The first show of season six saw a fired up Dana White essentially tell prospective fighters to show him something. More accurately, he told them to “be Joe Pyfer” — the only fighter in week one to be awarded a UFC contract. Also the only fighter in week one to finish his fight, it should be noted.

As a result, the bar was set for fighters on week two. Who would respond? There were a few familiar faces on the docket: Chris Duncan was back for another look, after falling short last year. The impetus for giving Duncan a second chance was obvious — his first opponent had missed weight, leading to their fight being cancelled. That resulted in Duncan taking a bout short notice against Slava Borshchev; needless to say, that one didn’t go his way.

Bellator veterans Billy Goff, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and Charlie Campbell (plus Duncan himself, who has also competed for Bellator MMA) were all in action Tuesday.

Dana White’s Contender Series 48 (season six, week two) goes down Tuesday, August 2, 2022 as always at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show airs on ESPN+, and UFC Fight Pass internationally. Full results from DWCS 48 can be found below.

In the opening fight at least, it seemed that Dana White’s message was received. Shimon Smotritsky, returning for his second stint on DWCS, landed a head kick on Billy Goff just seconds into the fight. Goff dropped, and Smotritsky went right after him, but Goff was able to survive on his back, and climb back up with Smotritsky still on him. Goff then managed to battle back, turned the tables, and began lighting Smotritsky up along the fence. That brought in the ref, with Goff securing the TKO finish.

Heavyweights Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Danilo Suzart didn’t have a pretty fight, it certainly wasn’t a technical fight, but they did stand and bang. Cortes-Acosta, with a boxing background, got the better of things on the feet, and they didn’t go to the ground until Suzart was dropped. Cortes-Acosta piled on with some follow-up punches, and sealed the deal.

The featherweight fight between Francis Marshall and Connor Matthews marked the first time the action would leave the first round on Tuesday. Not for lack of effort. Matthews had a great opening few minutes, but Marshall then took over, relying on takedowns and some punishing ground n’ pound. They’d end up going the distance, and while Matthews needed a finish, it was Francis Marshall still chasing it in round three. Matthews proved just too tough to put away.

The fourth fight of the evening was a featherweight banger. Vinicius Salvador may have had a padded record (having fought three 0-0 opponents after even after 12 pro fights of his own), but Shannon Ross was no can. Ross was dropped several times, but stayed in the fight, and even found success with his right hand. It was a Salvador right hand in the second, however, the set up the TKO finish.

Chris Duncan was in all sorts of trouble in the night’s final fight, dropped repeatedly. Multiple uppercuts from Campbell had Duncan staggering, but he managed to return fire, putting Campbell down with a right hand and completing the comeback!

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6, Week 2 Weigh-In Results

Lightweight: Chris Duncan def. Charlie Campbell by knockout, Round 1, 1:43
Flyweight: Vinicius Salvador def. Shannon Ross by TKO, Round 2, 4:22
Featherweight: Francis Marshall def. Connor Matthews by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Danilo Suzart by TKO, Round 1, 3:40
Welterweight: Billy Goff def. Shimon Smotritsky by TKO, Round 1, 3:37

Contract winners: Billy Goff, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Francis Marshall, Vinicius Salvador, Chris Duncan

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After UFC President Dana White handed out just one contract during last week’s season opener, declaring “be Joe Pyfer” (and granting Pyfer a UFC deal) to UFC hopefuls, the message was clear: Perform. Hunt for the finish. Past accomplishments mattered not on the Contender Series, just what you did on Tuesday night.

Would the incoming group of fighters compete accordingly come Fight Night?

Among the fighters on Week Two of DWCS Season 6 were a number of former Bellator athletes, with Charlie Campbell, Chris Duncan, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and Billy Goff all having competed for the organization. There were a couple of returning Contender Series veterans as well, as both Duncan and Shimon Smotritsky had come up short on the show previously.

Weigh-ins for Dana White’s Contender Series 48 (numerically) went down Monday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada. The affair gets underway at 12PM ET/9AM PT. Full results can be found below.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 6, Week 2 Weigh-In Results

Lightweight: Charlie Campbell (155) vs. Chris Duncan (155.5)
Flyweight: Vinicius Salvador (126) vs. Shannon Ross (126)
Featherweight: Francis Marshall (145) vs. Connor Matthews (145.5)
Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta 259 vs. Danilo Suzart (255)
Welterweight: Shimon Smotritsky (170.5) vs. Billy Goff (170.5)

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“Next week, when you roll in here, show me who you are Tuesday night,” White exclaimed in a message to upcoming fighters on the show. “That’s the only thing I’m concerned with.”

“If you want to get into the UFC and this is where you want to be, act like Joe Pyfer. Be Joe Pyfer.”

Never before has White been so blunt about his expectations for fighters on DWCS. Now, it’s time to see who was listening as week two goes down Tuesday, August 2. Here’s our look at what to expect.

Lightweight: Charlie Campbell Vs. Chris Duncan

Tale of the tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Duncan
Speed: Duncan
Output/Volume: Campbell
Kickboxing: Campbell
Striking defense: Campbell
Footwork/movement: Campbell
Wrestling: Duncan
Grappling: Duncan
More likely to finish on the mat: Duncan
Gas tank: Even

Prediction: Duncan is coming back after getting beat last season on the Contender Series. He lost to Slava Borshchev but was doing well up until the finish.

Campbell isn’t as talked about as Duncan but these guys, if they fought in a best of seven series, they’d go to fight seven.

The biggest edge might be the wrestling of Duncan. I feel that if he couldn’t keep Slava grounded he won’t be able to with Campbell either. It’s close on the feet where both are kind of similar. Both are really kick-heavy but I like the leg kicks of Campbell a lot more.

Defensively, well, neither are that good defensively. The flatter Duncan, being the smaller guy, gives me the confidence to think Campbell can chip away. Duncan could clip Campbell but going strike for strike I like the chin of Campbell to hold up more. I came into this fight expecting to pick Duncan but I’m taking Campbell. I feel he stays away from being held down and he starts to wear on Duncan as the fight goes.

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Missing weight is never a good look; missing weight for the Contender Series is almost certainly the death knell for any hopes of winning a UFC contract. While there’s nothing specifically that forbids Dana White from handing out a UFC deal to someone who has missed weight (after all, he’s awarded a contract to a losing fighter already this season), it means that a spectacular finish is pretty much a necessity.

This week, it was Joshua Weems missing weight for his bantamweight bout with Fernie Garcia. The fight is still on (unlike last week, which saw Manuel Gaxhja miss weight then have to pull out of his bout with Chris Duncan), moving forward at a 139lb catchweight.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 5, Week 6 kicks off at 8PM ET, airing live on ESPN+ in the United States, and on UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. Full results from the card, at the UFC Apex, can be found below.

A weird start to Valdez vs. White saw Alaska’s Patrik White forget his protective cup prior to entering the cage. And his mouth guard. After stepping out to get his gear in place, White returned and blitzed off the opening bell. Valdez landed a takedown, but White was quickly back to his feet. Valdez would begin finding success on the feet, but opted to take the fight down again, only to be met with the same result — White was right back up. A third takedown saw White give up his back, allowing Valdez to lock on a choke, but White broke free.

Then came a slugfest. White got the upper hand, and Valdez looked like he was done, tagged over and over. White’s mouth piece went flying, but for the most part, he had the upper hand. That picked up again in the second, until Valdez knocked White’s mouth piece out once again. Valdez then landed a left-right combo, putting White down for the comeback TKO victory.

The middleweight bout between Joseph Holmes and Shonte Barnes was halted early due to an accidental headbutt, but both were okay to continue. Holmes won the positional battle along the fence, earning some control time before Barnes finally escaped out. Holmes went upstairs with a kick that was blocked; towards the end of the round, Barnes pursued a takedown but couldn’t land it.

Barnes worked the body in round two, and started the round stronger, but two minutes in, Holmes landed a takedown and took the back, getting both hooks in. That led to a body triangle, and he soon had the rear-naked choke in deep. Barnes was forced to tap, giving Holmes the second-round finish.

Weems was active early in the opening round of his fight with Fernie Garcia, and kicked the legs out from under his opponent. He found success with an overhand, high kicks, but was clipped with a counter on the way in by a left hook. Fernie later dropped Weems with a couple of hooks, one from each side, then swarmed with ground n’ pound. That was all she wrote!

Flyweights Daniel Barez and Carlos Hernandez went the distance in a spirited 15 minute affair. Both men had their moments in a fight filled with knees, takedowns, and heavy punches, with Hernandez taking a split decision win on the scorecards.

Canada’s Mike Malott barely broke a sweat in the night’s featured fight, locking in a guillotine and forcing the tap from Shimon Smotritsky in less than a minute.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 5 Week 6 Results

Welterweight: Mike Malott def. Shimon Smotritsky by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:39
Flyweight: Carlos Hernandez def. Daniel Barez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Catchweight (139 lbs): Fernie Garcia def. Joshua Weems by TKO, Round 1, 2:10
Middleweight: Joseph Holmes def. Shonte Barnes by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:46
Lightweight: Genaro Valdéz def. Patrik White by TKO, Round 2, 0:44

Contract Winners: Genaro Valdez, Fernie Garcia, Carlos Hernandez, Mike Malott. Joseph Holmes did not receive a UFC deal but will compete on Dana White’s Looking for a Fight in November.

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Originally, Fernie Garcia had been paired up with Paul Capaldo for a bantamweight bout, but with the latter pulling out, Joshua Weems stepped in.

Last week, only two contracts were handed out by Dana White. Would the show surpass that in week six? Here’s a look ahead.

Welterweight: Shimon Smotritsky Vs. Mike Malott

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Malott
Speed: Even
Output/Volume: Malott
Knockout Power: Malott
Chin: Smotritsky
Kickboxing: Smotritsky
Footwork: Malott
Wrestling: Smotritsky
Grappling: Even
Submissions: Smotritsky
Cardio: Even

Prediction

This is a very good fight made by the matchmakers that is quietly flying under the radar. Smotritsky was someone I wasn’t familiar with but was impressed with his tape. Malott, I scouted years ago and was impressed. Beating a guy like Solomon Renfro in his last fight proves he’s who I thought he was back then.

On paper, Smotritsky looks to have the better grappling but it’s near even. Wrestling wise Smotritsky has a slight advantage but not by much. Both are talented strikers but Malott has more tools. So far in their careers, Malott has been touched up more and the hands of Smotritsky have improved with each fight. It’s close but I’m edging it to Malott. With Smotritsky I think he has to find the win from landing more output and setting finishing sequences up. Malott on the other hand can end it at any time and as the fight goes he’s likely to get stronger.

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