Four fighters stamped their tickets to the UFC in a groundbreaking turn of events during the latest episode of Contender Series. The sixth installment of season eight unfolded in Las Vegas at the UFC APEX, where Dana White, the CEO of UFC, granted contracts to four victorious competitors out of the five who fought. Notably, Elijah Smith, the son of former two-time The Ultimate Fighter participant Gilbert Smith, joined the ranks of the UFC, making them the second father-son duo in UFC history.
In the headline bout, Elijah Smith clinched a unanimous decision triumph over Aaron Tau, earning himself a coveted UFC contract. Despite a resilient final surge by Tau, Smith held firm, emerged victorious, and claimed his place in the UFC.
Elsewhere, Tallison Teixeira showcased his talents with a knockout victory in the first round against Arthur Lopes, securing a spot in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
In a closely contested welterweight matchup, Benjamin Bennett edged past Joey Hart in a split decision victory but fell short of meeting Dana White’s criteria for a UFC contract.
Ateba Gautier furthered his cause with a second-round TKO over Yura Naito, delivering a commanding performance to earn a spot in the UFC roster.
Kicking off the evening, Ahmad Hassanzada staged a remarkable comeback to submit Dylan Mantello, solidifying his standing in the UFC.
Here are the results from the DWCS fights:
– Elijah Smith defeated Aaron Tau via unanimous decision
– Tallison Teixeira defeated Arthur Lopes via knockout
– Benjamin Bennett defeated Joey Hart via split decision
– Ateba Gautier defeated Yura Naito via TKO
– Ahmad Hassanzada defeated Dylan Mantello via submission
