After tearing the roof off of Accor Arena last Saturday, the Octagon returns to the APEX tonight (Tues., Sept. 6, 2022) at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ for the latest installment of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
Last week was another full bingo, with all five victors taking home contracts. Quick submissions from Blake Bilder, Mateusz Rebecki, and Sedriques Dumas joined Viktoriya Dudakova’s gutsy upset and Yusaku Kinoshita’s brutal knockout finish for an evening full of action.
Tonight’s all-Brazilian Light Heavyweight main event sees LFA vet Rodolfo Bellato (8-1) rematch Vitor Petrino (6-0), who handed Team Nogueira’s “Trator” his lone pro loss in 2019. Their countryman, LFA Welterweight champ Gabriel Bonfim (12-0) takes on Trey Waters (6-0) in the co-feature. ATT Atlanta’s Karl Williams (6-1) fights Jimmy Lawson (4-1) in the evening’s sole Heavyweight attraction, Ismael Bonfim (17-3) attempts to shut down surging Azerbaijani standout Nariman Abbasov (28-3), and Tereza Bleda (5-0) collides with Nayara Maia (7-0-1) in a clash of undefeated Strawweights.
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Vitor Petrino — Petrino def. Bellato by KO (punches) at 3:36 of Round Two
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trey Waters — Bonfim def. Waters by submission (Von Flue choke) at 4:13 of Round One
Karl Williams vs. Jimmy Lawson — Williams def. Lawson by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Ismael Bonfim vs. Nariman Abbasov — Bonfim def. Abbasov by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Tereza Bleda vs. Nayara Maia — Bleda def. Maia by unanimous decision (30-26 x3)
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
205 lbs.: Rodolfo Bellato vs. Vitor Petrino
Round one: Stiff jabs from both. Petrino looks for an uppercut. Solid body shot. Throwing heavy leather and he reverses a Bellato takedown to land on top in half guard. One minute in. Bellato regains guard and starts firing off triangles. Petrino postures and slams his way out. Overhook for Bellato two minutes in. Solid punches by Petrino as Bellato tries to turn for an armbar. Petrino continuing to drop punches, then elects to let Bellato up. Bellato to the body. Hard left from Petrino in return. Swinging some big haymakers. Stiff jabs. Two minutes to go.
Bellato backs up, then rocks Petrino with a razor-sharp 1-2. Suplex attempt, then a standing back take by Bellato. One minute to go. Petrino spins into top position and starts dropping heavy punches. Nice body shot from an awkward position. 10-9 Petrino, I guess? Lot of good work before and after the knockdown.
Round two: Petrino on the attack early. Bellato responds to the body. Nice counter uppercut from Petrino as Bellato puts him on the fence. Level change a minute in. Nice spin to the rear body lock by Bellato. Petrino uses a kimura grip to separate his hands and get distance. Two minutes in. Counter uppercut by Petrino kicks off another hard combo. Sharp jab. 2-3 from Bellato connects. Petrino fires a head kick against the fence. Three-piece by Bellato after eating a jab. Elbow attempt with two minutes to go.
Petrino looks for his own elbows. Bellato to the body. Bellato attempts a spinning back fist with Petrino against the fence, but as he’s recovering, Petrino uncorks a monstrous left hook. Bellato goes down in a slow-mo timber, and he’s unfortunately just conscious enough for Petrino to blast him with one more on the mat and turn the lights out.
Final result: Petrino def. Bellato by KO (punches)
170 lbs.: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trey Waters
Round one: They trade jabs to start. Waters looking to sharpshoot as he circles. Sharp straight right, eats a 1-2 in return. Bonfim wades in and they trade heat. One minute in. Tit-for-tat exchanges. Bonfim low kick and sharp jab. Counter hook by Waters. Stiff jab. Jabs from Bonfim in return. Waters cross counter. Two minutes in. Bonfim consistently landing the jabs but it’s Waters landing more power shots. Big exchange. Cross counter, jab, cross by Waters. Both land in center cage. Two minutes to go.
Continuing to trade jabs. Good hook by Bonfim. Jab exchanges, Waters cross falls short. Big exchange, good right lands for Bonfim. Bonfim shoots and Waters wraps up a palm-to-palm guillotine with a minute to go. Bonfim manages to get to half guard, then bears down with the Von Flue until Waters taps.
Final result: Bonfim def. Waters by submission (Von Flue choke)
265 lbs.: Karl Williams vs. Jimmy Lawson
Round one: Jab and 1-2 from Williams. Solid low kick. Lawson pushing forward, but overextends on a left hook and gets taken down into half guard. One minute in. Short punches landing for Williams. Lawson turns for a leg, eats hard left hands two minutes in. Full guard. Lawson stuck on his back against the fence. He gets to his knees and returns to his feet, eating punches as he does. Williams stays attached and dumps him back into half guard with two minutes to go.
Short punches from Williams. One minute to go. Lawson has an underhook, Williams doing a good job of maintaining control. 10-9 Williams.
Round two: Snap kicks by Williams to the midsection. Knee stomp. Lawson looking somewhat fatigued. Williams lands a flurry and scores another takedown a minute in. Half guard. Williams postures up for some heavy punches before passing to north-south two minutes in. Short left hands. Lawson turns to his knees. Full back mount with two minutes to go.
Lawson falls off the top and Williams turns into top position against the fence. Williams turns and this time it’s Lawson who gets overeager and loses position. He looks for a leg, nothing there with a minute to go. Hard hammerfists from Williams, basically sitting on Lawson. Side control. 10-9 Williams.
Round three: Both men warned for outstretched fingers. Williams teep strays low and Lawson takes some time to recover. Williams low kick. 1-2s fall short. One minute in. Left hooks from Williams, then a heavy cross that he capitalizes on to land on top in half guard. Body shots. Two minutes in. Short punches. Lawson not offering much from his back. Brief, doomed guillotine attempt with two minutes to go.
Short lefts from Williams. Lawson tries to sit up, can’t do so. One minute to go. Williams works his way to mount, then looks to clamp down on an arm triangle. No dice. 10-9 Williams.
Final result: Williams def. Lawson by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Nariman Abbasov
Round one: Both fire low kicks. Good right hand from Abbasov met by a flying body kick. Counter hook from Bonfim and another hard low kick as Abbasov stalks. Heavy exchange. One minute in. Body shot to head shot by Bonfim has Abbasov retreating. Another nice shot downstairs. Really looking for it now. Body kick, left hook. Abbasov back on the advance two minutes in. Bonfim rips another hook downstairs. Abbasov lands an overhand right, eats one in return that has him wobbling back. Another lubbing right puts him down, then a left does the same as Abbasov tries to get up. Abbasov somehow absorbs everything, attempts a throw, and puts him on the fence. Two minutes to go.
Nice trip by Abbasov, nicer standup by Bonfim. Bonfim stalking. Nice cross by Abbasov, tries to spin behind it, lands a body kick. Hard 1-2 from Bonfim in return. One minute to go. Abbasov low kick, Bonfim double jab. More body work from Bonfim. Big knee to left hook. Clubbing shots against the fence from Bonfim. Continuing to do damage. Abbasov looks to throw back late. 10-8 Bonfim.
Round two: Brief delay to deal with something about Abbasov’s glove. Overhand right from Abbasov, who’s giving ground. Hard counter right lands for Bonfim and Abbasov tries to swing back. One minute in. Clean hook draws a nod from Abbasov. Bonfim again bangs the body with that left hook. Abbasov tries to spin. Two minutes in. Bonfim in full control, rips another body shot. Abbasov landing low kicks as he eats jabs. He eats another body shot, falling short with his swings. Two minutes to go.
Check hook from Bonfim, who eats a body kick. Continuing to win the jab battle. Abbasov tries a long-distance shot, eats a body kick for his trouble. One minute to go. Swatting hook by Abbasov, who tries to open up on the fence. Another Bonfim body shot. Abbasov 1-1-2. 10-9 Bonfim.
Round three: Low kick by Abbasov. Bonfim advancing, eats a jab and 2-3. Body kick by Abbasov. One minute in. Counters from Bonfim in center cage. Another looping 2-3 by Abbasov. Bonfim slips out of reach of a flurry two minutes in. He’s still moving well but not throwing nearly as much this round. Firing jabs. Abbasov absorbs another body shot after landing a glancing hook. Double jab. Two minutes to go.
Abbasov still throwing, not landing clean. Bonfim picking his shots. Big attempted blitz by Abbasov, nothing connects. Bonfim pops him with a check hook and jab. One minute to go. Jab exchange. Abbasov unsuccessfully tries to chase him down. Bonfim to the body. Abbasov going for it in the last minute. Hard exchange. Bonfim tries a late double-leg, then a suplex. 10-9 Bonfim.
Final result: Bonfim def. Abbasov by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Tereza Bleda vs. Nayara Maia
Round one: Trading kicks to start. Bleda times her level change as Maia steps in and takes her down into half guard. Maia looks for a leg, Bleda tries to answer in kind. Maia uses it to take top position a minute in. Nice sweep by Bleda into top guard. Two minutes in. Short punches from Bleda. Maia tries to hook her foot under Bleda’s arm, can’t keep it there with two minutes to go.
Elbow from Bleda, staying tight on top. Looking for half guard as Maia holds onto a kimura with a minute to go. Maia regains guard and locks up a triangle, which Bleda postures out of before winning the scramble and fighting off a late leglock attempt. 10-9 Bleda.
Round two: Doctor steps in to check on Maia’s right eye, but she’s good to continue. Good cross by Bleda. Low kicks, avoids the clinch. Maia times a Bleda low kick for a takedown into guard. One minute in. Maia stands over her and kicks at her legs, not jumping on Bleda as the latter stands. Solid boxing from Bleda. Gnarly jab. She catches a body kick and Maia rolls for a kneebar. Bleda slips out and drops punches two minutes in. Continuing to land solid ground-and-pound. Two minutes to go.
Bleda landing from half guard. Trying to pin an arm, can’t do so. Maia regains guard. One minute to go. Bleda staying heavy, swatting with punches. 10-9 Bleda.
Round three: 1-2 lands for Bleda. Brief clinch, good knee. Maia winging punches, then fires a shot that Bleda sprawls on. Bleda looks for the back, settles for half guard. Back to full, back to half a minute in. Short right hands landing for Bleda on top. Two minutes in. More punches piling up. Maia tries to turn for a leg, then goes to her knees before surrendering half guard with two minutes to go.
Bleda continuing to pile up ground and pound. She uses an underhook to get to her feet, but a knee to the body sends her crumpling back to the mat. Bleda continuing to drop punches and elbows. One minute to go. Landing to the head and body until the bell. 10-8 Bleda.
Final result: Bleda def. Maia by unanimous decision
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