The world’s “toughest job interview” continues this evening as 10 fighters “vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.”
Mike Rodriguez and Alex Perez set the bar pretty high last week with their contract-winning finishes. This week, 10 more UFC hopefuls get a chance to do the same as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Gym once again hosts Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series.”
In the main event, Middleweight Charles Byrd makes his second appearance on the series against veteran Buddy Wallace, while Roufusport Light Heavyweight Cameron Olson takes on Karl Reed in the co-feature. Down at Featherweight, 23-year-old Grant Dawson faces Tachi Palace Fights champ Adrian Diaz.
The card will also feature the first women’s fight in the series as Strawweights Jamie Colleen and Tiffany Masters collide, plus a Flyweight bout between Martin Day and Jaime Alvarez.
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ 6 QUICK RESULTS:
Charles Byrd vs. Buddy Wallace — Byrd def. Wallace by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:03 of Round Two
Grant Dawson vs. Adrian Diaz — Dawson def. Diaz by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:15 of Round Two
Cameron Olson vs. Karl Reed — Olson def. Reed by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Martin Day vs. Jaime Alvarez — Alvarez def. Day by unanimous decision
Jamie Colleen vs. Tiffany Masters — Colleen def. Masters by submission (armbar) at 4:43 of Round Three
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ 6 PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES:
Charles Byrd vs. Buddy Wallace
Round one: Byrd lands a hard leg kick and a pair of right hands before tying up. He tries to change levels, denied. They separate. Counter right stings Byrd, who backs him off with head kicks. One minute in. Wallace grabs double underhooks and scores a takedown, moving to the back and looking for the choke. Both hooks in. Wallace can’t get it under the chin. Two minutes in. Byrd scrambles and takes him down into guard. Solid left hand. Heavy pressure from Byrd, who passes directly to mount. Big shots. Wallace scrambles up, pressed against the cage. They separate. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick from Wallace, right hand and sacrifice throw from Byrd. Wallace nearly takes the back, cannot do so and surrenders half guard. More good shots from Byrd with a minute to go. He avoids an upkick and lands more right hands. Side control. He lands some elbows before the bell. 10-9 Byrd.
Round two: Good leg kick and flurry from Byrd. He’s swinging for the fences and counters a takedown into top position. Into the front headlock and he looks for the guillotine. Heavy elbows. One minute in. Wallace gets full guard. Byrd postures up and drops a hard right hand. Wallace rolls to his knees, gives up his back in the process. Big right hands by Byrd. He locks up the choke and earns the tap.
Final result: Byrd def. Wallace by submission (rear naked choke)
Grant Dawson vs. Adrian Diaz
Round one: Dawson orthodox, Diaz southpaw. Dawson firing front kicks, lands a shifting right hand. Dawson puts him on the fence and takes him down a minute in. Full guard, Diaz using the body triangle off his back. Dawson lands some short punches. Two minutes in. Dawson still doing work, sneaks in elbows. Solid punches. He postures out of an armbar. Two minutes to go.
Dawson still doing work. Dawson posturing, putting some mustard behind these. Diaz trying to control him, getting battered for his trouble. Two minutes to go. Half guard now. Dawson threatens a kimura, then takes the back and pounds away. He locks up the choke, but can’t finish before the bell. 10-8 Dawson.
Round two: Dawson slips out of a guillotine and settles in guard once again. Back to the ground-and-pound. He passes to half guard and briefly threatens an arm-triangle, then takes the back. Dawson gets it under the chin and draws the tap.
Final result: Dawson def. Diaz by submission (rear naked choke)
Cameron Olson vs. Karl Reed
Round one: Olson very aggressive early, eats a jab but lands a low kick. Reed presses him against the cage. They separate. Left hand and knees from Reed. Heavy knees a minute in. He separates with a head kick attempt. Left straight lands. Olson slinging heat as he plods after. Straight punches land for Reed two minutes in. Olson puts him on the cage, Reed reverses and separates. Reed firing kicks, lands one to the junk. Reed picks him off with a jab with two minutes to go.
Olson lands an overhand right and a knee as he ties up. Knee exchange and Reed puts him back on the fence. Level change, no dice. Olson lands a knee upstairs. One minute to go. Reed with a hand down to deny knees. Hard knee to the head when Reed takes his hand off. Again he pulls Reed up and lands a knee. 10-9 Reed.
Round two: Reed goes right back to work with kicks and straight punches. He catches a body kick and shoots. Olson grabs a guillotine, loses it and it’s back to that three-point stance. Knees to the thigh from Olson a minute in. Reed reverses position. They separate. Straight left by Reed, good knee inside. Straight right, counter elbow. Olson shoots and scores a takedown, moving right to his back. Full mount two minutes in. Olson threatens an arm-triangle, Reed regains half guard. Reed just holding him close with two minutes to go.
Ground-and-pound from Olson. Reed works his way to the three-point stance. One minute to go. Knees to the thigh from Olson. Reed turns to face him and gets an underhook. 10-9 Olson.
Round three: Left hook from Reed, who hits a nice reactive takedown and lands a knee on the way up. Briefly to the fence. Olson shoots, completes it. Olson gets to the three-point stance. One minute in. Knees to the thigh from Olson. Reed threatens a Kimura and turns to face him. Herb Dean wants work. Two minutes in. Olson completes another takedown on the cage and pulls his arm out of a kimura. Reed again works his way up, eats a knee. Two minutes to go.
More of Olson kneeing him in the thigh while Reed does very very little to avoid it. Olson tries to muscle him down. One minute to go. Reed hits the switch with thirty seconds to go, Olson just puts him back on the cage. 10-9 Olson.
Final result: Olson def. Reed by unanimous decision
Martin Day vs. Jaime Alvarez
Round one: Alvarez opens with a low kick. Day with one in return. Both men whacking at each other’s calves. One minute in. Day looks to spin, Alvarez kicks at his leg again. Glancing right hand, then good counter punches. Left hook from Day. Day to the body. Alvarez right hand, Day body shot two minutes in. Day left hook. Great exchanges so far. Alvarez landing a bit better. Two minutes to go.
Day goes for a wheel kick. Alvarez with a flurry, gets cracked with a left hook and this a takedown into guard. Quality punches from Alvarez with a minute to go. Day spins for a single-leg and drags him down a couple times before the bell. 10-9 Alvarez
Round two: Alvarez stings him with right hands early and takes him down on the fence. He puts in a hook and lands left hands. Both hooks in. One minute in, Alvarez softening him up. More punches. Day trying to spin into top position, thus far unsuccessful. Day dislodges him, still winds up on the bottom in guard. Two minutes to go.
More ground-and-pound by Alvarez. Solid punches from Alvarez. One minute to go. Day leans into him and takes the back in a scramble. Alvarez slips out the backdoor and retakes guard. 10-8 Alvarez.
Round three: Wheel kick and leg kick from Day. He’s throwing to finish, but looks like he’s fading a bit. Flying knee, spinning back kick, both miss. Right hand by Alvarez. One minute in. Leg kick from Alvarez, 1-2s from Day. Good body kick. Again. They’re both tired. Nice liver shot. Right downstairs. Low-high left hooks. 1-2. Alvarez giving ground, looking like he’s out of gas. More body shots and a left hook. Two minutes in. Spinning back kick. Counter 1-2. Alvarez just trying to survive right now. Alvarez catches a body kick, can’t stay attached. Day rips the body with two minutes to go.
Spinning back kick, right hand. Flying knee attempt. Day avoids a takedown. 1-2, left hook, body shots. Right cross. Spinning back kick. Knee. One minute to go. Alvarez can’t even keep his hands up. Day is doing everything he can to get rid of him. Tornado kick attempt. 10-8 Day.
Final result: Alvarez def. Day by unanimous decision
Jamie Colleen vs. Tiffany Masters
Round one: Masters on the front foot early. Colleen catches a body kick and counters. Quick exchange near the fence, right hand from Masters. Masters doing some decent work with punches, ties up a minute in on the fence. Short knees. Colleen lands some punches on the break. They tie up again and they trade knees. They jockey for position halfway through the round. Colleen opens up with punches and Masters ducks in for a takedown. Colleen briefly makes it to her feet, dragged back down. Masters going to work with ground-and-pound from the back. Again Colleen stands. Two minutes to go.
Masters still looking for the back. She puts in a hook, drags Colleen down, and wriggles the other hook in. One minute to go. Short punches from Masters. Hammerfists. 10-9 Masters.
Round two: Head kick from Masters, Colleen responds with punches and stops a takedown. Counter right from Colleen, who slips against the fence and Masters takes top position. Good elbows. Half guard a minute in. Masters staying heavy, looking to advance. Elbows two minutes in. Masters postures out of an armbar and takes side control. She tries to get mount, gets a leg stuck. More ground-and-pound. Back to side control with two minutes to go.
Half guard, elbow. Colleen goes to her knees and Masters looks for the back. Full back mount again. One minute to go. Masters goes back to softening her up. 10-8 Masters.
Round three: Solid 1-2 from Colleen to start the round. Counter right. Colleen catches a body kick and takes her down before letting her up. Masters lands a lead right. Masters goes for a single-leg, sprawled on. Good shots from Colleen and Masters pulls half guard. Two minutes in. Colleen lets Masters up. Right hand from Colleen. She catches a body kick, drops it with two minutes to go.
Masters hits a takedown into guard. Ground-and-pound from Masters. Colleen suddenly spins for an armbar with a minute to go. She rolls Masters over, breaks her grip, and cranks. Masters rolls to stack her, but makes the mistake of posturing up. Coleen cranks belly-down and earns the tap.
Final result: Colleen def. Masters by submission (armbar)