Since its inaugural event in 2017, the Contender Series has been a great success and has shaped a number of rising stars into eventual UFC champions and title challengers.
The final episode of the year featured an abundance of experienced fighters who were all eager to force their way into the UFC. Though some fighters fell short of their dream, a total of [Blank] contracts were handed out by Dana White.
Starting the night out fast, Davi Bittencourt and Lucas Rocha shared the octagon and instantly produced fireworks.
The battle of the Brazilians began with ‘The Black’ pushing forward with constant pressure. The entire first round saw Bittencourt showcase his fantastic grappling and relentless nature. So much so that he landed an incredible seven takedowns throughout the first five minutes and almost sank in a late rear-naked choke before the round came to an end.
Despite clearly losing the first round, Lucas Rocha didn’t let it phase him and he came out with intent. Looking to force another grappling exchange early into the second round, Bittencourt was caught with a perfectly placed knee, which sent him face-first to the canvas. Some vicious ground and pound by ‘Fenomeno’ forced the referee to step in and stop the fight. A knockout 18 seconds into the round caps off a fantastic performance for the bantamweight.
What a way to start off the #DWCS finale 🤯
Lucas Rocha puts an end to this one with a KO in round 2! pic.twitter.com/LxpdJ4LQim
— UFC (@ufc) October 11, 2023
Next up we saw two certified finishers with a combined 76% finishing win rate collide. Luxembourg’s own MMA veteran Issa Isakov finally makes a huge step up to the Contender Series after four straight wins. He stepped in against Marquel Mederos of the popular factoryX gym.
That brings an end to 2023’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series. Over the course of the 10-week installments, the UFC offered contracts to [Blank] fighters. Similar to its previous seasons, the year saw some real prospects emerging from the show once again.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/contender-series-week-10-recap-heres-what-happened-in-the-2023-season-finale