Photo by Chris Unger/DWCS LLC/Zuffa LLC
The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”
After a brief Wednesday stint last week, Dana White’s “Contender Series” returns to its usual time slot this evening (Tues., Nov. 10, 2020) with five more mixed martial arts (MMA) tussles.
The previous show lost a bit of quantity when Gloria de Paula withdrew on short notice, but made up for it with quality, awarding contracts to all four victorious fighters. Jared Vanderaa opened the show with a ground-and-pound finish of Harry Hunsucker, Luis Saldana and Ignacio Bahamondes dispatched Vince Murdock and Edson Gomez with front kicks, and Carlos Ulberg blew up Bruno Oliveira with nasty counters.
Canada-based Pole Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz (8-0) fights Brazil’s Mario Sousa (11-1) in tonight’s Middleweight main attraction. while the co-feature sees late replacement Natan Levy (5-0) attempt to become the UFC’s second Israeli fighter in a Catchweight bout against Shaheen Santana (6-0). Elsewhere, Season 2 competitor Joseph Lowry (9-1) returns to the Contender Series against TUF: Brazil veteran and CFFC champ Nikolas Motta (11-3), Brave CF standout Luana Pinheiro meets 10-year veteran Stephanie Frausto (8-6), and Titan FC champ Danny Sabatello (8-1) opens the show against Taylor Moore (10-4).
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz vs. Mario Sousa — Sousa def. Ksiazkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Shaheen Santana vs. Natan Levy — Levy def. Santana by technical submission (arm triangle choke) at 0:55 of Round Three
Joseph Lowry vs. Nikolas Motta — Motta def. Lowry by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Luana Pinheiro vs. Stephanie Frausto — Pinheiro def. Frausto by TKO (punches) at 2:48 of Round One
Danny Sabatello vs. Taylor Moore — Sabatello def. Moore by unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-26)
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
185 lbs.: Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz vs. Mario Sousa
Round one: Sousa opens with head kick attempts. Hard body kick and he tries to flurry behind it. Inside low kick connects. Ksiazkiewicz barrels into the clinch a minute in. Knee to the head. Ksiazkiewicz spins him to the mat and lands on top in side control. Sousa briefly looks for an Ezekiel choke. Two minutes in. Trying again. Ksiazkiewicz tries the crucifix, then gets swept into guard while looking for the back. Hammerfists and elbows from Sousa. Two minutes to go.
More ground-and-pound from the Brazilian. Ksiazkiewicz spins for an armbar, loses it, and spins up into a takedown attempt. Sousa falls back for a guillotine with a minute to go. He’s on the wrong side of half guard. Ksiazkiewicz tries to step over into side control and gets caught in guard. They whack each other from there. Blatantly late shot by Sousa. 10-9 Sousa.
Round two: Hard left hand by Sousa and they slug it out. Big knee by Sousa. Ksiazkiewicz throwing with him but getting the worst of it. Back to the center. Knee from Sousa as Ksiazkiewicz looks for a single-leg, Browne elbows on the fence. Ksiazkiewicz again pulls him away from the fence for a takedown into half guard. Sousa regains guard, gives up side control looking for a triangle. Two minutes in. Knees to the butt from Ksiazkiewicz. Sousa regains half guard. Ksiazkiewicz looks for an anaconda and gets swept, then sweeps in in return. Two minutes to go.
Sousa regains guard. Hard hammerfist from his back, can’t cinch on up the triangle. One minute to go. Ksiazkiewicz passes to side control. 10-9 Ksiazkiewicz.
Round three: Sousa looking exhausted, but still throwing hard punches and kicks. Ksiazkiewicz takes him to the fence and there’s another takedown into half guard. Sousa still landing hammerfists from his back as Ksiazkiewicz looks to pass a minute in. Sousa regains guard. Ref stands them up two minutes in. Swinging haymakers, then Ksiazkiewicz locks up once again. Same takedown yet again, landing on top in guard this time. More hammerfists from Sousa, upkick with two minutes to go.
Brief triangle attempt goes nowhere. Ksiazkiewicz falls back for a straight ankle lock . One minute to go. He switches to an inverted heel hook. Sousa waits it out and takes top position. Big hammerfists in the final 20 seconds. Ksiazkiewicz sweeps before the bell. 10-9 Sousa.
Final result: Sousa def. Ksiazkiewicz by unanimous decision
160 lbs.: Shaheen Santana vs. Natan Levy
Round one: Santana switching stance. Simultaneous kicks. Hard flurry by Santana, who changes levels and gets caught in a guillotine. Hard knees from Levy in the front headlock before Santana exits. Another shot by Santana. One minute in. Levy reverses on the fence and trips him down into side control. Looking for a kimura. Loses it. Two minutes in. Now an americana, retains position when Santana slips out. Hammerfists from Santana off the back. Levy takes half guard, denies an attempt to stand. Two minutes to go.
Back to side control goes Levy. Santana trying a keylock off his back, denies an attempt to mount. One minute to go. Santana seemingly looking to stall him out. 10-9 Levy.
Round two: Levy sending out some high kicks to start. Body kicks from Santana, who eats a right hand and a shin to the face before changing levels. Levy forces him to his back, only for Santana to threaten a d’arce and then take Levy’s back. Full body triangle a minute in. Levy tries to spike him. Brief Suloev stretch attempt. Fast armbar transition from Santana. Levy stacks and extracts his arm before taking half guard. Short punches from Levy. Two minutes to go.
Staying heavy from half guard. One minute to go. Levy postures up for some heavier punches. 10-9 Levy.
Round three: Santana tries to start with a front kick, then marches into the clinch. Levy frames and reverses. Nice little foot sweep into guard. Looking to set up an arm triangle and he gets the grip, passing to mount as Santana’s eyes roll up in their sockets.
Final result:? Levy def. Santana by technical submission (arm triangle choke)
155 lbs.: Joseph Lowry vs. Nikolas Motta
Round one: Quick exchange in the center, Motta gets the btter of it. Head kick blocked. Lowry presses forward with a combo a minute in. Left hook from Motta, then one on the counter. Lwry follows a body shot with a leg kick. Big trade and a left hook stings Lowry. Two minutes in. Hard combination lands for the Brazilian. Lowry tries a jumping knee and follows with a flurry. Low kick lands, then a combination to answer a head kick. Two minutes to go.
Another heavy combination from Motta as Lowry steps in. Lowry sends out some punches, then tries a naked low kick that gets him dropped by a counter right. Not a hard knockdown so Motta doesn’t jump on him. One minute to go. Motta head kick falls short. Lowry tries to advance with punches. Body and low kick by Motta. They trade before the bell. 10-9 Motta.
Round two: Lowry lands an eye poke in the early going. Body kick from Motta. Lowry warned again for keeping his fingers extended, eats a left hook soon after. One minute in. Cross counter lands for Motta. Lead hook. Lowry steps in, eats a left hook that kicks off a Motta flurry. Motta teeing off on the fence two minutes in. Lowry somehow manages to absorb the blows and fire back, though his nose is clearly busted. He tries a head kick after things slow back down. Two minutes to go.
Lowry jabs the body, lands a combination and now Motta retreats. Heavy counter land for the Brazilian. Hard left hook connects as they trade in the center. Lowry tries a body kick, eats a left hook. One minute in. Motta tries a head kick, lands some more heavy punches. Hard body shots and right hand by Lowry. Counter 2-3 from Motta. Lowry body kick and he tries a takedown at the bell. 10-9 Motta.
Round three: Hard counter right by Motta in the early going. 2-3 falls short twice in a row. Jab connects. One minute in. Lowry lands a left downstairs. Outside logo. Combination form Motta as Lowry leans in. Both land right hands. Two minutes in. Hard left hook by Motta. Counter hook by Lowry. Lowry walking him down now, lands an uppercut and body jab. He backs away from a combo, takes a right down the pipe and a left hook. He comes back with a combination. Two minutes to go.
Motta lands a right hand in combination. Lowry presses forward, forced back by combinations. Another big left hook by Motta, who stuffs a level change. Motta flurry, Lowry flurry in return. Head kick from Motta. Right cross with a minute to go. Big swings into the clinch and Lowry changes levels. Short knees downstairs. 10-9 Motta.
Final result: Motta def. Lowry by unanimous decision
115 lbs.: Luana Pinheiro vs. Stephanie Frausto
Round one: Pinheiro takes the center right off the bat. Frausto looking to strike at range. Low kicks landing. One minute in. Pinheiro falls short with a right hand. Leg kick lands, eats a body kick in return. More low kicks from both women. Two minutes in. Frausto fires a low kick and immediately eats a brutal flurry in return, sending her crashing to the mat and prompting Pinheiro to polish her off.
Final result: Pinheiro def. Frausto by TKO (punches)
135 lbs.: Danny Sabatello vs. Taylor Moore
Round one: Sabatello double-legs him into guard in the opening seconds. Short ground-and-pound. One minute in. Continuing to chip away. Brief lift. Two minutes in. Another little slam. Continuing to work from guard. Two minutes to go.
More of the same. One minute to go. Moore not doing much off of his back besides keeping Sabatello in guard. I guess 10-8 for sheer one-sidedness.
Round two: Low kick from Moore to start. He shoots, sprawled on. Sabatello looking for the back. He briefly hauls Moore away from the fence. Short punches from turtle, one hook in a minute in. There’s the RNC under the chin, but Moore gets an angle and manages to get half guard on the bottom. More chiseling shots by Sabatello. Two minutes in. Continuing to pound from guard while staying tight. Two minutes to go.
Things continue. One minute to go. Solid elbows. 10-8 Sabatello.
Round three: Moore lands an early body kick. He sprawls on the first shot, then gets hauled to the fence. Sabatello re-shoots and brings him down, avoiding a kimura in the process. Punches from half guard. Back to full. One minute in. More ground-and-pound. Two minutes in. He passes to half guard. Looks for mount with two minutes to go.
Right hands and a short elbow. Moore tries to make space, briefly gives up his back before Sabatello regains half guard. Back to full. Sabtaello waves him up and hits him as he does. 10-9 Sabatello.
Final result: Sabatello def. Moore by unanimous decision
For more “Contender Series” news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.