Dana White signs two fighters to UFC after scouting Fury FC 53 in Denver

A Dallas-based middleweight and an a Glory MMA & Fitness standout are now on the UFC roster.

Two more fighters have been added to the UFC roster after promotion president Dana White scouted a regional show Sunday in Denver.

Fury FC 53 took place at Western National Complex and featured rising prospects from around the United States. White, along with friends Din Thomas and Matt Serra, were in attendance for the filming of an upcoming episode of “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.”

Dallas-area middleweight [autotag]Joseph Holmes[/autotag] (7-1) and Glory MMA & Fitness standout [autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag] (15-4) impressed the UFC boss enough to receive contract offers, according to an Instagram post from their manager Jason House, CVO of Iridium Sports Agency.

Holmes, 26, was offered another opportunity to fight in front of White an after he won on Dana White’s Contender Series in October. Against a fellow DWCS alum [autotag]Jhonoven Pati[/autotag] (6-6), Holmes connected on a brutal knockout punch and follow-up shot that ended the fight in highlight reel fashion.

As for Ogden, he headlined Fury FC 53 against American Kickboxing Acadamy (AKA) prospect [autotag]JJ Okanovich[/autotag] (8-3) and won by second-round technical submission. Ogden shined on the ground where he largely controlled the fight for its entirety before he locked in an arm-triangle choke.

DWCS standout [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] (6-1) was unsuccessful in his second attempt to impress the UFC boss. He lost the first fight of his professional career when he was submitted by Jose Johnson (13-7).

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Bellator alumnus [autotag]George Tokkos[/autotag] (6-2), DWCS alum [autotag]Ty Flores[/autotag] (9-3), former CFFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alberto Trujillo[/autotag] (6-2), former Combate Americas title challenger [autotag]Andres Quintana[/autotag] (19-3), and rising Elevation Fight Team lightweight [autotag]Arut Pogosjan[/autotag] (9-3) were among the others victorious on the card.

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On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC or Bellator with November wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety โ€“ one for the second time โ€“ return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

This month:

  • Promised another look from the UFC boss, this Dana White’s Contender Series winner aims to get his second win in front of the promotional brass โ€“ and a contract, too.
  • An undefeated Stipe Miocic training partner who also won on DWCS earlier this year hopes 6-0 will be enough experience for the UFC to bring him on board.
  • A training partner of the likes of Islam Makhachev, Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and others, this American lightweight has had many ups and a few downs but thinks it’s finally his time.
  • A relative unknown from Alabama who burst onto the radar with an 11-second win earlier this year in CFFC hopes winning the promotion’s title will be the stepping stone to a UFC or Bellator opportunity.
  • A lifelong martial artist, this French-Canadian angles to keep the success of legendary Tristar gym alive and well with an eye-popping, phone call-earning performance.

Dana White’s Contender Series adds Stipe Miocic teammate Mo Miller vs. Brandon Lewis

Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series continues to fill up.

When Stipe Miocic teammate [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] pulled off a nasty slam knockout at LFA 96 in December, he caught the attention of not only thousands of fans โ€“ but also the UFC.

The UFC has booked Miller (5-0) against fellow top prospect [autotag]Brandon Lewis[/autotag] (5-0) for a bantamweight bout Sept. 14 on Dana White’s Contender Series at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Miller, 29, trains at Strong Style MMA and Training Center in Independence, Ohio. He has finished his most recent four outings. Prior to the highlight-reel slam, Miller handed previously undefeated Mando Guttierez his first professional loss via submission.

Lewis, 24, has three finishes in five professional outings with two knockouts and one submission. He most recently competed for LFA where he went 2-0.

With the addition, the DWCS 39 lineup includes:

  • Jailton Junior vs. Nasrudin Nasrudinov
  • Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Julia Polastri
  • Jack Della Maddalena vs. Ange Loosa
  • Brandon Lewis vs. Mo Miller

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LFA 96 results: Maycon Mendonca bests Batsumberel Dagvadorj in thriller, claims vacant belt

An all-out war in the LFA 96 main event might be a late candidate for “Fight of the Year” consideration.

[autotag]Maycon Mendonca[/autotag] and [autotag]Batsumberel Dagvadorj[/autotag] gave it their all in Friday night’s LFA 96 main event.

With the vacant LFA welterweight title on the line, Mendonca (10-4) and Dagvadorj (7-0) engaged in a five-round, all-out war. In the ย end, Mendonca earned a unanimous decision over Dagvadorj, with 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 scores that don’t do justice to the tenacity with which Dagvadorj fought.

The tempo was set early in the fight. Mendonca had his moments and Dagvadorj returned fire with a flooring blow. Through the second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds, both men slowed at times, but always found a way to accelerate once again.

Dagvardorj came forward with reckless abandon and sought takedowns while he flung punches. Mendonca, on the other hand, found his technical striking and plum clinch knees his most successful weapon. Mongolia’s Dagvardoj, battered and bruised, displayed a strong chin and ability to reset himself when needed.

For those who haven’t already tallied their 2020 superlative votes, the bout might be a late candidate for “Fight of the Year” consideration.

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In the co-main event, Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag] (9-0) kept his undefeated record alive when he defeated a gritty [autotag]Zach Juusola[/autotag] (11-7) via unanimous decision.

Earlier on the card, Stipe Miocic teammate [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] (5-0) added another highlight-reel finish to his resume. The suplexes worked for Miller all night. To finish the fight, he slammed and knocked out [autotag]Regivaldo Carvalho[/autotag] (5-3) in Round 2.

LFA 96 took place Friday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The card streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Full LFA 96 results:

  • Maycon Mendonca def. Batsumberel Dagvadorj via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) โ€“ for vacant LFA welterweight title
  • Anthony Romero def. Zach Juusola via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Mo Miller def. Regivaldo Carvalho via knockout (slam and punches) โ€“ Round 2, 2:57
  • Mark Martin def. Matthew Colquhoun via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28)
  • Lisa Mauldin def. Mitzi Merry via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • William Starks def. Slava Borshchlev via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Joseph Holmes def. Ryan Leininger via knockout (knee) โ€“ Round 1, 1:38

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LFA 96 video: Stipe Miocic teammate Mo Miller earns brutal slam KO after multiple suplexes

Mo Miller was a slam machine at LFA 96. The third one earned him a knockout win.

At LFA 96, bantamweight up-and-comer [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] proved once again he can be a serious problem for his competition.

Taking on Bellator alumnus Reginaldo Carvalho, Miller (5-0) utilized a suplex multiple times โ€“ twice in Round 1. The third significant time came midway through Round 2 โ€“ and it proved to be the charm.

Miller, 28, elevated his opponent and dropped Carvalho (5-3) right on his head. Carvalho was out upon impact. Follow-up punches occurred, though the damage was already done. Carvalho’s head bounced back and forth before the referee stepped in and waved off the fight.

A member of Strong Style MMA in Independence, Ohio, Miller is a teammate of UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag], former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye, and UFC light heavyweight Aleksa Camur.

With the victory, Miller, a former Division II All-American, remains undefeated in his career. After going 6-0 as an amateur, Miller turned professional in August 2019. In five professional fights, Miller has picked up four finishes.

LFA 96 took place Friday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The card streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

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LFA 90 results: Zviad Lazishvili wins vacant bantamweight title, moves to 13-0

Zviad Lazishvili is the new LFA bantamweight champion after an impressive performance at LFA 90.

[autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] is the new LFA bantamweight champion.

The native of the Republic of Georgia picked up a dominant win in the main event of Friday’s LFA 90 card in Sioux Falls, S.D. to capture the vacant 135-pound title. Lazishvili (13-0 MMA) submitted [autotag]Ricky Steele[/autotag]ย with a rear-naked choke at 3:42 of the first round.

Lazishvili was nothing but dominant at LFA 90. The 28-year-old took down Steele early, secured the back mount against the cage, and from there worked relentlessly for the rear-naked choke. Steele did a good job defending the choke multiple times, but Lazishvili eventually secured the submission once and for all and got the tap.

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Lazishvili revealed in his post-fight interview he battled with three injuries in the training camp leading up to the fight, but he’s grateful he went trough it. He hopes the UFC takes notice of his performance and gets an offer to join the promotion.

The undefeated Lazishvili picked up his ninth submission win with the victory over Steele. This was also Lazishvili’s second win under the LFA banner, as he outpointedย Josh Huber back in November 2019 at LFA 79.

Full results from LFA 90 below:

  • Zviad Lazishvili def. Ricky Steele via submission (rear-naked choke) โ€“ Round 1, 3:42.
  • [autotag]Maycon Mendoca[/autotag]ย def. [autotag]Devin Smyth[/autotag]ย via ย knockout โ€“ Round 2, 4:21
  • [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] def. [autotag]Chris Brown[/autotag] via split decision
  • [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] def. [autotag]Mando Gutierrez[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) โ€“ Round 2, 4:26
  • [autotag]Allan Begosso[/autotag] def. [autotag]Sen McPadden[/autotag] via TKO โ€“ Round 1, 0:48
  • [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag] def. [autotag]Kelsey Arneson[/autotag] via unanimous decision
  • [autotag]Daniel Argueta[/autotag] def. [autotag]Jackson Filho[/autotag] via unanimous decision
  • [autotag]Alden Coria[/autotag] def. [autotag]Calvin Harbaugh[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) โ€“ Round 1, 2:20

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