Tag: Dana White’s Contender Series 56

Charles Oliveira protege Mateus Mendonca nails scary, 48-second knockout of Ashiek Ajim on DWCS

Ashiek Ajim was down for two minutes after this scary knockout.

[autotag]Mateus Mendonca[/autotag] has hands and he showed them off Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series.

A training partner of UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], the undefeated featherweight Mendonca (10-0) iced CES MMA champion [autotag]Ashiek Ajim[/autotag] (6-2) in 48 seconds at the UFC Apex.

An overhand right started off the sequence when Mendonca dropped Ajim to the canvas. As Ajim tried to regain himself, a left punch and right hammerfist snatched his remaining consciousness.

Due to the violent series of blows, Ajim was down on the canvas for over two minutes before UFC and commission staff assisted him to his stool.

After the fight, Mendonca thanked his training partner Oliveira among others and declared his readiness for a UFC contract. Oliveira expressed his excitement in a tweet shortly thereafter.

The finish was the 10th quickest knockout in DWCS history and advances Mendonca to 10-0 with seven finishes.

Meanwhile, Ajim loses for the first time since October 2020.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 56 live results

Follow along with live results of Dana White’s Contender Series 56 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 56 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 tenth and final week of the sixth season will see 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the feature bout, highly-touted middleweight prospect [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] (2-0) returns for his second appearance this season to take on [autotag]Donovan Beard[/autotag] (7-1).

The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams live on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 56 include:

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

  • Bo Nickal vs. Donovan Beard
  • Vinicius Cenci vs. Sam Patterson
  • Jack Jenkins vs. Freddy Emiliano Linares
  • Joao Elias vs. Rafael Ramos Estevam
  • Ashiek Ajim vs. Mateus Mendonca

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.

Bo Nickal won’t hate on Raul Rosas Jr. directly inking UFC deal: ‘I’m on my own path’

Raul Rosas Jr. may have stolen some of Bo Nickal’s hype, but the standout wrestler thinks there’s room for everyone.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] may have stolen some of [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s hype on Dana White’s Contender Series, but the standout wrestler thinks there’s room for everyone.

Nickal (2-0) came in as one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory at DWCS 49, but his quick TKO of Zachary Borrego more than a month ago wasn’t enough for a UFC deal. Instead, Nickal has been given another opportunity on the show when he meets Donovan Beard at DWCS 56 on Tuesday.

Rosas (6-0), on the other hand, was awarded a UFC deal a week ago when he defeated Mando Gutierrez by unanimous decision at DWCS 55, making him, at 17, the youngest fighter ever signed by the promotion. Nickal admitted he didn’t watch Rosas’ fight, but is solely worried about his own journey.

“I don’t really care – do your thing,” Nickal said in an interview with Full Send. “Good for you – the youngest fighter on the roster. Congratulations. That’s amazing – amazing accomplishment. I’m not really one to hate at all, so do your thing. That’s dope. I’m on my own path.

“My path, I’m comfortable with it and I know where I’m headed and my trajectory, where I’m going, so I’m not really worried about anyone else. Seeing these young guys succeed, that hypes me up. I want everybody to win. So for me, at the end of the day, I focus on what I can control and go out there and do what I need to do.”

Nickal has aspirations of becoming the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and vows to make his official UFC debut before the end of the year.

“One hundred percent you’ll see me in the UFC octagon, probably December,” Nickal said. “I’m looking at obviously this fight first, take care of business, do what I need to do, and then from there … I want to stay active. I want to fight as much as possible, get experience, and you’ll 100 percent see me in an octagon before the end of the year.”

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Dana White’s Contender Series 56 faceoff highlights video, photo gallery from Las Vegas

Check out the video highlights and a photo gallery from the Dana White’s Contender Series 56 officiaal weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – The pre-fight activities are in the books for Dana White’s Contender Series 56 following Monday’s official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

Ten fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including middleweights Bo Nickal (2-0), a standout wrestler, and Donovan Beard (7-1), 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 56 takes place Tuesday and streams on ESPN+.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 56 weigh-in results: All 10, including Bo Nickal, on weight in Las Vegas

Check out the results from the official Dana White’s Contender Series 56 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 56 fighter weigh-ins, where all 10 fighters hit their marks.

DWCS 56 marks the Season 6 finale after 10 consecutive weeks of events. The card is headlined by the highly anticipated return of Bo Nickal (2-0), a middleweight prospect who will compete for the second time this season. He meets Donovan Beard (7-1) in the main event.

Nickal was the last fighter to weigh in, about 25 minutes into the official window, and was 185.5 pounds. Beard came in at 184.

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 early 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 56 weigh-in results included:

  • Bo Nickal (185.5) vs. Donovan Beard (184)
  • Vinicius Cenci (155) vs. Sam Patterson (155)
  • Jack Jenkins (145.5) vs. Freddy Emiliano Linares (144.5)
  • Joao Elias (125) vs. Rafael Ramos Estevam (126)
  • Ashiek Ajim (135.5) vs. Mateus Mendonca (134.5)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

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