The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with another night of memorable action in Las Vegas.
DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC's roster. Since the show's inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as "The ultimate job interview," DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Last year's edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world's leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode six of season nine this week saw four prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon's bright lights.
Cody Chovancek got the night off with a finish, taking out Raphael Uchegbu. Despite a fence grab while defending Uchegbu's grappling attempts, Chovancek rocked and dropped Uchegbu with an elbow. Uchegbu would not be deterred, however, using a triangle to threaten a submission and try to limit Chovancek's movement on the ground. After Uchegbu's grappling was fended off again in the second, Chovancek landed a combination just seconds into the final round to earn the finish.
Thomas Gantt earned a strong performance in his own right, defeating Adam Livingston. A protegee of Daniel Cormier, Gantt pressured Livingston to the fence in a clinching battle. In spite of fence grabs by Livingston, earning him a point deduction, Gantt scored a strong takedown and didn't take back, completely overwhelming Livingston with his grappling strength. Gantt locked up a guillotine for the first-round submission victory and a UFC contract.
The biggest underdog of the night, Iwo Baraniewski, pulled off a stunner in the co-main event, taking out Mahamed Aly in only 20 seconds. Baraniewski took a leg kick from Aly but needed just one strong right hand to put him to the canvas. Despite protests not long after the stoppage, referee Mike Beltran called it one second after Aly's head hit the canvas. Needless to say, Baraniewski earned a UFC deal.
In the main event, Hecher Sosa came away with an easy decision win over Mackson Lee. Sosa pressured Lee almost immediately, bringing him to the fence and overwhelming him with striking attacks. Lee only landed two strikes the entire first round, however, he nearly scored a guillotine choke submission. Sosa went back to overwhelming pressure in the second round, and despite a brief slowdown towards the later stage of that round, it was a dominating performance for Sosa, who swept the scorecards and earned a contract.
TUF 32 alumnus Paddy McCorry was in action this evening as well, taking on Hwang In-su. In-su was able to pressure McCorry during the first two rounds but found himself unable to pull the trigger. McCorry was able to land leg kicks and counter strikes, trying to show off his power. In spite of McCorry's aggressive approach, neither man really pulled the trigger much in the later stages of the fight. Despite his win, McCorry was not awarded a contract.
Raphael Uchegbu vs. Cody Chovancek
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Hwang In-su vs. Paddy McCorry
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Adam Livingston vs. Thomas Gantt
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Iwo Baraniewski vs. Mahamed Aly
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Hecher Sosa vs. Mackson Lee
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