After a night of finishes and hard fights, four more fighters joined the UFC roster.
On Tuesday night, the second episode of Contender Series took place in Las Vegas at the UFC APEX and after five fights and three finishes, UFC CEO Dana White awarded contracts to Andreas Gustafsson, Rizvan Kuniev, Cortavious Romious, and Cody Haddon.
Gustafsson brutalizes Pytlik
Andreas Gustafsson said he was going to come and channel the Viking spirit and he did just that, finishing Pat Pytlik with brutal knees and punches in the second round.
Gustafsson set a strong pace right from the start, pressuring forward relentlessly and working Pytlik over in the clinch and with takedowns. Pytlik proved game for a while but in the second round, Gustafsson grabbed a clinch and landed some monster knees to Pytlik’s head, sending him crashing to the canvas and earning Gustafsson a contract with the UFC.
Kuniev stops Cunha at the buzzer
After failing to get signed despite a win in his first Contender Series attempt, Rizvan Kuniev made the most of his second chance, stopping Hugo Cunha in the first round and earning a UFC contract in the process.
Perhaps best known for beating Renan Ferreira in PFL before that was result was overturned due to a failed drug test, Kuniev has been out of action for a year serving his suspension. He clearly used that time to improve though as he turned up the pressure on Cunha at the end of the first round, landing a knee to the body and an elbow that crumpled the Brazilian, pounding away with shots to score the stoppage one second before the round ended.
Romious outworks Imperato
Cortavious Romious fell short in his first foray to Contender Series, getting knocked out in 29 seconds by Ramon Tavares in season 7, but he made the most of his second chance, picking up a dominant decision win over Michael Imperato in their bantamweight contest and a UFC contract.
Romious controlled most of the action with his aggressive boxing on the feet and sneaky grappling on the floor. Imperato could never get going as Romious was simply too much for him in all phases. Afterward, Dana White had some tough words for Romious’s choices, but nonetheless awarded him a contract, calling him “one of the most gifted athletes I’ve ever seen.”
Finney grinds down Rowston
On season 7 of Contender Series, Torrez Finney scored a submission victory that wasn’t good enough to earn him a contract. This time he had to settle for a decision over Cam Rowston, but still no contract.
Displaying his trademark power and wrestling, Finney overwhelmed Rowston with grappling, repeatedly delivering big slams and power punches. Rowston hung tough though and proved tricky enough on the floor that Finney was unable to do more than grind his way to a clear decision win. Afterward, he did his best to sell Dana White on a contract with some solid mic work but White was unimpressed, telling Finney he would get dominated in the UFC. White then told Finney to go out and get some more experience and come back.
Haddon submits Brand
A teammate (and former opponent) of Steve Erceg, Cody Haddon came in with some hype as a 25-year-old prospect and the Australian fighter delivered, submitting Billy Brand in the first round to secure a UFC contract.
Haddon showcased crisp boxing skills early, routinely landing combinations before ultimately dropped Brand with a left hook. The BJJ black belt then followed him to the ground, took the back, and after some work, locked in the fight ending choke. At the end of the night, Dana White didn’t even delay in awarding Haddon his contract, praising the Aussie for his skills and future.
Check out the DWCS results below.
Andreas Gustafsson def. Pat Pytlik via TKO (knees) — Round 2, 3:20
Rizvan Kuniev def. Hugo Cunha via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 4:59
Cortavious Romious def. Michael Imperato via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Torrez Finney def. Cameron Rowston via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cody Haddon def. Billy Brand via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 3:09
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