Dana White's Contender Series
Fight Preview
Week 8 Preview | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9
Taking A Look At This Week’s Fight Card As The Season Rolls On
In the setup to last week’s episode, it was noted that there had been at least one finish in 90 seconds or less in every episode since Week 1, with Iwo Baraniewski providing the honors in Week 6. Last week, Mantas Kondratavicius ensured that streak continued as he closed out Week 7 with a 66-second stoppage win over Djani Barbir, providing the fourth finish of the night while ensuring he received a call to the Octagon as well.
For the first time all season, we had more fighters than winners receive contracts, as UFC President Dana White rewarded both Jeisla Chaves and Sofia Montenegro for their hard-fought and bloody battle in the middle of the card, while the four victorious male athletes — Kondratavicius, Murtazali Magomedov, Javier Reyes, and Rafael Tobias — all secured the opportunity to compete on the big stage next time out as well. For the season, that brings the total number of contracts awarded to 31, meaning the possibility of a new all-time record remains, but it will take some riveting performances and a couple of unsuccessful competitors getting the nod to exceed the 46 contracts awarded in Season 6.
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Before we get to this week’s matchups, a Since Score update: after coming out of the gates uneven — and sitting level at 7-7 through the first three weeks — fighters with the greater Since Score have gone 12-7 (.632 winning percentage) over the last four weeks. As always, it’s far from a perfect indicator, but with a growing sample size, it seems to be providing at least a few useful insights.
Here's a look at the matchups for Week 8.
Vitor Costa vs Damian Pinas
Middleweights close out the show for the second straight week and third time this season as Vitor Costa and Damian Pinas square off to wrap up Tuesday’s event.
Fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and representing The Fighting Nerds, the 25-year-old Costa owns an 8-1 record, an eight-fight winning streak, and a +6 Since Score. He lost his pro debut to current UFC middleweight Cesar Almeida and has posted finishes in six of his last eight outings, and now ventures to Las Vegas hoping to carry on the impressive tradition the Fighting Nerds have established on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Just 23 years old, Pinas has only been a pro for a little over three years, amassing a 7-1 record (Since Score: 0) with each his victories coming inside the distance. Training at the famed Nova Uniao, the native of Suriname only loss came by way of disqualification due to an illegal kick, and he’s since rebounded with a trio of finishes.
Louis Jourdain vs Magno Dias
Action shifts to the bantamweight division here as Louis Jourdain takes on Magno Dias.
The younger brother of UFC standout Charles Jourdain, “The Mad Prince” ended a nearly two-year hiatus caused in large part by a knee injury in May, registering a second-round stoppage win over Danilo Adreani at Samourai MMA 14 in Montreal. The 28-year-old Jourdain has an 8-3 record with five finishes and a +6.0 Since Score heading into this one, where he looks to land himself the opportunity to compete alongside his brother in the UFC.
Another member of the vaunted Fighting Nerds, Dias carries a 6-1 record with six finishes, a three-fight winning streak, and a -4.0 Since Score into his Week 8 appearance at the UFC APEX. The 29-year-old is surrounded by elite training partners and excellent coaches who have successfully navigated this process many times over, so it will be interesting to see how he handles things on Tuesday night.
Eliezer Kubanza vs Christopher Alvidrez
The middle fight of this week’s slate takes place in the welterweight division, as undefeated Eliezer Kubanza squares off with American Christopher Alvidrez.
Sporting a 7-0 record (+4.0 Since Score) with all but one of his victories coming by way of finish, Kubanza fights out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and represents the SOMA Fight Team, home of UFC competitors Anshul Jubli and Puja Tomar, as well as Road to UFC competitor Ritu Phogat. “King Kong” has only been out of the first round twice in his career, and gone the distance just once, which was last time out at BRAVE CF 91 against Zagid Gaidarov.
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Born in San Pedro, California, and representing The Goat Shed in Miami, Florida, Alvidrez is a 27-year-old freestyle fighter with a 6-1 record, five finishes, and a -3.0 Since Score, which is weighted heavily by one early opponent. Last time out, “The Newborn” collected a first-round stoppage win over UFC veteran Takashi Sato.
Kurtis Campbell vs Demba Seck
Business shifts the featherweight ranks as Kurtis Campbell looks to maintain his unblemished professional record as he takes on Demba Seck.
After closing out his amateur career with seven consecutive victories, Campbell has opened his professional run by replicating those results, touching down in Las Vegas with a 7-0 record, five finishes, and a +3.5 Since Score. “The Pink Panther” won the Full Contact Contender (FCC) featherweight title last September and has successfully defended it twice, earning each of those victories by stoppage.
A black belt in hapkido and taekwondo, the 32-year-old Seck looks to add to his seven-fight winning streak when he steps in against Campbell on Tuesday night. Born and raised in Senegal and fighting of the Elite Training Center in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Seck owns a 10-2 record (-5.5 Since Score) with eight finishes, including two already this year.
Rashid Vagabov vs Paulo Henrique
The opening bout of the week takes place in the flyweight division, as Rashid Vagabov and Paulo Henrique share the Octagon to kick off Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Vagabov, who trains under former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, is 27 years old and 13-2 as a professional, having registered eight wins by stoppage, earned five consecutive victories, and compiled a +9.5 Since Score over the course of his six-plus-year career to date. He’s finished each of his last four opponents while competing under the UAE Warriors banner and will look to join a host of teammates and training partners on the UFC roster on Tuesday night.
Fighting out of Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and trained by its most noteworthy combat sports son, Charles Oliveira, Henrique touches down in Las Vegas with an 11-1 record (-3.5 Since Score), having dropped his professional debut and rattled off 11 consecutive victories since. The 23-year-old posted stoppages in each of his first nine wins before going the distance in each of his last two appearances.
