All winners on this week’s episode of “Dana White’s Contender Series” were signed once again, bringing the season total up to 34 new UFC talents through eight episodes.
This week’s show saw Diyar Nurgozhay, Alberto Montes, David Martinez, Torrez Finney, and Jacobe Smith join the promotion following successful outings at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Here’s a quick rundown of the night.
Nurgozhay Joins Roster With Head Kick Win
Kazakhstan light heavyweight Diyar Nurgozhay ended the night with a bang, putting away Bartosz Szewczyk in the second round with a slick head kick.
The sudden kick put Szewczyk to the canvas after a pedestrian one-and-a-half rounds of stand-up battle between the 205-pound fighters. Nurgozhay followed up on the shot with a few ground and pound punches, securing him a win.
Nurgozhay is now the fifth fighter to join the active UFC roster from Kazakhstan. He was given the main event opportunity this week after an undefeated record of nine wins on the regional scene, including appearances in notable promotions UAE Warriors and Eagle FC.
Szewczyk competed on the “Contender Series” after capturing the FEN Light Heavyweight Championship in February, marking his third consecutive finish victory in just a few month’s time.
Montes Adds Another Anaconda Choke To His Record
Alberto Montes continued his streak of anaconda choke wins, putting away an aggressive Carlos Calderon in the second round via submission.
After a hectic first round which saw Calderon dictate the pace of the fight, Montes was able to capitalize on an unsuccessful takedown attempt from his opponent to lock in an anaconda choke.
The submission, which is much rarer than holds like a rear naked choke or guillotine, has accounted for four of Montes’ 10 pro wins since debuting in 2012.
The win on Tuesday was a long time coming for Montes, who was set to appear on the 2019 season of the “Contender Series” before withdrawing due to an injury. He entered this week following a pair of wins in Combate Global.
Calderon, a fighter who took the bout on short notice, had an impressive five finish wins through his six prior victories.
Former Combate Global Champ Martinez Wins Competitive Stand-Up Battle
David Martinez joined sister Melissa Martinez on the UFC roster following a fast-paced stand-up battle against Xavier Franklin.
A high output of shots from Martinez through three rounds, including clean punches and a significant number of leg kicks, allowed Martinez to walk away with a unanimous decision result in the end.
Franklin was almost always the advancing fighter on the feet, although he never matched the success of Martinez during striking exchanges.
Martinez, a former Combate Global Bantamweight Champion, comes out of Mexico City-based gym Bonebreakers.
The Martinez siblings are now the second-ever brother-sister duo in the UFC, following Naoki and Mizuki Inoue.
Franklin, who currently holds the Peak Fighting Bantamweight Championship, had an undefeated record of five wins brought to an end with the fight.
Finney Finally Joins UFC Roster
It took three appearances on the “Contender Series,” but Torrez Finney can finally call himself a UFC fighter.
Finney earned his long-awaited contract following a first-round finish win over Abdellah Er-Ramy this week.
Finney scored a takedown just seconds into the fight, placing Er-Ramy in front of UFC CEO Dana White’s spot at cageside. He attempted to secure an arm triangle choke from full mount but wasn’t able to get a tap from Er-Ramy, causing him to try and earn a finish another way. He later got on the back of Er-Ramy, allowing him to unload left hands until the referee stepped in.
Finney previously won on last year’s season of “Contender Series,” as well as earlier in the ongoing season. However, in both instances, the promotion opted not to sign him. With an undefeated record of 10 wins, he is now finally on the roster.
“None of you can disagree with me, you brought a different energy tonight than you did the last two fights,” said UFC’s White before announcing Finney’s signing.
Er-Ramy, who previously fought as part of PFL’s Europe tour, had a six-fight winning streak snapped with the fight on Tuesday.
Fortis MMA Talent Smith Stops Savoie With Ground and Pound
Nasty ground and pound earned Jacobe Smith his ninth pro win, stopping Christien Savoie in the second round.
Smith’s stellar wrestling skills allowed him to take the fight to the ground in both rounds, allowing him to unload with damaging shots. He connected with both thudding punches and slicing elbows, cutting open the head of Savoie in the first round.
The constant ground and pound eventually became too much for the fight’s referee, stepping in and ending the fight with two minutes left in the second round.
28-year-old Smith emerged from the notable Texas-based gym Fortis MMA, which includes many other current UFC talents. He has a flawless record of nine wins, including a string of wins in notable promotion Fury FC.
Former CFFC title challenger Savoie was given a chance on the “Contender Series” following a pair of finish wins over the past year in Canadian promotion FLA.
Quick Results
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 5:00PM PDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 5: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bartosz Szewczyk via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:32)
Bout 4: Alberto Montes def. Carlos Calderon via Submission, Anaconda Choke (RD 2, 2:38)
Bout 3: David Martinez def. Xavier Franklin via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Torrez Finney def. Abdellah Er-Ramy via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:10)
Bout 1: Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:55)
Knockdown News 