10 fighters competed in five separate bouts on August 9.
Karolina Wojcik, Contender Series fighter.
Photo by Getty Images
Here’s the total schedule from Tuesday’s show on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas:
- Karolina Wojcik vs. Sandra Lavado — women’s strawweight
- Clayton Carpenter vs. Edgar Chairez — flyweight
- Anvar Boynazarov vs. Erik Silva — featherweight
- Jamal Pogues vs. Paulo Renato Jr. — heavyweight
- Bo Nickal vs. Zachary Borrego — middleweight
Karolina Wojcik and Sandra Lavado fought first, after generating headlines for his or her tempestuous face-off Monday.
Karolina Wojcik vs. Sandra Lavado.
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All eyes were on Karolina Wojcik and Sandra Lavado, as the feminine strawweights introduced the motion from the Apex, survive ESPN+, after generating attention for the way in which they faced-off earlier this week.
On the weigh-in event on the Station Casino in Las Vegas, the fighters needed to be separated by security after butting heads like rams.
—MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 10, 2022
Once they were fighting for real, the bout lasted the three-round distance — with Wojcik getting her hand raised because the winner.
Victory advanced Karolina Wojcik’s record to nine wins (two knockouts and 7 decisions) against two losses.
Karolina Wojcik won her match.
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Karolina Wojcik’s dominance was reflected within the result because the judges rewarded her with a large unanimous decision win (30-27).
But whether or not it was enough to earn her a UFC deal remained to be seen, as all contestants should wait until the top of the show for White’s assessment.
Flyweight bangers Clayton Carpenter and Edgar Chairez were next on the mat.
Edgar Chairez walks into the Octagon.
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With Clayton Carpenter, unbeaten in five fights, performing well in Legacy Fighting Alliance, and Edgar Chairez constructing name value with Combate, much was expected from the flyweight fighters.
And, good Lord, did they surpass the very best of expectations.
Carpenter and Chairez traded heavy shots from the opening bell with such savagery that it made the majority of the intimate Apex audience sit up and take notice.
This strike was within the opening round:
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
As was this exchange:
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
Edgar Chairez landed a flying knee against Clayton Carpenter.
Edgar Chairez lands a flying knee against Clayton Carpenter.
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Carpenter weathered the storm and earned a troublesome but strong decision win.
Clayton Carpenter celebrates his win.
Photo by Getty Images
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
The heavy strikes didn’t stop coming but Carpenter did enough ultimately to take home the win.
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
The judges gave Carpenter the nod with three equivalent scores of 29-28.
After his win, Carpenter said: «I used to be born for this division and I’m coming for everybody.»
Within the third fight of the night, Anvar Boynazarov fought Erik Silva.
Anvar Boynazarov fought Erik Silva on the Contender Series.
Photo by Getty Images
Clayton Carpenter likely earned the episode’s first UFC deal for his bruising win over Edgar Chairez within the second match of the evening.
And so Erik Silva likely stole lots of Carpenter’s thunder when he took Anvar Boynazarov to the ground early and hammered him with punches until the referee intervened to offer the South American fighter with a 92-second finish.
Erik Silva’s ground-and-pound was brutal …
Erik Silva’s ground-and-pound was brutal.
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… so brutal that the referee swiftly stepped in to award him with the stoppage.
Erik Silva beat Anvar Boynazarov.
Photo by Getty Images
Watch the fight-winning ground-and-pound right here:
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
Within the penultimate bout of the evening, heavyweight pair Jamal Pogues and Paulo Renato Jr. took center stage.
Jamal Pogues and Paulo Renato Jr.
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Pogues clobbered Renato Jr. through three rounds, modified gears in the ultimate round, and returned scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 to win by unanimous decision.
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
Top talent Bo Nickal topped the night with a middleweight fight against Zachary Borrego.
Bo Nickal, MMA fighter on the Contender Series.
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A wildly decorated collegiate wrestler, 26-year-old American fighter Bo Nickal arrived on the Contender Series to great acclaim as, potentially, one among MMA’s best prospects.
In contrast, throughout the build-up to the bout, Zachary Borrego had been described, simply, as Nickal’s «opponent.»
Indeed, the stage was set for Nickal to impress those on the Apex, those watching at home on ESPN+, but, above all, to impress White.
Impress may possibly be what Nickal does best.
Bo Nickal, potential MMA star.
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Bo Nickal grabbed Zachary Borrego early, tried to front choke him initially of the bout, but eventually worked the rear-naked submission to finish the fight in little greater than a minute.
It was a remarkably dominant display from one among the most important blue-chip prospects in combat sports, prompting Dana White to inform Insider and other reporters that he looked «fucking incredible.»
—UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2022
Nonetheless, it was not enough to earn Nickal an outright contract with the UFC.
White remarked that the athlete was only 1-0 heading into the Contender Series and that he’d prefer to see him compete yet another time this season to be certain of his decision. White even referenced Brock Lesnar because the only, or one among the one, 1-0 fighters he signed.
Should Nickal win a second Contender Series bout then White said he’d progress into the UFC.
Dana White announced three athletes had earned UFC deals.
Dana White’s Contender Series.
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White said Karolina Wojcik is expert but needs work and that he would not be handing her a UFC contract.
Clayton Carpenter, Erik Silva, and Jamal Pogues had all done enough to win White over, though.
Arguably the most important shock of the night, nonetheless, was White wanting to see Nickal yet another time within the Contender Series before promoting him into the UFC.
Dana White’s Contender Series returns Tuesday, August 16 with a five-bout card.
As there are 10 episodes in total, the sixth season will come to a detailed September 27.
