All articles tagged with #contender series
In Contender Series Season 10 Week 3, underdog Alex Apodaca stunned Bella Mir to take a unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards) and earn a UFC contract, joining Guilherme Uriel, Sean Clancy Jr., Ronald Humphrey, and Nick Galanti as winners who secured UFC deals on the night; Mir, a massive favorite, suffered one of MMA’s biggest upsets, while other fights produced decisive finishes and contract wins.
Bella Mir, the NCAA wrestling champion and daughter of former UFC champ Frank Mir, is set to face Alex Apodaca in Season 10, Week 3 of Contender Series at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Oddsmakers list Mir as a record-setting -1600 betting favorite to earn a UFC contract; the 4-0 pro with three first-round submissions has been groomed as a top UFC prospect and could follow in her father’s footsteps if she wins.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland blasted the promotion’s pay as predatory, criticizing low show/win money, a roughly 20 percent revenue split, and Sean Shelby’s scheduling tactics—benching fighters and pressuring short-notice bouts—while noting UFC offers opportunity but urging others not to join.
During Week 7 of Contender Series, six fighters earned UFC contracts, including former ring girl Jeisla Chaves who won a split decision in a bloody, back-and-forth fight, despite Dana White's disagreement with the result; all five winners from the event secured UFC contracts, with notable performances from Rafael Tobias, Javier Reyes, and others.
The UFC Contender Series Season 9, Week 5, featured historic fast knockouts, with Steven Asplund and Lerryan Douglas earning UFC contracts, and Freddy Vidal and Samuel Sanches securing impressive wins, while Carol Foro and Shanelle Dyer delivered a standout fight, highlighting a wild night of MMA action.
Four fighters earned UFC contracts during DWCS Season 9, Week 4, highlighted by a potential Knockout of the Year from Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani, with notable performances including a quick TKO by Cezary Oleksiejczuk and a controversial decision win by Eduardo Chapolin, while commentator Michael Chiesa made his debut.