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Dana White’s Contender Series: Season 9, Week 7
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00:00I think that Dana will remember me and our fight today, and I hope to get a contract with Dane.
00:19In 15 minutes, I will do everything possible to knock him out, to finish him, and to leave his hand high.
00:27I had this dream for so long for this, and I'm gonna give everything what I have.
00:32I'm gonna bring this exciting fight, and I'm gonna get this contract.
00:38I had this dream since I saw the UFC first time, and I'm trying to win contract and follow my dreams the whole belt one day.
00:57It's Dana White's Contender Series. Future stars are vying for that UFC contract.
01:04They have a chance, literally, to change their lives forever.
01:08After the long hours in the gym.
01:13After the years of grueling training.
01:15What determination they have.
01:17After a lifetime pursuing hopes and dreams.
01:21There comes the moment where a contender can make dreams come true.
01:27100 fighters.
01:31Welcome to the Contender Series.
01:33These fighters know what gets them to the big show.
01:3610 nights.
01:37One shot and it is over.
01:40Wow.
01:41One shot to impress the boss.
01:46And earn a UFC contract.
01:49This is Dana White's Contender Series.
02:08Glad to be with you on another Contender Series Tuesday night.
02:12This is where 10 fighters from all over the world make the trek to Las Vegas.
02:16Hoping to leave with a brand new UFC contract.
02:21It's the only job interview on the planet where you are literally fighting for your career.
02:28And you know the deal.
02:29You can't just win.
02:31You must punish your opponent.
02:33Dana White's Contender Series is brought to you by Fun Life.
02:39As per usual, it is all happening here inside the UFC Apex.
02:43My pleasure to be joined by Laura Sanko and Anthony Lionheart Smith.
02:46I'm Dan Helley.
02:47And in case you were wondering, who's this new guy I've seen fighting the UFC for all these years?
02:51What's he doing on Contender Series?
02:53It's Anthony's Contender Series debut.
02:55And if you watched him fight, you know that you're the exact type of fighter that would be on Contender Series.
03:01I know you never had to come through, but you're built for something like this.
03:04Man, I wish you would have been here when I was trying to make my way to the UFC.
03:08I spent my whole career being told by coaches everywhere, you got to slow down a little bit.
03:12Let's just win this fight.
03:13Now we have the actual boss prioritizing the finish and saying, I don't want to see guys that are going to go out there and point fight and just grind out a win.
03:20We want finishes.
03:21We want brutal knockouts.
03:23And that's why we're here.
03:24We see it every single week and I can't wait to be a part of it.
03:27I'm so excited that you're here.
03:28He and I have actually called fights before in the LFA.
03:30So this is not our first rodeo, but I'm glad you're here.
03:33And, you know, not just what you said, not just the finishes and the types of performances, but the moments that this show produces.
03:40Last week at your shows, I mean, that whole that whole moment is exactly what this show is about.
03:45And I can't wait to see more of that tonight.
03:47So many fantastic moments and so many guys from this season who are fighting immediately in the UFC.
03:51It's happening again.
03:52Dante Johnson going to fight right here in the Apex on November 1st against Nick Klein.
03:58Our headliners, in case you were wondering, both coming in with a 100% finish rate.
04:02Montes Kondratavis from Lithuania taking on Danny Barbier, who has been absolutely dominating the regional team in Croatia.
04:10And he is ready to take the next step.
04:12Yeah, Barbier is a red hot prospect coming out of Croatia.
04:16And I tell you what, he is sensational to watch.
04:19Undefeated, 7-0, a 100% finish rate.
04:23But when you watch him fight, it's easy to see why.
04:26High pressure, high volume.
04:28He's looking to finish the fight every single moment.
04:30And when he takes it to the ground, he's got some of the nastiest ground and pound I think I've ever seen on this show.
04:35He's an absolute monster and so is Kondratavis.
04:38He says he doesn't feel like he's won unless it's a knockout.
04:41Always looking to make a statement, Anthony.
04:43Well, he absolutely is.
04:44And he spent his entire life being a lifelong martial artist from 12 to 17 years old.
04:50He was only a striker.
04:51Kickboxing, Muay Thai, boxing fights.
04:53And at 18 years old, he made his transition to MMA and he's doing it beautifully.
04:56You can see that he's finally getting comfortable letting those hands go, letting the kicks go, while having guys that want to take him down.
05:02His takedown defense is really showing up and his top pressure is really shining.
05:08Thank you, Anthony.
05:09In addition to the featured fight, undefeated featherweights, Brian Searcher and Murtazli Magomedov going to be going at it.
05:16Jezla Chavez and Sofia Montenegro are just the second contender series fight this year involving ladies.
05:21And Justice Torres gets a short notice call against Javier Reyes.
05:25Our night begins at light heavyweight.
05:28And it's only fitting that we have a pair of Brazilians kicking things off on one of our most international contender series cards of the season.
05:37A wrecking machine with a string of highlight reel finishes, Jair de Oliveira has emerged as a dangerous rising threat, but standing in his path tonight, his fellow Brazilian, Rafael Tobias.
05:49I'm known as Bipolar, I'm from Lambari, Minas Gerais, and currently represent Curitiba.
06:03My team is now 3-1, and I think the most fight made me grow up was my LFA fight, which was a lot of defeat in my career.
06:13It was a fight that gave me a scale in my life, and now I can be a champion.
06:22Because I passed through the defeat, my team has three rounds, and it ended early.
06:28So I've acquired a lot of experience about this.
06:32Aprender with a victory is very good, but when we learn with a derrota,
06:37it leaves a feeling in your life that you never want to feel.
06:40I always follow all the contenders, and I see people entering,
06:45seeing that state of exodus, the vibration of the event, the energy of the event.
06:51It's something that burns a flame inside of us.
06:54It's something that makes you feel alive.
06:57I see in the UFC a chance of changing my life,
07:00and, through a change in my life, I can change the lives of other people.
07:04I hope that I'm training a lot.
07:06Because I'm training a lot, I want to give a war to the public.
07:11It's too done, right?
07:12I know that I'm going to be very comfortable, but I want to start the fight with a lot of
07:18it, causing a lot of attacks, and so I'm going to play a lot, until I find the moment of
07:21victory.
07:22I'm going to play a lot, until I find the moment of victory.
07:31I'm going to do what has to be done, and then I'm going to collect the fruits of everything.
07:36I'm Jair de Oliveira Santos.
07:39I'm natural from Belém do Pará, and I fight for the Redenção City of Pará.
07:43I've always been involved in sports, practically.
07:46I found myself in the fight.
07:48And, let's say, it was my first sight, practically.
07:52Because the fight is me and me, practically.
07:56My team is 6-0.
08:00I believe that each fight is a different experience.
08:05And I like to live the moment, like I'm living this now.
08:08And all these moments are special for me.
08:11Every victory is very significant.
08:17I'm a fan of the strike, so I like to play a nice game.
08:23But I'm going to be in any area of the game.
08:25If I need to be tactical, fast, strong, aggressive,
08:31keep fighting at a distance,
08:34I can do every game possible.
08:40Winning by winning is not a guarantee of anything.
08:43Not a guarantee of anything.
08:44So, what I can promise is a force that comes from Pará,
08:49that we may not have been seen,
08:53and that now we're going to have a palco
08:55and be able to show what we really saw.
08:59If we need to knock out, we'll knock out.
09:01If we need to finish, we'll finish.
09:03If we need to end a war, we'll end it.
09:06And if we're willing to, literally,
09:09to sacrifice our own life for this victory,
09:11we'll get out of there with our head.
09:13Jair Mamut de Oliveira fell in love with martial arts
09:22in an early age.
09:23And within two months of training,
09:24he won his first jiu-jitsu tournament.
09:27Opened his own academy, CT Jair Mamut,
09:29where he teaches Muay Thai.
09:31And he says he wants to put his small town on the map,
09:34as well as his team.
09:36Yeah, this has been a lifelong all-in pursuit for Oliveira.
09:40He grew up idolizing the heroes of Brazilian MMA,
09:44Minotoro Nogueira, Vanderlei Silva, Shogun Hua.
09:47And he really wants to come out here tonight
09:49and be able to walk in their footsteps
09:51and represent Brazil in the UFC.
09:53Now, you take one look at this guy,
09:55and you'll notice that he is one of the smallest,
09:57or I should say, shortest light heavyweights
09:59that you'll ever see at 5'9",
10:01but he more than makes up for it
10:03with the aggression that he shows inside the octagon.
10:06He comes forward, he swings hard,
10:08he's a southpaw,
10:09so he likes to clock guys with that left hand.
10:12And just two fights ago, Anthony,
10:14he got a crazy 25-second head kick knockout.
10:18Got that thick leg all the way up there,
10:20and that's potentially what we have to look forward to tonight.
10:22Yeah, we do, and at 5'9",
10:24and that lower center of gravity
10:26at these higher weight classes,
10:27a lot of times can be a disadvantage,
10:29but with his pressure,
10:30the way that he moves forward
10:31and takes space from these taller fighters
10:33and is able to get under them,
10:35rip those body shots,
10:36big overhand lefts,
10:37big kicks from the rear side as well.
10:39It's a lot of fun to watch this guy,
10:41to watch this guy get into these short distances
10:43and really kind of just unload,
10:45and he has the ability to take that damage in return
10:48because of that low center of gravity.
10:49It's a lot of fun to watch this guy work.
10:51First fight in 16 months for Mahmoud.
11:01First fight outside of South America
11:04for the 22-year-old Rafael Tobias.
11:07He moved to Curitiba four years ago
11:09to improve his mixed martial arts.
11:11Lived at the gym for a while.
11:13Later, he was joined by his wife,
11:15who he married when he was 17.
11:17She has had his back the entire time,
11:19been encouraging him to pursue fighting.
11:21She has been supporting him financially,
11:23and he said he's motivated more than anything else
11:25to get the contract to give her a better life.
11:28These are the kind of stories that I think everybody loves
11:30when it comes to the contender series.
11:32It's just pain and sacrifice
11:33and just trying to work your way here,
11:35and here he is with this opportunity
11:37to earn his way into the UFC.
11:39He talks about being a shoebox fighter,
11:41and I think anybody in the game,
11:42when you hear that,
11:43you have an expectation of what that fighter should look like,
11:45and he looks exactly like that.
11:47It's tight hands.
11:48Elbows are tight to his side.
11:49It's the rocking back and forth head pressure,
11:51or head movement rather,
11:53moving forward the entire time,
11:54and this is what's so fun about this fight.
11:56You have two guys that are based in forward pressure.
11:59They're based in hard shots, hard kicks,
12:01hard knees, hard elbows,
12:02and now we get to figure out which one of them
12:04is going to prevail.
12:05It's incredible, and I can't wait.
12:07His coach, former UFC fighter,
12:09title challenger, Jennifer Maia,
12:11is in his corner as well.
12:14Tobias and De Oliveira,
12:16our first fight of the night
12:17as we take a look at the tail of the tape.
12:19Between these two Brazilians,
12:22seven years older is De Oliveira,
12:24a massive height advantage,
12:26five inches taller.
12:27You see the reach advantage,
12:29a five inch reach advantage as well
12:31for the minus 485 favorite,
12:34Rafael Tobias.
12:36And now to our referee for our first fight of the night,
12:38Kerry Happ.
12:47This Bud Light fight clock
12:49is the official beer sponsor of the UFC.
12:52Go to work.
12:56And here we go, Tobias in the red,
12:58De Oliveira in the blue trunks.
13:00You can already see the massive height disparity.
13:03Tobias looking to land that front kick early.
13:07Tobias has that Jerome Bettis build,
13:11if you will.
13:12Got those thick, thick legs.
13:14The bus.
13:16You kind of short sold me on how impressed you were just then
13:20with my football.
13:21Well, I don't often hear your NFL references,
13:23so I am very impressed with you noting the Hall of Famer,
13:26Jerome Bettis.
13:27That's what I live for.
13:28Oh!
13:30Big shot by Tobias.
13:32It's a big counter.
13:40De Oliveira, the biggest dog on the card at plus 370.
13:45If he were to get a UFC contract,
13:47he would be the shortest light heavyweight on the roster at 5-9.
13:55I like that front kick from De Oliveira.
13:56That's going to be a great weapon for him to keep this fight long
14:00where it really favors him.
14:02Watch your cup.
14:12De Oliveira was really heavy on the pressure until he got hurt.
14:17Full times he's been hurt off of a kick,
14:19a naked kick with no punches in front of it.
14:23And you can hear that all over the apex.
14:26The body on the exit.
14:31De Oliveira has a great kicking game, but everything is just like that.
14:42There's no set up.
14:43There's no punches in front of him.
14:44That's where he's been hurt both times.
14:47Five first round finishes coming in for De Oliveira.
14:49He likes to work quickly.
14:57Tobias, no doubt, the toughest competition he has had to date
15:00since turning pro in 2015.
15:12Tobias looks like he's really looking to counter here.
15:14Not a lot of volume from De Oliveira just yet.
15:24Yeah, in order for him to get inside the distance where he wants to fight this fight,
15:30he's going to have to double up the jab or start exactly right there.
15:33Swinging the big shots, putting them together more than one shot.
15:36He wants to get close, excuse me, Tobias.
15:42He wants to get close to Tobias and be able to land those big shots.
15:48I really like the investment on the front kick from Tobias.
15:53He's using that front kick and the jab at range really nicely so far.
15:57What's the cup, what's the cup?
16:06Heavy right hand from Tobias.
16:11Yeah, that definitely wobbled De Oliveira.
16:19Going for the single leg is Tobias.
16:21Now there is Tobias.
16:22Now it gets...
16:23Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back.
16:24Back, back, back, back.
16:25Right side, no, at the back, yeah.
16:26Back, back, back, back, back.
16:31Yeah, Tobias looking to get this for a naked choke here.
16:33The angle's a little weird, but that does seem like it's very tight.
16:36Right on the chin.
16:37That's it, stop.
16:38Oh, that's it!
16:39Have the hell Tobias with the submission victory.
16:42and victory.
16:50One fight, one first round finish.
16:53Tobias coming in on a five fight win streak.
16:56Let's make it six.
17:05You think he's happy or what?
17:06I think he's pretty happy.
17:08I think he's pretty happy.
17:12The sixth submission win of Tobias' career.
17:20Let's take a look here, Tobias cutting off the exits
17:22with that right high kick.
17:24Looks to snap down the single, turned it into a double,
17:27and then immediately he's right on the back.
17:29Takes his time, gets both hooks in,
17:32doing a little damage with the ground and pound,
17:34and that's exactly what opens up the opportunity
17:37for him to snatch up this rear naked choke.
17:40And he's just beautifully done by Rafael Tobias.
17:58Let's make our first fight of the night official
17:59with Justin Bernard.
18:01Ladies and gentlemen, after three minutes,
18:0446 seconds into round number one,
18:06referee Kerry Hatley calls a stop to the fight.
18:08For the winner, by submission, via rear naked choke,
18:12Rafael Tobias!
18:17Win number 14 for Rafael Tobias looking very impressive.
18:25His nickname is Bipolar because he's calm and kind in training,
18:30and he transforms in the octagon.
18:33He seemed pretty calm in there tonight.
18:35Still getting it done.
18:36He did.
18:36He was really calm.
18:37He was relaxed and seemed like he had a very, very strict game plan.
18:41Don't overcommit on the offensive striking.
18:44Look to counter.
18:45Attack the body early.
18:47Incredible performance.
18:49That's a tough guy to get out of there.
18:53De Oliveira certainly, with the height discrepancy,
18:58was swimming upstream, but fought a tough battle.
19:01You can see how talented Tobias is.
19:04He certainly looks the part.
19:05Remember, he's just 22 years old,
19:08and you can say that shoot-box style was evident right away.
19:11Oh, yeah, it absolutely was.
19:12He was marching forward.
19:14He was throwing hard counter shots.
19:17He was attacking the counter, coming off with the naked kicks.
19:21Really, really mature performance, in my opinion.
19:25Right here, you have De Oliveira.
19:26Comes in with a hard jab.
19:27Gets countered on the way out.
19:30That jab was really, really looking good for Tobias.
19:34And there it is.
19:34He's hurt again.
19:36Hurts him.
19:37He takes his back immediately.
19:38It was a really fast transition to his back.
19:40He had a little bit of a weird angle on the rear naked choke.
19:43But as he was rolling, he was able to adjust it.
19:46Looked to be sunk in the entire time,
19:47and is able to get to the first round finish.
19:50And now we got Laura with the winner.
19:53Thank you so much, guys.
19:54Rafael, congratulations.
19:57Make that six wins in a row.
19:59You said you were coming here for a finish,
20:00and that is exactly what you got.
20:02Congratulations, Rafael.
20:03There were six consecutive victories.
20:04You said I would come here to finish the fight,
20:06and that was it that you did.
20:07Yes, thanks to God.
20:10I was able to do my part of the agreement.
20:12I trained, I did everything I had to do.
20:15I asked a lot of things to God.
20:16God proposed to me that I do my part of the agreement.
20:19The rest was already right.
20:20And God did his part, and now it's time to do it.
20:23Thanks to my master and my professor,
20:24who are my parents in Curitiba.
20:28My family in Curitiba.
20:31I just want to thank them.
20:34Everything I did today was my master, my professor,
20:37who worked hard with me every day.
20:39And that's it.
20:40I had to hold on my end of a bargain,
20:43and I was able to do it.
20:44And you know, God held his own end of the bargain.
20:46So both of us set on the agreement.
20:48Actually, it came true.
20:50So I'm very happy about that.
20:51And I have to thank God, and also my coach,
20:53my master as well.
20:55They're both here.
20:55They're like family to me back in Curitiba.
20:59If I'm here, it's because of them.
21:00And that's it.
21:01I'm very happy with them.
21:02I can tell how happy they are for you right now.
21:05What would it mean to you to be able to represent them
21:07and that shoot box lineage in the UFC?
21:10And you can see that they're also happy.
21:12What would you mean to them to represent
21:14and this line of shoot box that's here on the UFC?
21:18I'm from the shoot box.
21:20The guys say that shoot box is just a part in foot,
21:23just a part of strike.
21:24I'm here to prove that it's the opposite.
21:26That my team and me, we work in all the areas.
21:29We're MMA athletes.
21:30We're here to do what every athlete of MMA does.
21:33My master has all the capacity.
21:35I want to thank my trainers, my professors,
21:38and to all of them who've been with me in this camp.
21:41I'm going to try to say the names of some of them.
21:43Mr. Galeto, Mr. Alisson, Patrícia, Dr. Ana, Japa, Ian.
21:48Everyone is a team, it's a family.
21:50There's much more than just me here.
21:52I want to thank my husband who, without her,
21:54it's the love of my life and helps me in everything.
21:58And it was for her this victory.
22:01It was for us.
22:03Everyone thanks the shoot box, the striking, the stand-up game,
22:06but we're here to prove that we cover all the areas.
22:09I'm here, and these guys always cover everything.
22:11We're completely MMA fighters, and I just wanted to thank everyone.
22:14I mean, of course, my master, my coach, and everybody in the team,
22:18my teachers out there, those who are sparring partners,
22:20everybody with a lot of names there.
22:22Everybody just wanted to make sure that I remember every single one of them,
22:24and also my wife.
22:26She's the love of my life, and I owe it to her.
22:29A great victory on behalf of everyone who has supported you.
22:33I have a feeling I'll be talking to you again tonight.
22:34Congratulations, Rafael.
22:36Guys, back to you.
22:40An emotional Rafael Tobias.
22:42Kerry Hatley, the referee in that fight, did confirm
22:45that it was a verbal tap from Jair de Oliveira,
22:49and it results in the ninth first-round finish
22:53in 14 wins for Rafael Tobias.
22:58A lot of experience between our two fighters up next.
23:0041 combined fights between these two featherweight finishers
23:04who are waiting to make the walk.
23:07With 15 career finishes, Colombia's Javier Reyes
23:10is ready to show the world he is UFC-ready,
23:12but fellow newcomer, Justice Torres, wants to turn this short-notice call
23:16into a win he remembers forever.
23:21When that cage door locks, I describe my fighting style as pressure.
23:25I'm going to walk forward.
23:27I'm going to walk you down, and I'm going to be looking for that finish.
23:29It's been a relentless 2025 for Justice Torres,
23:33and tonight, the former Fury FC featherweight champion walks into the biggest fight of his life.
23:39Taking his fourth fight of the year on just one week's notice,
23:43Torres is chasing a third straight win and a chance to make his name on the national stage.
23:49A product of Houston's four-ounce fight club, alongside UFC flyweight contender Joshua Vann,
23:56Torres has gone to battle for the majority of his career under the Fury FC banner
24:01and now brings that battle-tested experience to the octagon tonight.
24:06With five knockouts on his resume, he isn't afraid to take risks when the lights are the brightest.
24:12When this story ends, it's going to end with my hand raised.
24:15I'm going to look over to my son, and I'm going to let him know that we did it.
24:42The title of the fight is born from the nightclubs, discothecars,
24:49fighting for a little bit of money, right?
24:52There comes the ball.
24:54I think that fire that always characterized me, I realized that I have it,
24:58and I think that's what led me to victory for this whole time.
25:03Oh, wow!
25:04I'm going to say you're going to win!
25:07Incredible!
25:07I have a record amateur of 30 fights against 0 losses,
25:13professional 26 fights, 21 victories, 5 losses, 9 knockouts, 8 submissions.
25:20I like the finalization, and I feel that I'm ready for UFC because I have a lot of experience
25:25against the best, and I think I should be there because I could be the best.
25:30My mentality when I'm going to fight is like a lion who's going to kill me.
25:33I feel that my opponent is not here at my level.
25:38I feel that I'm the depredator and he's my opponent.
25:40Obviously, he's going to defend himself, but I'm going to kill him.
25:43And when they close the cage, I feel like they put their food,
25:47and now I have to kill him.
25:48So, I'm going with that mentality, and it's always worked for me.
25:51And that's how I ended up with my opponents.
25:53I think that winning this contract would be history in Colombia,
25:56for many generations in the MMA colombian.
25:59Javier Reyes, the minus 205 favorite in this one.
26:07Headlined two LFA events this year in May and June.
26:10He's coming in having won 11 of his last 13, and he's a really interesting dude.
26:15Grew up doing parkour with a group called Warriors on the Street.
26:19He's the drummer in a rock band, and he teaches Zumba classes,
26:23all kinds of crazy choreographed walkouts as well.
26:26Yeah, he's really interesting, but he's a lot of fun,
26:30and it really pours into his fight style.
26:32He tends to let guys into these fights in the first round,
26:35but he kind of weaponizes his conditioning
26:37because all the time that he spends at altitude.
26:39So, the second round is really what I think that he turns on,
26:42puts the pressure on.
26:44But because of his parkour background, he's so creative, and he's so fun,
26:48and his athleticism is different, and the way that he attacks is different.
26:51And you can see that that monster kind of turns on as the fight progresses.
26:55It's almost like he needs that first five minutes to really get warmed up.
26:59Yeah, he's a really fun, fun personality.
27:01I mean, you saw a little bit of it there, the choreographed dance with the coach.
27:04That's kind of a signature of his.
27:05Doesn't have the walkout music this time, so they couldn't do an entire routine.
27:08But like you said, Anthony, just a lot of experience coming in with this guy.
27:12Got a great team and family cheering him back in Bogota, Colombia.
27:16And he's the type of guy that, with that experience,
27:20can really bring problems to a guy like Justice Torres.
27:23Trains with UFC heavyweight Waldo Cortez Acosta at UKF in Arizona as well.
27:36Justice Torres, 27 years old, born, raised, and fighting out of Houston, Texas
27:42in the Four Ounce Fight Club.
27:44He's taken this fight on a week's notice.
27:46So this is his second fight in 37 days, coming off back-to-back knockout wins.
27:52Has some high-level training alongside UFC fighter Joshua Vann and company
27:55at Four Ounce Fight Club.
27:57A huge opportunity for Torres, who's fighting outside of Fury FC
28:01for the first time in 16 pro fights.
28:03That's such a great team that they have down there at Four Ounce Fight Club.
28:06I mean, and what better training partner could you have to kind of lay out
28:10what a rise to the top of the UFC can look like in Josh Vann.
28:14But what I love about this short-notice fight for him in particular is that he is a guy
28:18who really does stay ready.
28:20He's been so active.
28:21Five fights in 2023.
28:23This is already his fourth fight of 2025.
28:26So this is a guy who's been getting a lot of reps in.
28:29I don't expect there to be any, you know, slow starts on his behalf.
28:32And he's a lot of fun to watch.
28:34He's a great boxer.
28:35Loves to bring the pressure.
28:37Got a great lead hook.
28:38The only thing I will say is that times he can get stifled a bit
28:42when he gets taken down or put along the fence.
28:45So I'm interested to see if Reyes saw that in the tape
28:48and if that's something he's going to go to immediately.
28:50Yanni, what do you got on this fight?
28:52Yeah, I like the favorite as well.
28:53Nice reach advantage.
28:54But I think the true value is on the over two and a half here.
28:57These are two very experienced prospects.
28:5941 pro fights combined in very respectable promotions.
29:04Fury FC, LFA, Combate,
29:06and both have very impressive strength of schedules already.
29:10Let's go over two and a half and lay the chalk.
29:1314 of 15 pro fights have gone to the second round or later for Justice Torres.
29:18So Yanni could be hitting the nail on the head.
29:21This tale of the tape is brought to you by Bud Light,
29:23official beer sponsor of the UFC.
29:26Reyes, four years older and has a significant reach advantage as well.
29:32Once again, he's the minus 205 favorite in this one.
29:36Frank Trigg, our referee.
29:41Ready?
29:42Ready?
29:43Fight!
29:43Fight!
29:45Fight number two, a official underway.
29:49Reyes in the blue, Torres in the red.
29:52Anthony made a really great point on the walk for Reyes.
29:57He does tend to be a little bit of a slower starter.
30:01I don't know if the assignment of this show will change that,
30:04but certainly something to look for.
30:09Reyes coming in 30-0 as an amateur before he turned pro in 2014.
30:15Won his first nine pro fights.
30:18Reyes, a lot of experience under the belt, 21-5 as a pro.
30:30Reyes has shown in his previous fights that he does want to kind of start these fights off
30:35by being a big kicker, and you're seeing that here already.
30:39Yeah, he likes to land that right kick, whether it's to the body or the head.
30:43Now, this is interesting, already, Torres trying to pressure in.
30:48This is his signature, put guys against the fence and really start to dust him up.
31:01Torres has a really unique way of not getting kind of outside of himself
31:05and kind of just fighting the fight that his opponents want to fight.
31:07Yeah, he never kind of overextends himself.
31:11He stays composed and looks for his opportunities.
31:15And Reyes, on the other hand, he likes to kind of make it gritty in there.
31:18He's got the experience to be able to do that.
31:22Interesting to see Torres here grappling offensively for the heck of a takedown.
31:29Reyes right back to his feet, however.
31:32This is the fight that Reyes wants, too.
31:33He wants the action.
31:34He wants the up and down.
31:37It's the only way he can really weaponize his conditioning
31:39is that there's lots of work happening early.
31:41Right hand punch.
31:43Right hand can punch.
31:44Right hand can punch a couple times.
31:50Torres getting a workout every day at work
31:52at a warehouse where he's loading flatbed with a forklift.
31:56Nice shot, landed by Reyes.
31:58Yeah, he saw an opportunity there.
32:00And to your point, Anthony, this is where Torres struggles
32:09is with the pure aggression.
32:11Reyes going for the kill here.
32:13Right on a couple of knees.
32:15And that's it.
32:17Javier Reyes with the first round finish.
32:20Eighth first round finish of Javier Reyes's career.
32:40He said come in in this fight that it's kind of now or never.
32:5031 years old, as much experience as he's got.
32:54He had to make the most of this opportunity.
32:56And did he ever?
32:57It was the body shot, that right hook to the body
33:00that really put Torres in a bad spot.
33:03And he just couldn't recover from it.
33:04Reyes sensed it, poured it on,
33:06landed some beautiful knees here from the clinch.
33:08I mean, he just started driving the bus one direction
33:12and Justice Torres not able to recover.
33:14But it was that initial right hand of the body
33:17that set this all up.
33:18Beautiful shot.
33:19There's the viewing party back in Bogota.
33:22They are going bananas.
33:29Reyes was ready, man.
33:30He was even talking a little trash in there early on, too.
33:33Yeah, he wanted the action quick.
33:37There's nothing worse than a body shot like that, either.
33:39He was knees to the head, and he's covering his belly.
33:46Justin Bernard makes things official.
33:48Ladies and gentlemen, after two minutes, 32 seconds,
33:51into round number one, referee Trink Trigg calls a stop
33:54to the fight for the winner by TKO, Javier Piaz.
34:01Oh, that's right, y'all.
34:09Had some family here with him as well.
34:11We talked about what a character this guy is,
34:14the teacher in Zumba classes,
34:16the drummer in a rock band,
34:18who came out to bye-bye-bye and thriller
34:21in his last two fights.
34:23So if we do see him in the UFC,
34:26he is sure to entertain.
34:28I don't think there's any doubt about that.
34:30No, no, there's no doubt about that at all.
34:31I think his entire career up to this point
34:34shows that this guy's never going to be in a boring fight.
34:4032 years old from Colombia.
34:4327 fights in to his professional career.
34:50The time is now for Javier Reyes,
34:53which he has acknowledged.
34:56Yeah, right at the beginning of the fight,
34:57he didn't want to touch gloves.
34:58He was business right away.
35:00There was no fun.
35:01Early in the fight, he was invested in the body.
35:04Towards the end, he lands a big body shot
35:05right to the bread basket.
35:07And that's how you know that a body shot is real.
35:09When the punches are coming
35:10and the knees are coming to your head
35:11and you're still concerned with your body,
35:14those are the worst.
35:15And he absolutely showed out.
35:17Laura, he's with the winner.
35:19Thank you so much, guys.
35:21Javier, congratulations.
35:23You said coming into this fight,
35:24it's now or never for me.
35:26You had to make the most of this opportunity
35:28and you went out there tonight
35:29and it did exactly that.
35:30Felicidades por la victoria.
35:32You have said about that fight.
35:34It's now or never for me.
35:36It's exactly what you did.
35:38And you took the best of that opportunity, right?
35:40For me, it's to kill or die.
35:42It's the dream of Colombia.
35:45I think it's the dream of my 100% Colombian.
35:48I think we don't have any one right now.
35:50I have to be the first.
35:51I have to open the path.
35:53Well, that's my dream.
35:54And I know that there are many more.
35:55So this is a great achievement for us.
35:57I said it was do or die for me.
36:00There was no other way.
36:02And listen, I'm 100% Colombian.
36:03We have to get through.
36:05We open up the path.
36:06I know there's no others out there.
36:08So this is the time.
36:08I know it's my dream and that of many others.
36:11You came out bringing the pressure right away.
36:13It was a right hook to the body
36:16that started things off for you.
36:18Did you know that that right body shot
36:20would be there for you in this fight?
36:21You came out with the pressure from the beginning
36:23with the grip of the body.
36:25That's it.
36:26You started.
36:26Oh, you knew that the pain in the body
36:28was going to be the way.
36:29That's part of my speciality.
36:32Where I live in Bogotá, Colombia,
36:33we have a very, very high height.
36:35So basically I have infinite air.
36:38That's always my characteristic.
36:39So my thing is pressure, pressure, pressure,
36:42and they always fall.
36:42And that's the game of today.
36:44That's my game and my specialty.
36:45I live in Bogotá.
36:46So I'm going to talk about high altitude right there.
36:49I mean, I got the stamina.
36:50I can go in for days.
36:51We knew that pressure is my game.
36:53And I knew that that was the way to go.
36:54I know it would mean everything to you
36:56to represent Colombia in the UFC.
36:59I do have a feeling I'll be talking to you again tonight.
37:01Best of luck to you and congratulations.
37:02Guys, back to you.
37:04Thank you, Laura, from headlining in LFA
37:08to winning on Contender Series in the first round.
37:12I guess the only question left is,
37:14does it lead to a contract?
37:16Catch more of MMA's top prospects in action this month
37:19on UFC Fight Pass.
37:21We have stat cards for marquee promotions,
37:23including Cage Fury FC.
37:24Tough enough, Cage Warriors and LFA.
37:26Don't miss your chance to see tomorrow.
37:28Stars today streaming live on UFC Fight Pass.
37:32This is year nine of Dana White's Contender Series.
37:34Thanks for being with us on ESPN+.
37:36Time to help you make a little money
37:38if you're interested in that type of thing.
37:40Yanni DeGrieg Corrales joining us
37:42with the gambler's perspective on this next fight.
37:44What do you have, Yanni?
37:45Well, Montenegro and Chavez.
37:47This should be a good one.
37:48And the Lionel Montenegro is climbing
37:50kind of like the previous fight.
37:51And I do like the favorite here.
37:53I like that she's been training at the PI
37:55over in Mexico for well over a year now.
37:57She's well-rounded.
37:58She's got a brown belt in kickboxing.
38:01She's a blue belt right now in ground game
38:04and just continues to improve.
38:06I think it's warranted to lay the chalk here.
38:08And we're going to get some plus money
38:09to go under two and a half as well.
38:12She's a closer, a finisher,
38:13with five finishes in her seven pro fights.
38:16So let's get a little plus money
38:17to go under two and a half
38:18and lay the chalk on the favorite.
38:21All right, going under on this one.
38:22Thank you, Yanni.
38:23It's been a relatively quiet season
38:25for the ladies on Contender Series.
38:26But that changes tonight with a couple of women
38:29who feel like they are ready for the big show.
38:32Looking to complete her journey
38:34from ring girl to UFC fighter,
38:35undefeated Brazilian,
38:37Jesla Chavez will get that chance.
38:39But looking to spoil the fairy tale
38:41is aggressive Argentinian striker Sofia Montenegro.
38:43This is a dream, not just my dream.
38:49In fact, I'm just a step of getting there, right?
38:51And this dream is not just my dream,
38:52it's of everyone who believed in me.
38:55And I've been doing so much for being here.
38:57And I know that it won't be so long.
38:59I'm Jesla Chavez,
39:01I'm more known as Braba.
39:02I'm 28 years old.
39:03And I represent a team Gomes Fight Team.
39:06I had a class friend who trained Muay Thai at the time.
39:11After this event, I started with my colleague.
39:14He said,
39:14Jesla, you're going to need a ring girl for the event.
39:19What about you being one of the ring girls?
39:21And I said,
39:21okay, I'm fine.
39:23So, it was my first contact with the world.
39:26And then I started to train Muay Thai,
39:28but you know when you start to train for sports,
39:32you know,
39:32to keep your physical,
39:33because you're not going to be able to compete?
39:34I never thought I'd be able to compete.
39:35And then,
39:36this guy,
39:37who is the coordinator of the event,
39:38who is my trainer,
39:39he called me for a month of training.
39:41He said,
39:41oh,
39:42the next year you're going to be with me at the event again.
39:45Then I thought it would be for a ring girl, right?
39:47And then he said,
39:48no,
39:49you're going to be with my athlete.
39:50At the moment,
39:51because there was a month of training,
39:52I had a surprise.
39:53I said,
39:53no,
39:53I didn't have a chance,
39:54I didn't have a chance.
39:55And then,
39:56a year later,
39:57I was there,
39:58in the same event,
39:59in which I was a ring girl,
40:00doing my career in Muay Thai.
40:03And then,
40:03thanks to God,
40:04came a victory.
40:05To have changed the ring girl,
40:07to have the uvahs,
40:08and you,
40:09sometimes,
40:09to be disappointed,
40:10you know?
40:11I said,
40:12that there was the most important fight in my life,
40:15because it was where I said,
40:17it's what I wanted to do for me,
40:19to get here,
40:19to get this contract,
40:21and it's a opportunity
40:23that I'll hold up with all my strength.
40:26And I'll go there,
40:27and I'll just go with him,
40:28in my life.
40:29Hey, Dana,
40:30I'm the next champion.
40:31I'm the next champion of the UFC,
40:35it's a dream,
40:36it's a very big opportunity.
40:38The life of a fighter,
40:39I think,
40:39I've always brought up to the same place.
40:42I don't just want to get to the UFC,
40:44but I want to get to the UFC,
40:45and I want to get to the UFC.
40:46I want to show you that I got to be one more.
40:49I'm the UFC,
40:50I'm the UFC,
40:51I'm the Bruja,
40:52I'm 26 years old,
40:53and I'm the Alpha Team.
40:55I started to fight,
40:57I wrote in the neighborhood of my village,
41:00it's a social place to train,
41:04I wanted to get to the weight,
41:06I didn't know anything about the sport,
41:08I couldn't get to the weight,
41:10I started to get to the weight,
41:12and then I joined a professional team
41:16that helped me and taught me to be a athlete.
41:20I'm currently training
41:22in the UFC Performance
41:24in the City of Mexico.
41:26I'm selected
41:27by a group of many fighters
41:29from Latin America.
41:30I'm a striker,
41:32I can develop
41:34in any aspect of the fight,
41:37but I'm a striking,
41:40and I'm a fighter
41:41and I'm a fighter.
41:43I'm a fighter.
41:43I think what's different
41:44from my campamento
41:45from the others
41:47is that this time
41:48I'm prepared
41:49in a very organized way
41:52because thanks to the PI in Mexico,
41:54I've managed to elevate my level
41:55not only as a fighter,
41:56but as a athlete and sportist
41:58in all aspects.
42:00I hope I'm ready
42:01because not only in this,
42:04but in all the fights
42:05that I'm going to be Niaz,
42:07I'm always going to be
42:08with a fighter
42:08and violent fighter
42:09and willing to give a show
42:10and leave everything
42:11until the last moment
42:13of the fight,
42:13from the first round
42:14to the third or the fifth,
42:16if it's possible.
42:17La Bruja Sofia Montenegro
42:26coming from an athletic family.
42:28Her dad was a pro soccer player.
42:29She played all kinds
42:30of sports growing up,
42:32battled, being overweight,
42:34eventually found MMA,
42:35and she said being selected
42:37to train at the PI
42:38in Mexico City
42:38a year and a half ago
42:40was the turning point
42:41in her career.
42:42Yeah, she left everything
42:43in Argentina
42:45to go to Mexico City
42:46and I asked Dominic Cruz,
42:48he obviously spends
42:49a lot of time down there
42:50and he said,
42:51man, she's just extremely tough.
42:52She's got this rock-hard mentality
42:55that he just loves about her.
42:56He said she's got an intensity
42:57about her strikes as well
42:59that he really finds impressive.
43:01And those are big words
43:02coming from Dominic Cruz.
43:03He doesn't always, you know,
43:04dole out the compliments
43:05super quickly,
43:06but when you watch the film,
43:07that's exactly what you see.
43:08She's such a clean, crisp striker,
43:11works really well
43:12behind her jab.
43:13She's got great hip feints,
43:14good defensive structures,
43:15really put together by Anthony.
43:17Yeah, whoever her coach
43:18has done a fantastic job
43:20and when I watch her strike,
43:21I really think
43:22of the word educated.
43:23She's really smart.
43:24She makes great decisions.
43:25Her feints followed
43:26by the strikes afterwards
43:27are absolutely beautiful.
43:29Splitter time training
43:30for this fight
43:31between her hometown
43:32in Argentina
43:33and the PI Mexico City
43:35has Esteban Rebovix
43:36in her corner tonight.
43:38Ah, brava,
43:44Jesla Chavez
43:46from ring girl
43:48to UFC fighter.
43:49That is her dream.
43:51She is coming in 6-0.
43:53Mick Maynard spotted her.
43:54Thought she deserved a shot
43:55here on Contender Series.
43:58Jesla is a BJJ purple belt
43:59with great stand-up
44:00and knockout power.
44:02She will likely be looking
44:02to keep this on the feet
44:03but has no problem
44:05going to the ground
44:05when she has some vicious
44:06ground and power.
44:07Jesla is undefeated
44:08at 6-0 with four knockouts.
44:10This is by far
44:11our toughest opponent of the day.
44:14Mick's absolutely right.
44:15She absolutely is going
44:16to look to keep
44:17this fight standing.
44:17She's going to want
44:18to keep the pressure.
44:19She has this really cool thing
44:20where she corrals people
44:22by switching her stances.
44:23So if you go one way,
44:24if you go to your right,
44:25she's going to go southpaw.
44:26If you go to your left,
44:27she's going to stay orthodox
44:28and she's using that rear leg
44:29to throw that kick
44:30to corral you back to the middle.
44:32Again, it's a really educated
44:34striking technique.
44:35She's defensively sound
44:36and she's absolutely competent
44:39on the ground.
44:39She wants to keep it striking.
44:41She's probably unlikely
44:42to look to take this fight
44:45to the mat early.
44:46But I believe both these ladies
44:48are competent on the ground.
44:48I think this is a really fun
44:49striking matchup.
44:50Well, I definitely think
44:51we're going to learn a lot
44:52because there's not a lot of tape
44:53on this lady out there.
44:55So I think we're going to learn
44:56a lot for sure.
44:56But like you said, Anthony,
44:58a really great striker.
45:00Pressures forward on the feet.
45:01She doesn't get too crazy.
45:02She really mixes her kicks in nicely.
45:04She's got sneaky elbows
45:05in the clinch.
45:06Lots to look forward to.
45:08Last fight was at Bantamweight.
45:09This will be her first at flyweight.
45:14And here's a look at the tail
45:15of the tape.
45:16Chavez, two years older.
45:17Both ladies, 5'6".
45:19And the reach, nearly identical as well.
45:22It is Montenegro who comes in
45:24as the minus 250 favorite.
45:25Gary Hattie, our referee for this one.
45:31Our ladies, this one's worth it.
45:32Are you ready?
45:33You ready?
45:33Let's go to work.
45:34Red de la Cruz, thank you very much.
45:36Our third fight of the night
45:37is underway.
45:38Just our second fight this season
45:40between two ladies.
45:47Oh.
45:49Shot landed by Chavez.
45:51Oh my gosh.
45:51Nice right hand by Montenegro there.
45:53Everything for Montenegro
45:56comes straight, always.
45:57Yeah.
45:58Really, really clean technique.
46:00You can tell how hard
46:02she's been working down there
46:03at the Mexico City P.I.
46:08She has a really nice tempo change, too.
46:10She'll kind of touch, touch, touch,
46:11and then she'll really unload
46:12two hard shots.
46:15Already has Chavez's nose burning.
46:16Yeah, and she's leaking.
46:17Yeah, and she's leaking.
46:18Yeah, and she's leaking.
46:23Both of them laying hard shots there.
46:24Yeah.
46:27Montenegro just overwhelming her early.
46:29It looks like she's also bleeding
46:31from the side of the head.
46:32Montenegro doing a nice job
46:43with the head pressure here.
46:44Going to keep Chavez
46:46from being able to spin
46:46the other direction.
46:47Man, these ladies are really
46:48wearing the blood.
46:49My goodness.
46:50Sure are.
46:52I don't know when that cut
46:53happened to Montenegro.
46:54Montenegro just refuses
47:00to take a backward step.
47:01She just inches into range
47:02every time.
47:11Another straight left
47:12finding a home for Montenegro.
47:16Montenegro just beating her
47:17to the punch, so to speak,
47:18a little bit, a little bit quickly.
47:20But Chavez is swinging for it, man.
47:23I mean, I'm really impressed
47:24compared to the limited amount
47:26of film.
47:27She's really fighting
47:28to the top of her skill set
47:30right now.
47:31Chavez has got to get
47:32some respect here.
47:34Yeah, she does.
47:35Whoa, and that'll do it right there.
47:36That'll do it.
47:36That'll absolutely do it.
47:38Look for elbows here
47:40in the clinch.
47:40Both these ladies are really
47:41great in the clinch
47:42when it comes to elbows and knees.
47:44Two TKO wins for Chavez
47:46via elbow.
47:53Both of them just looking like
47:54Terminators with the blood
47:55all over their face.
47:57Hard to imagine her
47:59as a ring girl
48:00not that long ago.
48:01Pretty cool story.
48:04Oh, right.
48:04Oh, man, right.
48:05That was nice.
48:08Chavez didn't come to play,
48:09I tell you what.
48:11Beautiful body shot, too.
48:12That's how you get people
48:12to stop coming forward.
48:13If you attack their wind,
48:15you'll start getting some respect.
48:18Look for the elbows here.
48:19Nice combination there
48:28and then working the body
48:30is Chavez.
48:34Chavez mixing her targets well.
48:35Sorry, Anthony.
48:36She's working her way
48:37back into this, though.
48:38Early on, when this fight
48:40first started,
48:40it looked like it was
48:41going to be over quickly
48:42and she's slowly easing
48:43her way back in.
48:46You're absolutely right.
48:47She's dancing around there
48:49with kind of a smile
48:50on her face as well.
48:51and she likes the blood.
49:04Another beautiful body shot.
49:18You're right, Anthony.
49:19You hit on it earlier.
49:20Montenegro was leading the dance
49:21here the first minute or so,
49:23but Chavez is not afraid
49:25to step into the pocket
49:26and mix it up.
49:30Whoever's putting together
49:31combinations is the one
49:33that's winning the exchange.
49:35You know, when each of them
49:36is looking for the one power shot,
49:37because I think both of them
49:38feel the potential for a knockout.
49:41You know, they're touching them up,
49:42but as soon as one of them
49:43puts together one or more punch,
49:45that's when they start
49:46to really have success.
49:47I'd like to see Chavez
49:50mix up her stances a little bit,
49:52get back into the stance switches,
49:54be a little more unpredictable
49:55and dynamic,
49:56because she has it in her.
50:03Beautiful inside left hook.
50:04I'm not seeing those faints
50:15that we typically see
50:16out of Montenegro.
50:17She's kind of just throwing hard
50:18and setting her feet.
50:21Yeah, you're absolutely right.
50:22In the footage that I watched,
50:24she was much more deceptive,
50:26much more of a trap setter.
50:27There's that right hook in
50:32of both of them.
50:34Stop, stop.
50:35Good job, ladies.
50:36Do you want some water?
51:02Listen to me, Sophie.
51:04Let's see, you need to put
51:06that right really strong.
51:09You have to change
51:10your positions a little bit,
51:11your stances.
51:13Don't, you're crossing a little bit.
51:15Listen, you come in
51:16and you come out.
51:17Listen, you can't just go in
51:18right there and say,
51:19you need to move your legs
51:21and you also have to put
51:22a very strong.
51:24Listen, let's go.
51:24Let's go.
51:34Two title fights,
51:36one explosive night.
51:37Magomed Ankulayev defends
51:38his light heavyweight throne
51:39against former champion
51:40UFC superstar Alex Pereira
51:42in a high-stakes rematch.
51:44Plus, phantom weight king
51:45Rob Wallace-Wheely
51:46puts his belt on the line
51:48against top contender
51:49Corey Sanhagen.
51:50UFC 320 hits Vegas
51:52Saturday, October 4th.
51:54Prelim coverage on ESPN Plus
51:55all night starting at 16.
51:56Great job, ladies.
51:57Great job.
51:58Here we go.
51:58Round two.
51:58What a first round.
52:01Hopefully, we can duplicate
52:02that in the second.
52:03You know, as you guys know,
52:05the regional scene
52:06with the females
52:07is not as deep
52:08as it is with the males,
52:10so sometimes it's hard
52:11to find good competition
52:12and that was the big question mark
52:13about Chavez coming in
52:15who eats a big right hand
52:16for Montenegro
52:17because her opponent's record
52:18is 3-15,
52:19but both players
52:20putting on a good display
52:22and it could be
52:23if Otronego
52:23finishing this one.
52:25What's the back to him?
52:26Montenegro looking
52:27to close the show.
52:28Chavez's got to get safe here.
52:33Yeah, she's hanging tough.
52:34You've got to control the posture.
52:37Big elbows coming down
52:38for Montenegro.
52:41Chavez trying to control
52:42the head now,
52:42control the arms
52:43so that she can buy herself
52:44a little bit of time
52:45to recuperate,
52:47maybe re-guard.
52:49This is such a tough position
52:50to defend yourself in
52:51when your legs are kind of trapped.
52:52You're almost stuck
52:54with only giving your back up
52:55or staying in this position.
52:57That's your only real option here.
52:58Yeah, DC always calls this
53:03KC guard.
53:04I never quite know
53:05what to call it,
53:05but it's bad
53:06no matter what it is.
53:07It's not great.
53:07It's not great.
53:08She's trying to get
53:09her leg back across.
53:15What's her face?
53:16What's her downed opponent?
53:18All right, here we go.
53:19Let's go.
53:25Montenegro working out
53:27a half guard.
53:31Jason's got to get
53:31a left underhook here
53:32and get to her right side.
53:34Right now, she's just holding.
53:35She's just controlling posture.
53:37If she wants to work
53:39her way back up
53:40or get to a better position,
53:41that arm on the back
53:43of Montenegro's head
53:43either has to come under
53:44the front for a frame
53:46or get to an underhook.
53:50Montenegro doing a nice job
53:51of just driving her head
53:53into the face of Chavez
53:55using those three points
53:56of pressure,
53:57not allow her to start
53:59to move and wiggle her hips.
54:01Whenever the head is stuck,
54:02it's really hard
54:03to start moving
54:04and getting on that hip
54:05like you were talking
54:06about, Anthony.
54:09Nice elbow
54:10from Montenegro.
54:13She's just mean.
54:16She's just...
54:17She's just...
54:17Yeah, digging in those ribs.
54:20This is tough.
54:21Chavez seems pretty content
54:22to just maybe clear her head
54:24and now she gives up mouth.
54:29Shakes her off.
54:31Trying to get back
54:31to her feet.
54:32Chavez does.
54:33Big, big knee
54:34from Montenegro
54:35on the way up, though.
54:40Chavez's got to get
54:41off the fence here.
54:41She doesn't want to find
54:42herself back
54:42into a takedown.
54:46Oh, I hit another knee
54:47and she is just
54:48leaking oil.
54:58Montenegro would have
54:59a lot of success
55:00if she just broke off here
55:01and started throwing some...
55:02Threw a few strikes,
55:03landed a big elbow
55:04and then got back
55:04in the clinch.
55:08Yeah, she seems
55:09pretty content
55:10to stay here.
55:16I don't necessarily
55:19see Montenegro
55:20looking to level change
55:21and get down
55:22underneath the hips
55:23of Chavez, though.
55:24Let's go.
55:25Let's go.
55:25It's been a very grueling fight.
55:35I wouldn't be surprised
55:35if both of them
55:36are pretty content
55:36to hang out for a minute,
55:38catch their breath.
55:40Montenegro's looking
55:40to get the inside ties here.
55:42Look for that right elbow.
55:44It seemed like Chavez
55:45was looking at the clock
55:46there a few seconds ago.
55:50It's been a long couple
55:51of rounds for these two ladies.
55:52Yeah, the way that Chavez
56:00is tying up her,
56:01I was just going to say
56:02she looks like
56:02she's potentially
56:03going for a hip throw
56:03but gives up her back instead.
56:06It's a good job
56:10to turn and face
56:11by Chavez.
56:14She's got to start
56:15working inside.
56:16She's got to get
56:16the head position back.
56:17She's got to get
56:17one of those overhooks
56:19to an underhook
56:20if she wants to get
56:22herself off this fence.
56:23Yeah, I think she feels
56:24safe with those wizards
56:25nice and tight
56:26after getting rocked
56:27early in this round.
56:27There's a lot less punches
56:28coming your way
56:29if you got a hold of them.
56:30Exactly.
56:30And, you know,
56:31I think she feels
56:32like maybe she can get
56:33a hip toss from here.
56:35It hasn't been
56:35successful with it yet.
56:3820 seconds left here
56:40in the second round
56:41as the fighters break.
56:52Tenegril with a couple
56:53of probing jabs
56:55and then a shot
56:55to the body from Chavez.
56:58A big one-two
56:59Stunger at the bell.
57:01Wow.
57:08Did you see that
57:10at the end
57:10it was really good?
57:11Listen, it was great.
57:12We lost this round.
57:14But, Lissa,
57:16you're here in this fight
57:17right now.
57:17I saw what happened.
57:18She felt her hand.
57:20You're in this fight.
57:21Let's breathe.
57:22Another brutal second round
57:40as we take a look
57:41at the highlights.
57:41Yeah, Montenegro
57:43doing a great job here.
57:45Just waiting for the
57:45right time for Chavez
57:47to become
57:48not a downed opponent.
57:50Lands a beautiful knee.
57:51And at the end
57:51of the round, though,
57:52Chavez says,
57:53I am not going away.
57:54Lands a beautiful
57:55hard right hand.
57:56Gets herself right
57:56back into this fight.
57:57You're doing a great job.
57:58A great job.
57:59That's a reaction
58:00from Dana.
58:01He has been very engaged
58:02all night long.
58:03But I think he's impressed
58:04with both of these ladies.
58:05It is worth noting
58:06this is just the second fight
58:08between women
58:09on Contender Series
58:10this year.
58:11The first one,
58:12both women got contracts.
58:14Perhaps that could happen again.
58:16Just saying.
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