Dana White’s Contender Sequence enters the latter half of Season 7 tonight (Tues., Sept. 12, 2023), as soon as once more giving 10 would-be contenders the prospect to earn a spot within the Octagon.
The motion begins, as it would for the remainder of the season, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+,
After a pair weeks of getting requirements, the Baldfather opened the floodgates once more final week. All 5 victors walked away with contracts; Brendson Ribeiro, Serhiy Sidey, and Dione Barbossa punched their tickets with first-round finishes, whereas Jean Silva out-warred Kevin Vallejos and Dylan Budka gained White over regardless of stinking out the joint towards Chad Hanekom.
Tonight’s lineup is stuffed with returning faces. The principle occasion sees Malik Lewis (6-1), who fell to Trevor Peek nearly precisely a yr in the past, attempt to even up his DWC report towards Peruvian younger gun James Llontop (13-2). The onslaught of former kickboxers continues within the co-feature with longtime Glory vet Jhonata Diniz (5-0), who welcomes Eduardo Neves again to this system after “BBZao’s” 2022 loss to Mick Parkin.
Fortis MMA’s Steven Nguyen (7-2) makes his third DWCS bid towards AJ Cunningham (10-2), LFA champ Julia Polastri (11-3) returns after two years to battle Patricia Alujas (9-2), and undefeated Jean Matsumoto (13-0) battles Kasey Tanner (6-0) within the opener.
‘Contender Sequence’ Fast Outcomes:
James Llontop vs. Malik Lewis — Llontop def. Lewis by unanimous determination (30-27, 30-26 x2)Jhonata Diniz vs. Eduardo Neves — Diniz def. Neves by TKO (punches) at 3:15 of Spherical OneSteven Nguyen vs. AJ Cunningham — Nguyen def. Cunningham by TKO (punches) at 4:06 of Spherical TwoJulia Polastri vs. Patricia Alujas — Polastri def. Alujas by submission (rear bare choke) at 4:05 of Spherical TwoJean Matsumoto vs. Kasey Tanner — Matsumoto def. Tanner by unanimous determination (30-27, 29-28 x2)
‘Contender Sequence’ Play-By-Play Outcomes:
155 lbs.: James Llontop vs. Malik Lewis
Spherical one: Each throw proper arms on the identical time and Lewis makes use of it to tie up. Llontop reverses towards the fence. Exhausting elbow on the exit a minute in. They commerce kicks and Lewis modifications ranges, forcing Llontop to his knees and searching a guillotine. Llontop shortly returns to his toes and places him on the fence. They commerce on the exit two minutes in. Counter hook by Llontop. Lewis slips throwing a kick and Llontop follows him down into guard. Fast scramble from Lewis right into a takedown try, however a robust whizzer lets Llontop return to his toes and put him on the fence. Reactive shot by Lewis on the break. Two minutes to go.
Heavy change on the break, Lewis will get the higher of it. Left hook from Llontop. One minute to go. Lengthy cross lands for Lewis. He shoots, lands a pair of knees on the break. Jab to counter a low kick. Physique kicks from Llontop, then an enormous proper cross that sends Lewis staggering again. Lewis will get his bearings and throws again earlier than the bell. 10-9 Llontop.
Spherical two: Low kicks from Llontop. Lewis to the physique. Llontop lands a left downstairs and avoids a flying knee when Lewis ties up. Huge swings from Lewis a minute in. Llontop dings him with a counter proper and fights off a single-leg, touchdown elbows. He reverses and begins blasting on the exit. Huge punches and elbows touchdown for Llontop. Lewis brute-forces his approach off the fence, absorbing elbows as he does. Llontop once more forces him to the fence. Lewis lands some large photographs, however loses his footing, and Llontop pounces as soon as once more. He takes Lewis down into guard, chipping away with punches and elbows. Two minutes to go.
Facet management for Llontop. Huge elbows. Lewis will get to his knees, making an attempt to face. Llongtop digging knees into Lewis’ aspect as he continues to thump him with left arms. Facet management with a minute to go. Llontop dispensing a gradual weight-reduction plan of punches as Lewis tries to work his approach off his knees. Lewis lastly makes it up within the last seconds. 10-8 Llontop.
Spherical three: Llontop physique shot to reply a leg kick. Lewis giving floor however throwing again. Good verify hook. Buying and selling hooks now. Low kick from Llontop a minute in. One other lengthy proper lands for him. Lewis shoots and Llontop punishes him with a pair of brief elbows earlier than forcing his approach again into high place. Stable scramble from Lewis however once more that whizzer retains Llontop in a great spot, touchdown punches. Huge photographs on the break. Lewis tries to storm after him with large swings. Two minutes in. Llontop again on the advance. Good low kick. Left hook upstairs. One other onerous elbow lands for Llontop, then a proper cross behind it that both drops Lewis or makes him change ranges. Both approach, Llontop again on high with two minutes to go.
Lewis caught on his knees, Llontop chipping away. Lewis goes to his again and appears for a triangle with a minute to go. Llontop slips previous it and takes aspect management, then goes again to attacking from turtle. He tries a neck crank, no cube, again to punching. Llontop lands some onerous photographs on the exit and avoids some large swings in return. 10-9 Llontop.
Remaining outcome: Llontop def. Lewis by unanimous determination
265 lbs.: Jhonata Diniz vs. Eduardo Neves
Spherical one: Neves tries a entrance kick to start out. Low kick, head kick try, jab. Wheel kick simply misses and he slips within the course of. Diniz tries to get some punches going and will get hauled to the fence, although he shortly breaks free. Diniz stalking, eats a jab. Neves taunting as he avoids teh worst of Diniz’s photographs. Exhausting counter proper and he tries to press the difficulty, each males touchdown properly. Neves actually touchdown properly together with his southpaw jab. Diniz backs him to the fence two minutes in and tries to wing bombs. Neves catches a kick, can’t use it. Heavy proper cross by Diniz, his finest shot to this point. Neves comes again with a 1-1-3. Good knee and proper hook by Diniz behind a two-piece and Neves is retreating. Good shot sends Neves to his knees, although he pops up earlier than Diniz can capitalize. Neves initially survives the onslaught, however when he tries to stroll Diniz down, Diniz comes again with a 1-2 down the pipe that instantly shuts the lights off.
Remaining outcome: Diniz def. Neves by TKO (punches)
145 lbs.: Steven Nguyen vs. AJ Cunningham
Spherical one: Heavy combo from Cunningham early on. Buying and selling arms within the middle. Nguyen counters a low kick with an overhand proper to knock Cunningham over. Cunningham pops up and goes again to slinging combos. One minute in. Cunningham punches into double underhooks, can’t do something with them. Nguyen jab, Cunningham uppercuts. 1-2 from Nguyen two minutes in. Heavy photographs within the middle from each males. Cunningham counters to the physique. Buying and selling punches in shut, Nguyen with the extra correct photographs. Each assault the physique earlier than exchanging in middle cage. Cunningham to the physique once more with two minutes to go.
Cunningham seems to be for a head kick behind a two-piece. Jab from Nguyen, counter physique photographs kind Cunningham after slipping a combo. Cunningham’s touchdown the higher photographs however Nguyen’s doing fairly properly behind the jab. One minute to go. Clinch knee by Cunningham, eats a 1-2 in return. Extra rib roasters from Cunningham. Cunningham knee strays low. Cunningham blasts the physique once they resume, which leaves his arms too occupied to dam the monster proper cross that Nguyen makes use of to ground him. Nguyen swarms him, however regardless of touchdown to the again of the top and after the bell, he can’t put Cunningham away. 10-9 Nguyen.
Spherical two: They meet within the middle and get again to buying and selling. Low kicks from Cunningham. Exhausting cross from Nguyen and a stiff jab behind it. Cunningham shoots, denied, eats one other jab a minute in. Nguyen tremendous correct together with his punches however Cunningham’s nonetheless recreation to commerce with him. Gnarly jabs by Nguyen. Counter combo. Cunningham tries a single-leg, can’t get it. Heavy physique shot. Two minutes in. Issues decelerate slightly abruptly. Cunningham sneaks some photographs by the guard. They commerce with two minutes to go.
Uppercut-hook by Nguyen. Prolonged flurries from each. Each are touchdown some spectacular photographs. Nguyen’s positively doing extra injury, although. Huge combo prompts Cunningham to shoot and Nguyen denies it earlier than knuckling down and unloading. Although Cunningham’s nonetheless making an attempt to commerce with him, his legs simply aren’t there, and the ref steps in as Nguyen tees off on his head.
Remaining outcome: Nguyen def. Cunningham by TKO (punches)
115 lbs.: Julia Polastri vs. Patricia Alujas
Spherical one: Alujas gentle on her toes as she circles. Polastri extra deliberate along with her motion. 1-2s touchdown for Alujas. One minute in. Jab from Polastri. Good change, Alujas touchdown punches as Polastri fires kicks. Polastri lands a leg kick, eats a proper hand. Alujas firing 1-2s, eats low and physique kicks two minutes in. Alujas lands a collection of proper arms, eats some from Polastri quickly after. Heavy punches from each and it’s Alujas touchdown the larger photographs. Swap head kick from Polastri and she or he turns up the top, stalking Alujas throughout the cage with punches and kicks. Two minutes to go.
Alujas shrugs off a swap head kick and physique kick, making an attempt to counter with quantity as Polastri stalks and picks her photographs. Each ladies touchdown warmth. Buying and selling knees within the clinch. One minute to go. Alujas solutions a teep with a flurry. 1-2, physique kick by Polastri. Alujas lands a spinning again fist and fires quantity as Polastri wades in. Huge photographs from Polastri within the final 10 seconds. 10-9 Polastri.
Spherical two: Polastri slams house some gnarly proper arms, then follows with a excessive knee. Alujas remains to be retaining a ton of punches in her face however Polastri’s strolling by them to land energy. Excessive-amplitude double-leg by Polastri, who seems to be for the again as Alujas tries to face. One minute in. Alujas caught on her knees as Polastri chips away with knees. Two minutes in. Polastri continues to manage. Stable flurry of punches. Two minutes to go.
Polastri softening her up with one hook, alternating between punches and searching for the neck. She slowly worms her forearm beneath the chin, then locks it as much as power the faucet.
Remaining outcome: Polastri def. Alujas by submission (rear bare choke)
135 lbs.: Jean Matsumoto vs. Kasey Tanner
Spherical one: Tanner pushing ahead early behind the jab. Matsumoto firing low kicks in return. Knee from Tanner once they tie up. Tanner backs him up with a combo, lands a knee downstairs. One minute in. Matsumoto switches stance, firing crisp combos and touchdown low kicks alongside the way in which. Counter combo from Turner capped by a leg kick. Matsumoto actually piling up the leg kicks. Two minutes in. Physique kick from Tamner amid the barrage of low kicks from Matsumoto. Tanner low kick, Matsumoto head kick and blitz. Tanner places him on the fence with two minutes to go.
Quick elbow from Tanner, knee from Matsumoto, extra knees from Tanner. Matsumoto turns him, denies an out of doors journey, and exits with a knee. Again to the low kicks. One minute to go. Tanner tries a combo capped with a knee and head kick try. Matsumoto low kick to boxing combo. They tie up and Matsumoto takes him to the fence. Tanner reverses. 10-9 Matsumoto.
Spherical two: Matsumoto comes out scorching, Tanner tries to retake the initiative. Matsumoto hammers house extra leg kicks and Tanner’s actually feeling them at this level. Good physique photographs from Tanner. One minute in. Good change in middle cage. Matsumoto backs him off with a three-piece they usually commerce. His arms are beginning to discover the mark as properly. Tanner indefatigable, nonetheless marching after him however making an attempt to maintain his leg protected. Buying and selling punches and kicks in middle cage. Two minutes in. Tanner shoots and hauls Matsumoto to the fence, touchdown a superb knee downstairs. Matsumoto reverses and exits with a knee. Tanner lands some heavy physique photographs, which appear to be his finest concept to this point. Two minutes to go.
Matsumoto whiffs on a spinning again fist. Combo from Tanner. Tanner low kick met by a combo. Excessive-speed trades. One minute to go. Higher shot from Tanner and this one places him on high with a minute to go. Proper to half guard. Matsumoto will get sufficient area to face however will get pressed towards the fence once more. Knees from Matsumoto, heavy punches from Tanner. They slug it out within the last seconds. 10-9 Matsumoto.
Spherical three: Good boxing exchanges to start out the spherical. Buying and selling leg kicks, physique shot by Tanner. Tanner physique kicks, then a pleasant proper hand that catches Matsumoto reaching. Matsumoto comes again with a prolonged combo. Each assault the physique a minute in. Tanner geese a left hand and shoots. He can’t get it however lands a knee on teh exit. Heavy arms from each at level clean. Matsumoto’s getting the higher of it, punching proper by Tanner’s guard with excessive output. He denies one other takedown two minutes in. Huge proper cross by Matsumoto. Sneaky elbow from Tanner. Matsumoto actually beginning to draw back with more and more correct punches. Excessive knee with two minutes to go.
Tanner elbow, Matsumoto physique shot. Matsumoto combo capped by a knee. Tanner hits a pleasant knee faucet to land on high in aspect management. Matsumoto regains half guard. Full guard with a minute to go. Good elbows from Tanner. Matsumoto tries to seize a guillotine, Tanner passes to half guard. Fast sweep places Matsumoto again on the toes they usually completely tear into one another till the bell. Hell of a battle. 10-9 Matsumoto.
Remaining outcome: Matsumoto def. Tanner by unanimous determination
For extra Contender Sequence information and notes, you’ll want to hit up our complete archive proper right here.
