Dana White's Contender Series
Week 9 Results & Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series, Season 7
Contract Winners, Scorecards, Recaps And More From The Newest Round Of UFC Hopefuls
After a record-setting week seven days ago, the penultimate group of hopefuls from Season 7 made their way to the UFC APEX on Tuesday night, eager to deliver the kind of performance that prompts UFC President Dana White to call their name at the end of the evening and hand them a UFC contract.
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 9
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Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 9
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After a record-setting week seven days ago, the penultimate group of hopefuls from Season 7 made their way to the UFC APEX on Tuesday night, eager to deliver the kind of performance that prompts UFC President Dana White to call their name at the end of the evening and hand them a UFC contract.
Last week, six athletes, including two competitors that ended up on the unfavorable side of the results, were added to the UFC roster, with bantamweight Vinicius Oliveira and welterweight Danny Barlow being joined buy flyweight opponents Ernesta Kareckiate and Carli Judice, and featherweight dance partners Danny Silva and Angel Pacheco.
The six-pack of contracts brought the total for Season 7 to 36 through eight weeks, leaving this season seven graduates behind the record number of contracts awarded last year.
Tuesday night, the four sets of hopefuls that remained on the lineup following Monday’s weigh-ins made the walk to the cage with designs on impressing the boss, and once again, the action was impressive and the boss liked a lot of what he saw.
All four winners — Mauricio Ruffy, Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, Victor Hugo, and Rodolfo Bellato — all got the call to the Octagon, as did light heavyweight Jose Daniel Medina, whose gutsy performance in a losing effort against Gadzhiyasulov sparked something in the UFC President that prompted him to offer him a contract.
That’s now 41 contracts this season heading towards a six-fight finale next week.
Here’s a look at how things played out on Tuesday night.
Dana White's Contender Series Season 7 Week 9 Results
- Mauricio Ruffy defeats Raimond Magomedaliev by TKO (strikes) at 4:45 of Round 3
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Jose Daniel Medina by Unanimous Decision
- Victor Hugo defeats Eduardo Torres Caut by Submission due to a Kneebar at 2:16 of Round 2
- Rodolfo Bellato defeats Murtaza Talha by TKO (strikes) at 4:46 of Round 2
Dana White's Contender Series Season 7 Week 9 Fight Card
Mauricio Ruffy defeats Raimond Magomedaliev by TKO (strikes) at 4:45 of Round 3
Mauricio Ruffy and Raimond Magomedov kicked off the evening’s festivities with a competitive, technical battle in the welterweight division that turned one-sided down the stretch.
Through the first two rounds, the combatants traded short exchanges, neither man really stringing together multiple shots or landing too many crisp blows. Each invested in low kicks, with Ruffy’s attacks having the greater impact, and in the third, the Brazilian continued chopping at the compromised lead leg while cranking up the intensity and output, dominating the striking interactions with Magomedaliev.
In the final minute of the fight, Ruffy defended a late takedown and forced Magomedaliev to the canvas, quickly climbing into mount and unloading a torrent of blows that brought about the stoppage. A great rally and finish for the Fighting Nerds representative.
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) defeats Jose Daniel Medina by Unanimous Decision
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov completely outclassed Jose Daniel Medina on Tuesday, using his more technical and diverse striking to batter and finish his Bolivian opponent.
The former K-1 kickboxer attacked with an assortment of kicks, supplementing them with quick hands and excellent range control. While Medina was game and tried his best to press Gadzhiyasulov at times, the unbeaten fighter representing the kingdom of Bahrain was simply too good. Gadzhiyasulov faded as the fight progressed, but he remained in complete control, leading to a clean sweep of the scorecards.
Now 8-0 as a professional, the 29-year-old has obvious upside and looked sharp in stretches here, but it remains to be seen if Gadzhiyasulov did enough to impress the UFC brass.
Victor Hugo defeats Eduardo Torres Caut by Submission due to a Kneebar at 2:16 of Round 2
Brazilian veteran Victor Hugo left Eduardo Torres Caut no choice but to tap after latching onto a deep kneebar midway through the second round.
Entering with a 23-4 record, Hugo took the fight to Torres Caut in the first, threatening with submission attempts whenever they went to the canvas. The Chilean Torres Caut worked to control the clinch early in the second, but as he looked to drag Hugo to the canvas, the Brazilian attacked the kneebar, catching it deep and extending to draw out the tap.
Terrific finish from the 30-year-old standout, who ran his winning streak to 13 with the victory and the second kneebar finish in Contender Series history.
Rodolfo Bellato defeats Murtaza Talha by TKO (strikes) at 4:46 of Round 2
Rodolfo Bellato made his second appearance at the UFC APEX a successful one, bouncing Murtaza Talha from the ranks of the unbeaten in the final bout on Tuesday night.
The warring light heavyweights traded big shots in the first, but Bellato took control early in the second, stinging Talha with a sharp low kick before busting him up with knees and elbows in tight along the fence. Talha tried to hang tough and fire back, but the offence from Bellato was just too overwhelming, prompting referee Jason Herzog to step in and stop the fight.
Bellato moved to 11-2 with the victory and remains unbeaten when he’s facing anyone other than current UFC light heavyweight prospect Vitor Petrino. This was an outstanding return appearance for the Brazilian, and a tremendous way to close out the night.
