The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”
The second season of of Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” rolls on tonight (Tues., July 24, 2018) with perhaps its biggest name yet, former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) champion Nick Newell, who is looking to finally earn a crack in the big show at the expense of Alex Munoz in the main event of the evening.
He, along with nine others, will look to join the likes of Maycee Barber, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Domingo Pilarte, who left the The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) gym with contracts last week. In addition to Newell, who faces undefeated Alex Munoz (4-0), the card features 7-0 Aussie Light Heavyweight Jim “The Brute” Crute, LFA Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hughes, and 18-year-old Featherweight Chase Hooper.
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ QUICK RESULTS:
Nick Newell vs. Alex Munoz — Munoz def. Newell by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jim Crute vs. Chris Birchler — Crute def. Birchler by TKO (punches) at 4:23 of Round One
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mike Davis — Yusuff def. Davis by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jeff Hughes vs. Josh Appelt — Hughes def. Appelt by TKO (punches) at 4:26 of Round One
Chase Hooper vs. Canaan Kawaihae — Hooper def. Kawaihae by unanimous decision (29-26 x2, 28-26)
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS:
155 lbs.: Nick Newell vs. Alex Munoz
Round one: Munoz advancing early. Backfist lands for Newell. Newell goes for a flying knee and gets taken down. Munhoz cracks him with four consecutive leg kicks as he stands. One minute in. Low kick from Newell. Another. Two minutes in. Double jab lands for Newell. More low kicks. Body kick. Two minutes to go.
Munoz completes a single-leg into guard. Newell spins to his knees and stands, Munoz still attached. Munhoz drags him to a knee, lands a left hook on the break. Newell lands a pair of front kicks, lands a check hook. Low kick. Munoz lands an overhand left. 10-9 Newell.
Round two: Newell firing kicks. Wheel kick attempt. Counter left drops Newell and Munoz goes to work with elbows. One minute in. Munoz kicks his legs, then dives back in with a left hand. He takes Newell’s back on the way up, releases him. Body kick by Newell two minutes in. He pursues with jabs, stuffs a takedown. Hard left hand by Munoz. Newell slips, nearly gets illegally kicked. Munoz looks for the back. Two minutes to go.
Munoz still on top of the turtle position. Still riding. One minute to go. Good control from Munoz. Newell makes it back to his feet. 10-9 Munoz.
Round three: Newell lands another front kick. Straight left by Munoz, who catches a kick and tries to take the back. Munoz lands a nice knee on the break. One minute in. Jab lands for Munoz. Two minutes in. Munoz shoots into a guillotine, but manages to scramble into side control. Now looking for the back. They separate with two minutes to go.
Newell marching forward, walking through fire. Munhoz hits another takedown into guard. Munoz once again moves to back control, gets a hook in but winds up too high. Newell jumps on him for a hail mary RNC, can’t get it, and Munoz ends the fight in position for an arm triangle. 10-9 Munoz.
Final result: Munoz def. Newell by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Jim Crute vs. Chris Birchler
Round one: Crute opens with a leg kick and 2-1. Good movement early, nice jab. Birchler lands a right, avoids a spin, eats a combo. Counter right from Crute. Left hand lands for him. Glancing head kick. Birchler lands a lead right. More right hands. One minute in. Uppercut catches Crute leaning. Body kick from Crute. Again. Birchler lands a right hand, eats one soon after. Another right cross from Birchler. Two minutes in. Crute to the body. Birchler goes low-high, eats a right cross. Birchler showing some good counters. Two minutes to go.
Good combination from Crute in return, then a left hook upstairs. Spinning back kick from Crute strays low. Low-high combo. One minute to go. Crute goes low-high again, lands a right hand. BIG 2-3 turns Birchler into a bobblehead and the ref steps in.
Final result: Crute def. Birchler by TKO (punches)?
145 lbs.: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mike Davis
Round one: Low kick from Yusuff and Davis ties up. They separate and Davis lands a right hand. They’re slugging. Right hands from Davis, tripped up by a calf kick. Yusuff lands a right, eats a 3-2. One minute in. More low kicks from Yusuff. Front kick to the face connects. Davis lands a leg kick of his own. Two minutes in. Yusuff continues punishing the lead leg and they trade bombs on the fence. Huge shots to the head and body from both men. Body kick from Davis. Yusuff tries a head kick, lands a leg kick. Another, this one answered by a left hook. Spinning back kick attempt from Davis. Two minutes to go.
Both land right hands and Davis stumbles back. They trade again and a left hook drops Davis. Davis shoots, stuffed. He’s still hurt. Yusuff throwing heat but gets taken down. He works his way to his feet and looks for a kimura. He transitions to a high-elbow guillotine, separates with punches. One minute to go. Davis winces from another calf kick. Left hook rattles Davis again. 2-3 from Davis, overhand right by Yusuff. 10-9 Yusuff.
Round two: They trade kicks to start. Uppercut from Davis and they trade once again. Yusuff stuffs a takedown, lands a right hand. Low kick from Yusuff. One minute in. More Yusuff leg kicks and they trade punches. Two minutes in. Davis looking to jab, eats a right hand. Another leg kick buckles him for a moment. He comes back with a right to the body. Jab exchange. Two minutes to go.
1-2 from Davis, Yusuff with an uppercut. Another leg kick lands for Yusuff, another. One minute to go. Right hand. Spinning back kick attempt from Davis. He moves into the clinch. He tries a sneaky head kick before the bell. 10-9 Yusuff.
Round three: Trading low kicks to start. Jabs. Low kick from Yusuff. One minute in. Another low kick stumbles Davis, who tries to shoot. Two minutes in. Yusuff continuing to punish Davis’ legs. Davis’ left leg is done. Overhand right clips him. Stiff jabs from Yusuff. Two minutes to go.
Head kick attempt. Side kick from Davis. Body kick lands for Yusuff. Davis body kick caught. One minute to go. Another leg kick drops Davis. Yusuff tries a head kick. 10-9 Yusuff.
Final result: Yusuff def. Davis by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Jeff Hughes vs. Josh Appelt
Round one: Low kick from Hughes. Appelt opens up on the cage, eats a counter, lands some dirty boxing. Appelt looks for a single-leg. He loses it, fires an elbow on the break. One minute in. 1-2 from Hughes. Body kick. Hughes takes one to the nerts. They go back to trading punches when he returns. Two minutes in. They trade in the cage and Hughes scores a single-leg into half guard. Appelt works his way up and separates. Low kick from Hughes, body kick from Appelt. Brief clinch. Two minutes to go.
Hughes firing combinations. Good knee as Appelt covers up and he shoots in once again, completing the double-leg into half guard. He starts drilling Appelt with left hands.. Appelt tries to stand, continues eating blows. He makes it to his feet, but eats an uppercut that sends him to his knees.
Final result: Hughes def. Appelt by TKO (punches)
145 lbs.: Chase Hooper vs. Canaan Kawaihae
Round one: Kawaihae landing solid punches. They tie up on the fence, then separate. Counter hook by Kawaihae and more punches follow. Hooper goes for a single-leg, hauling Kawaihae around the cage. Good punches from Hooper on the break. Kawaihae continues to land power punches and drops him with a straight left. He lets Hooper up, then continues pouring on the hurt. Hooper jumps guard. Kawaihae avoids a sweep and separates. Two minutes in. Kawaihae catches a kick and throws him down, then lets him up. Another clean straight left by Kawaihae. Body kick from Hooper, who gets rocked by a pair of straight lefts. Kawaihae drills him with shots until Hooper pulls guard. Two minutes to go.
He lets Hooper up. Hooper shoots in, pulls guard again. Kawaihae looks for theback after letting Hooper up again. One minute to go. Kawaihae tries a Kadowaki Special, then sweeps into top position after Hoope avoids it. Hooper goes for another takedown and has to fight off a guillotine. 10-8 Kawaihae.
Round two: Kawaihae catches a kick, lands a left hand and they tie up. Hooper landing knees to the body, lands one to the nards. They restart in the center. Body kick from Hooper, eats punches, grabs a guillotine on the fence. Kawaihae takes him down to avoid it and moves to the back. Hooper tries to spin into top position, wrangled down via headlock. Kawaihae scrambles up, eats dirty boxing on the cage. He winds up on his back and Hooper lands ground-and-pound from half guard. Hooper opening up with big shots. Looking for mount, blasts Kawaihae with elbows. The blows are piling up and Kawaihae gives up his back with two minutes to go.
Hooper continuing to land punches, gets his forearm under Kawaihae’s chin but can’t finish. Kawaihae spins into guard, fights off an omoplata. One minute to go. Hooper threatens an armbar. He retakes the back and locks up a rear naked choke, ends the round with an elbow form guard. 10-8 Hooper.
Round three: Kawaihae looks absolutely drained. Hooper marching after him, throwing assorted shenanigans. Kawaihae looks for a single-leg, gets taken down from a guillotine. Hooper transitions to an armbar, looks for the back. One minute in. Ground-and-pound from Hooper. Elbows and punches continue. Two minutes in. Hooper tries a neck crank, can’t finish it. He just keeps punching. Two minutes to go.
Hooper keeps hitting him, ultimately going for submissions at the bell. 10-7 Hooper.
Final result:? Hooper def. Kawaihae by unanimous decision