With UFC contracts on the line and dreams hanging in the balance, Dana White’s Contender Series returns for Week 8 tonight in Las Vegas, where a new wave of prospects will look to punch their ticket to the UFC.
Credit: UFC
Rashid Vagabov vs. Paulo Henrique
Round 1: Henrique opened the fight working from the outside, relying heavily on leg kicks. Vagabov stayed patient, picking his spots and taking whatever openings Henrique offered. His striking was clearly setting up future takedown attempts, but he still looked sharp on the feet.
Henrique appeared hesitant, almost intimidated by the Russian, throwing timid strikes and showing signs of uncertainty. Vagabov kept chipping away with leg kicks before mixing in shots to the head.
The Brazilian finally found his moment when Vagabov closed the distance a bit too much, unleashing an impressive flurry that forced the Russian to retreat and reset.
Just before the two-minute mark, Vagabov pressed forward, secured the clinch, and drove Henrique to the fence with a body lock. Henrique fought off the trips well, staying upright under pressure.
In the ensuing scramble, Vagabov threatened with a standing guillotine and used it to drag Henrique to the mat, but time expired before he could capitalize.
Round 2: Henrique came out more aggressive in the second round, standing his ground and forcing Vagabov to circle on the outside. He looked to land heavy shots, but without much setup—declining to use the jab early and leaving openings.
Instead, Henrique initiated the clinch and pressed Vagabov against the fence, trying to control the positioning. The two battled for control along the cage, with Henrique hunting for a high-crotch takedown that Vagabov defended with ease. Vagabov eventually created space, shoved Henrique off, and flipped the pressure back on the Brazilian, forcing him once again to fight on the outside.
Vagabov re-engaged on the feet, landing clean shots as Henrique repeatedly tried to clinch for his own takedown attempts. Henrique was driven backward and ate strikes in the process.
A sharp knee from Vagabov landed flush, drawing out his showmanship. The Russian began talking inside the cage and at one point even shouted, “Dana, that was for you!”
Round 3: Vagabov opened the round with a high kick that was blocked before shooting in for a takedown. Henrique defended well, but Vagabov refused to release the body lock, driving the action into the clinch against the fence.
From there, Vagabov quickly transitioned to Henrique’s back, forcing the Brazilian to defend both choke attempts and ground strikes. Henrique managed to return to his feet, but with Vagabov firmly attached like a backpack, the pressure never let up.
Vagabov locked in a body triangle and began cranking across the chin, mixing in punches to keep Henrique on the defensive. Henrique tried to fight the grip, but each adjustment only brought more punishment—including a clean right hand to the face.
Desperate to shake him off, Henrique leapt and tried to slam Vagabov to the mat, but the Russian held firm, maintaining control.
The fight closed with Vagabov still secured on Henrique’s back, piling on strikes as the final horn sounded sealing his dominance before the scorecards were read.
Official Result: Rashid Vagabov def. Paulo Henrique via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Credit: UFC
Kurtis Campbell vs. Demba Seck
Round 1: Campbell set the tone early, landing a sharp head kick on Seck that forced his opponent to charge forward in retaliation. Feeling the momentum, Campbell closed the distance, clinched, and secured the takedown.
From top position, Campbell looked to control, but Seck showed his athleticism by scrambling back to his feet. Campbell refused to let him off the hook, staying glued to him, landing a knee to the head, and then pouring on ground-and-pound to finish the fight.
England, you’ve got another one in the UFC!
Official Result: Kurtis Campbell def. Demba Seck via R1 TKO, 1:20
Credit: UFC
Christopher Alvidrez vs. Eliezer Kubanza
Round 1: Alvidrez opened by taking the center while Kubanza worked kicks from the outside. Alvidrez kept bouncing and switching stances to give different looks before landing a big right hand.
He followed with a leg kick that Kubanza brushed off, then tried to capitalize on a missed spinning attack, looking for a takedown. Kubanza managed to muscle his way out and reset.
Kubanza answered with a solid right hand and a leg kick—his best offense of the fight so far. But Alvidrez came back with a straight left that seemed to rock him, only for Kubanza to fire back with a heavy body shot that clearly hurt the Mexican.
Sensing an opening, Kubanza drove in for a takedown, pressing Alvidrez against the fence and landing knees to the legs and body. Alvidrez shook him off and returned fire with heavy punches.
A massive right hand wobbled Kubanza, and Alvidrez swarmed, dropping him and unleashing a relentless flurry from top position. Kubanza tried to stand, but was forced back down and absorbed more damage.
Referee Herb Dean gave him every chance, but Alvidrez never let up, pounding away until the fight was finally waved off giving the American an emphatic first-round finish.
Official Result: Christopher Alvidrez def. Eliezer Kubanza via R1 TKO, 4:44
Credit: UFC
Louis Jourdain vs. Magno Dias
Round 1: Right out of the gate, Jourdain dropped Dias with a calf kick—though it looked more like Dias stumbled trying to evade it. A stiff follow-up jab from Jourdain snapped Dias’ head back clean.
Jourdain worked behind his range, firing jabs and kicks to keep Dias at bay. Dias, however, came loaded with power, cracking Jourdain with a big right hand and showing he was willing to take damage to land his own shots.
Dias pressed forward, cutting off the cage and forcing Jourdain toward the fence, looking for chances to blitz or shoot. Jourdain answered with quick jabs and flurries to punish those entries, while repeatedly tagging Dias’ lead leg leaving his left calf visibly reddened.
A sharp left hook from Jourdain dropped Dias briefly, and the Canadian immediately pressed the action. Dias responded by clinching, driving Jourdain to the fence, and eventually dragging him down before taking the back. He hunted for a neck crank, but Jourdain fought it off. Dias let go, landed a shot, but Jourdain spun, reversed to top position, and scrambled back to his feet.
From there, Jourdain’s striking continued to shine, accurate, heavy, and relentless. Still, Dias showed he had plenty of power of his own, making every exchange dangerous.
Round 2: Jourdain went right back to the calf kick that had given Dias trouble in the opening round, and once again it paid dividends opening up strikes upstairs. A sharp jab followed by a nasty uppercut swung momentum in Jourdain’s favor as he pressed forward. Dias met the challenge, looking to close distance and land heavy shots of his own.
Dias shot for a takedown, secured a body lock, and snuck in an elbow before disengaging and returning to striking. Jourdain welcomed the exchange, snapping his jab to keep control of the range.
Another calf kick from Jourdain sent Dias to the canvas briefly, and as he got back to his feet, Jourdain leapt in with a flying knee. Dias was driven to the fence under pressure, but recovered quickly and tied Jourdain up in the clinch.
Still hunting takedowns, Dias dragged Jourdain down to a knee and momentarily took his back. Jourdain, slippery as ever, reversed into top position and dropped a few sharp elbows. He briefly threatened from the back himself but slid off, sending the fight back to the feet.
Once standing, Jourdain hammered the calf again, forcing Dias to switch to southpaw, a stance he clearly wasn’t comfortable in. Sensing the opening, Jourdain, a natural southpaw, dug shots to the body and strung together crisp combinations upstairs. With Dias’ left leg tucked away, Jourdain happily targeted the right, continuing to punish with calf kicks.
Round 3: Dias shot in desperately for a takedown but couldn’t finish it, eventually pulling Jourdain down on top of him with a body lock. Jourdain took full advantage, posturing up and landing heavy shots. As Dias rolled to his stomach, Jourdain continued to punish him with strikes.
Sensing the opening, Jourdain locked up a rear-naked choke—no hooks needed—and forced the quick tap from Dias.
Official Result: Louis Jourdain def. Magno Dias via R3 SUB (RNC), 0:39
Credit: UFC
Round 1:
Costa opened with pressure, using plenty of feints and movement, but Pinas quickly made him pay with a nasty uppercut that sent Costa stumbling backward. Costa answered with a calf kick, yet Pinas stayed in close, landing clean shots in the pocket.
Pinas’ jab may have been slow, but it was effective, repeatedly finding its target. Costa’s erratic movement did little to disrupt Pinas’ accuracy, and even when Costa tried to slow things down in the clinch, Pinas pushed him back with ease.
Then came the finishing blow, a massive right hand from Pinas that dropped Costa cold, sealing an emphatic first-round knockout.
Official Result: Damian Pinas def. Vitor Costa via R1 TKO, 1:46
Dana White’s Contender Series Contract Winners:
- Kurtis Campbell
- Christopher Alvidrez
- Louis Jourdain
- Damian Pinas
And for more Dana White’s Contender Series coverage, check out all of the work here on Cageside Press. We have interviews with the fighters as well as analysis of those getting a chance on Tuesday.
