It was an extra-long main card as all but the first fight on the card going the distance. In the main event, an important featherweight scrap, as former UFC bantamweight champion, (#5) Aljamain Sterling out-grappled (#7) Youssef Zalal on his way to a unanimous decision victory. In the co-main event Joselyne Edwards used her constant striking aggression to capture a unanimous decision victory over Norma Dumont.

Four win streaks were snapped on this main card while just two fighters have added to losing streaks.

Youssef Zalal

(#5) Aljamain Sterling put on a clinic in all things grappling and wrestling on Saturday when he smothered (#7) Youssef Zalal over five rounds to log a victory. Bitter defeat for Zalal as this is the first loss of his second UFC stint. Zalal was the owner of a 2-3-1 stretch with the UFC from 2020 to 2022 but that included decision defeats against studs like eventual double champ, Illia Topuria and striking standout, Sean Woodson. Since Zalal’s resigning in 2024, he’s 5-1. Youssef was coming into this fight with a decision win over Calvin Kattar and a first round submission victory against Josh Emmett back in October.

A good next opponent for Zalal would be to give him the loser of Melquizael Costa vs. Arnold Allen. That fight goes down on May 16 so the timing would be just fine.  It’s also a main event so it would make even more sense as a matchup. Allen has lost three of his last four as he has recently had a huge step-up in competition. His last fight was back in late January when he lost a unanimous decision to Jean Silva. Melquizael Costa, on the other hand, is on the ascent. Costa is on a six-fight win streak and has finished his last two opponents, most recently, Dan Ige in late February to earn himself a performance bonus.

Best case scenario for Zalal is he’s facing Costa who has a freshly snapped win streak much like himself. This could be a fight night co-main event or potentially even a main event. Great fighters to build names for.

Zalal’s next fight: (#12) Melquizael Costa vs.  (#8) Arnold Allen loser 

Norma Dumont

(#11) Joselyne Edwards used her muay thai and stayed on the offensive in order to get the victory over (#3) Norma Dumont in the co main event on Saturday. It was a competitive fight, but Dumont suffers a horrific setback suffering her first loss since a split decision in May 2022 (opposite of Macy Chiasson). Dumont is now 9-3 with the promotion. Considering Dumont was originally supposed to take on (#5) Yana Santos before her opponent suffered an injury having to withdrawal, this is a rough defeat.

Norma’s next opponent should be Jacquline Cavalcanti if she loses her fight to Ketlen Vieira. That fight goes down on May 16 so the timing would be fine. The Yana fight would also work fine as a backup as she’s just sitting on the shelf right now. Leaning heavily towards the fight with Cavalcanti though. Dumont was Vieira’s most recent loss, and it was only by split decision. Cavalcanti is 10-1 as a pro and a perfect 5-0 in the UFC.  If she stumbles against Vieira, Dumont could be the perfect next test- especially if it’s a close fight.

Dumont’s next fight: (#10) Jacqueline Cavalcanti or (#5) Yana Santos

Alexander Hernandez

Rafa Garica remained cool and composed for the duration of his bout with Alexander Hernadez, fighting within his game plan to tally a nice unanimous decision victory. Bad outcome for Hernandez- but at least he wasn’t finished. The loss stops Alexander’s 4-fight win streak that saw him defeating multiple TUF veterans before stopping Chase Hooper and Diego Ferreira.

Hernandez should look towards a veteran striker for his next matchup, keep the foot on the gas, but maybe a potentially more manageable matchup. Giving Hernandez the loser of the King Green vs Jeremy Stephens fight could be incredibly interesting. Those guys scrap on May 9th so timing would be perfect. King Green even has a recent unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller, and so does Hernandez. Green is headed into that May matchup with Stephens riding a 2-fight win streak.

Jeremy Stephens hasn’t been in the octagon since last May when he lost a violent fight to Mason Jones. Stephens has been all over the place in recent years, from the PFL, to most recently a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships stint. Either one of these vets could offer an interesting and fresh standup battle with Alexander Hernandez. It could be on the main card of a fight night card or prelim of a PPV card.

Hernandez’s next fight: Bobby Green vs Jeremy Stephens Loser

Adrian Luna Martinetti

Davey Grant battered a relentless Adrian Luna Martinetti at the APEX on Saturday to get the unanimous decision victory. Luna Martinetti never gave up, despite his heavily damaged legs, and for that, this fight received fight of the night honors for UFC Vegas 116. The bout was Adrian’s UFC debut as he is a product of last year’s season of the Contender Series. This was Martinetti’s first MMA loss since his third bout, snapping a 15-fight win streak.

Jafel Filho also lost a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 116, but he fell on the undercard to Cody Durden. Filho is 3-3 with the UFC since being signed off of the 2022 season of the Contender Series. Jafel was fed to the sharks immediately as he faced an undefeated Muhammad Mokaev in his promotional debut. Filho also has a performance bonus under his belt for his 2024 finish over Ode Osbourne. Pairing these two featherweights up could offer a high action fight for fans. Timing makes it too easy of a fight to make as well.

Martinelli’s next fight: Jafel Filho

Montel Jackson

Raoni Barcelos did enough with his grappling and deep submission attempts to steal a split decision over Montel Jackson Saturday, despite Jackson’s early knockdown. This loss extends Jackson’s losing streak to two though his last loss was also a split decision and opposite of former UFC flyweight champion, Deivision Figueiredo. Before this pair of defeats, the 2018 Contender Series veteran was riding a 6-fight win streak featuring three finishes and two bonuses.

Montel Jackson should fight Ricky Simon next. This would be a banger. Simon has big power in his hands and is fresh off a wild majority draw against Adrian Yanez back in late March. Timing wouldn’t be too bad. Simon headed into that fight having dropped three of his last four. But prior to that was his 5-fight win streak that earned him five bonuses in his first five fights with the promotion. Similar fighters in terms of having had their momentums extinguished. Seems like this would be a great time to book this slick standup battle that would have fans on the edge of their seats. This fight could be a co main event on a fight night card.

Jackson’s next fight: Ricky Simon

Marcus Buchecha

Ryan Spann used his 16 fights of UFC experience to expertly navigate the dangerous grappling attacks of Marcus Buchecha before finishing the fight with a two-punch combo in the second. Marcus, who was once 5-1 with ONE Fighting Championship, is now winless since being picked up by the UFC, last July. With a 0-2-1 record with the promotion, it’s worth noting that the 36-year-old heavyweight was originally supposed to take on Max Gimenis on Saturday before Max broke his foot.

Rebook the fight with Max here. Max lost his debut to Josh Hokit, who at the time, was also making his debut. With all the notoriety Hokit has gained recently, giving Max a fight against a fighter that was a name outside of the promotion makes a lot of sense. Plus, the heavyweight division is shallow, and Marcus could be on the shelf long enough for Max to recover from his injury.

Buchecha’s next fight: Max Gimenis

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Back at the Meta Apex on Saturday, the UFC’s latest hometown show featured Aljamain Sterling earning a clear cut decision victory in the night’s main event. It was a handful of earlier fights that cleaned up come bonus time, however.

Among them, the main card opener between Ryan Spann, a recent transplant to the heavyweight division who previously fought at 205lbs, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, a decorated BJJ star and former ONE Championship athlete.

Spann landed a two-punch combo in the second round of a fight that had, to that point, been more of a grappling affair to topple Buchecha, who hit the canvas like a fallen tree. It was a walk-off KO moment and one that saw Spann earn his second straight victory at heavyweight.

The night’s other Performance of the Night bonus went to Jackson McVey, who submitted troubled middleweight Sedriques Dumas to claim his first victory under the UFC banner.

Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 116 went to a thriller between Davey Grant and newcomer Adrian Luna Martinelli. At 40, Grant still had enough in the tank to turn back the 2025 Contender Series winner.

All four bonus winners pocket $100,000 for their efforts. $25,000 finishing bonuses were nary to be found as Spann and McVey had the only stoppages on the night.

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Grant, now 40, was still a tough out in the bantamweight division, and coming off a loss to the resurgent Charles Jourdain.

Grant came out sharp, immediately establishing his kicking game. He battered Martinetti’s lead leg with calf kicks, attacking both the inside and outside, while Martinetti fired back with kicks of his own, though without nearly the same impact. Grant even caught one and dumped Martinetti to the canvas. A looping right hand also found the mark as Grant mixed his offense well, forcing Martinetti to defend at all three levels.

To Martinetti’s credit, he never let Grant’s pace overwhelm him and continued pressing forward. However, his tendency to dip his head made him vulnerable, and Grant capitalized with several well-timed knees. Martinetti shot for a takedown in the final minute of the round, but Grant defended easily before punctuating the frame with more damaging leg kicks.

Round two opened at a much higher pace. Recognizing the need to increase his output, Martinetti began letting his hands go, but Grant quickly slowed that momentum with more brutal calf kicks. The damage became so severe that Martinetti was forced to switch stances repeatedly. Grant was excellent at chaining his kicks off his boxing and shifting stances seamlessly, making him a difficult target to track down. Martinetti struggled to cut off the cage or put together sustained combinations. Grant cracked him with a huge looping right hand that, while not visibly hurting him, certainly got his attention. Martinetti answered with a pair of uppercuts, and after more leg kicks from Grant, Martinetti landed a spinning backfist just before the horn.

Entering the third, Martinetti likely needed a finish. He opened with an immediate takedown attempt, but Grant easily shrugged it off. Martinetti found some success with a nice combination to the body, though his punches lacked the power to truly trouble Grant. Grant, meanwhile, continued loading up on looping shots, and Martinetti struggled to find counters. A crisp left hook from Grant landed flush during an exchange, followed by a strong body combination and several sharp punches upstairs.

Martinetti finally secured a takedown late in the round, but Grant wasted no time returning to his feet. The fight closed with an entertaining flurry from both men, capping off a strong and well-rounded performance from Grant.

Official Result: Davey Grant def. Adrian Luna Martinetti def unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Rafael Pergentino vs Luke Fernandez

Round 1 – Luke Fernandez meets him in the center of the cage. He throws a hard 1-2 and it drops Pergentino. He follows up with a couple of bombs on the mat and it’s all over before it even really started.

Official Result: Luke Fernandez def. Rafael Pergentino by TKO (Punches) – Round 1 (0:15)

Donavon Hedrick vs Luis Felipe Dias

Round 1 – The fighters feel each other out a bit and then Hedrick throws a big shot that misses the mark. Off-balance, Dias looks to capitalize and throws wildly himself. That prompts a takedown from Hedrick, but Dias quickly wrestles up and gets a back take of his own. After some solid positioning, Hedrick works his way back to neutral and the fight is back on the feet about halfway through. Hedrick is next to land with some straight strikes. Dias looking for the counters and finds a couple. Dias then gets on his horse and decides to be the aggressor. He backs him up and lands hard to the body with a kick. That prompts a clinch from Hedrick. On the separation, Dias lands and drops Hedrick and then takes the back again, which is where the round ends. Dias 10-9

Round 2 – A couple clashes into the clinch kick off the second round. Dias looks to be the more dangerous fighter in there with knees. Hedrick is the more active fighter from range and then he shoots a double. Dias is happy to jump guillotine, but it is not even close. Hedrick lands some big shots on top before Dias uses the cage to get back up. They separate and Dias uses a duck under to work to the back. He gets hooks in and gets to work. In three-quarter mount, he looks for a combination of choke attempts and punches. Hedrick continues to defend, but he’s in bad spots. Dias takes the back one more time and this time gets the choke.

Official Result: Luis Felipe Dias def. Donavon Hedrick by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 2 (4:37)

Imanol Rodriguez vs Roque Conceição

Round 1 – Some early kicks from Conceição find the mark as Rodriguez looks to feel him out. A sharp right drops Rodriguez. He hops right back up and starts to turn up the pressure to take a bit off of himself. Conceição falls awkwardly after getting clipped with a right and appears stunned – Rodriguez is all over him. He lands a knee that hurts him, and another couple hooks. Conceição back up and eats a shovel uppercut that puts the lights out for good.

Official Result: Imanol Rodriguez def. Roque Conceição by TKO (Punches and Knees) – Round 1 (2:12)

Adrian Luna Martinetti vs Mark Vologdin

Round 1 – The size discrepancy is obvious to start. Vologdin tries to beat it by working with some kicks particularly to the lead knee. He lands some work and Martinetti starts looking for a takedown. Vologdin stuffs and separates. Then he starts getting going with the pressure. A body shot drops Martinetti. He gets up and is dropped again with a right hand. He shoots a takedown off of that one, but Vologdin rolls through to avoid and separates again. Martinetti sticks with the low leg kicks to close out the round, but Vologdin is stepping through them to land big. He drops Martinetti a third time with just seconds left and goes for the finish. The time expires as they go to war. Vologdin 10-9

Round 2 – Both fighers start the second round a touch more measured after the chaotic end to the first. Then Martinetti gets him back to the cage and goes nuts with the body shots. The defense goes to the wind. Martinetti with knees to the body. Vologdin with hooks that stumble Martinetti. Martinetti back on the knees and adds an elbow. More hooks from Vologdin. Vologdin is gushing blood. Martinetti gets some top control and looks for a finish. Vologdin eventually works up and hurts him again. This is one of the most insane wars in the history of Contender Series! Martinetti 10-9

Round 3 – Martinetti looks for the kicks to start the round again. Vologdin marches forward and hurts him with a right hook. He looks to finish and Martinetti survives with a takedown against the cage. He doesn’t do much with the position and then Vologdin does a back roll to his feet. Vologdin uses the opportunity to turn the pressure up again. He is landing with the jab and head hunting. A knee lands for Martinetti, and he scores another takedown. He lands a few small strikes to try to take the round. Vologdin nearly sweeps to end the round, but it ends there. Martinetti 10-9

Official Result: Adrian Luna Martinetti def. Mark Vologdin by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Lucas Caldas vs Magomed Zaynukov

Round 1 – Quick kick to the calf from Caldas to start things. They trade down bottom and then the hooks start flying on both sides. Zaynukov getting the better of most exchanges early, but Caldas not backing down. Caldas having some success when moving forward, but Zaynukov is the much more accurate striker. Both attacking the body and putting a pace on. Caldas takes a kick to the nuts and has no interest in taking a break. A left hand from Caldas drops Kaynukov. He wrestles to survive and Caldas works to his feet. Another elbow seems to hurt Zaynukov again, but the sharpness of Zaynukov has him back in the fight. Tough round to call with the knockdown for Caldas and the volume from Zaynukov. I lean slightly to the Russian. Zaynukov 10-9

Round 2 – The kicks start this round as well with Caldas moving forward. Zaynukov landing the big kicks. Caldas finds a home for an elbow. A judo foot sweep sees Zaynukov grab some top control from guard. He does little with that time and then lets up Caldas. They trade again and Zaynukov is finding a home for the hooks and kicks. Zaynukov takes a poke to the eyes and we get a quick pause before heading right back for more of the same. Despite all the damage from Zaynukov, Caldas is still moving forward as the horn sounds. Zaynukov 10-9

Round 3 – More of the same in the third round. Caldas is having trouble keeping the range without eating some very sharp strikes from Zaynukov. He keeps chipping away at Caldas. He lands a big head kick as well before being poked in the eye yet again. Mark Herzog takes a point for this one. We restart with three minutes to go. Zaynukov immediately back on the horse and gets a knockdown with a right. Caldas pops right back up again and gets in his face. Caldas finds a home for a couple of rights and a spinning back elbow, but he doesn’t have the power to put him away. Zaynukov rips a half dozen upper cuts to close the show and should take this on the cards. Zaynukov 10-9

Official Result: Magomed Zaynukov def. Lucas Caldas by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

DWCS Contract Winners:

• Mark Vologdin (before the show was even over)
• Adrian Luna Martinetti (before the show was even over)
• Luke Fernandez
• Luis Felipe Dias
• Imanol Rodriguez
• Magomed Zaynukov

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.

The post Dana White’s Contender Series 2025: Week 9 – Play-by-Play & Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Among the UFC hopefuls in DWCS 2025 Week 9, Luke Fernandez, an unbeaten CFFC light heavyweight champion with plenty of raw talent. With a favorable set for Tuesday, the slow path could seem Fernandez blossom into a real star in the UFC’s 205lb weight class.

We’ve got our breakdown and predictions ready for the upcoming instalment of DWCS, so let’s get to it.

Flyweight, Imanol Rodriguez (5-0) vs. Roque Junior (10-2)

Notable Notes

• Rodrigues fought this past season on TUF
• Rodrigues has a 100% finish rate outside of his last TUF fight
• Rodrigues is 0-1 to the decision (TUF fight)
• Junior is 1-2 to the decision
• Both have questionable decision losses
• Both guys have all their finishes inside two rounds
• Both have a submission win a piece

Imanol Rodriguez

In my opinion (and many others), Rodriguez should’ve won his fight on TUF 33 to move to the finals. Instead, the guy he “lost” to ended up winning the show, and that’s why I think he’s getting this spot. He came into the show a bit too soon, we thought, but during the show proved he belongs.

At his core, Rodriguez is a striker. While he occasionally throws opponents to the mat, it’s more about resetting the pace than controlling position. His style is chaotic yet calculated—he thrives in wild exchanges, launching power shots with both hands, attacking the body, and mixing up angles. He’s relentless, with legitimate finishing ability, and when he hurts an opponent, he knows how to close the show. His durability and knockout power allow him to take risks, and he is willing to absorb damage in pursuit of the finish. That can also hurt him at the higher level because a vet could be able to pace themselves better and pull away on Rodriguez late in the fight.

Rodriguez’s game is straightforward—about 60% chaos, 40% technique. He’s the type of fighter you’d bet on because he puts everything on the line. However, there are still unanswered questions. How will he fare in deep waters? How will he handle an elite wrestler? What does his ground game truly look like? This fight may have come sooner than ideal, but regardless of the outcome, it’s a crucial learning experience for Rodriguez.

I had three big questions for Rodriguez going into the TUF house: How will he fare in deep waters? How will he handle an elite wrestler? And what does his ground game truly look like? And I believe he answered those. He can be taken down and put in a bad position and controlled for a bit. Also, he scrambled well and stays composed and defends subs well. Rodriguez’s ground game as a whole looked good. He knew when to explode out of positions, and in round three, he dominated Morales on the mat, which is a great feat for a young fighter.

Roque Junior

Going into the tape on Junior, I wasn’t expecting much given the level of Brazilian talent brought in this season—but I came away impressed. He has a 2020 loss to Hugo Paiva, a solid prospect at the time, so there’s no shame there. His more recent loss to veteran Denis Araujo was a fight I thought Junior should’ve won, which means he could realistically be riding a nine-fight win streak with no official losses in the past five years.

Junior is primarily a striker, and he’s got sharp hands. He would benefit from mixing in more kicks and body work instead of relying so heavily on head-hunting, since his attacks can get a bit repetitive. That said, he applies steady pressure, cuts off the cage well, and throws with real intent. Adding more target variety would make him even more dangerous, but he already does a nice job of throwing in volume and working from different angles.

His wrestling and ground game are harder to pin down, though he seems capable of holding his own everywhere. He shows good awareness in scrambles—hitting switches, defending takedowns, and working constantly to stand up when he’s on his back.

Prediction: This should be a fun clash between two skilled strikers. Junior has the edge in raw power, but that’s about it. Rodriguez is the more layered striker—he works the body better, carries more speed, and has the option to mix in takedowns if needed. Junior’s power and Rodriguez’s tendency to get reckless make him live for a big moment, but I lean the other way. I think Rodriguez’s pace and pressure eventually wear Junior down, leading to a late-round TKO.

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