Dana White's Contender Series
Week 8 Results & Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series, Season 7
Contract Winners, Scorecards, Recaps And More From The Newest Round Of UFC Hopefuls
Last week, four more athletes were added to the UFC roster, with flyweight Igor da Silva, welterweight Kaynan Kruschewsky, strawweight Stephanie Luciano, and heavyweight Shamil Ghaziev all did enough to impress UFC President Dana White and garner contract offers.
This week, another five sets of hopefuls made the walk, looking to turn the UFC APEX into their personal launch pad to the biggest stage in the sport, and the majority of the winners and even a couple of vanquished athletes absolutely showed out.
Throughout the evening, White was on his feet, applauding the action in the cage and conversing with the competitors when they headed to the back, showing his appreciation for the incredible efforts we saw throughout most of the night. After an absolute banger of an evening, six more competitors were added to the UFC roster, including two competitors that landed on the unhappy side of the results.
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 8
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Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 8
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Vinicius Oliveira was added to the bantamweight division, both Ernesta Kareckaite and Carli Judice were signed to the flyweight ranks, featherweights Danny Silva and Angel Pacheco got inked to deals after their back-and-forth brawl, and unbeaten welterweight Danny Barlow rounded out the record-setting group after his show-stopping effort in the main event.
It was an incredible night of action at the UFC APEX.
Here’s a look at what transpired.
Dana White's Contender Series Season 7 Week 8 Results
- Vinicius Oliveira defeats Victor Madrigal by KO (left hand) at 3:02 of Round 1
- Ernesta Kareckaite (29-28, 29-28) defeats Carli Judice (29-28) by Split Decision
- Danny Silva (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Angel Pacheco by Unanimous Decision
- Mario Piazzon defeats Alexander Soldatkin by DQ (illegal knee) at 0:20 of Round 3
- Danny Barlow defeats Raheam Forest by TKO (strikes) at 1:19 of Round 1
Dana White's Contender Series Season 7 Week 8 Fight Card
Vinicius Oliveira defeats Victor Madrigal by KO (left hand) at 3:02 of Round 1
One and done!
Vinicius Oliveira was getting the better of the exchanges with Victor Madrigal throughout their meeting to kick off the evening, but just after the midway point of the opening stanza, “Lok Dog” put a left hand on the chin of the Mexican veteran than turned his lights out right in front of the UFC brass.
That’s now 15 finishes in 19 career wins for the 27-year-old Oliveira, who moves to 8-1 in his last nine fights with this hellacious knockout win.
Carli Judice vs Ernesta Kareckaite
Flyweights Ernesta Kareckaite and Carli Judice teamed up for an "all gas, no brakes” battle in the second bout of the evening, delivering one of the best back-and-forth fights in DWCS history.
Both women came out firing strikes and working in the pocket, and never really moved from there throughout the contest. Each woman landed big shots, showing incredible grit and upside for a pair of athletes with only eight combined appearances to date. The output on each side was high and the resolve was impressive, as they went the full 15 showing the same aggressiveness and willingness to eat one to land one that they exhibited to start.
The judges were called upon to determine a victor, and when the scores were totalled, Kareckaite landed on the happy side of the split decision verdict, moving to 5-0-1 with the win. Just an amazing effort from both athletes, who each showed they have tremendous upside and are names to watch going forward.
Danny Silva (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Angel Pacheco by Unanimous Decision
There must have been something in the water at the UFC APEX on Tuesday night as Danny Silva and Angel Pacheco followed Kareckaite and Judice into the cage and picked up where they left off.
Silva landed the bigger individual shots throughout, dropping Pacheco in the first and hurting him to the body in the second, but in each frame, the Minnesota native weathered the storm and pushed back, refusing to go away. The 26-year-old prospect continued to crowd Pacheco and hit him with everything but the kitchen sink, with the featherweights going the distance in an insanely entertaining contest in the middle of Tuesday’s card.
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Silva, but this was one of those instances where the stock of both men goes through the roof after that kind of battle.
Mario Piazzon defeats Alexander Soldatkin by DQ (illegal knee) at 0:20 of Round 3
The gruelling battle of attrition between Alexander Soldatkin and Mario Piazzon ended early in the third round after Piazzon was hit with an illegal knee to the head, resulting in a disqualification win for the Brazilian.
Over the first 10 minutes, the heavyweights offered little in terms of effective offence, spending the majority of the fight locked in the clinch, grappling against the fence, and trying to garner an advantage on the canvas.
Early in the third, Soldatkin had Piazzon in a vulnerable position along the fence, bent at the waist with his right hand on the canvas, and hit him with a knee to the head. As he did, Piazzon’s hand came up, referee Jacob Montalvo stopped the action, and ultimately, the bout was halted and Soldaktin was disqualified.
Danny Barlow defeats Raheam Forest by TKO (strikes) at 1:19 of Round 1
“Left Hand to God” indeed.
Danny Barlow put Raheam Forest on rubber legs and then never allowed him to shake out the cobwebs and get back into the contest, winning the battle of Memphis and CFFC standouts inside the opening round.
This was an outstanding effort from the undefeated welterweight, who cements his standing as an explosive ascending name to track in the future.
