Tag: Dana White’s Contender Series 59

DWCS 59 winner Zach Reese dubs himself ‘Great Value Logan Paul,’ ready for all comers

Zach Reese only got to show off 74 seconds of skill at Dana White’s Contender Series, but it was enough to prove he’s UFC-ready.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag] only got to show off 74 seconds of skill at Dana White’s Contender Series 59, but he thinks it was enough to prove he’s UFC-ready.

Reese (6-0) secured a UFC contract on Tuesday when he scored a quick armbar submission victory over Eli Aronov (5-1) at the UFC Apex. The finish impressed company president Dana White, who didn’t hesitate to invite the 29-year-old into the middleweight division.

With an 100 perfect finish rate on his record, with all the wins coming in the first round, Reese hasn’t been pushed much or faced a whole lot of adversity to this point in his career. That may not last when joining a roster of the best 185-pound fighters in the world, but he’s ready for the challenge.

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“I wish I would’ve stood up a little bit more or the fight would’ve played out a little bit – but I can’t be mad about a (74)-second finish,” Reese told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at DWCS 59. “It feel surreal. I remember being a kid and watching UFC and to be here now today, it’s a lifetime worth of work come true. … I’m ready (for) all comers.”

Now that he’s part of the UFC roster, the work truly begins for Reese. He seems to have a slight edge in notoriety from most promotional newcomers, though, because he said he’s constantly given lookalike comparisons to YouTube/WWE star Logan Paul.

“That is hilarious. I get asked that all the time,” Reese said. “I tell people that I am Great Value Logan Paul.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 59.

Dana White’s Contender’s Series 59: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the four winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 59.

Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2023) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the four-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 the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

Dana White’s Contender Series 59 results: Three winners receive UFC deals; one does not

Season 7, Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series continues Tuesday, and MMA Junkie will have live results from on-site at the UFC Apex.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was at Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 59 event.

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

The third episode of Season 7 will see eight fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. A middleweight contest between [autotag]Eli Aronov[/autotag] (6-1) and [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag] (5-1) served as the featured bout of the four-bout lineup. Fury FC’s Reese quickly submitted Unified MMA’s Aronov with an armbar.

In the co-featured bout, Cage Warriors’ [autotag]Obain Elliott[/autotag] and Okatgon’s [autotag]Kaik Brito[/autotag] went blow-for-blow in a thrilling three-round battle.

Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 59 include:

  • Zachary Reese def. Eli Aronov via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:14
  • Oban Elliott def. Kaik Brito via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
  • Josefine Knutsson def. Isis Verbeek via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Luis Pajuelo def. Robbie Ring via TKO (knee and punches) – Round 1, 3:43

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.

DWCS 59 video: Daniel Cormier criticizes Eli Aronov after Zach Reese’s slick submission

Daniel Cormier had harsh words for Eli Aronov’s grappling defense in his Dana White’s Contender Series 59 loss to Zach Reese.

LAS VEGAS – UFC commentator and Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] was not impressed by [autotag]Eli Aronov[/autotag]’s submission defense in his Dana White’s Contender Series 59 loss to [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag].

Reese (6-0) punched his ticket to a UFC contract on Tuesday when he recovered from slipping to the ground to lock in a fight-ending armbar on Aronov (5-1) just 74 seconds into the middleweight bout at the UFC Apex.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):

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After the finish, Cormier expressed his frustration with Aronov’s defensive tactics.

“That’s the thing – you can’t do that, man,” Cormier said aftr the stoppage. “When you’re out of the submission, you can’t put yourself in a damn submission. He was out. He was actually out. That is crazy. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s the stuff that’s going to keep you out of the UFC. … You see something like that coming from a pay-per-view, that’s a mistake people don’t make coming from pay-per-views.”

While disappointed in Aronov, there was plenty of praise on Reese, who remained undefeated with six first-round finishes in six fights.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 59.

Dana White’s Contender Series 59: Best photos from Las Vegas

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 59 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 59 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)

Dana White’s Contender Series 59 faceoff highlights video, photo gallery from Las Vegas

Check out the weigh-in and faceoff video highlights and photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 59 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – The pre-fight activities are in the books for Dana White’s Contender Series 59 following Monday’s official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

Eight fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including middleweights Eli Aronov (6-0) and Zach Reese (5-0), 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 59 takes place Tuesday and streams on ESPN+.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 59 weigh-in results: One fight scrapped in Vegas

Check out the results from the official Dana White’s Contender Series 59 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 59 weigh-ins, where one fight was scrapped from the lineup.

Eight fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including middleweights Eli Aronov (6-0) and Zach Reese (5-0), who headline the show. Each fighter was 185.5 pounds.

The flyweight bout between Luciano Pereira (13-1) and Felipe dos Santos (7-0) was canceled due to medical issues for Pereira. Dos Santos weighed in anyway and was 124.5 pounds, but will have to wait for another shot.

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 59 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Eli Aronov (185.5) vs. Zach Reese (185.5)
  • Kaik Brito (169) vs. Oban Elliott (170.5)
  • Josefine Knutsson (116) vs. Isis Verbeek (114.5)
  • Luis Pajuelo (145.5) vs. Robbie Ring (145.5)
  • Felipe Dos Santos (124.5) vs. Luciano Pereira ()*

*Pereira did not weigh in due to medical issues and the fight was canceled.

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