Contender Series week 8 handed out 4 UFC contracts on September 29 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, with 4 finishes in 4 fights. George Staines scored the 1st slam knockout in the show’s history, and Dana White signed 2 winners he had just criticized. The season now stands at 38 contracts in 8 weeks.
Key takeaways
- 4 fighters earned UFC contracts at Contender Series week 8, season 10, on September 29: George Staines, Adama Diop, Ian Escuza and Aieza Bertolso.
- All 4 fights ended inside the distance, including Staines' slam knockout of Loai Abushaar at 1:01 of round 1, a 1st for the show.
- Dana White criticized Diop's performance and said Escuza's fight should have been a no contest, then signed both; the season reaches 38 contracts.
Contender Series week 8: 4 fights, 4 finishes
Staines and the slam knockout
In the lightweight main event, unbeaten George Staines lifted Loai Abushaar and slammed him to the canvas, then followed up with strikes until the stoppage at 1:01 of round 1. It is the 1st slam knockout in Contender Series history.
Bertolso, the LFA champion
At strawweight, LFA champion Aieza Bertolso submitted Camila Reynoso with an inverted D’Arce choke at 3:02 of round 1. She stays unbeaten at 8-0.
Diop puts Senegal on the map
At heavyweight, Senegal’s Adama Diop stopped Zaurbek Sabanov by TKO at 2:13 of round 2.
Dana White criticizes, then signs
The Diop case
Dana White rated Diop’s performance among the worst he has seen on the Contender Series and predicted UFC heavyweights would knock him out if nothing changed. He signed him anyway.
The Escuza case
At featherweight, Ian Escuza stopped Luca Borando in 32 seconds, but an illegal knee to a grounded opponent landed during the sequence. The commission ruled the foul insignificant. Dana White said the fight should have been a no contest; matchmaker Sean Shelby argued for Escuza’s contract, and Escuza stays unbeaten at 8-0.
A fight postponed
Ilias Bulaid vs Erick Visconde was canceled hours before the show after Bulaid fell ill. It has been moved to later in the season.
Your fight was horrible, sloppy and one of the worst fights I have ever seen on the Contender Series.
The season 10 tally
38 contracts in 8 weeks
With these 4 signings, season 10 of the Contender Series reaches 38 UFC contracts in 8 weeks, after 6 in week 7.
A perfect finish rate
Week 8 posted a 100% finish rate: 3 TKOs and a submission, 3 of them in round 1.
Follow the new signees
Records of the UFC’s newest arrivals and our weekly rating are in the FightHub app, with an alert as soon as their 1st fight is booked.
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