All five winners on Tuesday’s “Dana White’s Contender Series” episode were offered UFC contracts, continuing a generous season of the show.
Michael Parkin, Darrius Flowers, Jesus Aguilar, Cameron Saaiman, and Denis Gomes were all offered contracts following their wins from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The signings continued a busy season for the show. Tuesday was the third time this season where every winner on an episode was given a contract afterward.
A total of 19 fighters have been signed through five episodes on the show – at this pace, the season will finish with 38 fighters signed. The most signing-heavy season of the show thus far was in 2021, when 39 fighters in total were given contracts.
Heavyweight Parkin Earns Fast Submission
Michael Parkin closed out the night with a quick win, submitting Eduardo Neves in the second minute with a rear naked choke.
Parkin was quick to earn a double leg takedown on Neves in the opening round. On the back of Neves, Parkin landed a series of punches before slipping in the fight-ending submission.
Parkin kept his undefeated record intact with his win in Tuesday’s main event. Since debuting in 2019, the 26-year-old has finished all of his fights.
The fight was Neves’ first pro loss. He had attained five wins prior to Tuesday night, including two recent wins in LFA.
Cardio was a clear issue for Neves in the fight, showing fatigue despite the bout going less than two minutes.
Flowers Slams Gogoladze Down For Injury Win
A sudden shoulder injury to Amiran Gogoladze earned Darrius Flowers a win and UFC contract on Tuesday night.
Gogoladze seemingly suffered a shoulder injury early in the fight, likely due to a slam from Flowers that caused him to get dropped head-first. While Gogoladze continued to fight on the ground briefly after this moment, he later tapped due to his injury.
The finish for Flowers continued an incredibly busy year for him. He has picked up four wins in eight months, including two finish wins in notable promotion LFA.
Gogoladze was given the “Contender Series” shot this weekend after going on a three-fight winning streak in Georgian MMA promotion GFC.
Aguilar Submits Returning Ferreira
Jesus Aguilar’s slick submission skills were on display as part of Tuesday’s episode, tapping out Erisson Ferreira in the third round of their flyweight bout.
Aguilar first started searching for a guillotine choke while Ferreria attempted a takedown on him. Once he earned a solid grip on the choke, Aguilar pulled guard to intensify the submission. A tap eventually came from Ferreria, causing the fight to end.
Aguilar succeeded in ground positions earlier in the fight against Ferreira as well.
Guillotine chokes seem to be a specialty for Aguilar, as he has put away four opponents with the submission throughout his career.
Ferreira was making his second appearance on the “Contender Series.” He won in the 2021 season, defeating Qiu Qiulun on scorecards, although he wasn’t offered a UFC contract for the performance.
Saaiman Finishes Wang-Kim Late With Punches
Undefeated bantamweight Cameron Saaiman scored a late flashy win early on the card, putting away Josh Wang-Kim with striking.
A series of punches from Saaiman floored Wang-Kim in the final round, including a left hook that caused a knockdown. The fight was stopped just moments after the highlight-reel moment.
The finish came after a somewhat slow-paced fight where Wang-Kim often attempted takedowns and Saaiman was able to get through with some punches.
Saaiman earned a regional belt earlier this year, claiming the EFC Bantamweight Championship in June.
Wang-Kim had a record of five wins and one loss on Tuesday, with that sole defeat coming via disqualification.
Gomes Wins Stand-Up Battle against Amanda
Denis Gomes had the sole decision victory win of the night, using her stand-up skills to defeat Rayanne Amanda via unanimous decision.
Gomes was constantly on the hunt throughout all three rounds, advancing on Amanda with striking on the feet. This didn’t always translate to success for Gomes, as Amanda was able to at times land while on the backfoot. But overall, the striking exchanges were a success for Gomes, earning her all rounds on each scorecard.
The fight on Tuesday was Gomes’ sixth consecutive win as a pro. She won her Invicta FC debut earlier this year, stopping Milana Dudieva with punches in March.
Amanda entered this card with the reputation of being a strong grappler. A large portion of her wins has finished been in particular with an armbar, including four of her last five victories.
Quick Results
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass Canada)
Bout 5: Michael Parkin def. Eduardo Neves via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 1:57)
Bout 4: Darrius Flowers def. Amiran Gogoladze via TKO, Injury (RD 1, 1:13)
Bout 3: Jesus Aguilar def. Erisson Ferreira via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 3, 1:56)
Bout 2: Cameron Saaiman def. Josh Wang-Kim via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 2:52)
Bout 1: Denise Gomes def. Rayanne Amanda via Decision, Unanimous
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