Four more fighters joined the UFC roster, and one of them did it with impeccable style.
On Tuesday night, Week 4 of Contender Series went down at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, and this time around, there wasn’t just 10 fighters taking part in a trial run, but also one commentator. Current UFC welterweight and frequent desk analyst Michael Chiesa got to try his hand as a cageside commentator for the first time, and handled himself well as four new additions to the UFC dazzled, including a possible Knockout of the Year contender in the main event.
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs. Jack Congdon
In the main event of the evening, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani brutally stopped Jack Congdon to earn his spot in the UFC.
A highly touted prospect with roots back to Royce Gracie, Lebosnoyani appeared to be two weight classes smaller than Congdon; that didn’t matter as he went up top with a switch head kick that left Congdon frozen on his feet. A follow-up right hand sent Congdon crashing to the canvas, giving Lebosnoyani a win in just 68 seconds that might go down as the knockout of the season. Even if it doesn’t, it was an easy choice for Dana White to award Lebosnoyani a UFC contract.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk vs. Theo Haig
In the penultimate fight of the evening, Cezary Oleksiejczuk made quick work of Theo Haig, though it came under curious circumstances.
Oleksiejczuk, brother of UFC fighter Michal Oleksiejczuk, hurt Haig with one of the first punches he threw, leading to Haig shooting from far outside. Oleksiejczuk sprawled on Haig and started firing in hammerfists to the side of the head. Referee Gary Copeland stopped the bout, believing the shots were illegal, but after video review, he determined the shots were legal and Haig was out, leading to a 36-second TKO stoppage win for Oleksiejczuk, who joins his brother in the UFC after Dana White awarded him a contract.
Mandel Nallo vs. Samuel Silva
In the third fight of the evening, Mandel Nallo delivered the first finish of the evening, knocking out Samuel Silva in the first round.
A Tristar representative, Nallo entered Contender Series on a streak of first-round finishes and he added to that against Silva, chewing the Cage Warriors champion up with sharp jabs and kicks at range before catching him clean with a beautiful right hand as Silva stepped in. The first-round knockout was more than enough for Dana White to award him a UFC contract.
Eduardo Chapolin vs. An Tuan Ho
In the second bout of the evening, Eduardo Chapolin finally got a win inside the octagon, taking a unanimous decision win over An Tuan Ho that was highly controversial given another misstep by referee Gary Copeland.
The former Ultimate Fighter contestant and current LFA flyweight champion struggled early but then found success when he was able to corral Ho later in the opening round. However, Chapolin then landed a blatantly illegal knee that Gary Copeland appeared to note, but did not stop the action for. Copeland did warn Chapolin between rounds but took no further action, and Chapolin controlled the remainder of the action with pressure and a newfound grappling game, winning 30-27 on all three scorecards. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to earn Chapolin a contract, who White called talented but told, “Maybe next time.”
Tommy McMillen vs. David Mgoyan
In the opening bout of the evening, Tommy McMillen edged out David Mgoyan in one of the best fights of the season so far.
In the first round, Mgoyan badly hurt McMiller with a spinning elbow and nearly tore his head off with a nasty guillotine choke, but Sean O’Malley’s training partner battled through and came on strong over the back to rounds to take a majority decision win, and earn a UFC contract. And while he didn’t earn a UFC contract, Dana White did announce he was paying Mgoyan his win money as well.
Check out the full Contender Series results below.
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Jack Congdon via knockout (head kick to punch) — 1:08, Round 1.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk def. Theo Haig via TKO (punches) — 0:36, Round 1
Mandel Nallo def. Samuel Silva via knockout (punch) — 3:29, Round 1.
Eduardo Chapolin def. An Tuan Ho via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tommy McMillen def. David Mgoyan via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
