After a quiet start last week, Dana White’s Contender Series is back tonight with a full card of five fights. Only Joe Pyfer received a UFC contract last week, so the fighters tonight will look to outdo the measured approach of the opening week fighters. Stay tuned here for live Dana White’s Contender Series 48 results, along with the contract winners.
Names to Watch on Season 6, Week 2:
Longo and Weidman MMA send another member of their expansive team for the second week in a row, and this week, 6-1 lightweight Charlie Campbell is up to bat. Campbell is a veteran of CFFC and Bellator and throws at a high volume. Evenly matched with his opponent, Chris Duncan (8-1), “The Cannibal” Charlie Campbell lands with heavy kicks.
Campbell was on the Contender Series last year when he lost to Slava Borshchev. The Scotsman Duncan was picked up from Bellator and carried a lot of hype into his appearance on DWCS. He’s fought and won once since his appearance last year, earning a unanimous decision on Ultimate Fighter League in London.
Shannon Ross (13-5) is another name to watch this week as he faces Vinicius Salvador (13-4). Ross is a veteran and former flyweight champion at Eternal MMA in Australia. At 33, he’s a bit older than most contestants on the show, and hasn’t fought in eighteen months. However, with his longevity in the sport comes a more refined game that should accompany a fighter bound for the UFC. If he doesn’t have ring rust, he could shine brightly against Salvador.
Representing the Dominican Republic is heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta (6-0), who checks a lot of boxes for the UFC. He’s a heavyweight younger than 30, undefeated, and comes from an underrepresented market for the promotion. What’s more, is the LFA veteran is a skilled boxer with wins over some quality opponents like Mo DeReese and Thomas Peterson. He’s probably the top name this week as one most likely to earn a UFC contract.
Opening the night is a welterweight clash between Billy Goff (7-2) and Shimon Smotritsky (8-1). Goff is a young fighter out of New England that’s had plenty of tough fights so far under the CES and Cage Titans banners. He’s dropping down to welterweight in this fight, so he should have a decent size advantage against Smotritsky.
Follow the live results below, as well as the contract winners, below.
DANA WHITE’s CONTENDER SERIES 48 RESULTS
ESPN+ (8pm EST / 5pm PST)
Chris Duncan def. Charlie Campbell via KO (Right Cross and Punches) at 1:43 of round 1- Chris Duncan earns a UFC contract
Vinicius Salvador def. Shannon Ross via TKO (Punches) at 4:22 of round 2- Vinicius Salvador earns a UFC contract
Francis Marshall def. Connor Matthews via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)- Francis Marshall earns a UFC contract
Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Danilo Suzart via TKO (Punches) at 3:40 of round 1- Waldo Cortes-Acosta earns a UFC contract
Billy Goff def. Shimon Smotritsky via TKO (Punches) at 3:37 of round 1- Billy Goff earns a UFC contract
