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It’s that time of year again!

Contender Series is back with 10 straight weeks of mixed martial arts (MMA) action. This week’s show starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ for the first two weeks (because of The Ultimate Fighter 32 final episodes), and then things switch back to the usual 8 p.m. ET time slot moving forward. Week No. 2 of Contender Series also has three returning fighters from past seasons.

In the main event, Middleweights collide as Sweden’s Andreas Gustafsson (10-2) fights Canada’s Pat Pytlik (9-1). The co-main event sees Rizvan Kuniev (12-2-1) return for a second shot at a UFC contract against Brazilian Heavyweight, Hugo Cunha (8-1). The “Featured” bout has former UFC fighter, Michael Imperato (12-6), seeking redemption (he was cut in 2014 for using homophobic and racist slurs) against a returning Cortavious Romious (8-2). Torrez Finney (8-0) looks to nab a contract after missing out last year against Australia’s Cam Rowston (8-2). Finally, 25-year-old Australian prospect, Cody Haddon (6-1), takes on Billy Brand (5-1) to kick off the show.

‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:

Andreas Gustafsson defeats Pat Pytlik via KO (knees) Round 2, 3:20
Rizvan Kuniev defeats Hugo Cunha via TKO (punches) Round 1, 4:49
Cortavious Romious defeats Michael Imperato via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Torrez Finney defeats Cam Rowston via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cody Haddon defeats Billy Brand via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 3:09

‘Contender Series’ Highlights & Results:

185 lbs: Andreas Gustafsson defeats Pat Pytlik via KO

265 lbs: Rizvan Kuniev defeats Hugo Cunha via TKO

135 lbs: Cortavious Romious defeats Michael Imperato via unanimous decision

185 lbs: Torrez Finney defeats Cam Rowston via unanimous decision

135 lbs: Cody Haddon defeats Billy Brand via submission

For more Contender Series news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

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

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Jamahal Hill snapped back at Magomed Ankalaev.

‘Sweet Dreams’ was non-too-pleased to learn that No. 8 ranked contender Khalil Rountree would be the next man to fight Alex Pereira, challenging the light heavyweight champion at UFC 307 this October.

Hill’s biggest gripe being that Rountree was forced to pull out of a previously scheduled scrap in June after being suspended by the NSAC for the use of a banned substance. Now suddenly he’s rewarded with a title opportunity when he feels there are far more deserving candidates.

Candidates like Magomed Ankalaev who is sitting on a 10-fight win streak and currently occupies the No. 2 spot in the light heavyweight rankings.

Still, you don’t see him crying.

Responding to Hill’s frustration, Ankalaev thinks the former champ should pipe down and do the work put in front of him if he ever hopes to earn another shot at the 205-pound title.

“Why is Jamahal Hill crying? Pereira just made you sleep, get back in the like and work your way up or be ready for Abu Dhabi because Rakic may pull out,” Ankalaev wrote.

Jamahal Hill claps back at ‘Clout Chaser’ magomed ankalaev

Responding to Ankalaev’s comment on X, ‘Sweet Dreams’ delivered a lengthy rebuttal that took aim at the Russian’s failed title opportunity against Jan Blachowicz two years ago and the ensuing comments he made which could be keeping him out of the title picture now.

“I made a reaction video about the Khalil Rountree and Alex Pereira fight announcement and there was one guy in particular who yeah, I will agree he’s been given the run-around by the business right and I’m assuming now, he’s learned his lesson now to watch his mouth ‘cuz as you know, we talking about Mrs, I ain’t even going to, little ‘Frudamed Gankalaev’, ankle grabber, whatever you want to call him,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “This dude just can’t stop trying to like clout chase in whatever way he can. Bro like, you fought to a draw, you had your chance, you had your chance of winning the title.

“Now, I am one of the people that agree that he should have been next in the title shot above Khalil Rountree, and I spoke on this. But, for you to say like, say I’m crying because I spoke on an obvious fact of the game that affects everybody in our weight class and things like that, I see what you tried to do bro. You see that the whole fan base, they’re kinda against me, they kind of want to throw sh*t on me and sh*t like that.

“You think that you can get some cool points by jumping on that bandwagon and trying to call me out. Stop it bro, stop it bro. I would expect a low IQ move like that from you, you know what I mean. You don’t want to say anything about the fight being announced because you’ve now learned your lesson from the time whenever you lost, talking about you don’t want to fight for the UFC and now they have now smacked your hand and now you know to watch your mouth and stay in check” (h/t MMA News).

Three weeks after Pereira and Rountree scrap in Salt Lake City, the promotion will make its annual pit stop in Abu Dhabi for UFC 308, featuring a light heavyweight clash between top-five contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic.

Hill thinks Ankalaev’s energy would be better served by focusing on the task at hand rather than picking a fight with him and trying to score some “cool points” with the fans. But if for some reason Rakic can’t make it to fight night, ‘Sweet Dreams’ is more than happy to step in and take care of some “light work.”

“They don’t even like you enough to let you fight [for the title] over the #8 dude! So chill out bro, chill out tryna get cool points bro, focus on other sh*t. You got a fight coming up against Rakić, shout out to Rakić cuz’ he’s very well capable of putting your a** out. But, best believe if my phone ring and they need somebody to come step in and handle you, bro you’re light work for me. You’re light work for me and I can’t wait to show that.”

LowKickMMA.com

Tom Aspinall defended the interim UFC heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Since then, demands for a fight between him and the undisputed kingpin Jon Jones have increased significantly.

Regardless, it looks like Jones will return to the Octagon against Stipe Miocic before the end of 2024. On top of that, the former UFC light heavyweight champion has repeatedly hinted at hanging up his gloves after the fight.

Aspinall has always respected Jones and Miocic for their illustrious careers. However, he recently revealed why the latter is a better role model for him…

Tom Aspinall Isn’t A Fan Of Jon Jones And Anderson Silva Being Involved In PED Usage

Aspinall talked about Jones and Miocic on the official Michael Bisping YouTube channel recently. He praised both the veterans for their contributions to MMA but clarified that he relates more to the former UFC heavyweight champion.

“Well, I look to Stipe more because the… Don’t make me say it Anthony. Don’t make me say it!”

For starters, the interim UFC heavyweight champion believes that failing drug tests directly affects the legacies of greats like Jones and Anderson Silva. Despite holding some of the most celebrated UFC records, both fighters have been heavily criticized in MMA circles for PED usage.

“If there’s anything about drug tests going on, that’s a bit of an asterisk next to your name. Do you know what I mean? If there’s a drug test going. Same as, you know, when people talk about Anderson Silva being the best of all time. You know, he definitely was, but there was definitely some other stuff going on there.”

Miocic, on the other hand, has a record six title wins in the UFC heavyweight division. He’s never been accused of using PEDs, which is one of the main reasons why Aspinall picked him as a more suitable role model over Jones.

“I mean, I don’t know either guy personally but Stipe seems more my type of human being.”

Aspinall made sure not to delve into Jones’ personal life, though. He aims to fight “Bones” only to unify the UFC heavyweight title and has no interest in taking a jab at the veteran’s notorious past.

READ MORE: Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’

Continue Reading Tom Aspinall Sneakily Reveals Why He Looks Up To Stipe Miocic More Than Jon Jones: ‘Don’t Make Me Say It!’ at MMA News.

MMA News

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UFC Edmonton is getting a shake up.

UFC Edmonton takes place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada on Nov. 2 and was supposed to feature a top-15 heavyweight matchup between Derrick Lewis and Alexander Romanov; however, the UFC decided to mix things up as Lewis will now face Jhonata Diniz. The news was first reported by Laerte Viana and later confirmed to MMA Fighting with multiple sources.

Currently No. 11 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, Lewis is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and the promotional leader in knockouts with 15. Most recently he knocked out Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC St. Louis.

A former Glory kickboxer, Diniz made his UFC debut in April after being signed off the Contender Series, knocking out Austen Lane. He then won a unanimous decision over Karl Williams at UFC Vegas 95 to move to 2-0 in the promotion.

There’s no word yet on why the change was made as MMA Fighting confirmed that Romanov will in fact stay on the card, and is now expected to instead square off with Rodrigo Nascimento.

Currently No. 12 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, Romanov made his UFC debut in 2020 and quickly amassed five wins in the organization before falling short against Marcin Tybura at UFC 278. Since then he’s gone 1-2, most recently losing to Jailton Almeida at UFC 302 in June.

The No. 15-ranked heavyweight in the UFC, Nascimento had an up-and-down start to his UFC career before rattling off three straight wins to earn a ranking. Most recently, he lost to Lewis via third-round knockout back at UFC St. Louis.

UFC Edmonton will be headlined by a women’s flyweight bout between Erin Blanchfield and former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.

Mike Heck and Damon Martin contributed to this report.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

For the first time in his 12-year mixed martial arts career, former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has lost back-to-back fights.  “The Last Stylebender” was submitted in the fourth round of the UFC 305 main event against champion Dricus du Plessis last Saturday. 

Adesanya has suffered defeats to the last two 185-pound titleholders: Sean Strickland and du Plessis.  Strickland believes Adesanya’s recent losses happened  because Adesanya’s not that good.  

“I have an unpopular opinion.  I just don’t think Izzy is that good,” Strickland told the Verse Us with Eric Nicksick.  “Let me tell you why.”

“When he fought Kelvin [Gastelum], I think Kelvin sucks.  Everyone is like, ‘Oh man, Izzy, he’s this and that.’  I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times where I’m like, you kind of had a close fight with Kelvin.  Like, you’re not that f***ing good,” Strickland continued.  “You’re not that f***ing good.  You fought f***ing [Paulo] Costa.  Costa was scared sh*tless of you.  You f***ing blew on him and he fell asleep.  Izzy is not that f***ing good.”

Strickland and Gastelum are friends.  They’ve trained together and sparred several times, but Strickland doesn’t consider Gastelum in the top tier of fighters.  

“I love Kelvin.  Kelvin is a stand-up guy.  When I say you’re not that good, I’m not talking about 90 percent of the roster.  I’m talking about the 10 percent of the most elite guys.  That’s what I’m talking about, and you’re not in that,” Strickland said.  “I love Kelvin.  I think Kelvin’s a f***ing stud.  Hell, Kelvin has beaten two of my teammates.  Kelvin is a f***ing stud, but we’re talking about the top of the echelon.”   

“He (Israel) doesn’t really have that f***ing dog in him,” Strickland continued.  “When he fought Kelvin I was like, you let Kelvin have that close of a fight with you.  If I fought Kelvin, Kelvin wouldn’t touch me.”

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