On Tuesday night, UFC begins their fourth season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” a television show aimed at finding rising talent who can join the MMA promotion. Follow along throughout the night for live updates.
Quick Results:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (ESPN+ / TSN2)
Bout 1: Jordan Leavitt def. Jose Flores via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke (RD 1, 4:15)
Bout 2: Jerome Rivera def. Luis Rodriguez via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Uros Medic def. Mike Gonzalez via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:12)
Bout 4: Dustin Jacoby def. Ty Flores via Decision, Unanimous
Live Coverage:
Dana White Picks Three Fighters
Dana White decided to offer contracts to Jordan Leavitt, Uros Medic and Dustin Jacoby.
“I can support me and the wife, baby on the way. I guess this is our pregnancy announcement,” said Leavitt, who was clearly emotional about his signing.
White mentioned that he disagreed with the judges in the Rivera versus Rodriguez bout, also saying he thinks they will be in the UFC someday.
Medic was also emotional in his post-fight interview, mentioning how he will talk to his family, especially his brother, to talk bout his signing.
White also mentioned that he thought Jacoby’s fight should have ended earlier in the fight.
“My goal was always to get back to the UFC. I had to earn it,” said Jacoby following the news that he was offered a contract.
Bout 4: Ty Flores (7-2) vs. Dustin Jacoby (11-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Jacoby Nearly Finishes Decision Win
Dustin Jacoby’s striking ability lead him to a unanimous decision victory over Ty Flores in the fourth and final bout of the show.
Jacoby was dominant for the first two rounds, nearly finishing the fight with strikes in numerous instances. The final round was closer, as Jacoby’s cardio slowed him down significantly.
Jacoby had a two-fight stint in the UFC in 2011 and 2012, losing both of his bouts. Since then he fought dozens of times in Bellator and GLORY Kickboxing.
Jacoby versus Flores play-by-play.
Bout 3: Uros Medic (5-0) vs. Mike Gonzalez (7-1) (Lightweight)
Medic Stops Gonzalez Early With Strikes
Strong kicks and striking made it a quick night for Uros Medic, who stopped Mike Gonzalez in the first round via TKO. The fight saw Rodriguez get dropped twice due to strikes.
The finish came in the third minute, ending the fight with ground and pound following a punch and kick combination that took Gonzalez down.
“Today, tomorrow, in a year I’m going to make it happen,” said Medic, who was determined to join the UFC.
Gonzalez took the fight on short notice, which Medic was thankful for.
“I thank him very much for that,” said Medic afterwords.
Gonzalez was active on the feet, throwing lots of kicks from the position.
Before his appearance on Tuesday night, most of Medic’s career took place in regional promotion Alaska Fighting Championship. Medic moved to Alaska in 2015, leaving Serbia to pursue a career in MMA. He remained undefeated with his win on Tuesday.
Medic versus Gonzalez play-by-play.
Bout 2: Luis Rodriguez (11-1) vs. Jerome Rivera (9-2) (Flyweight)
Rivera Gets Scorecard Win Over Rodriguez
A fast-paced battle favoured Jerome Rivera after three rounds, defeating Luis Rodriguez on the scorecards.
Rodriguez was successful throughout with takedowns, landing one in each round of the fight. Rivera often was able to land strikes on the ground even if he was not in a dominant position.
“There’s always things you wished you could have done better,” said Rivera, reflecting on his performance.
Rivera previously fought numerous times in high-level MMA promotion LFA, with his previous fight being a win in the promotion last January.
Rodriguez had a seven-fight winning streak heading into the fight in the Mexican MMA scene.
Rivera versus Rodriguez Play-by-Play.
Bout 1: Jose Flores (9-1) vs. Jordan Leavitt (6-0) (Lightweight)
Leavitt Finishes Flores In The First Round, Remaining Undefeated
In a smothering performance, Jordan Leavitt stopped Jose Flores with an arm triangle choke in the first round. Leavitt kept in control on the ground, catching Flores with a choke in the final minute to conclude the performance.
Leavitt saw a quick turnaround with this fight, competing on a LFA card in July, where he beat Leivon Lewis. Similar to his LFA win, Leavitt celebrated after the fight by doing the splits.
“I fought once three weeks ago, so I didn’t have time to get fat,” said Leavitt in his post-fight interview.
With sevens wins as a pro, Leavitt remained undefeated.
Flores appeared on “Dana White’s Contender Series” before, losing to Matt Frevola in the first season.
Leavitt vs. Flores Play-by-Play.
For First Time Viewers
For anyone viewing for the first time, here’s how the show works. On this episode, four fights will happen. After the four fights happen, UFC President Dana White will decide who from the evening will be offered a UFC contract based off of their fight.
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