On Tuesday night, the UFC is set to present its seventh episode in the fourth season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” The episode is the last in the 10-episode season before the UFC pauses the series for their events on “Fight Island.” Follow along throughout the evening for updates.
Quick Results:
Bout 1: Kyle Driscoll def. Dinis Paiva via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Danyelle Wolf def. Taneisha Tennant via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Michael Lombardo def. Korey Kuppe via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Collin Anglin def. Muhammadjon Naimov via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Jordan Williams def. Gregory Rodrigues via TKO, Punches (RD 1, 2:19)
Live Coverage:
UFC Contracts Offered To Wolf, Anglin and Williams
After the evenings of fights, UFC President Dana White offered contracts to Danyelle Wolf, Collin Anglin and Jordan Williams.
Bout 5: Gregory Rodrigues (7-2) vs. Jordan Williams (8-3) (Middleweight)
Williams Stops Rodrigues Early
Getting the sole stoppage win on the show, Jordan Williams stopped Gregory Rodrigues in the first round with punches. The win was Williams’ first through three appearances on the TV series.
Williams backed Rodrigues up against the cage, landing a series of punches that rocked and eventually dropped Rodrigues.
“That bitter taste is far gone … I grabbed the mouthwash and cleared everything out,” said Williams in his post-fight interview, referencing his previous appearances on the show.
Rodrigues went into the fight on a six-fight winning streak, including a win in one of the larger American regional promotions, LFA.
Williams last fought on a 2019 episode of the “Contender Series,” losing a split decision to Ramazan Kuramagomedov. He was scheduled to fight on an LFA card in March before COVID-19 cancelled the show.
Williams versus Rodriguez play-by-play.
Bout 4: Muhammadjon Naimov (5-0) vs. Collin Anglin (7-1) (Featherweight)
Anglin Wins Battle, Naimov Endures
An intense battle saw Collin Anglin pick up a unanimous decision win over Muhammadjon Naimov in the co-main event. While the fight demonstrated the striking ability by Anglin, it also showed the toughness of Naimov, who endured a damaging third round which saw him consume dozens of punches.
Two judges gave a 10-8 round in favour of Anglin in the fight.
“I really wanted that finish but he’s a tough son of a b****,” said Anglin in his post-fight interview.
Naimov came into the fight undefeated as a pro through five fights. His most recent fight was under two months ago, defeating Josh Augustine on a Titan FC card.
Anglin, a Michigan-based fighter, had a six-fight winning streak from the regional scene before Tuesday’s fight.
Anglin versus Naimov play-by-play.
Bout 3: Korey Kuppe (8-3) vs. Michael Lombardo (10-2) (Welterweight)
Lombardo Gets Decision Nod Over Kuppe
Winning in his return to the TV series, Michael Lombardo picked up a decision victory over Korey Kuppe. The takedowns and ability in the clinch allowed Lombardo to control the majority of the fight time.
Kuppe was frustrated by Lombardo’s style talking trash after the second and third round. The fighters were able to shake hands after the decision was read.
“That guy stylistically is very hard to fight,” said Lombardo in his post-fight interview.
Lombardo appeared in the 2019 season of the “Contender Series,” losing via decision to Kyle Daukaus. He has since picked up two wins in three fights (third was a no contest).
Kuppe’s previous fight was in February, defeating J.P. Saint Louis in the second round with strikes.
Lombardo versus Kuppe play-by-play.
Bout 2: Danyelle Wolf (0-0) vs. Taneisha Tennant (3-0) (Featherweight)
Wolf Wins MMA Debut Over Tennant
Winning her professional MMA debut, Danyelle Wolf won a unanimous decision over Taneisha Tennant. The fight saw Wolf’s boxing background help her greatly on the feet, although she also showed skill with defending takedowns.
“I just have to prove that I’m not just a boxer, I’m an MMA fighter,” said Wolf in her post-fight interview.
Wolf’s best skill was her boxing that helped her connect with a high volume of punches.
Tennant had Wolf in trouble late in the second round, chasing her down with strikes that caused her to backtrack.
Wolf almost caught Tennant late in the fight, pulling guard to apply a guillotine choke on the ground.
The fight was in jeopardy early in the third round, as an eye poke to Tennant caused a pause in the fight. Despite the worry due to the eye poke, the fight resumed.
Wolf made her professional MMA debut in the fight. The 36-year-old fighter had a 43-fight amateur boxing career from 2010 to 2019 prior to her fight on Tuesday.
Tennant had a three-win career as a pro prior to her fight on Tuesday. Two of her wins, including a win last March over Taylor Guardado, came from all-women’s promotion Invicta FC.
Wolf versus Tennant play-by-play.
Bout 1: Kyle Driscoll (11-3) vs. Dinis Paiva (13-7) (Featherweight)
Driscoll Wins Decision Over Paiva
Kicking off the show, Kyle Driscoll picked up a decision victory over Dinis Paiva. Driscoll’s win came after a consistent performance on the feet, constantly coming forward with strikes and takedown attempts.
Paiva had his best moment late, dropping Driscoll with a counter left hand. Driscoll was quick to recover and endure the rest of the round.
“I’m known as a wrestler and I wanted to show the world I can strike too,” said Driscoll in his post-fight interview.
Paiva had a 20-fight career in Rhode Island-based promotion CES from 2011 to 2019, earning 13 wins.
Driscoll carried a seven-fight winning streak into the fight. He came into the fight representing notable MMA gym the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).
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