Photo by Chris Unger/DWTNCS LLC
The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”
It’s that time of week again.
The new UFC Apex hosts another 10 mixed martial arts (MMA) hopefuls tonight (Tues., Aug. 6, 2019) as part of Dana While’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series,” which airs on ESPN+ stateside and Fight Pass elsewhere. Last week’s event featured two flying knee knockouts (watch it) and resulted in three men and one woman joining the world’s largest MMA promotion.
This week’s main event sees undefeated Venezuelan Lightweight Omar Morales (7-0) square off with LFA champion Harvey Park (12-2) in a clash of fighters with just one decision win apiece. Herbert Burns (8-2), brother of Gilbert, will also be in action at 145 pounds against gritty veteran Darrick Minner (22-9), as will Contender Series: Brazil Middleweight slum Andre Muniz (17-4) against another LFA standout in Taylor Johnson (5-0)
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Omar Morales vs. Harvey Park — Morales def. Park by TKO (leg kicks and punch) at 1:06 of Round Two
Lucrezia Ria vs. Marilia Santos — Ria def. Santos by split decision (27-30, 29-28 x2)
Herbert Burns vs. Darrick Minner — Burns def. Minner by submission (triangle armbar) at 2:29 of Round One
Taylor Johnson vs. Andre Muniz — Muniz def. Johnson by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:46 of Round One
Dwight Joseph vs. Jay Perrin — Joseph def. Perrin by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
‘Contender Series’ Play-by-Play Results:
155 lbs.: Omar Morales vs. Harvey Park
Round one: Morales opens with a heavy low kick, then looks for the head. More leg kicks. Park lands a lead right, ties up on the fence. Knees from Morales. One minute in. Morales takes a knee to the junk. Park shoots when they resume. Morales defends, swings on the break. Two minutes in. Park advancing, Morales circling. Park shoots on the fence. Morales separates. Counter right from Morales and they exchange. Another low blow from Park, clearly unintentional. Two minutes to go.
Park presses forward, they trade and Park ties up. Morales tries to spin on the break. Right hand and body shot by Park, body lock. One minute to go. Park clips him with a left hook on the break. Morales lands a leg kick, eats some huge shots from Park. Park looks for a flying knee, eats a right. 10-9 Park.
Round two: Park continuing to move forward. Jab exchange. Body kicks by Park. Calf kick hurts Park and Morales sprawls on a shot. Morales cracks the calf again when he stands, then sparks him with a straight right for the finish.
Final result: Morales def. Park by TKO (leg kicks and punch)
125 lbs.: Lucrezia Ria vs. Marilia Santos
Round one: Santos on the front foot early. Counter left knocks her back. Ria pursuing, lands knees in the clinch. Santos separates. One minute in. Santos swinging big, falling short. Low kick connects. Ria fires a flurry, runs into a pair of straight rights. Brief clinch. Both fire head kicks, Santos’ hits harder. Ria looks for a takedown in the clinch and Santos hits a nice transition to the back. Ria quickly sweeps her way to guard, stands over her and lands some hard shots. Santos gets space and stands. Santos ties up with two minutes to go.
Trading knees inside. Right hand on the break from Santos. Santos lands a head kick and unloads some heavy punches, landing a decent number. She slips landing a body kick and Ria takes guard. Santos turns for an armbar, can’t keep Ria’s elbow in position. One minute to go. Santos turns for a leg at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Santos?
Round two: Santos ties up early. They separate soon after. Ria with a left to the body. She catches a body kick, takes her down, kicks at her legs. Santos gets to her feet and they just start brawling, trading heavy leather. Santos seems to land the bigger shots. Hard right hand prompts Ria to tie up with underhooks. She uses them to take Santos down into guard. Santos gets in on another armbar and this one looks good. Struggling to break Ria’s grip, loses it and transitions to a heel hook with two minutes to go.
Santos loses it, surrenders guard. Ria passes to half guard. Santos threatens a leg again, loses it. Both women seem to want the other to get in their guard. Ria obliges Santos. Ria passes to half guard, lands a couple strikes. 10-9 Santos.
Round three: They hug it out to start the round. Both look pretty spent, but Ria moreso. Santos moving forward, eats a left hand. BIG left hook by Santos. Santos marching after her, throwing heat. Heavy right hands landing. Ria trying to throw back or clinch. One minute in. She’s just completely gassed. Santos gets taken down off a caught kick, sweeps back to her feet and puts her on the fence. Good elbow. Another right hand for Santos and she hits a takedown. Ria holding onto a guillotine, but stuck in half guard. Now mount for Santos. Two minutes to go.
Ria still holding into the front headlock. Santos pops her head out, lands hammerfists and then looks for another armbar. Ria works her way out of it in slow motion. Borderline 10-8 for Santos, but I say 10-9.
Final result: Ria def. Santos by split decision
145 lbs.: Herbert Burns vs. Darrick Minner
Round one: Burns marches into the clinch with knees, eats a right on the exit. Minner lands another looping right and Burns shoots in, pulling guard. Minner avoids a leglock and takes his back standing. He abandons the hook a minute in and lands knees to the thigh. Minner opens up with big shots on the break, lands some heavy shots. Burns answers with a knee and they scramble off a Minner shot, Minner ending up on top in guard. Burns eats an elbow. Minner goes to half guard and threatens a guillotine for a moment, but as soon as he gets back to guard, Burns transitions from a triangle to an omoplata to a triangle armbar that draws a tap.
Final result: Burns def. Minner by submission (triangle armbar)
185 lbs.: Taylor Johnson vs. Andre Muniz
Round one: Johnson comes out slugging, gets clipped by a left hook, then slams Muniz into guard in return. He starts unleashing punches, then slams his way out of an armbar. Muniz looks for an omoplata, then gets to his feet and looks for the back. One hook in a minute in. Muniz looking for the RNC, gets it for the upset.
Final result: Muniz def. Johnson by submission (rear naked choke)
135 lbs.: Dwight Joseph vs. Jay Perrin
Round one: Joseph opens with leg kicks. Perrin catches a body kick for a takedown into guard. Joseph kicks him off, stands, and looks for a takedown of his own. One minute in. They separate. Another low kick lands for Joseph, then a counter left soon after. He takes Perrin to the fence, gets reversed and separates. Body kick from Perrin after taking another low kick and he puts Joseph on the fence, Two minutes in. He lands a knee before they return to the center. More leg kicks from Joseph. They trade body kicks. Another low kick. Perrin pops him with a double jab and ties up. Two minutes to go.
Perrin lands an elbow and they break. Joseph gets in deep on a reactive double leg, takes him down, and looks for the back as Perrin stands. Knees from Joseph. One minute to go. Perrin turns to face him and exits with a 1-2. Counter two-piece lands for Joseph. Counter 2-3 from Perrin. Joseph tries a wheel kick. 10-9 Joseph.
Round two: Early left hand from Joseph, then a counter right hook soon after. Body kick appears to bother Perrin, who shoots into a guillotine. Joseph still squeezing a minute in. Perrin looks to be waiting it out. Joseph abandons it just under two minutes in. Perrin staying heavy, not unleashing much so far. Two minutes to go.
Joseph uses the fence to stand, eats a knee. Hard right hand on the exit. Body kick from Joseph. One minute to go. Joseph ties up, gets pressed against the fence. They separate, another knee lands for Perrin. Joseph swings big on the fence. 10-9 Joseph.
Round three: Counter left lands for Joseph in the early going. Again. Perrin ducks the next one for a blast double, dumping him into half guard. Joseph gets to his knees a minute in, stands. Perrin with a left hook on the exit. They trade at close range. Joseph ties up and takes him to the fence, eating a knee. Perrin lands a right on the break, shoots, takes him down into side control. He quickly moves to the back with one hook in. Two minutes to go.
Perrin appears to think about an arm triangle, but gets swept into guard. He gets to his feet and they separate. Joseph fires a head kick with a minute to go. He shoots, puts Perrin on the fence. Somewhere, Brendan Loughnane is laughing. Perrin reverses, knees the body. 10-9 Perrin.
Final result: Joseph def. Perrin by unanimous decision