Dana White issued four UFC contracts after episode 8 of the Contender Series.
Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series may have started off slow, but it’s quickly become one of the most violent seasons in the history of the show.
On Tuesday night, Week 8 of Contender Series took place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and it was another night of brutal action with four finishes in the five fights, bringing the season total up to 28 finishes in 40 fights. This week, all four finishers were awarded UFC contracts, with the lone winner being left off given a message to come back and try again in the future.
Damian Pinas vs. Vitor Costa
In the main event, Damian Pinas stamped his ticket to the UFC with authority, slumping Vitor Costa in the first round.
Only 23 years old, Pinas has only been training MMA for four years, but the Aruba native sure doesn’t look that raw. Costa came out with a lot of movement and pressure, but Pinas kept his composure and then thumped him with a textbook 1-2 that sent Costa crashing to the canvas. “The Babayaga” was an easy choice to earn a UFC contract, and Dana White, of course, obliged.
Louis Jourdain vs. Magno Dias
In the co-main event, Louis Jourdain showed a well-rounded skillset before submitting Magno Dias in the third round of their bantamweight fight.
The younger brother of UFC veteran Charles Jourdain, Louis Jourdain showed a similar skillset, getting the better of the striking exchanges with the Fighting Nerds product. Dias had some moments on the ground, but in the third round, Jourdain shifted the momentum, grabbing the back and locking on a fight-ending choke that also earned him a UFC contract.
Christopher Alvidrez vs. Eliezer Kubanza
In the feature bout of the evening, Christopher Alvidrez made quite the impression, pulling off the upset over Eliezer Kubanza.
A former standout running back in high school, Alvidrez hit the ground running on Tuesday, immediately setting the tone with pressure and boxing combinations. Kubanza tried to control range and found some success in doing so, until Alvidrez badly hurt him with a pair of hooks. Alvidrez jumped all over him, and though referee Herb Dean gave Kubanza every opportunity, he finally was forced to intervene, and Alvidrez got the win and a UFC contract.
Kurtis Campbell vs. Demba Seck
In the second bout of the evening, Kurtis Campbell blew the doors off Demba Seck to punch his ticket to the UFC.
Despite being just 23 years old, Campbell was a big betting favorite heading into the fight, and he showed why, quickly taking Seck down. Seck got back to his feet, but Campbell held on to the waist and landed a brutal knee that sent Seck back down. Some follow-up ground-and-pound finished the fight in under 90 seconds, and Campbell got his UFC contract.
Rashid Vagabov vs. Paulo Henrique
In the opening bout of the evening, Rashid Vagabov turned in a solid if slightly underwhelming performance, controlling Paulo Henrique for three rounds to earn a unanimous decision win.
Vagabov was a massive betting favorite heading into the fight, and he certainly looked to be the superior fighter on Tuesday, landing the more powerful strikes on the feet and controlling the fight on the floor. While Henrique showed good takedown defense, Vagabov was ultimately able to get back control in the third round, spending most of it attacking a choke, but Henrique’s defense proved up to the task, leaving Vagabov to collect a clean sweep of the judges’ scorecards, but failed to make an impression on Dana White, who told Vagabov to go back to the gym and return in the future.
Check out the full results below.
Main card
Damian Pinas def. Vitor Costa via KO (punch) — 1:46, Round 1.
Louis Jourdain def. Magno Dias via submission (rear-naked choke) — 0:39, Round 3.
Christopher Alvidrez def. Eliezer Kubanza via TKO (punches) — 4:44, Round 1.
Kurtis Campbell def. Demba Seck via TKO (knee and punches) — 1:20, Round 1.
Rashid Vagabov def. Paulo Henrique via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Category: General Sports
