The night kicked off with a third-round knockout as Cody Chovancek knocked out Raphael Uchegbu 10 seconds into the final frame to earn his UFC deal.
Also earning a UFC contract was lightweight Tommy Gantt, who submitted Adam Livingston with a first-round guillotine choke to get the nod of approval, and a UFC contract, from White.
The light heavyweight bout between undefeated prospects Iwo Baraniewski and Mahamed Aly was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, with Poland’s Baraniewski knocking out his Brazilian rival in just 20 seconds for an emphatic victory, and a UFC contract.
And the night’s featured bout saw Spain’s Hecher Sosa battle to a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Brazilian Mackson Lee.
Despite the fight going the distance, White said he had been won over by the Spaniard’s journey to get to the UFC APEX, and decided to give him a chance on the big stage.
“I respect your drive, your resilience after everything that you’ve been through in your life. I’m gonna give you the opportunity to deliver on the promises you made to your family.”
Unfortunately, Irish hopes of adding to the UFC roster were left disappointed as Paddy McCorry claimed a victory in his bout, but left the UFC APEX without a UFC contract.
McCorry was the only one of the night’s five winners not to be offered a UFC deal after his bout with South Korea’s In Soo Hwang went to the judges’ scorecards.
McCorry looked the better man for the entirety of the three-round bout in Las Vegas, but in a fight that wasn’t as action-packed as some of the others on the card, the bout suffered in comparison to the other matchups on display.
As a result, White opted to pass on McCorry, as he advised him to “get back out there and get back to work, and maybe we’ll see you again.”
Dana White’s Contender Series: Official results
- Hecher Sosa def. Mackson Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Iwo Baraniewski def. Mahamed Aly via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:20
- Tommy Gantt def. Adam Livingston via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:47
- Paddy McCorry def. In Soo Hwang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Cody Chovancek def. Raphael Uchegbu via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:10
