The heavyweight division has a new prospect of note after Talisson Teixeira improved to 7-0 as a pro and maintained his 100 per cent finishing rate on Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Teixeira used his six-foot-seven frame to land a rangy right hand that dropped fellow Brazilian Arthur Lopes early during the frenetic fight. The fight didn’t last two full minutes and the UFC president jumped out of his chair when the knockout blow landed.
Lopes connected on several hard punches early but not enough to faze Teixeira who weighed in at 259 pounds on Monday, giving him nearly a 40-pound advantage. Lopes weighed in at only 218 pounds, which is lighter than the walkaround weight for most light heavyweight competitors so perhaps DWCS fans will see Lopes in the future down at 205 pounds where he can face fighters closer to his size.
Six of Teixeira’s seven wins have been by KO/TKO. He was one of four fighters to earn UFC contracts based on their respective performances Tuesday.
The featured bout of the night saw bantamweights Elijah Smith and Aaron Tau go the distance. Smith out-worked and out-techniqued the previously unbeaten Tau over the first two rounds, specifically on the ground, before the pair brawled in the final round.
Smith, whose father Gilbert was a two-time competitor on The Ultimate Fighter during his fighting career, is only 22 but fought with maturity. Tau showed heart and toughness, landing more strikes in the final round than he did in the first two rounds combined.
In other action, Cameroonian knockout artist Ateba Gautier handed Japan’s Yura Naito his first pro loss. Gautier dropped Naito with a combination that following a stuffed takedown and Naito’s left eye began to swell shut. Gautier eventually exploded with a burst of ground-and-pound to pick up the finish late in the second round.
“Can anybody handle a storm?” the 22-year-old middleweight asked rhetorically after improving to 6-1. “I am a storm.”
Gautier, who had former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir in his corner, is still green in the sport but clearly an exciting prospect to keep an eye on going forward.
Lightweights Dylan Mantello and Ahmad Hassanzada, both of whom lost on previous DWCS appearances, opened the night with a back-and-forth contest with Hassanzada completing a dramatic third-round comeback.
Mantello is a member of Ray Longo’s touted New York-based team and had new bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling and former UFC lightweight title challenger Al Iaquinta among those cheering him on in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex.
Mantello, with Longo in his corner imploring him to throw his hands with confidence, dropped Hassanzada early in the second round with a big right hand after being out-struck and out-grappled in the opening round. Mantello started strong in the third, too, before Hassanzada got the fight back down to the canvas and the 27-year-old from Afghanistan eventually secured the finish that resulted in Mantello being choked unconscious.
Benjamin Bennett only had seven pro MMA bouts to his name prior to Tuesday, however the 30-year-old is a seasoned combat sports veteran and a member of the respected Elevation Fight Team in Denver, training alongside UFC brawlers Justin Gaethje, Drew Dober and Chepe Mariscal.
Bennett’s experience showed during his decision victory over fellow Legacy Fighting Alliance welterweight Joey Hart. Bennett looked to be the most UFC-ready athlete on Tuesday, however, he did not get a finish, the final round of his fight was his least effective and he ended up as the lone winner not to earn a UFC contract.
DWCS Season 8, Week 6 Official Results:
-- Elijah Smith def. Aaron Tau via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-- Talisson Teixeira def. Arthur Lopes via knockout at 1:57 of Round 1
-- Benjamin Bennett def. Joey Hart via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
-- Ateba Gautier def. Yura Naito via technical knockout at 4:00 of Round 2
-- Ahmad Hassanzada def. Dylan Mantello via submission (rear-naked choke at 2:41 of Round 3
UFC contract recipients: Talisson Teixeira, Ateba Gautier, Elijah Smith, Ahmad Hassanzada
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