The four-fight lineup in Las Vegas produced just one finish, so it was no surprise when the man who claimed that TKO victory, Russian middleweight Baisangur Susurkaev, was one of the two athletes awarded UFC contracts after the night’s action.
Susurkaev’s TKO of Murtaza Talha was the highlight on a night that saw the rest of the action go to the judges’ scorecards. UFC president and CEO Dana White even went as far as saying that Susurkaev “saved” the show with his first-round finish.
The action got underway with a shutout decision victory for Russian middleweight Yuri Panferov, who defeated Christopher Ewert, while Canadian featherweight Radley da Silva edged a closer contest to win a decision over Australia’s George Mangos.
Then the action reached its peak with Susurvaev’s stoppage of Talha before undefeated American welterweight Ty Miller claimed a shutout decision victory over compatriot Jimmy Drago in a bout that saw Miller earn the night’s second UFC contract.
The featured bout of the evening saw French middleweight Ilian Bouafia improve his unbeaten record to 7-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Neemias Santana, but it wasn’t deemed sufficient to earn a UFC deal, with White saying he scored the bout a draw.
Dana White’s Contender Series: Official results
- Ilian Bouafia def. Neemias Santana via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-27)
- Ty Miller def. Jimmy Drago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Miller wins UFC contract
- Baisangur Susurkaev def. Murtaza Talha via TKO (kick) – Round 1, 3:12 – Susurkaev wins UFC contract
- Radley da Silva def. George Mangos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Yuri Panferov def. Christopher Ewert via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
