Another four fighters became UFC talent earlier this week after successful performances on “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Elijah Smith, Tallison Teixeira, Ateba Gautier and Ahmad Hassanzada can all call themselves UFC fighters after their successful performances this week at the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. They are among the 24 fighters who have been signed through this year’s season, meaning an average of four fighters have joined per episode thus far.
Second-Generation Fighter Smith Grinds Out Win
Elijah Smith, son of past UFC talent Gilbert Smith, had a gusty performance in the main event to join the promotion’s bantamweight division.
Smith walked away with the unanimous decision win after a hard-fought victory over New Zealand-based fighter Aaron Tau.
Smith attempted to focus on grappling early in the fight, going all-in on an anaconda choke at one point during the second round. However, as the fight progressed the bout became more of a striking battle, including a tough final round that saw the 135-pound talents exchange hard shots.
Tuesday was a big test for Smith, with the bout being just the second time he went the distance in a pro fight. The 22-year-old has gained a reputation for finishing bouts since his 2022 debut, putting away five of the seven opponents he has beaten.
Tau, a long-time champion in Australian promotion XFC, had his eight-fight undefeated record broken with the bout.
Teixeira Keeps Streak of Quick Performances Alive
The towering Tallison Teixeira kept his 100 percent finish rate alive with a second-minute stoppage against Arthur Lopes.
An aggressive Lopes was clipped with a hard right cross after exiting a clinch position, giving the six-foot-seven Teixeira a walk-off win early in the fight.
Teixeira’s performance on Tuesday added to an impressive record of seven wins since debuting in 2021. While he is now a UFC fighter, a massive question remains about his skill: He has notably never gone deeper than one round in a pro fight, causing wonder about his cardio abilities.
Lopes, a fellow stand-out from the heavyweight regional scene, had a five-fight winning streak broken in the quick outcome.
Gautier Joins Lineage of Cameroonian UFC Fighters
22-year-old Ateba Gautier became just the fourth fighter in UFC history to represent Cameroon after scoring a second-round finish win over Yura Naito.
After being controlled by Naito for most of the first round, Guatier’s striking started to come alive in the second frame. The Japanese talent was dropped early in the second round, putting Gautier on top in a ground and pound position. He eventually put together a quick combination of shots from top control, causing the referee to end the bout.
Gautier is now the sole current UFC fighter from Cameroon. The promotion has previously also seen Francis Ngannou, Tafon Nchukwi and Rameau Theirry Sokoudjou fly the country’s flag.
He entered this weekend on a four-fight winning streak, with all of the wins coming via finish in the first round.
Japan’s Naito suffered his first pro loss with the defeat on Tuesday. The Middleweight King of Pancrase has attained six wins in his home country since turning pro in 2020.
Hassanzada Earns UFC Contract In Return To ‘Contender Series’
Ahmad Hassanzada was successful in his second appearance on the “Contender Series,” submitting Dylan Mantello in the third round with a rear naked choke.
Hassanzada had to battle through some adversity for his win. He most notably was dropped by a hard right cross from Mantello early in the second round and continued to get clipped with clean punches from the American fighter throughout the fight.
But the toughness of Hassanzada matched with a relentless wrestling gameplan got the fight to the ground two minutes into the final round, setting up for a late rear naked choke finish.
Hassanzada appeared in the 2022 season of the “Contender Series,” but fell short of a UFC contract after suffering a third-round finish loss to Nazim Sadykhov. He returned to the show this week after scoring a pair of finish wins over the past year.
Mantello similarly was coming back after previously losing on the “Contender Series,” getting submitted by Kaynan Kruschewsky last year.
Split Decision Leaves White Unimpressed
In the only fight of the evening that didn’t result in a fighter joining the UFC roster, Benjamin Bennett got past Joey Hart in a split decision result.
The back-and-forth, competitive fight saw Hart have a strictly stand-up gameplan against the more mixed-up style of Bennett. The fight started with Bennett notching a few minutes of control time, taking Hart down in the opening round.
Hart was able to control the fight as it remained on the feet, advancing on Bennett and out-landing his opponent. The fight became closer at stand-up range as Bennett stopped focusing on takedowns, instead becoming more willing to trade shots with Hart.
Dana White mentioned afterward that he didn’t see the bout go Bennett’s way.
“The judges gave you the decision tonight, but I didn’t see enough that made me say ‘You’re in,'” he said “So thank you, but not tonight.”
Bennett, who now has seven pro wins, mentioned afterward that he regretted how he started the fight. “I wish I would’ve done more of what I did in the last round in the first round,” he said.
Quick Results
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 5: Elijah Smith def. Aaron Tau via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Tallison Teixeira def. Arthur Lopes via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:57)
Bout 3: Benjamin Bennett def. Joey Hart via Decision, Split
Bout 2: Ateba Gautier def. Yura Naito via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:00)
Bout 1: Ahmad Hassanzada def. Dyaln Mantello via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 2:41)
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