forward. Chovancek, Gantt, Baraniewski and Sosa all impressed White, joining their names to the growing Class of ’25 graduates joining the UFC roster so far this season.
Get caught up on everything that transpired this week below, and come back next Tuesday for more outstanding action at the UFC APEX.
This page will be updated live throughout the night with full fight recaps, scorecards, plus interviews with Dana White and tonight’s contract winners.
Hecher Sosa, fighting just a handful of days after the passing of his father, turned in a brilliant performance to wrap up Tuesday night’s action at the UFC APEX, dominating unbeaten Brazilian Mackson Lee.
The 13-1 Spaniard brought the fight to the towering Lee, working his way inside and looking to utilize his grappling to neutralize the size difference. In both the first and third rounds, “Guanche Warrior” was able to control Lee for a significant amount of time, hunting non-stop for submission opportunities, but never quite getting there.
While the fight went to the judges, the decision was never in doubt, as Sosa swept the scorecards to earn his 11th consecutive victory. To put forth a performance like that with a heavy heart is a testament to his resilience and the kind of effort that instantly makes you get behind a guy like Sosa.
The first punch Iwo Baraniewski threw put Mahamed Aly on the canvas and it only took one more for the Polish standout to finish the fight.
Aly came in as the biggest favorite on the card, but after the Brazilian threw a long jab out that lingered too long, Baraniewski came over the top with a thudding right hand that put the BJJ world champion on the deck. From there, it was academic as Baraniewski quickly swarmed and landed another blow, prompting the stoppage.
Just an absolutely statement for the unbeaten 26-year-old from Warsaw. Now 6-0 with six first-round finishes, Baraniewski looks like a genuine person of interest in the light heavyweight division.
All-American wrestler Tommy Gantt turned a dominant effort against Adam Livingston, repeatedly depositing the Long Island native on the canvas before latching onto a fight-ending choke.
Gantt closed the distance immediately and looked to put Livingston on the mat straight away. A pair of fence grabs cost Livingston a point and kept him upright momentarily, but Gantt was relentless, staying on the hips and rag-dolling his previously unbeaten foe to the ground and snatching up the modified guillotine choke as Livingston looked to work back to his feet.
Just a brilliant performance for the North Carolina State Wolfpack alum, who advanced to 11-0 with the finish. He only turned pro in April 2024, and has been making waves ever since, all while honing his skills under the guidance of former two-division champ Daniel Cormier.
TUF 32 alum Paddy McCorry delivered a highly efficient effort in his return to the UFC APEX on Tuesday, out-striking South Korean veteran In Su Hwang to earn a unanimous decision win.
The 27-year-old Fight Academy Ireland representative was the more active and effective of the two throughout, throwing and landing more to every level, in every round. Hwang gave a little push towards the end of the third, but McCorry was able to avoid any real serious shots and continue on his way to sweeping the scorecards.
McCorry showed flashes of upside during his time on The Ultimate Fighter and again here against Hwang, and has quality fundamentals to continue building upon going forward. He’s won five straight now with his lone loss coming against a seasoned veteran and current Cage Warriors middleweight champ James Webb, so it’s clear the Irishman is one to continue keeping an eye on going forward.
Cody Chovancek was likely already on his way to a decision win, but the Niagara Top Team product took the judges out of things instead.
After hurting Raphael Uchegbu in the first with a pointed elbow to the temple while the Liverpool native was hunting a takedown, Chovancek got the better of things in the second as well. Rather than resting on the lead and playing it safe, the Canadian bantamweight uncorked a right hand at the start of the third that put Uchegbu on roller skates, allowing the Unified MMA standout to close out the fight seconds later.
That’s an outstanding finish from the unbeaten 27-year-old, who moved to 9-0 with the win. Training with a room full of UFC competitors has certainly helped him develop and he made the absolute most of his moment to open Tuesday’s show.
