5 for 5: Each winner on Contender Collection will get a UFC deal
Marc RaimondiESPN
Dana White’s Contender Collection historical past was made Tuesday.
For the primary time within the present’s three-year historical past, each winner earned a UFC contract from White, the promotion president. The 5 fighters who shall be signed: Jonathan Pearce, Maki Pitolo, Hunter Azure, Antonio Trocoli and Joseph Solecki.
“Tonight is what this present was designed for, why I created it,” White mentioned afterward.
Of these 5 fighters, 4 had finishes on the third episode of the third DWCS season, which is held at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Solecki and Trocoli had first-round submission wins, Pitolo received by first-round TKO, and Pearce took house a third-round TKO.
All 5 fights went to determination two weeks in the past on the present’s earlier episode.
Here is a fight-by-fight take a look at the most effective evenings in Contender Collection historical past:
Joseph Solecki def. Jesse Wallace by first-round submission
Joseph Solecki unloads on James Wallace early, resulting in a first-round submission. Chris Unger/DWCS LLC
Solecki received ahold of Wallace’s again in a scramble, caught there, then made his method right into a guillotine. Wallace tried to roll over, however Solecki maintained his grip on his opponent’s neck and received into mount.
Saturday’s UFC Struggle Evening card in Sacramento, California, will characteristic one in every of MMA’s high rising stars and a legend making a return. The unbeaten Aspen Ladd shall be in her first UFC predominant occasion, dealing with Germaine de Randamie, with bantamweight title implications on the road. Previous to that, hometown hero Urijah Faber will enter the Octagon for the primary time in additional than two years to face up-and-comer Ricky Simon.
UFC Struggle Evening: De Randamie vs. Ladd
• Saturday, Sacramento, California
• Prelims: ESPN+ 5 p.m. ET
• Essential card: ESPN+ Eight p.m. ET
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Wallace, with completely nowhere to go, went to sleep.
The time of the submission victory was Three minutes, 49 seconds of the primary spherical within the light-weight predominant occasion.
Solecki (Eight-2) has received three straight, and 6 of his profession wins have come by submission.
The 25-year-old North Carolina native’s spouse, Kacey Lynn, was in tears afterward. Solecki credited her with making sacrifices, sticking with him and enduring “a variety of broke nights.”
Wallace (9-Three) had received 4 in a row coming in.
Antonio Trocoli def. Kenneth Bergh by first-round submission
Antonio Trocoli needed to alter his recreation plan after presumably breaking his foot together with his first kick Tuesday, however he took Kenneth Bergh to the canvas and completed the job. Chris Unger/DWCS LLC
Trocoli was sporting a large hematoma on his foot after the bout, and he mentioned he thought he broke it within the opening minutes. That didn’t deter him in any respect.
Trocoli took down Bergh with an overhook journey, received his opponent’s again and placed on a devastating squeeze with a neck crank. Bergh tapped at Three:57 of the primary spherical.
Trocoli (12-Three) has received three straight following a three-fight dropping streak. The 28-year-old Brazilian has turned his profession round since transferring up from welterweight. He’s 6-foot-5 and fought right here at mild heavyweight, although he has mentioned going to middleweight within the UFC.
Bergh (6-1) had by no means misplaced in an official MMA bout, however fell to Eric Spicely on Season 23 of “The Final Fighter” in 2016.
Hunter Azure def. Chris Ocon by unanimous determination
Zero:32
Hunter Azure breaks the defenses of Chris Ocon with a leg kick, then chases Ocon down with a litany of punches.
Out of all of the spectacular performances Tuesday, Azure may need had the one which seemed probably the most prepared for the UFC’s elite stage. The well-rounded Azure battered Ocon with leg kicks, dominated him with wrestling and grappling, and wobbled him with punches in an entire effort en path to the unanimous determination win (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
White praised Ocon’s talents, saying he had only a few holes in his recreation. Those he did have have been exploited by Azure.
Azure (7-Zero) seems like a really promising prospect within the bantamweight division. The 27-year-old Arizona resident trains out of The MMA Lab.
Ocon (Four-1) is 23 years outdated, and White remained very excessive on him.
Maki Pitolo def. Justin Sumter by first-round TKO
Maki Pitolo is elated together with his first-round TKO end on Tuesday, however he is not the one one to run off with a UFC contract: All 5 winners on Dana White’s Contender Collection earned a ticket to the large present. Chris Unger/DWCS LLC
Pitolo received with a relentless punching assault in opposition to the cage, which he calls “Coconut Bombz.”
He landed a protracted mixture on Sumter, culminating with 5 onerous left arms to the physique, and Sumter folded up for a TKO win at 1:37 of the primary spherical of the middleweight bout.
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Sumter rocked the smaller Pitolo early, however Pitolo got here again and completely put it on him.
White mentioned Pitolo is probably going finest fitted to the welterweight division and mentioned he is excited for him to go to the UFC Efficiency Institute and discover ways to reduce weight correctly.
Pitolo (12-Four), a longtime coaching accomplice of UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, has received three straight, all by end. The 28-year-old Hawaiian had UFC veteran Yancy Medeiros in his nook.
Sumter (7-Three) misplaced to Ian Heinisch on Dana White’s Contender Collection final season.
Jonathan Pearce def. Jacob Rosales by third-round TKO
Zero:40
Jonathan Pearce pours it on Jacob Rosales with an onslaught of punches and uppercuts within the first spherical.
Rosales appeared to have the struggle effectively in hand by the top of the primary spherical. He wobbled Pearce with some large punches and almost snared an influence guillotine choke.
Pearce, although, wouldn’t be denied.
The MMA Lab product put the stress on Rosales within the second and third, and Rosales, tiring, had no solutions.
Pearce landed numerous uppercuts and hooks on the within and from vary, with Rosales backing up. The end got here at 1:50 of the third spherical when Pearce wound up and landed a crushing proper hand to a susceptible Rosales. Referee Herb Dean got here in for the stoppage when he seen Rosales was briefly knocked out.
Pearce (9-Three) has received 5 straight after studying that he had a fracture in his neck and took day without work to deal with it. The 27-year-old Tennessee native had completed each single a type of 5 victories.
Rosales (11-5), a 23-year-old California native, had received 4 straight coming in.