Tag: Dana White’s Contender Series 50

Esteban Ribovics vows UFC performances will be ‘even more impressive’ than DWCS 50 knockout

Esteban Ribovics says Dana White’s Contender Series 50 was just the beginning of the violence he plans on providing the UFC.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag] says Dana White’s Contender Series 50 was just the beginning of the violence he plans on providing the UFC lightweight division.

Boasting a 100 percent finish rate, Ribovics (11-0) punched his ticket to the UFC by knocking out Thomas Paull in the featured bout Tuesday. UFC president Dana White said Ribovics’ style was right up his alley, and the undefeated Argentine plans on continuing to deliver emphatic performances.

“In the weigh-ins, I did say that this is what I was gonna do,” Ribovics told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I was gonna do something to really get something out of Dana, and a promise made was a promise kept, and I got it.

He continued, “That is my style. I promise it’s gonna be like this, and I promise it’s gonna be even more impressive every single time.”

[lawrence-related id=2572550,2572537,2572532]

In a division full of action-packed fighters, Ribovics likes one particular fighter’s style and wouldn’t mind sharing the octagon with him someday.

“In the division there are a lot of good people,” Ribovics said. “I really like (Rafael) Fiziev. So, I’ve actually trained with Fiziev in Florida, and I was able to see him there, and I like what he does. The leg movement and how he moves around, I just think it would be a good fight, but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. You’re gonna get that from me at any rate, so whoever they put in front of me, that’s what you’re gonna get from me.”

[listicle id=2572508]

With UFC contract secured, Claudio Ribeiro wants to be Mike Tyson of middleweight division

Comparing himself to Mike Tyson, Claudio Ribeiro sees no issue with weighing in 4.5 pounds under the limit and being small for the division.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Claudio Ribeiro[/autotag] doesn’t think he’s too small for middleweight.

Although he weighed in at 181.5 pounds, Ribeiro (10-2) needed just 25 seconds to knock out Ivan Valenzuela on Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 50 to earn a UFC contract. He didn’t appear to rule out a move down to welterweight in the future, but Ribeiro thinks his power translates very well at middleweight.

“Basically we’re gonna stay at ’85 and gonna continue to run the course and then maybe later think about what’s below,” Ribeiro told reporters, including MMA Junkie.

He continued, “They like to say I’m little for the division, but you know what? Mike Tyson was little for boxing, and he used to knock everyone out. So, I’m gonna be the Mike Tyson of my division.”

[lawrence-related id=2572537,2572523,2572532]

When UFC president Dana White was asked his thoughts on Ribeiro coming in so light, he figured the Brazilian could probably make 170 pounds easily. Ribeiro insists on middleweight but can see himself competing in both weight classes.

“As I said, we’re gonna keep at ’85,” Ribeiro said. “One step at a time, no rush. But if he keeps saying those things, of course we can go down there and get that belt over there, as well.”

[listicle id=2572508]

Jose Johnson: Dana White moved by my story but also looked at hard work to deserve UFC contract

If not for a stroke of luck, Jose Johnson might not be a UFC fighter, but he doesn’t completely see it that way.

LAS VEGAS – If not for a stroke of luck, [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] might not be a UFC fighter, but he doesn’t completely see it that way.

Competing in front of [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] for the fourth time, Johnson (15-7) was finally able to impress the UFC boss when he defeated formerly unbeaten Jack Cartwright on Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 50. Afterward, Johnson was emotional during his interview with Laura Sanko.

“I fought so much to be here today,” Johnson said, trying to hold back tears. “People say because of my record that I shouldn’t be here. I’ve overcome some things that people don’t even understand. I went through team switches, divorce, everything. I lost custody of my kid. I’m fighting for it now. It’s just so much that happened. I’m just glad I could be here today talking to you.”

White doesn’t normally listen to Sanko’s interviews with DWCS winners so as not to be influenced by what he hears, but he said he happened to put on his headset while sitting cageside. What he heard apparently swayed White’s decision on Johnson.

“His interview got him the contract tonight, that’s it,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “The fight was weird. He beat a 10-0 kid, came here the second time, laid out. It’s easy to sit up here and f*cking yap about this and that. You don’t know where half these kids come from or what they go through or what it took for them to be here tonight. Well, he laid it out. He got me. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to give him the opportunity. The rest is up to him.”

However, Johnson, who is on a three-fight winning streak, said it also has to do with the fact that he never stopped fighting despite various missed opportunities to sign with the UFC.

“I think it was a little bit of a combination of both,” Johnson told reporters. “He already knew the story. The story changed a lot since then, and he felt it, and he heard it, but then he also looked at the hard work that was put in behind it. A lot of people in the situation that I was put in would have just given up. After back-to-back losses in front of Dana White, they would have just put the gloves down. And me? I didn’t.”

[listicle id=2572508]

Nazim Sadykhov ready to ’cause a sh*tstorm’ after DWCS 50 win – preferably starting at UFC 281

Now that Longo-Weidman MMA standout Nazim Sadykhov has a UFC contract, he wants to compete alongside teammate Matt Frevola at MSG.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Nazim Sadykhov[/autotag] wants to compete on the same UFC 281 card as Longo-Weidman MMA teammate Matt Frevola.

Sadykhov (7-1) earned a UFC contract Tuesday when he took out Ahmad Hassanzada in the third round at Dana White’s Contender Series 50.

“That’s Matt Frevola back there. He’s on MSG. Throw me in MSG with him over there,” Sadykhov told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after his win. “November, let’s get it.”

He continued, “I’m not gonna do these callouts yet, but trust me, I’m gonna cause a sh*t storm.”

[lawrence-related id=2572532]

Sadykhov, who’s finished all but one of his professional fights, wasn’t entirely happy with his performance but knows he did what’s necessary to impress the UFC brass.

“I feel like I let some mistakes happen, but overall, I got what I wanted,” Sadykhov said. “I got my finish. That’s what they want on Contender’s, that’s what they want in the UFC, that’s what I want. So, yes, there’s things I can say I can improve on or work on or not make those mistakes, but I got my finish.”

[listicle id=2572508]

Hailey Cowan isn’t sure what Dana White meant by ‘it factor,’ but she’s thankful for UFC contract

Dana White wasn’t thrilled by Hailey Cowan’s split decision win but decided to award her a UFC contract anyway.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] wasn’t thrilled with [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag]’s performance, but he decided to award her a UFC contract anyway.

Cowan (7-2) edged out Claudia Leite by split decision Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 50 and had to listen to White’s tentative analysis of her fight before he decided that he liked everything about her.

The 30-year-old got to show off her clinch work, which is her comfort zone, but admits she was hesitant to hang out in the clinch for too long to not engage in a boring fight.

“I know what it means, but I also don’t know what that means, but I’m thankful for it,” Cowan told reporters, including MMA Junkie, of the term “it factor” that White used to describe her. “I’ll take the ‘it factor.’ They don’t like the clinch, and I love the clinch, and I do a lot of damage in the clinch. So even this fight, I wasn’t able to hang out in the clinch very long, because I was worried about impressing him, and I didn’t want him to consider that boring.

“But I’ve never even been warned in the clinch to get to work. I’m always very, very active, so I probably would have been able to get a finish if I would have gotten that clinch more and did the damage that I did in Round 1, but I was very, very worried that he was not gonna like that.”

[lawrence-related id=2572518,2572515,2572517]

As for what Cowan wants next, she hopes her next fight won’t be at the UFC Apex.

“I don’t like the silence,” Cowan said with a laugh. “I was a college athlete, and college sports is very loud. I love the loud arenas. I would love to fight in Texas. I’m a Texan. You cut me open, and I bleed little lone stars. I would love to fight in Texas. That would be the dream.”

[listicle id=2572508]

Dana White’s Contender Series 50: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 50 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 50 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)

Dana White’s Contender Series 50 live results

MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 50 event.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 50 event.

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.

The fourth week of the sixth season will see 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. This week, lightweights begin and end the show, with a featured bout between Thomas Paull (11-3) and undefeated Esteban Ribovics (10-0).

There are also men’s and women’s bantamweight bouts and one middleweight bout to complete the event’s lineup.

The UFC Apex hosted Tuesday’s card, which streamed on ESPN+. The full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 50 include:

  • Thomas Paull vs. Esteban Ribovics
  • Claudio Ribeiro vs. Ivan Valenzuela
  • Jack Cartwright vs. Jose Johnson
  • Hailey Cowan vs. Claudia Leite
  • Ahmad Hassanzada vs. Nazim Sadykhov

Continue reading below for more details about the event.

Dana White’s Contender Series 50 faceoff highlights video, photo gallery from Las Vegas

Check out the video highlights from the Dana White’s Contender Series 50 official weigh-ins with 10 fighters vying for UFC contracts.

LAS VEGAS – The pre-fight activities are in the books for Dana White’s Contender Series 50 following Monday’s official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

Ten fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including lightweights Thomas Paull (11-3) and Esteban Ribovics (10-0), who headline the show at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

At the conclusion of the official weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for staredowns. Check out the highlights in the video above and a photo gallery from the weigh-ins and faceoffs below.

Dana White’s Contender Series 50 takes place Tuesday and streams on ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=2572018]

Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 50 weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos from the Dana White’s Contender Series 50 weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the Dana White’s Contender Series 50 weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas. (Photos by Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie)

Dana White’s Contender Series 50 weigh-in results: Thomas Paull, Esteban Ribovics official for main event

Check out the results from the official Dana White’s Contender Series 50 fighter weigh-ins in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 50 weigh-ins, where all 10 fighters hit their marks.

Ten fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including lightweights Thomas Paull (11-3) and Esteban Ribovics (10-0), who headline the show.

Paull was the first fighter to the scale and weighed in at 155.5 pounds. Ribovics arrived to the scale about five minutes later and was 155 to make their fight officical.

The weigh-ins took 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 50 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Thomas Paull (155.5) vs. Esteban Ribovics (155)
  • Claudio Ribeiro (181.5) vs. Ivan Valenzuela (186)
  • Jack Cartwright (136) vs. Jose Johnson (136)
  • Hailey Cowan (136) vs. Claudia Leite (136)
  • Ahmad Hassanzada (156) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (155.5)

[vertical-gallery id=2572018]