This week was by far the week I was most excited for this season, and it definitely lived up to expectations. It was sick to see high-level prospects take each other on in a few of the fights, we got a couple cool finishes, and we saw a couple WARS. The only thing weighing this week down was the rough performance in the main event from the big favorite.
Damian Piwowarczyk vs. Emilio Quissua
The two big men kicked off week seven with a big knockout. Piwowarczyk started the fight a bit more conservative than I expected, but it ended up serving him well. Quissua started out the fight on the front foot, trying to walk Piwowarczyk down. He was moving forward, landing solid shots, but nothing that really damaged Piwowarczyk in a big way. Once Piwowarczyk settled into the fight, he started jabbing Quissua’s body a lot and imposing his game plan. Quissua landed a big head kick at one point, but Piwowarczyk walked through it. After this, Quissua looked like he was starting to slow down, and the Polish man capitalized. Piwowarczyk landed a straight right that sat Quissua down. Quissua worked his way back up before Piwowarczyk sent him falling again and then finished the fight.
I don’t think Piwowarczyk is a world beater, but he will definitely be a fun addition to the light heavyweight division. He has submission skills he didn’t have to show off today, and he is not afraid to mix it up on the feet. We have seen him get hurt before, but he has also shown he can take damage and still find the finish. Standing at 6’6”, this guy is a massive, powerful human, and with a good run of form, I could see him in the light heavyweight rankings.
Piero Guaylupo vs Callum Connor
These two went to WAR! This one is absolutely up there with the best Contender Series fights ever. Not going to lie, I’m actually surprised, as I wasn’t super high on either of these guys. Connor started off hot with a lot of good kicks. He was throwing with lots of volume and trying to keep Guaylupo off of him. It was clear early on that this fight was going to be Connor trying to break Guaylupo down, with Guaylupo looking to end the fight as soon as possible. Over time, the forward pressure and big shots of Guaylupo just became too much for Connor. He was swinging big and dropped Connor towards the end of round one to seal it. Round two was a lot of the same. Connor was using all his long range weapons, trying to keep Guaylupo away, but again, as the round progressed, Guaylupo couldn’t be kept at bay. Big hooks to the body and head with constant forward pressure had him up 20-18 going into round three. In the end, he won the last round too and won 30-27 on all three scorecards. I am very impressed with the cardio of both men and Connor’s ability to withstand all the damage he took.
Guaylupo is a hard one to gauge for me, but man is he going to be in some fun fights. His forward pressure and power is going to be tough for a lot of guys to deal with, but as his opponents get better, I think it will get tough for him. The style in which he fights inherently leads him to taking a lot of damage. His defensive grappling is also a big question mark, as he has not fought any high level grapplers. I will say, though, maybe the most interesting thing about Guaylupo is that he is only 21. With the danger his striking already presents, if he can keep improving his defense, Guaylupo will be a tough outing for a lot of guys.
After the fight these two had, I am not surprised to see Connor getting signed to the UFC as well. Dana loves a war with two tough guys, and that is exactly what this fight was. Even though he lost, Connor surprised me as well. I thought if Connor won, it would be a bit boring, with him bouncing around the outside, and I thought if he lost, it would be by finish. Connor showed good skills in the fight and a toughness I did not expect.
Marcos Degli vs Paris Moran
I was hoping for a big exciting welcome to the UFC performance for Degli, but it wasn’t that. Instead, it was a smart, measured performance where he just did what he needed to do. He took the path of least resistance when he could’ve swung for a big knockout. It was a careful start for both guys, with a lot of leg kicks before Degli initiated the grappling. The takedown came pretty easy, and then he worked his way to Moran’s back, where he finished the round. A similar story in round two, but this time Moran was able to stuff the first takedown and find an advantageous position on the ground for himself. Degli worked his way back up and then got back in on another takedown of his own. This time around, after securing the back, he was able to sink in a one-armed rear-naked choke.
Again, not the exciting performance I was hoping for, but Degli looked good. He was able to fight how he wanted to and impose his own game plan. Moran is a solid fighter in his own right and could probably win some fights in the UFC. With his deadly power for flyweight and his grappling skills, Degli is going to be a problem in the UFC. I would be surprised if he didn’t reach the rankings within a year or two.
Alvi Dasuyev vs Jaden Ortega
These guys put on one hell of a fight. Dasuyev had Ortega on the ropes throughout the entire first two rounds. Ortega started the fight on the front foot, with Dasuyev looking to counter as he closed the distance. Dasuyev was throwing hard combos as Ortega entered and dropped him with a left hook. Somehow, Ortega was able to compose himself and finish out the round. Round two was very similar, with Dasuyev hurting Ortega with another left hook and Ortega being able to dog it out. Dasuyev completely gassed himself hunting for the finish in the first two rounds and came out dead tired in round three. He was smart and chose to stay on the back foot and play the counter game. Ortega seemed afraid of getting caught again and didn’t enter the pocket too often. He stayed out of Dasuyev’s range and kicked a lot. Towards the end of the round, Dasuyev used whatever energy he had left and landed a few more big shots. He was able to steal back the round on two scorecards and take home the unanimous decision victory.
I have been praising Dasuyev for a while now, and this fight makes me believe even more. He gassed himself out looking for the finish, but I have a hard time seeing most other fighters surviving the onslaught Ortega did. I cannot wait to see Dasuyev get his UFC debut, and I absolutely think he will make his way into the welterweight rankings sooner than later.
I love the fact that even in a loss, the UFC decided to sign Ortega too. I get that he kind of got beat up, but I think he is obviously UFC level. There is no need for him to keep smoking people on the regional scene when he can be getting experience against the lower level of the UFC welterweight division. It is a bit of a sink or swim signing, but I trust Ortega to make good on the opportunity.
Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs Theo Haig
I’m not exactly sure why this one was the main event for week seven. Haig was supposed to be a layup for Novenyi Jr., but he underperformed. We almost had a repeat of Haig getting finished immediately, but Novenyi Jr. wasn’t able to find the finish. Haig did better than I expected with the takedown attempts early, but as the fight went on, he slowed. Both guys slowed down, but Haig didn’t have anything left to give offensively. Come round three, Novenyi Jr. had mostly abandoned his striking game. He was able to secure a few takedowns en route to a unanimous decision win. Unfortunately, underwhelmed is how I leave this fight feeling, and just basing it on this performance, I agree that Novenyi Jr. didn’t earn a contract.
