It was another intense night of mixed martial arts as Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series featured a handful of impressive finishes plus one of the most action-packed fights in the show’s history.
Bantamweights Adrian Luna Martinetti and Mark Vologdin had the small crowd at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on their feet and cheering loudly during their three-round brawl.
The pair combined for nearly 400 combined strikes with Martinetti edging out his opponent on the scorecards.
UFC president Dana White was loving the action while observing from cageside, giving the pair a standing ovation after a bloody second round and again once the bout had concluded.
“It’s one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen in Contender Series history. I’m signing both of them,” White said while adding each fighter will receive a $25,000 bonus for their efforts.
The featured bout of the night saw Magomed Zaynukov put on a striking clinic in a unanimous-decision win over Lucas Caldas.
Zaynukov is a standout striker from Dagestan, Russia. The 30-year-old is a multiple-time Muay Thai world champion and he set a new Contender Series record for most strikes landed in a lightweight matchup.
Caldas, 29 from Brazil, never had previously gone to a decision. He fell to 6-2 in MMA. He had finished all his wins with strikes and his lone loss prior to facing Zaynukov was due to a disqualification. Caldas was deducted a point in the third round for repeated inadvertent eye pokes.
Zaynukov was one of five fighters to enter Tuesday night’s card with an undefeated professional MMA record.
Luke Hernandez improved to 6-0 with a flawless performance against Rafael Pergentino of Brazil. The 30-year-old from New Jersey dropped Pergentino with the first right hand he threw and the fight was over in just 15 seconds. It’s the fastest finish of the season and the second-fastest finish in Contender Series history.
Hernandez has finished five of his six professional opponents by KO/TKO. Hernandez also competes in grappling tournaments where he holds wins over UFC veterans Eryk Anders and Phil Hawes. Pergentino also entered the bout 5-0 and had finished all five of his opponents prior to this loss.
Meanwhile, Imanol Rodriguez improved to 6-0 as a pro even though he has previously lost in MMA. The Mexican flyweight was a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 earlier this year, but fell short of advancing to the final of the 125-pound tournament after losing a split decision in the semifinals to eventual TUF 33 winner Joseph Morales. That bout vs. Morales was technically an exhibition and not a professional bout.
Rodriguez picked up an impressive first-round technical knockout win over Roque Conceicao Moreira Jr., much to the delight of Daniel Cormier, who was in attendance. Cormier coached Rodriguez on TUF and continued working with the talented 25-year-old after that show finished filming.
Rodriguez’s fellow TUF 33 cast member Eduardo “Chapolin” Henrique was victorious on Week 4 of the Contender Series but Chapolin’s win didn’t impress enough to earn him a UFC contract.
Also on Week 9, Luis Felipe Dias held a significant experience advantage over Donavon Hedrick and showed an advantage on the ground by handing Hedrick his first loss. He locked in a second-round submission in middleweight action.
Dias, 30 from Brazil, hadn’t fought in more than two years but improved to 16-5 in MMA after earning his 15th stoppage win.
DWCS Season 9, Week 9 Official Results:
-- Magomed Zaynukov def. Lucas Caldas by unanimous decision
-- Adrian Luna Martinetti def. Mark Vologdin by unanimous decision
-- Imanol Rodriguez def. Roque Conceicao Moreira Jr. by TKO at 2:12 of Round 1
-- Luis Felipe Dias def. Donavon Hedrick by submission at 4:37 of Round 2
-- Luke Hernandez def. Rafael Pergentino by knockout at 0:15 of Round 1
UFC contract recipients: Magomed Zaynukov, Imanol Rodriguez, Luke Hernandez, Adrian Luna Martinetti, Mark Vologdin, Luis Felipe Dias
