The Dana White Contender Series is back in action at the Meta Apex Arena in Las Vegas for season 10, where dozens of new hot prospects are looking to impress. And receive a life-changing UFC contract!
The show is running every week for 10 straight weeks, in which 100 fighters will get their chance to step inside the octagon and showcase what they can do in front of Dana White. At the end of each night, White will announce which fighters have earned that all-important contract, while sending the other fighters home.
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Fights & Results
Joe Kropschot vs Jon Kunneman
The first fight of the night consisted of 2 American middleweights, Joe Kropschot and Jon Kunneman. Kropschot (who is also the LFA middleweight champion) took control of the fight from early in the first round and kept it up for the rest of the fight. Kunneman had no choice but to throw nothing but heavy shots, hoping for a KO, and it nearly came.
Late in round 2, he threw a flurry of punches to seemingly rock his opponent, but Kropschot managed to recover and make his way back to the stool. It wasn’t until the end of round 3 that Kropschot could show off his ground game, and he did.
With 15 seconds left in the fight, Kropschot managed to get Kunneman in a vicious armbar which seemingly broke his opponent’s arm, but there was no tap, and it went to the judges’ scorecards. Joe Kropschot got the unanimous decision win with the scorecards reading 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Thomas Pagliarulo vs Ananias Mulumba
The second fight of the night consisted of featherweight Thomas Pagliarulo facing off against Ananias Mulumba, with both fighters hoping to earn a contract and start their UFC journey with a bang. It was Mulumba who started the brighter, throwing heavy shots that rocked Pagliarulo, but as the first round came to a close, it was obvious that fatigue was setting in for Mulumba.
Pagliarulo started round 2 showcasing a wide range of skills and threats, which in turn created more opportunities for the American fighter. It was, however, round 3 where the fight ramped up a bit. Pagliarulo managed to finally get the takedown after a few feints, and the fight never returned to the feet. Mulumba received some vicious elbows from on top of him and was sliced open in the midst of round 3.
After some more ground and pound, the referee decided that the fight was over, and Thomas Pagliarulo got the TKO with 35 seconds left in round number 3.
Bilal Hasan vs Mridul Saikia
There was a lot of hype on social media about Bilal Hasan stepping into the octagon on DWCS, and with good reason. The Indonesian fighter came into this fight as the biggest betting favourite in contender series history with a -5000 favourite, and the odds didn’t lie. It only took 35 seconds for Hasan to land a big right overhand, knocking Saikia down. After a brief moment of ground and pound, the referee stopped the bout.
Abe Alsaghir vs Fabrizio Escarrega
In the penultimate fight of the night, army veteran Abe Alsaghir went up against Mexico’s Fabrizio Escarrega in a lightweight bout. Escarrega started the fight as the better of the 2 fighters, landing an early knockdown, which Alsaghir tried to turn into a takedown attempt, but it failed.
This appeared to form a pattern for the fight. Escarrega was calm in the octagon and was finding the right times to strike, while Alsaghir was continuously trying to get the fight to the ground. The fight finally reached the canvas in the 3rd round, with Alsaghir close to securing a Kimura, but he could not get it, and the fight went to a decision. Abe Alsahir finished the bout with a takedown record of 0-15, but to the surprise of the crowd (and commentators), he got the split decision victory over Escarrega.
Anthony Wint vs Matt Adams
The final fight of the night was fought between 2 American heavyweights. Former New York Jets linebacker Anthony Wint vs Matt Adams. Wint, who is a teammate of ex UFC champion Kamaru Usman, started the fight with 3 rapid leg kicks before getting into the clinch.
Matt Adams tried to get a takedown, but Wint ended up on top before landing heavy blow after heavy blow, ending the fight after 34 seconds.
After the fight, Wint was very confident, grabbed the mic and stated: “Either they find me a fight or I’m going to Dana’s house; I’m not going home”.
Who Got a Contract?
And then it was time for the all-important moment. Which fighters would receive a contract, and which fighters would be sent home?
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First up was Joe Kropschot vs Jon Kunneman. Dana White admitted he was on the fence about this fight, but decided the vicious armbar was enough to give Joe Kropschot a chance in the UFC.
Secondly was Thomas Pagliarulo vs Ananias Mulumba. White congratulated Pagliarulo for finishing a “tough kid” before offering him a contract to the UFC.
Then came Bilal Hasan vs Mridul Saikia. It was obvious Bilal Hasan was getting a contract with that performance. White then filled the offer with big praise for the flyweight, stating, “I’m excited about you, and I’m excited about your future”.
Next came Fabrizio Escarrega vs Abe Alsaghir. Although Dana White admitted it was a dogfight, he didn’t see enough to give either fighter a contract. He went on to mention that he disagreed with the judges and that they “absolutely blew” that decision.
Last but not least was Anthony Wint vs Matt Adams. Again, it was almost certain after that performance that Wint had earned a contract. White followed up the contract offer, saying, “You are a tank, holy ****”.
For more fight previews, results and analysis, visit World in Sport’s UFC coverage.
How did you rate the first night of Dana White’s Contender Series season 10?!
