Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series rolls on tonight (Tues., Aug. 2, 2022) with a full suite of 10 Octagon hopefuls, who’ll duke it out on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.
After three consecutive decisions that sent White to GOOFCON 1, Joe Pyfer secured last week’s lone contract with a vicious check hook finish of Ozzy Diaz in the main event. The fight was Pyfer’s second on the program, as he’d previously lost via injury stoppage to Dustin Stoltzfus.
This week’s Lightweight main event brings back another series veteran in Chris Duncan (8-1), who faces CFFC and Bellator veteran, Charlie Campbell, after falling to “Slava Claus” Borshchev in 2021. Down at Flyweight, Australia’s Shannon Ross (13-5) ends a long layoff against Vinicius Salvador (13-4), while Francis Marshall (5-0) takes on Connor Matthews (5-0) in a clash of unbeaten Featherweights.
Also on tap is former professional boxer Waldo Cortes-Acosta (6-0), who meets Danilo Suzart (9-1), and an opener between CES Middleweight champion Billy Goff (7-2) and Contender Series veteran, Shimon Smotritsky.
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Charlie Campbell vs. Chris Duncan — Duncan def. Campbell by KO (punches) at 1:43 of Round One
Shannon Ross vs. Vinicius Salvador — Salvador def. Ross by TKO (punches) at 4:22 of Round Two
Francis Marshall vs. Connor Matthews — Marshall def. Matthews by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Danilo Suzart — Cortes-Acosta def. Suzart by TKO (punches) at 3:40 of Round One
Shimon Smotritsky vs. Billy Goff — Goff def. Smotritsky by TKO (punches) at 3:37 of Round One
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
155 lbs.: Charlie Campbell vs. Chris Duncan
Round one: Low kicks to body kick from Duncan. Campbell responds by dropping him with a counter right. Tornado kick attempt. Low kick lands. Body kicks by Duncan in return, looping right afterwards. Lead right, heavy low kick a minute in. Campbell digs a right downstairs and follows with an uppercut, then drops Duncan again on a counter right. Duncan tries to wrestle, eats knees. Two more gigantic uppercuts have Duncan on the brink of defeat, but he comes back with a monstrous 1-2 that flattens Campbell. One more punch turns the lights out, and Duncan has scored a comeback knockout for the ages.
Final result: Duncan def. Campbell by KO (punches)
125 lbs.: Shannon Ross vs. Vinicius Salvador
Round one: Salvador with a behind-the-back calf kick to start. Both fire their power hands. Salvador low sweep. Solid offbeat strikes as Ross looks to answer with boxing. One minute in. Counter right lands clean for Ross. Just as he seems to get a bit of momentum, Salvador drops him hard against the fence with a looping left. Ross rises, continues to eat haymakers. Heavy shots to the head and body from Salvador. Two minutes to go. Ross shoots, denied. Cartwheel kick lands clean for Salvador. Ross backs him off with a 2-1. Nice counter right. Clean rights starting to land for Ross. Two minutes to go.
Wild exchange, good knee by Salvador. Big shots form both sides. Salvador flying knee, Ross counter right. Ross to the body. Again, then up top with the right hand. He tries to press the issue, only to get floored by a counter right hook. Salvador pouring it on but gets knocked back by some huge counters with a minute to go. Nasty counter right by Ross, slips throwing knees. Tight uppercuts by Ross in the clinch. Trading knees and punches inside. Great round. 10-9 Salvador.
Round two: Another low sweep by Salvador. Awkward front kick attempt. One minute in. Nice low kick, Ross’s answer lands on the cup. Solid body kick from Ross on the reset, another behind-the-back low kick by Salvador in return. Another Ross body kick. Two minutes in. Ross beginning to control the exchanges. Now Salvador pushes forward, lands a knee inside. 1-2. He puts himself on the fence to taunt, eats right hands for his troubles. Another body kick. Big shots from both with two minutes to go.
Salvador low kick. Trading on the fence. Big exchanges. Ross claims an eye poke, Herb Dean misses it. Heavy punches by Ross. 1-2 on the fence with a minute to go. Brutal right hands. Body-head. He appears to fully be in gear with Salvador stuck against the fence, but Salvador loads up on a monster counter right that completely discombobulates Ross. Ross staggers back and a flurry of shots send him to the canvas.
Final result: Salvador def. Ross by TKO (punches)
145 lbs.: Francis Marshall vs. Connor Matthews
Round one: Early low kicks from Marshall. Both firing some crisp combinations. Long cross and low kick land for Matthews. Another nice cross. Marshall drags him down with a double-leg, has to bail when Matthews threatens a guillotine. Back to trading a minute in. Both landing well. Marshall shoots, denied, fires a right on the break. He’s getting the better of the boxing by a bit. Low kick and 1-2 by Matthews two minutes in. Marshall lands his own 1-2 and puts him on the fence. Unsuccessful on a single-leg. Matthews jab, Marshall cross. Back to the tit-for-tat boxing. Marshall’s jab landing well with two minutes to go.
Sharp lead right wobbles Matthews, who tries to fire back. Marshall backs him to the fence and slams him down into side control. Full mount, now the back. Both hooks in after a brief struggle. One minute to go. Matthews scrambles free, gets pressed against the fence. 10-9 Marshall.
Round two: Marshall finding the mark early, hurts him bad with a check hook and right cross before taking him down. Matthews rolls for a leglock, no dice. Marshall on top in half guard, landing shots as Matthews stands. One minute in. They separate. Calf kicks by Matthews but he looks roughed up. Huge 3-2 into another takedown by Marshall, who gets right to dropping elbows. Elbows piling up. Knees on the way up, then another easy takedown into guard. Two minutes to go.
Solid elbow from Marshall. Matthews tries to turn for an armbar, not even close. One minute to go. Marshall continuing to chip away. Matthews trying to punch off his back. More elbows by Marshall in the waning seconds. 10-8 Marshall.
Round three: They trade right hands to start. Heavy exchanges. Matthews low kick. One minute in. Marshall 1-2, good left hook to counter a leg kick. Much slower pace than before. Marshall still getting the better of things, though Matthews is game. Two minutes in. Trading jabs and crosses. Hard 1-2 and left hook hurt Matthews once again. Marshall stalking near the fence, doing damage with two minutes to go.
Brutal shots by Marshall. Matthews briefly manages to tie up. Crisp jab lands for Marshall. Simultaneous left hooks. Solid right by Matthews with a minute to go. Crunching 1-2 comes back at him from Marshall. Trading heat in the center. Matthews lead elbow, Marshall counter right. Stabbing jabs by Marshall in the final seconds. 10-9 Marshall.
Final result: Marshall def. Matthews by unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Danilo Suzart
Round one: Suzart pushing forward, whiffs on a flurry. Stiff jab and overhand connect for Cortes-Acosta. Another swatting right. Big, looping left hook connects for Suzardt, who eats jabs in return. Both try Superman punches, Cortes-Acosta connects. More right hands a minute in. Sharp combos, Suzart looking to trade with him. Suzart lands well on the fence. Continuing to push forward, eats a straight right down the pipe. Another 1-2 buzzes Suzart and Cortes-Acosta puts him on the. Solid punches two minutes in. Knee to the body. Clubbing right met by a Suzart uppercut. Cortes-Acosta keeping him against the fence, occasionally separating a bit to land punches before tying back up. Two minutes to go.
Cortes-Acosta continuing to chip away, then floors Suzart with a clubbing right on the break. He follows up with more shots and in comes the ref.
Final result: Cortes-Acosta def. Suzart by TKO (punches)
170 lbs.: Shimon Smotritsky vs. Billy Goff
Round one: Goff finding the mark with early right hands, but leans right into a nasty head kick that sends him to the mat. Smotritsky bombing from guard. Goff rolls for a leg, looks for a takedown, then separates. Hard coutner right from Smotritsky and a knee on the break a minute in. Goff already sporting a mouse under his right eye. Body kick from Smotritsky. Goff ties up, leans directly into an uppercut, and shoots. Smotritsky working to stand against the fence two minutes in. He does so and separates. Solid clinch strikes from Goff. Two minutes to go.
Low kick to uppercut by Goff. Smotritsky comes back with a body kick, but Goff catches it and fires combos. The uppercuts are finding the mark and Smotritsky’s hurt. Goff pours it on against the fence until Smotritsky crumples. What a comeback.
Final result: Goff def. Smotritsky by TKO (punches)
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