A full four fighters were getting second (or third) looks on the show on Tuesday night, with Julia Polastri, Eduardo Neves, Stephen Nguyen, and Malik Lewis all returning from previous seasons.

Polastri had come up short in 2021 against Jasmine Jasudavicius, a loss that has at least aged well given the Canadian is now 3-1 under the UFC banner, and facing Tracy Cortez in a high-profile flyweight bout in less than a week’s time.

Lewis, who lost to Trevor Peek previously on DWCS, was looking to show he had improved his cardio, while heavyweight Neves was booked into a fight with a dangerous striker in former GLORY kickboxer Jhonata Diniz.

Steven Nguyen, meanwhile, was getting his third opportunity on the Contender Series when he took on LFA alum AJ Cunningham. Nguyen was floored by a memorable Aalon Cruz flying knee in his first Contender Series showing in 2019, then returned in 2021 to defeat Theo Riayang. That decision win, however, was not enough to land him a UFC deal. On Tuesday, he was hoping to make a much bigger statement.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 kicks off at 8PM ET on ESPN+ in the U.S., and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. Full results can be found below.

Week 6 kicked off with a bang as undefeated Jean Matsumoto and Kasey Tanner threw down in a technical back-and-forth. One of the best fights of the season, Matsumoto controlled with leg kicks, but Tanner was never really out of the fight, firing back and even pursuing a takedown late. Matsumoto would claim a decision win in the end, improving to 14-0, but it was enough to bring Dana White into the cage post-fight to pay his respects to both men.

Not to be outdone, Julia Polastri and Patricia Alujas put on a solid show, with Polastri getting the fight down and landing some heavy ground n’ pound before wrapping up a rear-naked choke in the second round.

An explosive ending to the opening round between featherweights Steven Nguyen and AJ Cunningham came as Nguyen hurt his opponent and went after the finish just ahead of the bell. Landing a series of punishing ground strikes, Nguyen was swinging away with a couple of shots almost certainly landing after the horn before the ref could step in. Not a finish, and the fight carried on to the second. Nguyen did put the fight away in round two, uncorking a series of combos that all hit the mark — and with Cunningham not defending, the ref stopped it on the feet.

The slug fest that many expected in Eduardo Neves vs. Jhonata Diniz very much played out, with Diniz lighting up the returning Brazilian on the feet before finishing things with a one-punch KO.

After a trio of finishes, the final fights of the evening saw lightweights Malik Lewis and James Llontop go the distance. Llontop was the clear winner of this one, collecting a pair of 10-8 scores from the judges.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 Results

Lightweight: James Llontop def. Malik Lewis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Heavyweight: Jhonata Diniz def. Eduardo Neves by TKO (punch), Round 1, 3:15
Featherweight: Steven Nguyen def. A.J. Cunningham by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:06
Women’s Strawweight: Julia Polastri def. Patricia Alujas by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:05
Bantamweight: Jean Matsumoto def. Kasey Tanner by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Contract Winners: Jean Matsumoto, Julia Polastri, Steven Nguyen, Jhonata Diniz, James Llontop

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

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, Malik Lewis. 

Malik “Hard Knock” Lewis (6-1 MMA)

Age: 27 years old

Height: 6’0″ / Reach: 76″

Weight Class: Lightweight (155lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2022 (Week 8)

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Trevor Peek (8-1 MMA)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2023 (Week 6)

New Opponent: James Llontop (13-2)

First Contender Series Fight

When Malik Lewis fights on September 12th it will be just one day shy of a complete year since he first competed on the Contender Series. Malik earned his shot on the Contender Series by violently finishing every one of his opponents inside of two rounds while also demonstrating patience and amazing shot selection.

In the fight on the Contender Series after seeing some adversary in a scary exchange early Lewis engaged in the clinch and although he was unsuccessful in getting Trevor Peek to the ground, he was able to slow down his opponent and control an exchange on the break and drop his opponent.

Throughout the first round Malik showed perfect shot selection hitting the mark and his targets perfectly though he began to devolve throughout the round as he began to fatigue.

Just a bit too sloppy on his grappling and Trevor was continually able to get away from his attempts to control him and look to set up a submission.

Unfortunately for Malik he continued to gas during the second round and Peek came out looking like a superhero, taking advantage of Malik’s fatigue and eventually dragging him to the ground and scoring a ground n’ pound finish.

First Contender Series Opponent

Trevor Peek, Malik’s opponent in his first Contender Series fight, is what can only be described as an absolute wild man in terms of fighting styles.

Peek entered the fight with Lewis riding a seven-fight finishing streak, including a finish over the five-fight UFC veteran Khama Worthy a month prior to the fight. This is the fight/win that attracted the attention of the UFC.

Since being signed to the UFC after his win over Lewis, Trevor has gone 1-1 with the promotion.

Peek first won an absolute barn burner of a fight, finishing Eric Gonzalez with a barrage of unorthodox punches. The finish, that came with just one second left in the first round, earned Peek Performance of the Night honors.

Peek recently dropped a decision to a tough, 15-6 Chepe Mariscal, who is now 2-0 with the UFC. Peek is slated to take on 12-3 Mohammad Yahya at UFC 294 next month and so it’s a loss that has not lowered Malik’s stock.

The Road Back 

Malik has competed just once since his first Contender Series appearance a year ago.

In February Malik took on then 8-6 Paulo Silva at Peak Fighting 26. It was Malik’s longest fight to date, as he finished his opponent with just seven seconds left in the third round of a five-round bout.

With the finish Malik became the PF Lightweight Champion and again attracted the attention of the UFC.

Gameplan/ New Opponent 

Malik will be facing James Llontop for his shot at redemption on the Contender Series.

James Llontop is on an 11-fight win streak that includes six finishes. All but one of these fights were under the Peru based Fusion Fighting Championship. James is the current FFC Welterweight champion winning his belt last year and has successfully defended it one time. Llontop is currently among the best and brightest prospects that Peru has to offer at the age of 24.

It’s going to be imperative for Malik to get his opponent out of there as early as possible without gassing himself like in the Peek fight. His stand-up is great, and he has good submission threats especially while he is fresh. Trevor is an exceptionally tough human being, but Malik did begin to fade midway through the first round. If it was an adrenaline dump, maybe the second time around will be a little better.

This is sure to be a good fight for as long as it lasts.

The post Redemption: Second Chances on Dana White’s Contender Series — Malik Lewis appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I had some things going on with my health and stuff, some little outside things. I was going through it in my relationship and financially,” Lewis said. “3 weeks notice, I’m not in shape. I had been bouncing, doing a lot of travelling, trying to get to get my financial affairs, relationship and everything like that together.”

On top of all of those things, he had to hide an injury while they filmed him ‘getting ready’ for the fight as part of their usual highlight package.

“I tried to get into shape working around a broken hand. I couldn’t get into shape. I wound up getting sick,” he explained. “I don’t know if you could see it in the recordings they did when they have you hit mits and all that, but I one hand wrapped because my other was no good.”

After all of those trials, he then stepped in with one of the more durable fighters he could face. Trevor Peek took all that Lewis could dish out early in the fight and eventually turned the tables on him.

Now Lewis gets a second chance at a UFC contract, just about a year removed from his last bid. He’ll fight James Llontop and he has a prediction for how the second effort will go.

“I don’t know what round. I don’t know what minute, what punch, what knee, what strike, but I guarantee this is not going to a decision,” Lewis said with conviction.

That fight will be the featured fight of the night on week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series. The card will begin this Tuesday at 8pm EST on ESPN+.

You can hear the entire audio of this interview at 24:01.

The post After Illness and Issues, DWCS’ Malik Lewis Ready for 2nd Shot appeared first on Cageside Press.

Among those returning faces is Julia Polastri, who had fallen to Jasmine Jasudavicius in 2021. Since that date, Polastri has won three straight to earn herself another crack at the UFC.

Eduardo Neves and Steven Nguyen are also returning to Dana White’s Contender Series in Week 6 — and somewhat surprisingly, Nguyen has not fought at all since his last appearance on the show. Nguyen is fighting on DWCS for the third time, and is coming off a win that hadn’t earned him a UFC deal. But will the third time be the charm?

Plus, Malik Lewis returns after falling to Trevor Peek the first time around.

Read on for our predictions!

Featherweight: James Llontop Vs. Malik Lewis

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Lewis
Speed: Lewis
Output/Volume: Llontop
Kickboxing: Llontop
Striking defense: Llontop
Footwork/movement: Lewis
Wrestling: Lewis
Grappling: Even
Gas tank: Llontop

Prediction: Lewis is getting another Contender Series opportunity after losing to Trevor Peek last season. He beat on Peek for four minutes and then gassed out badly and lost in round two. It was a bad look losing to Peek but more importantly his cardio looked lacking. He did get back on track with a win but his cardio was still shaky. From a technical standpoint, he’s solid but his endurance and durability are a big concern.

Llontop has looked fine but “looking fine” in the Peruvian scene may not be all that good. He started off 2-2 in his career and has now won eleven in a row. Llontop does a few things really well; His feints, kickboxing, and bodywork all are quality weapons to have.

This is another fight Lewis should win because he’s clearly the better fighter. His cardio is a big concern especially because Llontop fights at the same pace for three rounds. The good thing for Lewis is that Llontop doesn’t push a hard pace. Also, Llontop I would bet isn’t as tough as Peek. My pick is Lewis because he is the better fighter.

The post DWCS 2023: Episode 6 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

All fighters booked for the card weighed in without issue, in orderly fashion after the weigh-in window kicked off a 9AM local time. Among those in action this week, the returning Julia Polastri, who lost to Canadian flyweight standout Jasmine Jasudavicius on the 2021 run of the Contender Series.

Polastri has put together three straight wins, her last two coming inside the distance, since that setback. The same was not the case for the returning Steven Nguyen, who has appeared on DWCS twice previously. Nguyen has not fought since turning up on the show for the second time in 2021, where he beat Theo Rlayang but failed to secure a UFC deal.

Rarely does a fighter get a third look on the Contender Series, so it’s clear the promotion has at least some interest in Nguyen.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 takes place Tuesday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Full results from Monday’s weigh-in can be found below.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 Weigh-In Results

Malik Lewis (156) vs. James Llontop (156)
Eduardo Neves (263.5) vs. Jhonata Diniz (254)
A.J. Cunningham (145) vs. Steven Nguyen (145)
Patricia Alujas (115) vs. Julia Polastri (115.5)
Jean Matsumoto (136) vs. Kasey Tanner (135.5)

The post All Fighters Make Weight for Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Week 6 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Fernando Padilla Interview (2:16)

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with UFC featherweight, Fernando Padilla. Padilla discusses getting the opportunity to fight on the card after UFC 293, Noche UFC – which takes place on Mexican Independence Day. He also talks about the UFC giving him a slew of veterans right out of the gate. After knocking out Julian Erosa in his debut, he draws Kyle Nelson for his sophomore effort and feels like he can do the same to another wily veteran.

Fights, Dogs, and Parlays: UFC 293 (13:47)

Following UFC Paris filled with French talent, UFC 293 is loaded up with Australian talent. It is, of course, headlined by Israel Adesanya as he looks to defend his middleweight strap against Sean Strickland. We’ll break down that fight as well as a couple others on the main card. In addition to that, we’re also crafting a plus-money parlay that should make your wallet fat, and we’re picking out our very favorite underdog to cash on for this card. We’ve been hot and you aren’t going to want to miss out on these plays for UFC 293 from Sydney. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Malik Lewis Interview (24:01)

Closing out this edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series hopeful, Malik Lewis. Lewis discusses coming up short against Trevor Peek on the show last year, but also recognizes the slew of obstacles he was dealing with at that time. Now healthy and in a more stable place in his personal life, Lewis is ready to make good on a second chance. He faces tough Peruvian prospect James Llontop in a lightweight tilt this upcoming Tuesday night. He sees an exciting fight coming forward with himself getting his hand raised and grabbing that contract from Dana White himself. Listen in.

The post TTP Ep. 394 with Fernando Padilla, Malik Lewis and UFC 293 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Originally scheduled to compete on the show in July, a weight miss and withdrawal by opponent Willian Souza led to the cancellation of Basharat’s fight, putting his UFC dreams on hold. However, the week eight timing may have worked out for the best: brother Javid, already a UFC fighter who appeared on DWCS last season, fights later this week at UFC Vegas 60.

Thus Farid gets to kick things off for the fighting sibling duo on Tuesday, and hopefully maintain the pair’s undefeated record (Farid was 8-0 to start the night, Javid 12-0). Standing in Basharat’s way on Tuesday was LFA veteran Allan Begosso.

Also in action at DWCS 54, Malik Lewis — who we did a profile on earlier this year as part of our Before They Are Relevant series.

Dana White’s Contender Series 54 takes place Tuesday, September 13, 2022 airing live on ESPN+ in the U.S., and on UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. The event takes place as always at the UFC Apex; full results can be found below.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6, Week 8 Results

Bantamweight: Farid Basharat def. Allan Begosso via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov def. Mário Sousa R1 2:09 Submission (Kimura)
Lightweight: Trevor Peek def. Malik Lewis via R2 2:37 TKO
Women’s Strawweight: Bruna Brasil def. Marnic Mann via R2 4:33 KO
Bantamweight: Daniel Marcos def. Brandon Lewis via Unanimous Decision (30-27×3)

Contract Winners:

Daniel Marcos

Bruna Brasil

Trevor Peek

Ikram Aliskerov

Farid Basharat

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6, Week 8 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I was sitting in my house, in my living room. I think I was either watching some Youtube video or playing a video game, and my friend looks over at me, one of my training partners, my roommate, and he’s like ‘hey you’re fighting for the Contender Series September 13,'” Lewis recalled, speaking to Cageside Press in a recent interview about how he got the call to appear on DWCS.

The immediate reaction from Lewis was disbelief. “I was like bro, quit bullsh*tting!”

Lewis then grabbed his phone and found that it was blowing up, with messages from his manager and coaches. “I was like ‘I guess I am fighting on the Contender Series. Let’s go!'”

Lewis had been telling people since the start of the year that he would fight on the show, without actually knowing for sure.

“The crazy thing is, I can’t make this up, I’ve been telling people ‘I’m going to fight for the Contender Series, I’m going to fight for the Contender Series.’ I’ve just been saying that, from like the beginning of this year I’ve been telling people ‘I’m going to get into the UFC this year, I’m gonna do this and stuff,'” he revealed. “That’s why I chose the last couple fights I had. I didn’t want easy fights, I didn’t want it to be something where I go 5-0 and still have to sit there and hope and pray that I might get a shot or something. I took some big risks, came out on top, and it’s paid off, dude. It’s paid off.”

Lewis is up against Trevor Peak this Tuesday night, like himself an undefeated fighter. Asked about how he views Peak as an opponent, Lewis said he views him the same way he views all his potential foes.

“I don’t ever really care. I look ’em up once, maybe twice. My coaches look ’em up a lot, they do their thing and they tell me what we’re gonna do. But I don’t care. I always tell myself we’re going in there against Khabib or Oliveira or something,” Lewis explained. “They’re the best fighter in the world, so I’ve just got to be ready for whatever. I think he’s tough, he’s knocked out every single person he’s gone against. So I think he’s tough, but I know he’s in there with somebody tough for sure.”

As for the fight itself, “it’s probably going to be a banger,” said Lewis. “I wouldn’t be surprised if both people get a f*cking contract to be honest.”

Watch our full interview with Dana White’s Contender Series 54 lightweight Malik Lewis above.

The post DWCS 54: Malik Lewis Treats All Opponents Like They’re “Khabib or Oliveira” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Farid had been scheduled to compete in July, but a weight miss by opponent Willian Souza scratched the fight at weigh-ins. Now, he gets the opportunity to join his brother in the UFC opposite LFA veteran Allan Begosso.

Our picks and predictions are in for Week 8 — read on!