The first season of Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” concludes tonight (Tues., Aug. 29, 2017) on Fight Pass with another 10 mixed martial arts (MMA) hopefuls looking to light up The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Gym.
Unbeaten Lightweights Matt Frevola and Luke Flores take center stage, while TUF 23 competitor Elias Urbina faces Bevon Lewis in the Middleweight co-feature. Down at Flyweight, TUF 24 alum Adam Antolin faces Casey Kenney, who makes his second “Contender Series” appearance on short notice. The series’ second women’s fight sees Lauren Mueller face Kelly Velasco at Bantamweight and Don’Tale Mayes takes on Allen Crowder in the heavyweight opener.
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ 8 QUICK RESULTS:
Matt Frevola vs. Luke Flores — Frevola def. Flores by submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:32 of Round Two
Elias Urbina vs. Bevon Lewis — Lewis def. Urbina by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of Round Two
Adam Antolin vs. Casey Kenney — Antolin def. Kenney by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Lauren Mueller vs. Kelly Velasco — Mueller def. Velasco by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Don’Tale Mayes vs. Allen Crowder — Crowder def. Mayes by TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:12 of Round Three
DANA WHITE’S ‘CONTENDER SERIES’ 8 PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES:
Matt Frevola vs. Luke Flores
Round one: Frevola on the front foot early. BIG right hand flattens Flores almost immediately. He gets his wits back as Frevola takes top position. Flores scrambles up, eats another right hand. Nice body kick lands, fails to slow Frevola. One minute in. Another body kick stings Frevola. Intercepting knee from Flores and Frevola shoots. Flores with an elbow as they separate. Two minutes in. Things slow way down. Kicks from Flores. Two minutes to go.
Frevola lands a left hand and shoots. He completes the takedown on the cage. Half guard for Frevola. Frevola stands over him, dives in and takes the back when Flores tries to stand. 10-9 Frevola.
Round two: Frevola launches an early kick and shoots into a guillotine. He works his head free, but Flores sweeps into guard. One minute in. They scramble up and Flores lands an elbow on the break. Flores looks tired, lands a knee to the body. Straight right from Frevola and he hits another takedown two minutes in. Flores slaps on a lightning-fast armbar, but Frevola escapes and takes side control. Choke attempt, no dice but looks for the back. Two minutes to go.
Both hooks in for Frevola. He transitions to an arm-triangle and squeezes from mount. A pass to side control draws a quick tap.
Final result: Frevola def. Flores by submission (arm triangle choke)
Elias Urbina vs. Bevon Lewis
Round one: Counter right hand for Lewis right away. Body kick. Urbina cracks him with a looping left and fires knees. Lewis with an elbow on the break. Elbow exchange. Body kick from Lewis catches some of the cup. One minute in. Counter shots land for Lewis. Lead right from Urbina, who eats a body kick and shoots. Two minutes in. Lewis denies it and takes top position. Not sure what happened there. Full guard. Nice elbows from Lewis, side control now. Two minutes to go.
Urbina regains guard. He kicks Lewis away and stands. Hard counters. Right hook by Urbina, then an uppercut that lands clean. Body shot as Lewis puts him on the fence. Lewis with an elbow on the break. Head kick hits forearm hard. One minute to go. Lots of elbows coming from Lewis. Urbina fires a body kick, eats one of those elbows on the break. Counter uppercut staggers Urbina, Lewis doesn’t jump on him. 10-9 Lewis.
Round two: Urbina aggressive early, lands a clean jumping knee and attacks. Lewis still lucid. 1-2 from Urbina. One minute in. Lewis pops him with the jab, tries a head kick. Nice counter cracks Urbina. Urbina to the body, walks into an elbow. Lewis body kick. Good right hook from Urbina. Two minutes in. Lewis lands a body kick, then a straight right. Straight right drops Urbina and Lewis pounds away for the finish.
Final result: Lewis def. Urbina by TKO (punches)
Adam Antolin vs. Casey Kenney
Round one: Kenney opens with a liver kick. Leg kick from Antolin, kicks come back at him. Solid body blows from Kenney. One minute in. Solid right from Antolin as they exchange, body kick from Kenney once again. Straight left. Another one dings Antolin, who lands a low leg kick. Two minutes in. Kenney the busier so far. Leg kick, straight left, combo from Kenney. He has Antolin retreating, but there’s still fire coming his way. Spinning back kick by Antolin. Left cross from Kenney finds the mark, as does a body kick. Two minutes to go.
Leg kick knocks Antolin over, Kenney doesn’t jump on him. Another left hand by Kenney. Body shots on the counter. Antolin tries to change levels, lands a low leg kick and a counter right. One minute to go. Kenney with a leg kick, Antolin tosses him down after catching a body kick. Kick exchange, knee from Kenney. More exchanges. 10-9 Kenney.
Round two: Straight left from Kenney, both connect with their power hands. Both men attacking the lead leg. Antolin using a stiff jab. One minute in. Counter right. Left cross from Kenney, body kick from Antolin. Kenney catches the next one and puts him on the fence. they separate. Leg kick from Kenney. Knee exchange, brief clinch. Uppercut from Kenney two minutes in. Low leg kick comes back at him, as does a side kick. Left hand, left kick land for Kenney. Head kick lands through Antolin’s guard, but he lands good punches in the clinch before eating a low kick. Another. Two minutes to go.
Antolin right hands, 2-1 and knees and another left by Kenney. Antolin straight right. Nice exchanges in the center of the cage. More leg kicks piling up for Kenney. Antolin counters a body kick with a straight right. One minute to go. Kenney lands in the center, threatens a takedown. Antolin lands hard on the fence. They jockey for position. Antolin shoots before the bell. 10-9 Kenney.
Round three: They’re still going. Antolin’s the busier and more mobile so far. Antolin leg kick met by a combo, then the same happens in reverse. One minute in. Hard straight right from Antolin. Knee from Kenney. Antolin with a two-piece counter. Right hook comes back at him and Kenney sprawls on a takedown. Two minutes in. Antolin looks a little fresher, a little sharper. Kicks from Antolin. Side kick lands. Antolin continuing to press forward, catches a kick but can’t use it. Two minutes to go.
Antolin to the body. Kenney lands a knee inside. He shoots, denied. Antolin lands a side kick, eats a leg kick. Antolin shoots, can’t quite complete it. One minute to go. Body kick from Kenney, head kick blocked. Antolin lands a two-piece. Kenney sprawls on a shot and locks up a last-second anaconda choke. Antolin handfights and survives. 10-9 Antolin.
Final result: Antolin def. Kenney by split decision
Lauren Mueller vs. Kelly Velasco
Round one: Early head kick from Mueller, charging in as Velasco tries to pick her off. Mueller ties up on the fence and fires knees. Velasco reverses. One minute in. Mueller reverses in turn and lands a good knee downstairs. They separate. 1-2 from Velasco. 1-2 by Mueller. Velasco’s the more mobile of the two. Straight left jacks Mueller’s jaw, prompting a flurry. Nice elbow from Mueller against the cage two minutes in. Velasco eventually reverses and lands an elbow on the break after taking some knees. Two minutes to go.
1-2 lands for Velasco. Body kick by Mueller, back on the fence. They jockey for position. Good knees to the body and head by Mueller. They separate. One minute to go. Counter right and head kick stumble Velasco. Mueller on the attack against the cage. Velasco ties her up, eats knees before separating. Body kick and brutal right hands from Mueller. Knee to the head and she sprawls on a shot, eating punches until the bell. 10-9 Mueller.
Round two: Good running right hand by Velasco to start things off. Mueller picks her off with a counter right. Long straight right, body kick, more mauling by Mueller. Big right hands prompt Velasco to shoot. Mueller thumping away, looks for the back, can’t get it a minute in. Velasco gets her hands locked up and looks for a double-leg. Mueller counters it into top position and waves her up. Mueller looks tired, still lands a two-piece combo and a knee. Velasco puts her on the cage. Two minutes in, Mueller reverses and lands another knee before separating. More battering shots from Mueller. Velasco reverses position. They separate with two minutes to go.
Velasco briefly tries a standing arm-triangle. 1-2 from Velasco. Three-punch combo connects. One minute to go. Velasco to the body. Mueller with a right downstairs, eats a 1-2. 1-2 from Mueller, stuffs a takedown. 10-9 Mueller.
Round three: Mueller fires a body kick, eats a right hand. 1-2 by Velasco. Mueller’s too tired to maintain that early aggression. Another right from Velasco. Lead hook. One minute in. Mueller attempts to tie up. Body kick lands for her and now she’s back on the attack. Hard knee but Velasco puts her on the fence. Knees from Velasco. Two minutes in. Back to the center, another right hand by Velasco. Controlling the range. Mueller with a good knee, short right hands as she ties up against the cage. Two minutes to go.
Velasco threatening a guillotine, nothing there. Superman punch lands for her. 1-2. Suddenly, Muller blasts her with a spinning back fist and slams home more knees. Velasco survives, pressed into the cage. More knees. Velasco reverses. 10-9 Velasco.
Final result: Mueller def. Velasco by unanimous decision
Don’Tale Mayes vs. Allen Crowder
Round one: Leg kick exchanges to start. Check hook lands for Mayes. Neither landing many clean punches so far. One minute in. Anotehr leg kick stumbles Mayes, who stuffs a takedown. Crowder continues to drive. Mayes with a hip throw to counter and takes the back. Both hooks in. Crowder slips out and shoots two minutes in. Mayes threatens a guillotine, abandons it when Crowder takes him down into half guard. Full guard. He tries to take the back in a scramble, regains half guard. Two minutes to go.
Mayes trying to use an underhook, no dice so far. Short elbows by Crowder. One minute to go. Mayes scrambles up and now Crowder’s on the attack after catching a kick. Good shots. Crowder changes levels, denied. 10-9 Crowder.
Round two: Another hard leg kick by Crowder. Mayes heaves slow overhand rights. Another leg kick by Crowder. 1-2 from Mayes. Crowder 1-2, eats a spinning back fist. One minute in. Leg kick by Crowder. They exchange on the ropes. Crowder lands a right hand, walks through a spinning back fist and tries a suplex. Mayes counters with a Kimura, but loses control and Crowder just shoves him back to the mat. Full mount for Crowder. Two minutes in. He looks a little winded himself, landing occasional elbow. Mayes spins into top position after Crowder fails an armbar attempt. Two minutes to go.
Mayes passes to side control. He’s too tired to take the back when Crowder slips out and retakes top control. Then Crowder goes for...something and gives up top position again. Half guard for Mayes with a minute to go. He does pretty much nothing for the last minute, allowing Crowder to lock up a Kimura. Saved by the bell. 10-9 Crowder.
Round three: Yeah, they’re both wiped out. Heavyweights. Mayes with his hands at his hips. He tries to tie up, manages to put Crowder on the cage. Ref separates them a minute in. Crowder continues to march in and land as Mayes backs off and tries spinning attacks. Crowder changes levels, runs the pipe, and lands in half guard. Two minutes in. Crowder passes to full mount after a while and tries to isolate an arm. Two minutes to go.
Elbows from Crowder. Crowder tries the americana again, drops it and lands more elbows. Right hands piling up with a minute to go. Hard elbows land and the ref steps in.
Final result: Crowder def. Mayes by TKO (punches and elbows)