Five more fighters have joined the ranks of the UFC.
On Tuesday night, Week 4 of Season 10 of Contender Series took place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, featuring four stoppages over five fights, including one 15-second knockout. At the end of the night, Dana White was so impressed by the performances that he handed out UFC contracts to all the winners.
Adam Darby def. Patrick Rivera
In the main event of the evening, Adam Darby showed why he was the biggest betting favorite on the card, wailing on Patrick Rivera for the better part of 15 minutes before getting a doctor’s stoppage in the third round, earning himself a UFC contract.
Darby was over a 4-to-1 favorite against Rivera, and right from the start, Darby chewed Rivera up with low kicks and sharp punches. By the third round, Rivera’s face was barely recognizable from the start of the fight, and Darby had landed a would-be record for low kicks in a UFC welterweight fight (Contender Series bouts are not counted as UFC fights). Rivera was simply too tough for his own good, and midway through the round, referee Kerry Hatley decided he’d seen enough, calling in the doctor to check Rivera’s eye, and then ended the fight.
Modestino Rodrigues def. Brandon Holmes
In the penultimate fight of the evening, Modestino Rodrigues demolished Brandon Holmes in seconds, earning his spot in the UFC.
A former K-1 kickboxer, the 22-year-old out of Brazil showed off how dangerous his striking is, landing a low leg kick before lighting Holmes up with a blitz of punches almost immediately, causing the referee to jump in just 15 seconds into the bout, giving Rodrigues the win and a UFC contract.
Silvestre Sanchez def. Liam McCracken
In the swing bout of the evening, Silvestre Sanchez made the case for being the next big UFC fighter out of Mexico as he beat down Liam McCracken in their lightweight contest.
McCracken had some success early against Sanchez as his speed and jab gave the Mexican fighter some problems, but Sanchez simply would not be deterred, bullying McCracken with power shots and takedowns. By the third round, Sanchez had bloodied McCracken up and appeared to be on his way to a hard-fought decision, but instead he took the judges out of the equation with a thudding left hook that ended McCracken’s night and earned Sanchez a UFC contract.
Gabriel Lorenco def. Charlie Cleveland
In the second bout of the evening, Gabriel Lorenco delivered a savage knockout of Charlie Cleveland — albeit with some controversy — to punch his ticket into the UFC.
Lorenco and Cleveland came out throwing bombs right away, and early on, it looked like Cleveland was getting the better of things. But when Cleveland got lazy while circling out from in close, Lorenco clocked him with a wild hook that sent him crashing down. Miraculously, Cleveland somehow popped back up, but a nasty elbow (that may have landed on the back of the head) sent him back down, and a few hammerfists finished the job and earned Lorenco a contract.
Adam Livingston def. Hunter Smith
In the opening bout of the evening, Adam Livingston made good on his second attempt on Contender Series, winning a spirited scrap over Hunter Smith to earn a UFC contract.
Livingston competed on Season 9 of Contender Series, losing to Tommy Gantt. The 25-year-old returned to the APEX on Tuesday hoping for redemption, but it certainly wasn’t easy. Livingston used his length and striking acumen to repeatedly crack Smith — a few times with spinning attacks — but Smith pressured him relentlessly with power punches, turning the fight into a back-and-forth battle. In the end, Livingston did enough to edge out a split decision and earn his UFC contract.
Check out the full Contender Series results below.
Adam Darby def. Patrick Rivera via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) — 2:42, Round 3
Modestino Rodrigues def. Brandon Holmes via TKO (punches) — 0:15, Round 1
Silvestre Sanchez def. Liam McCracken via TKO (punches) — 2:44, Round 3
Gabriel Lorenco def. Charlie Cleveland via TKO (punches) — 2:02, Round 1
Adam Livingston def. Hunter Smith via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
