With Canelo Alvarez chasing UFC off of this coming Saturday, Dana White’s Contender Series shoulders the task of entertaining the MMA masses tonight (Sept. 26, 2023).
The action begins, as it will for the rest of the season, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Four out of last week’s five winners earned a spot in the big show. Igor da Silva, Kaynan Kruschewsky, and Shamil Gaziev each earned impressive finishes, while Stephanie Luciano achieved the unprecedented feat of claiming a contract via unanimous draw.
Tonight’s featured bout sees undefeated Welterweight Danny Barlow (6-0) take on late replacement and former Cage Fury titlist Raheam Forrest, while German knockout machine Alexander Soldatsky (14-3) squares off with Jailton Almeida teammate Mario Piazzon (6-0) in the Heavyweight co-main event. Danny Silva (7-1) fights Angel Pacheco (7-1) in a battle of Lightweights with identical records, Ernesta Kareckaite (4-0-1) meets Carli Judice (3-0) at Flyweight, and former UAE Warriors Bantamweight champ Vinicius Oliveira (18-3) locks horns with VIctor Hugo Madrigal (12-3)
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Danny Barlow vs. Raheam Forest — Barlow def. Forest by TKO (punches) at 1:19 of Round One
Alexander Soldatkin vs. Mario Piazzon — Piazzon def. Soldatkin by DQ (illegal knee) at 0:20 of Round Three
Danny Silva vs. Angel Pacheco — Silva def. Pacheco by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Carli Judice — Kareckaite def. Judice by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Vinicius Oliveira vs. Victor Hugo Madrigal — Oliveira def. Madrigal by KO (punch) at 3:02 of Round One
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
170 lbs.: Danny Barlow vs. Raheam Forest
Round one: Both men firing kicks. Long lefts from Barlow. They trade and a right hand bove the ear drops Barlow, who pops right back up. Seconds later, he cracks Forest in teh temple and has him doing the chicken dance. Barlow trying to club him into submission in the clinch. A hard right stings Forest on the exit and Barlow jumps back on him, unloading until Forest crumples against the fence and the ref intervenes.
Final result: Barlow def. Forest by TKO (punches)
265 lbs.: Alexander Soldatkin vs. Mario Piazzon
Round one: Piazzon shoots in the opening seconds, ultimately taking him down with an outside trip. Soldatkin works back to his feet, Piazzon still attached. Another trip from Piazzon a minute in; Soldatkin tries to counter, makes to to his knees with Piazzon keeping the body lock. Back to his feet, back to his knees two minutes in. Back to his feet, Piazzon still attached. Piazzon drags him to a knee despite a fence grab. Two minutes to go.
Soldatkin just can’t break Piazzon’s grip. Piazzon unable to keep him down. Finally Soldatkin reverses and gets underhooks. Piazzon quickly gets over-unders and puts him on the fence again. One minute to go. Piazzon tries a hip toss, no dice. Soldatkin exits with an elbow. 10-9 Piazzon.
Round two: Piazzon slings an overhand right, then shoots. He tries a trip, gets tossed aside and sprawled on. Soldatkin keeps the rear body lock as Piazzon stands. Soldatkin manages to separate, eats a right hand a minute in. Nice head kick, Piazzon eats it to shoot again. He gets the body lock, trying to spin Soldatkin down. Two minutes in. Piazzon blanketing him against the fence, holding the body lock and occasionally trying to unbalance Soldatkin. He drags him to a knee with two minutes to go.
Soldatkin reverses, gets reversed in turn. One minute to go. Back up, back down. Piazzon refusing to do anything but smother and Soldatkin can’t stop him. Soldatkin tries to roll and ends up in bottom guard at the bell. 10-9 Piazzon.
Round three: Soldatkin opens with a spinning back kick. They exchange punches until Piazzon shoots. Soldatkin sprawls and lands a knee to the head; Piazzon had his hand on the mat, but was pulling it up as the knee landed, leaving only his fingers. That should be a legal shot, as his hand wasn’t weight-bearing, but the ref splits them up anyway and Piazzon flops on the ground like he’s been shot. He says he can’t continue, so let’s see how it goes; either a DQ or a technical decision.
Final result: Piazzon def. Soldatkin by DQ (illegal knee)
155 lbs.: Danny Silva vs. Angel Pacheco
Round one: Solid low kick from Silva, forcing Pacheco to the fence. A clubbing left sends Pacheco to the mat, but Silva can’t find the finish. Pacheco makes it to his feet and tries to fire back, only to get hurt again near the fence. Again he weathers the storm and sends out volleys of punches. Silva low kick. Pacheco tries a combo. Nice knee downstairs. Silva backs him to the fence, lands a heavy right hand in combination. Knees from Pacheco. Pacheco tries a head kick. Nice close-range combo by Silva two minutes in. Pacheco keeping pace with him. Heavy combo from Pacheco in center cage. He slips on a head kick. Body shot and elbow. Silva answers with a low-high 3-2 with two minutes to go.
Pacheco continuing to throw volume to mixed success. Trading heat inside, both landing well. Elbows finding the mark for Pacheco. Good shots on the pivot from Silva. Trading in center cage with a minute to go. Pacheco body shot.. Uppercuts from Silva. Silva’s landing the cleaner blows but Pacheco’s outworking him. Elbow, jabs, right hand by Silva. Pacheco tears into him with some heavy blows in the final seconds. 10-9 Silva.
Round two: Pacheco with lots of volume in the opening seconds. Jabs from Silva. Both land body shots. Counter 1-2 by Silva. 2-3 met by a flurry from Pacheco. They briefly tie up. One minute in. Body shots from both. Silva straight left. Low-high combo from Pacheco. They trade on the break. Silva still landing the cleaner shots. Body shots, big elbow. Another body shot and he might have Pacheco hurt. Pacheco trying to rev back up as Silva patiently picks his shots two minutes in. Another body shot and this one really hurts Pacheco. Silva trying to finish him off with elbows and punches. Spinning elbow just misses, elbows do not. Silva picking him apart against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Pacheco trying to throw back with everything he’s got. Silva walking through it and landing brutal shots. Both landing power shots. Spinning elbow to left by Silva, body shots form Pacheco with a minute to go. Silva walking him down, hands low. Jump knee misses, big rights from Pacheco in return. Pacheco with a second wind, throwing and landing tons of punches. Silva bangs the body before taking him down. 10-9 Silva.
Round three: Silva takes the initiative, backing Pacheco up with punches. Sharp elbow. Pacheco quickly finds his footing and trades with him before taking a shot to the cup. He doesn’t take long to recover and get back to throwing volume. Heavy exchanges in the center. One minute in. Silva 1-2, Pacheco body shots. Pacheco attacking in teh clinch. Heavy punches from Silva in return. Two minutes in. Silva backs him to the fence with a triple jab. Pacheco comes back with elbows. Forcing Silva back with volume. Silva stings him with a body kick and both rip the body. Trading punches, Silva getting the better of it.
Pacheco reeling under the power and Silva dumps him to the mat Knees to the body, body shots on the way up. Right back to trading punches. Silva landing some murderous punches. One minute to go. Trading at close range, big elbow by Silva. Pacheco still giving everything he’s got, refusing to slow down. They keep bombing until the bell, even when Pacheco’s mouthpiece goes flying. 10-9 Silva.
Final result: Silva def. Pacheco by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Carli Judice
Round one: Kareckaite ultra-aggressive to start, stalking forward with looping rights. Sharp combinations from Judice in return. She’s landing the cleaner shots as Kareckaite marches after her with volume. Solid punches and body kicks. They trade knees in the clinch a minute in. Good punches from Kareckaite on the break. Judice straight left. Heavy exchange against the fence. Judice sneaking in knees. Kareckaite staying body with right hands, finding success two minutes in. They trade knees against the fence. Elbows and knees from Judice before they separate. Hard counter right by Kareckaite. Two minutes to go.
Kareckaite constantly hurling right hands. She’s finding more success here; not as many counters from Judice. Hard 1-2 by Kareckaite. Judice to the body. One minute to go. Judice goes to the body and eats more right hands. Knee bounces off the guard. Uppercut to head kick from Kareckeita. Judice bullies her to the fence and tries to change levels. Both land heavy clinch shots in the final seconds. 10-9 Kareckaite.
Round two: They tie up early. Jockeying for position as they trade knees. Both try elbows on the break. Judice body kick. Near-miss on a clinch knee, then a sharp counter left a minute in. Kareckate walks through it and continues to throw. They trade body kicks, big elbow by Judice. Another good body kick and counter left. Low kicks and body kicks. Judice back in control two minutes in. Sharp punches, knees, and elbows. They separate. Two heavy rights by Kareckaite with two minutes to go.
Another cross lands clean, then another. Judice still picking her off on the way in but eats another right. Hard knee by Judice, who whiffs an elbow and eats right hands. One minute to go. Kareckaite backs her to the fence and changes levels, denied. Judice reverses. Shots from Kareckatite on the break. Heavy punches piling up. She shoots at the bell. 10-9 Kareckaite.
Round three: Kareckaite ties up an off-balance Judice and puts her on teh fence. Trading heavy elbows. They separate, left hook and 1-2 by Kareckaite. She’s pressuring just as much as in the first. Judice hauls her to the fence a minute in. They separate 15 seconds later. Sharp counters from Judice. Hard counter left. Kareckaite tries a head kick and loeses her balance. Big right cross kicks off a flurry from her. Two minutes in. Trading heavy punches, Kareckaite landing more. Judice looking for elbows. Both land body kicks. Straights from Kareckaite. Body kick after Judice escapes the fence. Big Judice left with two mintues to go.
Kareckaite walking her down with nonstop punches. Judice lands a body kick, eats a lengthy flurry. Kareckaite seemingly in full control but Judice wraps up a body lock and tries to wrench her down. One minute to go. Kareckaite stands and soon separates. Body kick. Judice to the body. Kareckaite puts together a combo, Judice ggrabs the Thai clinch and looks for knees. Trading at point blank. Heavy shots from Judice in the final seconds. What a scrap. 10-9 Kareckaite.
Final result: Kareckaite def. Judice by split decision
135 lbs.: Vinicius Oliveira vs. Victor Hugo Madrigal
Round one: Low kicks from Oliveira as Madrigal slowly advances. Solid body kick, then back to the leg. Madrigal wings a right hand and shoots, no dice. One minute in. Long hook by Oliveira, who ducks an overhand right and dings Madrigal with a solid counter. No clean connections on the follow-up flurry. Madrigal continuing to push forward, just misses with a head kick. Oliveira missing with most of his counters as he lingers near the fence, but some are getting through. He denies a takedown and lands a leg kick two minutes in. Long 1-2 hurts Madrigal; Oliveira tries a flying knee, then goes back to chopping with kicks when the finish isn’t there. Madrigal counter hook after eating a 1-2, then a knee downstairs. He aggressively chases Oliveira to the fence, where Oliveira unleashes a combo. The slapping left and right cross glance off, but the left hook behind them land perfectly, instantly turning the lights out and sending Madrigal teetering to the mat.
Final result: Oliveira def. Madrigal by KO (punch)
For more Contender Series news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.