Dana White's Contender Series
Week 5 Results & Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series, Season 7
Contract Winners, Scorecards, Recaps And More From The Newest Round Of UFC Hopefuls
With just six contracts awarded in the last two weeks combined, UFC President Dana White has made it clear that in order to earn the opportunity to compete in the Octagon, you have to make a serious impression on him on Tuesday nights.
Historically speaking, Week 5 has produced the second fewest graduates over the first six seasons, with just 18 fighters earning contracts thus far. But that group includes the first DWCS fighter to garner championship gold, Jamahal Hill, ranked flyweight Maycee Barber, and promising prospects Cameron Saaimna and Denise Gomes, each of whom delivered tremendous performances one year ago at the UFC APEX.
This week, five more athletes were added to the UFC roster, with short-notice bantamweight Dione Barbosa, Fighting Nerds representative Jean Silva, wrestler Dylan Budka, standout Canadian prospect Serhiy Sidey, and Brazilian light heavyweight Brendson Ribeiro all earning contracts.
After a couple slower weeks, the UFC President was all fired up this week, bringing all the victors into the fold.
Here’s a look at how things played out.
Dana White's Contender Series Season 7 Week 5 Results
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 5
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Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7 Week 5
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Dione Barbosa defeats Rainn Guerrero by Submission (armbar) at 4:35 of Round 1
Dione Barbosa’s edge on the canvas was far too much for Rainn Guerrero to contend with in the opening bout this week, as the former Brazilian Olympian dominated in the clinch and on the canvas to secure the victory to kick off Week 5 at the UFC APEX.
At every turn, Barbosa shined on the canvas, whether sweeping into top position after being taken down early, working from scarf gold position later in the frame or attacking off her back in the waning moments. With Guerrero in top position looking to land ground-and-pound, Barbosa isolated an arm and clamped onto the finish, torquing and squeezing out a verbal tap from Guerrero.
The first-round submission win elevated Barbosa’s record to 6-2 overall and extended her winning streak to three. After taking the fight on short notice, it’ll be interesting to see if Dana White saw enough to offer the Kings MMA representative the opportunity to compete in the Octagon at the end of the show.
Jean Silva defeats Kevin Vallejos by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The power and experience of Jean Silva was too much for youngster Kevin Vallejos on Tuesday.
After running close to level for the first seven minutes of the fight, Silva began taking over midway through the second round, as he routinely landed with the heavier blows. He unloaded on Vallejos in the final 90 seconds of the middle frame, busting him up, and stayed on the gas in the third, continuing to distance himself from his Argentinian foe. Vallejos hung tough through to the end, but Silva’s pressure and power was just too much.
The judges were tasked with determining the victor and all three saw it the same way, awarding the victory to the Brazilian. That’s now victories on consecutive weeks for the Fighting Nerds squad, but it remains to be seen if Silva will join his teammates Carlos Prates, Bruna Brasil, and Caio Borralho on the UFC roster.
Dylan Budka defeats Chad Hanekom by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Middleweights Dylan Budka and Chad Hanekom engaged in a grimy battle of attrition midway through the card, with the short-notice replacement from Ohio ultimately getting the better of things.
There wasn’t a great deal of effective striking from range in this one, as it was largely contested in tight quarters, each man trying to get the better of things in the clinch and along the fence. Budka was slightly more effective in short bursts in each of the first two rounds, putting Hanekom on his back in each frame and looking for submission opportunities that never really materialized. It was more of the same in the third, and while it’s certainly gruelling and difficult to battle along the fence, neither man did much that really stood out.
After the tens and nines were totalled, Budka came out on the happy side of the results, moving his record to 7-2 with the victory, while Hanekom fell to 9-3 with the setback.
Serhiy Sidey defeats Ramon Taveras by TKO (strikes) at 2:26 of Round 1
Serhiy Sidey has been one of the top prospects in Canada for the last couple years, and showed why on Tuesday, dropping Ramon Tavares with a clean one-two to collect a first-round stoppage win.
The bantamweights stayed at range for the entire fight, with Tavares landing clean single shots early. But Sidey took what Tavares had to offer and as the two started jawing with one another, the Battlefield Fight League champ uncorked a one-two that put Tavares on the deck. Sidey looked to follow up, but referee Kevin MacDonald was in to stop the bout.
While there were questions about stoppage, the combination that put him down was clinical and clean. Now 10-1 and riding a six-fight winning streak, Sidey remains one of the top prospects in the 135-pound ranks and profiles as someone that could have success at the next level.
Brendson Ribeiro defeats Bruno Lopes by TKO (strikes) at 3:47 of Round 1
No quarter was asked and none was given between Brazilian light heavyweights Brendson Ribeiro and Bruno Lopes, and it was Ribeiro that found the fight-ending shot.
The two men met in the center from the outset, swinging big shots at one another with neither really landing flush with anything major. But late in the opening stanza, as Lopes marched forward, Ribeiro dodged the incoming blows and landed a straight right hand down the pipe that put Lopes on the canvas and brought Dana White out of his seat.
With the finish, the 27-year-old Brazilian extends his winning streak to three and his record to 15-5 overall.
