LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene reporting live from Tuesday's Dana White’s Contender Series 82 event.
Dana White's Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
The sixth week of the ninth season saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the feature bout at bantamweight, Spain's Hecher Sosa (14-1) took on Brazil's Mackson Lee (9-1).
The UFC Apex hosted the card, which streamed live on ESPN+.
DWCS 82 full results
- Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:20
- Tommy Gantt def. Adam Livingston via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:47
- Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:10
Who won a UFC contract?
After the fights, UFC CEO Dana White offered contracts to four fighters: Cody Chovancek, Tommy Gantt, Iwo Baraniewski, and Hecher Sosa.
Mackson Lee vs. Hecher Sosa
Round 1 – They touch 'em up, and it's Sosa charging forward with punches into a clinch for the takedown. Sosa threatens a choke after a couple of punches, but Lee gets to his feet. Sosa stays attached and gets the mat return, but Lee pops right back up. Sosa still glued to the hips, digs in a few knees to the thigh. Lee eventually gets the separation. He throws a spining back kick, allowing Sosa to get a hold of him for a takedown. Lee quickly counters with a guillotine choke, and it's a solid attempt. Sosa stacks him up while punching to the body and loosening the choke. Now Sosa threatens the Von Flue squeeze, which gets Lee to abandon the choke completely. Sosa rains down ground and pound while keeping control until the horn. 10-9 Sosa.
Round 2 – Sosa somes forward with punches, putting heavy pressure on Lee along the fence. Sosa gets a hold of him, looking for another takedown. He gets it, but Lee pops up quickly and separates. Lee leaps with a flying knee, but it's blocked, and Sosa is back in on the clinch. Lee gets free, but Sosa gets right back in his space with punches. Another clinch from Sosa, but Lee reverses and gets away. Lee lands a front kick to the chest. Sosa answers with a left hand. Sosa rips a hard right hand to the body. Sosa keeps firing as Lee circles away from danger. Sosa clinches again, but Lee slaps on a guillotine – he quickly gives up on it, though. Sosa continues to fire heavy punches to the body and head. Sosa with an elbow on the break from a clinch. Lee spins with a kick before the horn. 10-9 Sosa.
Round 3 – Sosa blasts forward with a double leg, but can't keep Lee on the mat. Keeping the clinch, Sosa lands a short elbow before separating. Sosa decides to clinch again and gets the trip takedown. This time, he takes the back and gets one hook in. Sosa punches to open up a rear-naked choke attempt. Lee gets out, but Sosa slaps on another attempt. Lee gets out again, but now Sosa has both hooks in midway through the round. Sosa continues to threaten the neck as time ticks away. One minute left. Sosa punches before going for another choke attempt. This one looks tight, but it's not all the way under the chin. Lee escapes again, and Sosa opts to just punch until the horn. 10-8 Sosa, giving him the fight 30-26.
- Result: Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 82: Best photos from Las Vegas
- Records: Lee (9-1), Sosa (14-1)
- Division: Bantamweight
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Referee: Herb Dean
Mahamed Aly vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Round 1 – Aly opens up with a couple of leg kicks, the second of which took Braniewski off his feet. Braniewski gets up to reset. BANG! Braniewski floors Aly with a huge overhand right! He rushes in to follow up and that's it! What a knockout!
- Result: Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:20
- Recap: DWCS 82 video: Iwo Baraniewski shocks Mahamed Aly with 20-second knockout
- Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 82: Best photos from Las Vegas
- Records: Aly (4-1), Braniewski (6-0)
- Division: Light heavyweight
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Referee: Mike Beltran
Tommy Gantt vs. Adam Livingston
Round 1 – Gantt quickly locks horns with Livingston and the wrestling game is on. Livingston blatantly grabs the cage pad, and Herb Dean slaps his hand off. Gantt keeps working for the takedown and there's another bad fence grab. Dean lets the fight continue on but he takes a point from Livingston. Gantt finally gets him down with just over three minutes remaining. Gantt keeps working and locks in a guillotine choke. It's tight! Livingston taps! Wow!
- Result: Tommy Gantt def. Adam Livingston via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:47
- Recap: DWCS 82 video: Tommy Gantt taps out Adam Livingston despite multiple fence grabs
- Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 82: Best photos from Las Vegas
- Records: Gantt (11-0), Livingston (6-1)
- Division: Lightweight
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Referee: Herb Dean
In Soo Hwang vs. Paddy McCorry
Round 1 – Hwang patiently stalks forward as they trade opening leg kicks. McCorry cracks Hwang with a check hook as he charges forward. McCorry lands another punch as Hwang tries to get it back. The action stays at a feel-out pace, exchanging a few more quick leg kicks. McCorry looks for an overhand right, but doesn't get all of it. Hwang closes distance and lands a right of his own. One minute left. Hwang pressures McCorry into the fence, and eats a counter right hook. McCorry lands a hard left hand and a jab. 10-9 McCorry.
Round 2 – McCorry catches Hwang with a counter right hook. Hwang comes back into range quickly, and McCorry circles off with another right hand. Hwang lands a kick to the body. A moment later Hwang steps in with a nice left hook. McCorry just misses with a short elbow near the fence. McCorry gets backed into the fence again but this time he grabs a clinch and lands a nice short elbow with Hwang's back against the cage. They separate and return to the center. McCorry eats a right hand and immediately answers. There's a nice kick to the body from McCorry. Hwang turns up the pressure along the fence, but doesn't offer punches, so McCorry grabs another clinch. McCorry lands a spinning elbow on the exit. Hwang gets McCorry backed into the cage again, but doesn't do anything with it. 10-9 McCorry.
Round 3 – Hwang gets right back to his forward pressure, but it's McCorry more active with strikes. McCorry circles out, just to get pressured into the fence again, but still, he's the one firing first and landing. Hwang gets clipped with a big left hand near the fence. Hwang answers with a left of his own, but McCorry starts to turn up the volume to keep Hwang off him. Hwang continues to pressure, and this time he lands a nice punch causing McCorry to fold over to avoid the follow-up shot. McCorry circles away from the cage, and now we see that shot bloodied him. McCorry resets and gets a takedown. Hwang gets up, but McCorry changes levels again. The clinch continues with the referee telling them to work for a finish. They're separated with 18 seconds to go and Hwang comes forward with a punch. 10-9 McCorry, giving him the clean sweep with a 30-27.
- Result: Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 82: Best photos from Las Vegas
- Records: Hwang (8-2), McCorry (7-1)
- Division: Middleweight
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Referee: Mike Beltran
Cody Chovancek vs. Raphael Uchegbu
Round 1 – Uchegbu closes the distance quickly with punches and goes for a takedown. Chovancek keeps the fight standing and they return to the center, where Uchegbu fires off a few leg kicks. Chovancek's leg kick gets caught, and Uchegbu attempts to use it for a takedown. Chovancek grabs the fence to stay upright, and then lands a heavy elbow to floor Uchegbu. Chovancek looks for more ground and pound, but Uchegbu quickly wraps him up from the bottom. Uchegbu nearly locks in an omoplata, but Chovancek calmly works out of it and keeps top control. Eventually Chovancek gets his arms free to land a few heavy punches with a minute to go. Chovancek ends the round on top. 10-9 Chovancek.
Round 2 – Chovancek comes forward with heavy punches, landing a big overhand right. Uchegbu catches a kick, but can't keep hold of it for a takedown. Uchegbu lands a nice combination, ending with a left hand. Chovancek offers a hard head kick followed by a spinning elbow, both of which appeared to be blocked. Uchegbu finds an opening to get a takedown, but has to deal with Chovancek going for a kneebar. Uchegbu gets out of it and takes top position. A scramble sees Uchegbu nearly take the back, but ends up on bottom. One minute to go. Chovancek postures up for a few ground and pound punches. 10-9 Chovancek.
Round 3 – Uchegbu closes the distance quickly, showing urgency, but Chovancek stuns him with a right hook! He's wobbled badly! Chovancek chases with a left hook, and down he goes! It's over with a walk-off TKO.
- Result: Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:10
- Recap: DWCS 82 video: Cody Chovancek's controversial elbow turns tide in TKO of Raphael Uchegbu
- Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 82: Best photos from Las Vegas
- Records: Chovancek (9-0), Uchegbu (10-2)
- Division: Bantamweight
- Broadcast: ESPN +
- Referee: Herb Dean
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White's Contender Series 82 results: Four winners receive UFC offers from Dana White
Reporting by Matthew Wells and Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie / MMA Junkie
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