Tag: Yousri Belgaroui

Dana White’s Contender Series 60 results: Three fighters get UFC contracts; two denied

Season 7, Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series goes down Tuesday, and MMA Junkie will have live results from on-site at the UFC Apex.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene at Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 69 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 episode of Season 7 saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. A welterweight contest between Mitch Ramirez (7-1) and Carlos Prates (17-6) served as the featured matchup of the five-bout lineup.

Also on the card was Yousri Belgaroui (5-3), a former Glory Kickboxing standout who competed against both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. He took on Marco Tulio Silva (9-2).

Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 60 include:

  • Carlos Prates def. Mitch Ramirez via TKO (punch) – Round 2, 1:14
  • Marco Silva def. Yousri Belgaroui via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Tim Cuamba def. Mateo Vogel via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Thomas Petersen def. Chandler Cole via submission (keylock) – Round 2, 1:08
  • Bolaji Oki def. Dylan Salvador via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:46

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.

Dana White’s Contender Series 60 weigh-in results: 10 UFC hopefuls on point – including Glory Kickboxing standout

Check out the results from the official Dana White’s Contender Series 60 fighter weigh-ins in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene at Monday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 60 fighter weigh-ins.

The weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in Las Vegas and lasted less than 15 minutes. The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams on ESPN+.

Ten fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including welterweights [autotag]Mitch Ramirez[/autotag] (7-0) and [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] (16-6), who headline the show.

Also on the card is [autotag]Yousri Belgaroui[/autotag] (5-2), a former Glory Kickboxing standout who competed against both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. He takes on [autotag]Marco Silva[/autotag] (9-1).

The full Dana White’s Contender Series 60 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Carlos Prates (170) vs. Mitch Ramirez (171)
  • Yousri Belgaroui (186) vs. Marco Silva (185.5)
  • Tim Cuamba (145.5) vs. Mateo Vogel (144.5)
  • Chandler Cole (264) vs. Thomas Petersen (264)
  • Bolaji Oki (156) vs. Dylan Salvador (155)

Yousri Belgaroui, common kickboxing foe of Adesanya and Pereira, heads to Dana White’s Contender Series

A Glory Kickboxing standout who faced Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira twice each, Yousri Belgaroui looks to pave his own way to the UFC.

There are only four men who have faced both [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in kickboxing, and one of them may be following suit to the UFC pretty soon, as [autotag]Yousri Belgaroui[/autotag] is set to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series this summer.

Belgaroui (5-2) takes on Charles Oliveira’s teammate [autotag]Marco Tulio Silva[/autotag] (9-1) on Aug. 29 at the UFC Apex with a potential contract on the line. Belgaroui is 6’5″ and has competed at light heavyweight thus far in his MMA career, but this matchup is at middleweight.

Two people with knowledge of the addition recently informed MMA Junkie of it but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Dutch Fight Network first reported the news Thursday.

Belgaroui, 31, competed as a pro kickboxer from 2015 to 2021 before he transitioned fully into MMA. He challenged for the Glory middleweight title three times but was unsuccessful in capturing it.

During his kickboxing tenure, Belgaroui fought Adesanya and Pereira twice each. He lost two decisions to Adesanya (one unanimous and one split) and was defeated by Pereira twice by TKO (one due to a cut and the other by knockout). All four bouts were for Glory Kickboxing.

In 2022, Belgaroui joined forces with his old opponent Pereira, who was gearing up to face Adesanya at UFC 281. Belgaroui made Teixeira MMA & Fitness in Danbury, Conn., his new training home and has been there ever since.

Pereira expressed his excitement in Belgaroui’s participation on social media Wednesday.

As for his MMA career, Belgaroui encountered ups and downs across his seven fights to date for UAE Warriors (Middle East) and Levels Fight League (Netherlands). Since a 3-2 start, Belgaroui has won back-to-back fights. Four of his five victories have come by knockout and his two defeats have been decisions.

Silva, 28, has finished seven of his nine pro MMA fights inside the distance. He rides a five-fight winning streak into his potential UFC contract-earning opportunity. Silva was originally scheduled to face Val Woodburn, who withdrew from the bout when he was offered a fight vs. Bo Nickal at UFC 290.

Check out the up-to-date Dana White’s Contender Series lineup and schedule here.

Through common lenses: Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira’s mutual opponents preview UFC 281 headliner

The four men who fought both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira in kickboxing explain why they’re so difficult – and give their predictions.

Regardless of what happens Saturday at UFC 281, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] will forever be linked.

Former two-time kickboxing opponents, Adesanya and Pereira are on the verge of a quasi-trilogy bout under a different rule set. Their kickboxing matches, both won by Pereira, seem like they took place during a different lifetime on an alternate planet.

While so much has changed, a lot has remained the same. Adesanya and Pereira still rely heavily on the discipline that got them to the big dance, a UFC middleweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. They’re mixed martial artists now, but still kickboxers.

Adesanya and Pereira have that direct linkage already, but the web extends beyond. Four men shared the ring with both during their kickboxing days. They know what it truly feels like to be kicked, punched and even sometimes knocked out by the fighters on the UFC 281 marquee.