This week’s Contender Series had an emotional ending.
Ten fighters arrived to Las Vegas on this UFC bye week for a chance at a UFC contract.
After a lackluster season 9 premiere, finishes have been picking up on Dana White’s Contender Series, with prospects getting signed left and right.
Week 6 of Contender Series featured six undefeated prospects, making this episode one to watch.
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UFC signs Spain’s Hecher Sosa and three undefeated fighters
In the first fight of the night, Canadian Cody Chovancek improved to 9-0 with a third-round TKO win over former Bellator fighter Raphael Uchegbu. Chovancek was offered a UFC contract.
32-year-old Tommy Gantt was the oldest fighter competing on the card. The standout wrestler has had 12 pro fights since last year, and he just picked up his 11th win by submitting Adam Livingston in the opening round.
“For being 32 years old, you better come into contender series and perform like you did,” White said of the 11-0 Gantt, who he ended up signing.
An undefeated fighter from Poland, Iwo Baraniewski made it six wins in a row with a contract-winning performance – a quick 20 second knockout of Mahamed Aly.
The main event of the evening went the full three rounds, with Spain’s Hecher Sosa giving Mackson Lee his first loss by unanimous decision. Sosa is a teammate of UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria.
Two days before he got his hand raised, Sosa got the call that he lost his father to cancer. Not that long ago, Sosa lost his sister.
With everything Sosa had been through, UFC boss Dana White decided to give the Spaniard a UFC contract, resulting in an emotional end to the episode.
UFC has signed three heavyweights to the roster
The UFC’s heavyweight division has been largely criticized in recent years for its depth or lack thereof.
It’s the smallest men’s division, in terms of roster, getting even smaller when the UFC cut 16-2 ranked contender Martin Buday earlier this summer.
The UFC recently signed another heavyweight BJJ champion in Max Gimenis, who has yet to fight someone with a winning record.
Also joining the UFC’s heavyweight division are Brazil’s Jose ‘Montanha’ Luiz (6-1) and Poland’s Marek Bujlo (6-0).