Contender Series week 9 handed out 4 UFC contracts on Tuesday, October 6 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. All 4 signees won inside round 1: Preston LaGrange, Sal Everett, Roque Conceicao and Mateus Soares. Everett works at the UFC as an assistant to Dana White. Frenchman Nell Ariano, unbeaten until then, was knocked out by LaGrange. Season 10 now stands at 42 contracts.
Key takeaways
- 4 fighters earned a UFC contract on Contender Series week 9: Preston LaGrange, Sal Everett, Roque Conceicao and Mateus Soares, all winners in round 1.
- Frenchman Nell Ariano lost by KO in round 1, at 2:24, to Preston LaGrange. It is his 1st defeat and his record drops to 6-1.
- Alivia Bierley won the main event by unanimous decision without getting a contract. Season 10 reaches 42 contracts.
Contender Series week 9: 4 round 1 finishes, 4 contracts
Preston LaGrange
Having stepped in on 2 weeks’ notice and moved up a weight class, Preston LaGrange knocked out Nell Ariano at 2:24. He moves to 7-1.
Roque Conceicao
At flyweight, the Brazilian submitted the previously unbeaten Alexander Chavez with a triangle choke at 3:37. His record goes to 12-3.
Mateus Soares
At bantamweight, Mateus Soares stopped Ryuho Miyaguchi with punches at 1:03. He has 12 wins and 2 losses.
Sal Everett, from the mailroom to a UFC contract
The fight
At welterweight, Sal Everett knocked out Ozzy Martin with a punch at 1:57. The 2 men were unbeaten. Everett moves to 5-0, with 5 finishes.
The path
Everett, 29, started at the UFC in the mailroom, then as a night security guard, before becoming Dana White’s assistant, Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports report. His application to the UFC had been turned down in 2019.
The verdict
Dana White had admitted he would struggle to stay unbiased. He signed Everett at the end of the night, with a speech about the man as much as the fighter, Yahoo Sports reports.
By any means necessary, I'm getting that contract. That would be the best promotion I ever got in my whole life.
Nell Ariano beaten, Bierley left without a contract
Nell Ariano
The Parisian light heavyweight, whose profile we ran before the card, took LaGrange down early. The American got back up, then countered a hook with a right hook followed by more punches, CBS Sports describes. Ariano suffers his 1st loss in 7 fights.
Alivia Bierley
In the main event, Alivia Bierley beat Summer Onley by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) and handed her a 1st defeat. She did not get a contract: Yahoo Sports calls her performance lackluster.
Follow the new signings
Season 10, at 42 contracts, ends next week. The profiles and records of the UFC’s new fighters are in the FightHub app.
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