Dana White’s Contender Series began back in 2017. Since then, the Contender Series has produced some big-name upcoming stars like Dan Ige, Sean O’Malley, Geoff Neal, Maycee Barber, and Edmen Shahbazyan. In short, it has been a huge success.
A Contender Series fight is one that has stakes like none other, where fighters must showcase their skills to impress the UFC president enough for a contract with the promotional giant. Holding the Contender Series with a smaller cage inside the UFC Apex venue makes for a tense atmosphere, and with only close friends and family of the competing fighters in attendance as spectators. Emotions always run high, as a limited number of contracts can be given out on any given night, and many fighters can potentially have their dreams snubbed out solely because of bad luck.
In rare cases, however, a fighter gets a second look. This series will examine those.
For this week, the 6th week of the Contender Series for 2023, the Redemption Series will be taking a look at multiple fighters including, Julia Polastri.
Julia “The Dragon” Polastri (11-3 MMA)
Age: 25 years old
Height: 5’2″ / Reach: 63.5″
Weight Class: Strawweight (115lbs.)
First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2021 (Week 3)
Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Jasmine Jasudavicius (9-2)
Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 6)
New Opponent: Patricia Alujas (9-2)
First Contender Series Fight
Julia Polastri competed in her first fight on the Contender Series on Week 3 of the 2021 season.
Polastri, then just 23 years old, entered the fight with a stellar 8-2 record. Julia’s first defeat had come in her pro debut against now 6-2 fighter and Invicta FC bantamweight Monique Adriane.
Julia’s other loss came in 2018 against Valesca Machado, who would go on to win the Invicta FC Strawweight Tournament Championship towards the end of 2022. Machado also fought on the same season of the Contender Series as Julia, ultimately losing her fight and failing to acquire a UFC contract.
In Julia’s first Contender Series fight it was a tale of the takedown as she was completely dominated by Jasmine Jasudavicius on the ground.
There was an extreme size disadvantage for Polastri and it was difficult for her to stop the takedown throughout the fight. But on the feet, Julia was still tagging her opponent and even landed some nice head kicks throughout the bout.
After being completely smothered the first round Polastri went for broke in rounds two and three and continually walked down her opponent trading combinations with her much longer opponent.
First Contender Series Opponent
As was previously stated, Julia took on Jasmine Jasudavicius in her first Contender Series fight. Polastri gave up 5″ in height and 4.5″ in reach to her lengthy opponent.
Jasmine has fared exceptionally well in the UFC thus far amassing a 3-1 record.
Jasmine beat then 7-4 Kay Hansen in her UFC debut before stumbling and dropping her next bout against then 12-5-1 Natalia Silva.
Jasmine then defeated the 8-1 Gabriella Fernandes, before picking up her biggest win to date against Miranda Maverick back at UFC 289.
Julia’s loss to Jasmine has aged gracefully as Jasdavicious’ stock continues to rise with her taking on the surging Tracy Cortez at Noche UFC on September 16th.
The Road Back
Since Julia’s first fight on the Contender Series nearly two years ago, she has competed three times.
First, after nearly a year layoff, Julia fought then 19-8-1 fighter Kalindra Faria under the Iron Man MMA promotional banner, a Brazilian promotion. Faria, though nearly 36-years old at the time of fighting Julia, has fought some big names in the sport including UFC Veterans Jessica Aguilar and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Kalindra also had canceled fights against former UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko and UFC Vet Andrea Lee ahead of her own three fight stint in the UFC back in 2017-2018.
It’s safe to say Kalindra is a pretty experienced fighter and a great unanimous decision win for Polastri to add to her record.
A few months later in November of 2022, Julia took on Bianca Sattelmayer who entered the bout with a 7-11 record in the LFA. Though Bianaca sports a losing record she has competed against the likes of Zhang Weili back in 2017. Though Julia wasn’t able to finish her opponent in the first round like the current UFC strawweight champion, she was able to get her out of there in the third round via TKO.
And in her most recent fight, back in January, Julia took on undefeated, 6-0 fighter Brenda Gottig at LFA 151. Julia submitted her opponent via arm triangle choke in the opening round to win the vacant LFA Strawweight Championship.
Gameplan/ New Opponent
This time on the Contender Series, Julia will be taking on 9-2 fighter Patricia Alujas.
Alujas stands at 5’4″ tall and will likely not have the massive reach advantage on Julia that her previous Contender Series opponent possessed.
The main question here will be just how good Patricia’s wrestling and takedowns are as Julia has solid stand up, whipping head kicks, power in her hands, good head movement and an educated clinch. And that was against a much larger opponent that has fared well in the UFC.
It is not hard to see why Polastri is getting another chance on the Contender Series with her solid record, only being 25 years old and the tenacious performance that she put on in her first Contender Series bout.
