The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”
Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” once again hits your ESPN+ feed tonight (Tues., June 18, 2019) at 8 p.m. ET, bringing with it 10 fresh faces looking to follow in the footsteps of Yorgan De Castro and Punahele Soriano.
The original main event pitted Welterweight Miguel Baeza (6-0) against late-notice foe Victor Reyna (10-3), but the fight lost its top billing after Reyna came in seven pounds heavy. Instead, Season 2 competitor Alton Cunningham (4-1) gets the spotlight as he looks for redemption against Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Tony Johnson (6-2). Meanwhile, CFFC Middleweight champ Kyle Daukaus (6-0) and LFA Bantamweight king Miles Johns (8-0) serve as the show’s star power (in separate bouts).
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
Alton Cunningham vs. Tony Johnson — Johnson def. Cunningham by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Zach Zane vs. Justin Gonzales — Gonzales def. Zane by unanimous decision (30-26 x3)
Michael Lombardo vs. Kyle Daukaus — Daukaus def. Lombardo by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 29-27)
Miles Johns vs. Richie Santiago — Johns def. Santiago by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Miguel Baeza vs. Victor Reyna — Baeza def. Reyna by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
205 lbs.: Alton Cunningham vs. Tony Johnson
Round one: Cunningham on the advance, but gets clipped by a huge counter right. Johnson follows up with a flying knee, fights off a takedown, lands another knee in the clinch. Head kick by Johnson. Cunningham hits a takedown against the fence. Johnson gets to his feet and knees the body. Cunningham fires knees from the clinch. Johnson lands an elbow, has to deal with another takedown attempt. They separate two minutes in. Cunningham re-enters the clinch. After they separate, Cunningham lands a nasty punching combo and some knees. Johnson comes back with a glancing right with two minutes to go.
Cunningham ties up again, gets a brief takedown. One minute to go. Cunningham drags him down from double underhooks. Johnson stands again. They trade at close range. 10-9 Cunningham.
Round two: Cunningham’s got some nasty swelling above his right eye, but the doctor lets it continue. Cunningham immediately clinches again. Johnson denies a takedown, lands a body shot, eats a knee. Good exchange on the fence. One minute in. They separate. Cunningham just immediately shoots again, eats an elbow. Two minutes in. This sucks. Cunningham separates for a second. Still can’t get the double-leg. Two minutes to go.
Knee from Johnson. Cunningham with some prototypical wall and stall. He gets a takedown, can’t establish, eats punches inside. More short shots by Johnson. Cunningham separates with a flurry for a sec. 10-9 Cunningham, unfortunately.
Round three: Cunningham puts it on the fence again. Short punches from Johnson. Cunningham takes him down, lands on the way up. Takes him down again into guard. Short shots from Cunningham. Two minutes in. Johnson gets to his feet. Cunningham separates a bit, flurries. Two minutes to go.
Ref separates them with a minute to go. They swing, then Cunningham puts him against the fence again. He tries the Thai plum, eats punches. They spend the last few seconds slugging. 10-9 Cunningham.
Final result: Johnson def. Cunningham by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Zach Zane vs. Justin Gonzales
Round one: Gonzales counters a kick with a counter right and tries to put Zane away on the mat. Zane survives, gets back to his feet. Gonzales hits an outside trip into guard, leading Zane to attempt rubber guard. One minute in. Zane returns to his feet once again. He reverses position, attempts a spinning elbow, briefly gets dragged down again. Gonzales pressing Zane against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Gonzales drags him down, can’t keep him there. He drags Zane to his knees, again can’t keep him there. One minute to go. Back down, back up. Good right hand from Gonzales. 10-9 Gonzales.
Round two: Gonzales catches a kick, trades right hands, takes him down into half guard. Zane gets to his knees. Back up, back down, back up, back down. Gonzales starting to add a few ground strikes. Two minutes in. Another takedown, more grounded punches. One hook in. Gonzales briefly threatens the choke, goes back to punching. Two minutes to go.
Zane gets back to his feet, dragged back to his knees. More punches. Back up. Outside trip into side control. He retakes the back and looks for the RNC. Back to punching. 10-8 Gonzales.
Round three: Straight left lands for Zane. Gonzales grabs a body lock and drags him back down into half guard. More short shots. Back up a minute in. Back up, back down, strikes, back up, back down. Two minutes in. Gonzales looking for the back, kneeing the body. Back up. Two minutes to go.
Gonzales fires knees and right hands. Zane turns to face him. Knees from Gonzales. One minute to go. They separate a bit and Gonzales cracks him with shots before taking him down into guard again. Gonzales dives in with a big right hand. Zane stands and they trade. 10-8 Gonzales.
Final result:? Gonzales def. Zane by unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Michael Lombardo vs. Kyle Daukaus
Round one: Daukaus tossing out kicks. 2-3 from Lombardo on the fence. Daukaus ducks a right hand for a takedown attempt, denied. One minute in. Right hook, low kick, straight left by Daukaus. Good exchanges. Trading hard shots on the fence. Lombardo looks for a takedown as Daukaus tries to hit the switch. Lombardo still driving. Two minutes in. Daukaus returns to his feet, still pressed against the fence. Then ESPN+ dies for a sec. When it comes back, Lombardi’s still driving. They separate with two minutes to go.
Right hook lands for Daukaus and Lombardo changes levels into a guillotine. Daukaus switches to a Marcelotine to force Lombardo to roll, can’t finish it and Lombardo gets a rear waist lock. One minute to go. Daukaus exits with a heavy elbow, looks for knees inside and presses Lombardo against the fence. He completes a takedown into side control. 10-9 Daukaus.
Round two: Daukaus sends out kick. Counter combo by Lombardo. Counter right. He ties up, gets pressed against the cage. Lombardo briefly threatens a guillotine, nothing there. Lombardo reverses a minute in. Daukaus grabs over-unders and reverses in return. They separate two minutes in. Lombardo shoots, stuffed, cracked with a pair of knees. Lombardo catches a lazy kick and Daukaus locks up a Marcelotine. Lombardo lands on top in half guard, pops his head free. Daukaus regains full guard.
Daukaus setting up a triangle, just about has it. Lombardo looking to stack him. Daukaus gets a dominant angle, starts dropping punches and elbows. He transitions to a belly-down armbar. Lombardo manages to stack. Daukaus switches back to the triangle. 10-9 Daukaus.
Round three: Daukaus lands a clean left hand and ties up on the fence. He drags Lombardo down into half guard. Elbow lands and he locks up an arm triangle, looking to pass. One minute in. Lombardo gets his arm out. Daukaus passes to full mount two minutes in. Daukaus threatens an americana, drops an elbow. Lombardo gives up his back. Back to mount, then the back, RNC locked up with two minutes to go.
Lombardo grits his way through, still stuck in mount. Then the back, punches falling all the way. Daukaus still looking for the choke. One minute to go. Back to strikes, back to choke. Daukaus gets palm-to-palm, squeezing with all he’s got. Lombardo survives. 10-8 Daukaus.
Final result:? Daukaus def. Lombardo by unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Miles Johns vs. Richie Santiago
Round one: Santiago opens with a pair of lefts and front kick attempts. Johns backs him to the fence with punches and tries to change levels. No dice. Santiago lands a knee on the break. Johns takes a finger in the eye, then lands a 1-1-2 when they resume a minute in. Santiago tries a front kick, Johns doubles up the right hand. Check hook and tight 1-2 from Johns. Overhand right on the fence. Santiago just keeps getting picked off, gets dumped to the mat two minutes in. Full guard. Santiago makes it to his feet, takes an elbow and punch with two minutes to go.
Both swing on the break, neither connect. 1-2 from Johns. Santiago smiles as he takes another right hand. Big right cross by Johns on the fence. Santiago continues to wade after him and throw back. Santiago nearly sweeps off a single-leg attempt with a minute to go. Johns looks to set up a d’arce, gets stuck in Santiago’s guard. 10-9 Johns.
Round two: Johns lands a hard counter right. Santiago the slower of the two, still trying. Counter 1-2 drops Santiago and Johns jumps on him, looking for front chokes. They scramble and return to their feet. 1-2-3-2 and a double-leg by Johns into guard. Santiago works his way up and powers through a guillotine to take side control. Johns gets to his feet and Santiago looks for the back. Johns winds up on top in half guard two minutes in, briefly threatens an arm triangle. Santiago regains his guard with two minutes to go.
Santiago fires an upkick and looks for a triangle, but gives up side control. Elbows from Johns. Santiago regains guard. One minute to go. Johns trying to get a bit of space to punch. He looks for the crucifix and drops short punches. 10-9 Johns.
Round three: Johns working behnd his jab, blasts Santiago with a right hook and tears into him against the fence. Knee catches Santiago as he changes levels and Johns follows him down. Santiago survives, nearly takes top position, has to fight off a takedown when he stands a minute in. Browne elbows by Santiago. He lands a knee on the break, takes a right hand. Back to trading. Huge uppercut by Johns, who ducks a spinning back fist and hits another takedown two minutes in. Santiago uses a guillotine to sweep. Johns gets to his knees and they stalemate. Ref stands them up. Johns popping him with the jab as Santiago swings wild. Two minutes to go.
Straight right from Johns, eats a right hook. Santiago with a tired-looking level change, Johns sprawls on it and briefly threatens a guillotine. Santiago closes his guard with a minute to go. Johns lets him back up, takes him down and cracks him with a right hand. Again looks for the guillotine, takes side control, short elbows. 10-9 Johns.
Final result:? Johns def. Santiago by unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Miguel Baeza vs. Victor Reyna
Round one: Tentative start. Reyna tries low kicks. Baeza tries a head kick a minute in. Reyna right hook bounces off the guard. He lands a low kick, checks one in return. Baeza responds with a heavy lead right that sends Reyna to the mat two minutes in. Reyna manages to tie up in guard. Baeza moves to the back and looks to set up the RNC as Reyna scoots to the fence. Two minutes to go.
Baeza puts on the squeeze, but it’s not under the chin. He loses it and Reyna works his way to his feet. Jockeying for position with a minute to go. They separate. 2-3 by Reyna. 10-9 Baeza.
Round two: Baeza fires a head kick and gets knocked down while on one leg. Reyna follows him down, but has to fight off a takedown attempt against the fence. Baeza looks for a takedown, threatens the back. Reyna reverses. One minute in. They separate. They trade body kicks. Low kick from Reyna, avoids the counter. Baeza looking for the right, eats a three-piece combo. Two minutes in. Another combination by Reyna. Inside leg kick. Baeza with a pair of body kicks. Nice exchange. Two minutes to go.
1-2 lands for Baeza. Reyna lands hard, Baeza comes back with a 1-2 soon after. Counter right from Baeza, body kicks. One minute to go. Baeza tries a Superman punch, Reyna looks for a combo. Baeza to the body, lands a right hand and folds Reyna with a clinch knee. Reyna tries to shoot in, can’t get it, then gets crushed by another knee to the body at the bell. He survives. 10-9 Baeza.
Round three: Reyna lands an early combination, then another on the counter. Straight left stings Baeza. Another combination. Big right hand on the fence. Stiff jab as he eats a body kick. One minute in. They trade big rights in the center, Reyna gets the better of it. Reyna with a couple of clinches. Baeza finds the mark with a combo. Two minutes in. Hard body kick by Reyna met by a 1-2. Reyna sneaks a right hand around the guard and clinches. Trading knees to the body. Reyna exits with an elbow. Two minutes to go.
Good exchange in the center. Right hook lands for Reyna. He briefly takes it to the fence. Reyna clinches again, tries a level change. Another, Baeza sprawls and looks for an anaconda choke with a minute to go. Reyna takes half guard and starts dropping elbows. Hard right hand. Baeza regains full guard, looks for a triangle. 10-9 Reyna.
Final result:? Baeza def. Reyna by unanimous decision
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