Tag: Dana White’s Contender Series 45

Dana White’s Contender Series 45: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the DWCS 45 winners.

Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2021) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the six-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders whom the UFC matchmakers can use for future events. So, with that trend in mind, I will once again be taking a look at the winning fighters regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, grading their performances in regards to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

Javid Basharat says ‘terrorist’ taunt didn’t add to disrespect: ‘The guy signed to beat me up in front of my family’

Make no mistake about it: Javid Basharat wanted to punish Oron Kahlon for labeling him a “terrorist” during their pre-fight staredown.

Make no mistake about it: [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag] wanted to punish Oron Kahlon for labeling him a “terrorist” during their pre-fight staredown.

But if he’s being honest, Basharat is motivated to punish absolutely anyone who signs a contract to hit him in the mouth.

“Me, I got tunnel vision,” Basharat told MMA Junkie following Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 45 event. “A fight to me is a fight. You could swear at my mother. You can do whatever you want. A fight is a fight. I’m still feeling very, very disrespected, just the fact you signed a contract to punch my face, so you can’t really say anything more to disrespect me. You know what I mean?

“It’s just what he said was just not a good look. You don’t get away with stuff like that. But in terms of, like, did I feel disrespected? Yeah, but I feel disrespected anyways. The guy signed to beat me up in front of my family and take food off my plate. That’s pretty disrespectful, if you ask me.”

Basharat, an Afghani fighter, became the center of quite the pre-fight stir after his Israeli opponent uttered the taunt on Monday. That majority of discussion stood in firm support of Basharat, though he admits he wasn’t able to soak it all in while remaining focused on the task at hand. Still, he said it was refreshing to have some support amidst the controversy.

“I did feel that support,” Basharat said. “I try to stay off social media – just in general, I try to stay off it, but for this fight, my phone was just pinging off, like, on everything, and it was a lot of support going. … At the end of the day, it just shows like, man, there are good people in the sport, and they realize, like, man, a guy like this doesn’t deserve to be here.

“You know, they’re all supporting me, hoping that I do well, and like my friends were calling me and stuff and they’re like, ‘You better beat this guy now. There’s a lot of hype.’ I was like, ‘You idiots, I better beat him anyways.’ I’m f*cking here. I’m fighting. Like, this guy is going to take my head off. It’s kill or be killed in here, so any extra comment doesn’t really matter, but it was just interesting how they think of it.”

Ultimately, Basharat was in complete control of the contest in virtually all aspects, dominating from the start before finally securing a submission in the third round. The performance was enough to earn him a UFC contract, and he’s looking forward to moving past the incident that introduced him to many MMA fans. But he won’t completely forget about what happened.

“I’m OK to forgive and forget, and it’s cool,” Basharat said. “But how unapologetic he was about the whole thing, … this guy’s a real douchebag. Like, you can say sorry, and cool. Maybe I can be the bigger man, and maybe I can look at you differently and hopefully just forgive you for that, which is cool. Like, we all make mistakes, but so unapologetic for it and making excuses, that can’t run – and then you showed us. He showed his true character.

“He was quiet when I was beating him up. You know, at least if he took that same game, I would’ve had a bit more respect for him, but clearly he’s a coward.”

To see the full interview with Basharat, check out the video above.

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UFC president Dana White OK with fighter’s bigoted ‘terrorist’ taunt toward Afghan opponent

According to UFC president Dana White, bigotry is an acceptable form of trash talk amongst fighters.

According to UFC president Dana White, bigotry is an acceptable form of trash talk amongst fighters. At least that was his response to a situation that unfolded during Monday’s Contender Series weigh-ins.

After Israel’s [autotag]Oron Kahlon[/autotag] and Afghanistan’s [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag] stepped on the scale for Tuesday night’s fight – Kahlon missed by three pounds – the two men came together for a ceremonial faceoff in which Basharat declined his opponent’s handshake. With UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby between them, Kahlon was heard calling Basharat a “terrorist.”

Asked Tuesday if Kahlon’s bigoted remark might have gone too far, even by MMA trash talk standards, White was clear that he didn’t have a problem with it.

“No, not in this business I don’t (worry that it’s too far),” White told reporters at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “If you look, you can add that to the pile of some pretty nasty things that have been said in this sport. And not just this sport – boxing, I’m sure muay Thai, kickboxing, you name it. Mean things are said.

“In this insanely politically correct world that we’re living in, this is one place that is not.”

Basharat went on to dominate Kahlon for nearly all three rounds at Dana White’s Contender Series 45 before submitting him with a guillotine choke with 48 seconds remaining. The performance was good enough to earn undefeated Basharat (11-0) a UFC contract.

As far as White is concerned, what happened to Kahlon in the cage is comeuppance enough for the UFC to not take any action.

“Are we gonna do anything? It got done tonight,” White said. “You know what I mean? It’s the beautiful thing about this sport. I say it all the time: This is not a nice sport. This is a very rough sport. We say a lot of mean things to each other, you know, and justice gets served at the end of the day.

“Listen, when you have a situation like that, the best way to solve the problem is you fight, and you fight legally. You get paid legally, and that’s what happened tonight.”

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DWCS Video: Gadzhi Omargadzhiev locks in nasty looking kneebar for first-round submission

Check out this nasty kneebar from the feature bout at Dana White’s Contender Series 45 on Tuesday evening.

The feature bout of Dana White’s Contender Series 45 lived up to its top billing.

Undefeated middleweight [autotag]Gadzhi Omargadzhiev[/autotag] took on Jansey Silva at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as both were hoping to secure victory and potentially a contract to the UFC from Dana White.

As the two were engaged on the canvas, Omargadzhiev (13-0) began to grab a hold of Silva’s right leg. Initially, Silva (7-2) responded by landing a hard punch while his opponent was still locking in the hold, but it did not stop the attempt.

Omargadzhiev continued to crank, and had Silva’s leg bending all sorts of directions. A short moment later, he found the leverage he needed and cranked on the kneebar one last time, forcing a rapid tap from Silva.

Check out video of the submission below via Twitter.

The hyperextension of the knee looked like it may have caused some structural damage to Silva, but at least he was able to return to his feet and leave the cage  under his own power.

Omargadzhiev earned a UFC contract for his first round finish as White was impressed with his performance as an undefeated fighter with a world of potential in the middleweight division, even drawing compairson to former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 45 live results (8 p.m. ET)

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 45 event, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 45 event, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

In the featured bout, undefeated Russian middleweight Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (12-0) takes on Brazil’s Jansey Silva (7-1).

The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams on ESPN+.

The Dana White’s Contender Series 45 lineup includes:

  • Gadzhi Omargadzhiev vs. Jansey Silva
  • Xiao Long vs. Christian Quinonez
  • Oron Kahlon vs. Javid Basharat
  • Karine Silva vs. Yan Qihui
  • Kolton Englund vs. Manuel Torres
  • Xie Bin vs. Olivier Murad

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Dana White’s Contender Series 45 faceoff turns ugly with ‘terrorist’ taunt

Israel’s Oron Kahlon clearly could be heard calling Afghanistan’s Javid Basharat a “terrorist” before their fight.

LAS VEGAS – A ceremonial faceoff turned ugly ahead of Dana White’s Contender Series 45 when Israel’s [autotag]Oron Kahlon[/autotag] called Afghanistan’s [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag] a “terrorist.”

Kahlon missed weight for the bantamweight clash moments earlier, coming in at 139 pounds. He was fined 20 percent of his purse, but the bout will go on as scheduled. The two were then paired together for a traditional pre-fight faceoff at the fighter hotel.

Basharat seemed to decline his opponent’s handshake as they neared, and the two then began speaking indistinctly to each other. After a brief faceoff, the two turned forward, and Kahlon clearly could be heard saying “terrorist,” which got a reaction from Basharat.

Basharat also confirmed on Instagram that he heard the comment, as well:

This p*ssy wanted a way out by missing weight by 3 pounds . I told him I’m gonna still whoop his arse, he then called me a terrorist 🤦🏻‍♂️ wanted a reaction again he wanted a way out 😂😂 unlucky for him I ain’t going no where ! , I’m waiting to see him tomorrow 😉❄️🐆
Booooo @oron_kahlon guys let him have it 😂

Relations between Afghanistan and Israel are non-existent. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, it has ruled out cooperating with Israel. Earlier this month, the last member of Afghanistan’s Jewish community left the country in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

Basharat (10-0) and Kahlon (16-0) are scheduled to meet at Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 45 event, which streams live on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

Check out their faceoff in the video above.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 45 official weigh-in results, live video stream (12 p.m. ET)

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 45 fighter weigh-ins.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 45 fighter weigh-ins, and you can catch a live video stream of the action, beginning at noon ET.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

In the featured bout, undefeated Russian middleweight [autotag]Gadzhi Omargadzhiev[/autotag] (12-0) takes on Brazil’s [autotag]Jansey Silva[/autotag] (7-1).

The early weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in Las Vegas. The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams on ESPN+.

The full Dana White’s Contender Series 45 weigh-in results include:

  • Gadzhi Omargadzhiev () vs. Jansey Silva ()
  • Christian Quinonez () vs. Long Xiao ()
  • Javid Basharat () vs. Oron Kahlon ()
  • Karine Silva () vs. Qihui Yan ()
  • Kolton Englund () vs. Manuel Torres ()
  • Xie Bin () vs. Olivier Murad ()