To close out this year’s Contender Series run, we got a fun episode with a rough ending. There were a couple wars and a couple good finishes, but sadly, the current best fighter of the episode couldn’t earn himself a contract to end the season. Overall, this was a solid season that brought some really good talent to the UFC and also showed us some really bad fighters. I know fights fall out and injuries don’t allow fighters to take opportunities, but my biggest criticism of this season is that the talent floor needs to be higher. In a show that is bringing talent to the biggest fight promotion in the world, the gap between the best and worst fighters trying to earn a contract is far too big.
Greg Foster vs Jason Asher
We kicked off this year’s final week of Contender Series with a wild fight. These two went to war for three rounds, and Dana loved it. While it was a fun fight, it was also clear these guys aren’t UFC-level. Foster started aggressively and stayed on the front foot until the end. Early on in the first, Foster sat Asher down while he was off balance and rushed in to land more. Asher stood up and landed a spinning back fist that momentarily rocked Foster. The rest of the fight, Foster stayed on the front foot while Asher struggled to deal with it. I think Foster was on his way to winning all three rounds, but Asher caught a kick and got into top position in the third. He landed some decent ground and pound, but ultimately, it wasn’t enough. Foster took home the unanimous decision victory by winning the first two rounds.
There are two things Dana loves: a brawl regardless of the talent level and lying to us about not liking 34-year-olds. I don’t have much to say on this one; it was an ugly fight, and neither guy is UFC-level. With the way he fights, Foster could be in some fun fights, but I don’t know why they’re signing him.
Douglas da Lapa vs Davi Cabral
Contender Series is going out with a bang. Two fun fights to start the night, and this one leaves us with a very fun middleweight fighter. Douglas da Lapa is at his best when he goes to the body and punches in combinations. He started off the fight doing just that, and it looked like he was going to run over Cabral at the start of the fight. Cabral’s chin was able to withstand some crazy shots, and then he turned the tables. He caught da Lapa retreating to the cage, dropped him, and shifted the momentum. At the end of the round, Cabral landed a clean hook that hurt da Lapa again, but da Lapa was able to stay safe enough to make it to the next round. Round two was a bit slower but very close for most of the round. With over half the round gone, Cabral tried to switch things up with a takedown attempt. A good sprawl saw da Lapa up to his feet and Cabral with a much more labored stand-up. Immediately, da Lapa got on the front foot and unleashed sick combos until the end of the round. Somehow, Cabral survived the onslaught, and it was 19-19 going into round three. This round didn’t last long at all, as da Lapa landed a big punch early and dropped Cabral en route to the round three TKO victory.
This was an impressive performance from da Lapa, in my opinion. I think a lot of people, including myself, thought that da Lapa wouldn’t face much adversity if the fight stayed standing, but that was not the case. After getting hurt twice, da Lapa weathered the storm and still fought well afterward. I do think better wrestlers at the UFC level will give him more trouble on the ground, but he is big, athletic, and 27, so he can still improve that part of his game. His striking defense is also still concerning, but offensively, he is very dangerous. With his speed, the blitzes of four- or five-punch combos are going to be tough to deal with. He will struggle against the better middleweights, but he can definitely win fights in the UFC.
Luis Francischinelli vs Will Rentz
Francischinelli’s size was just too much for Rentz to overcome. Rentz got the fight to the ground early but didn’t capitalize on the opportunity. Francischinelli created a couple of weird positions from the bottom, and I think he might’ve stunned Rentz in one of those positions. At some point, he tripped Rentz, then used his size to get on top. When he got back to his feet, it was just a matter of time. Rentz stayed on the pressure but got caught by a left hand just behind the ear, and it was over from there. Francischinelli landed a bit of ground and pound to solidify the round-one TKO win.
It is an obvious statement, but good grapplers are going to be Francischinelli’s downfall. We saw former Road to UFC fighter Jonathan Piersma take advantage of this with a round three submission win over him last year. There are absolutely better grapplers than Piersma in the UFC welterweight division, so I’m not sure I see Francischinelli making a crazy run. He will be in a bunch of fun fights and score some cool knockouts, but I don’t see him making noise in the rankings.
Smilla Sundell vs Aline Pereira
You can tell Sundell is still adapting her game to MMA, but that was a usual Smilla Sundell performance. In Muay Thai, it flows better, and she looks more comfortable, but her style is the same. Sundell thrives on a high-pressure, high-volume game plan. She likes to march her opponent down and look for situations to get into the clinch. In the clinch, she lets knees and elbows fly. She did exactly this for three rounds, while Pereira looked for big counters off the back foot. Sundell secured the unanimous decision victory.
Personally, I was up in the air on whether I would’ve signed Sundell or not. She is obviously talented and throws insane volume, but I just don’t know if she is ready for MMA at the highest level yet. There are 100% girls she will be able to beat right now, so I’m not saying bringing her in is wrong. My hope is that, at just 21, they slow-roll her and let her beat up lower-level girls as she develops her full MMA game. If this is how they handle her, I have no doubts Sundell will make her way to the rankings at some point.
Erick Visconde vs Ilias Bulaid
Unfortunately, Bulaid just didn’t have anything for Visconde. Visconde got to grappling pretty much immediately, and Bulaid’s takedown defense looked good initially. Visconde stayed persistent and ultimately got Bulaid to the ground. For the rest of the round, Visconde let off ground and pound while looking for submission opportunities. Bulaid survived, and then round two was almost exactly the same. In round three, Visconde opted to strike, but at this point, Bulaid was already exhausted. Visconde stayed safe, took the third round, and won the fight via unanimous decision.
It is unfortunate how this fight played out because Visconde can put on a better fight, and he is probably the most UFC-ready fighter at this point from week 10. I get the game plan; it was the easiest path to victory, but I really wish he had done it more excitingly or found an early submission.
