After nearly eight months away, Dana White’s Contender Series returns to the ESPN+ airwaves this evening (Tues., July 26, 2022) for the first episode of Season 6, streaming live online with an 8 p.m. start time right here.
Tonight’s action features four fights instead of the usual five, as a planned clash between Farid Basharat and William Souza was canceled yesterday when Souza hit the scales a full 10 pounds over the Bantamweight limit. The main event sees LFA Middleweight champion, Ozzy Diaz (7-1), take on the returning Joe Pyfer (8-2), who suffered an injury loss to Dustin Stoltzfus in 2020. At 205 pounds, BRAVE CF veteran Anton Turkalj (7-0) meets Acacio Dos Santos (14-4), while Dennis Buzukja (7-2) makes his second bid for Contender Series glory opposite Kaleio Romero (6-1). The Flyweight opener pits Lux Fight League titlist Alessandro Costa (10-2) against unbeaten Ecuadorian Juan Andres Luna (12-0).
‘Contender Series’ Quick Results:
Ozzy Diaz vs. Joe Pyfer
Anton Turkalj vs. Acacio Dos Santos
Dennis Buzukja vs. Kaleio Romero
Alessandro Costa vs. Juan Andres Luna — Costa def. Luna by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
‘Contender Series’ Play-By-Play Results:
185 lbs.: Ozzy Diaz vs. Joe Pyfer
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
205 lbs.: Anton Turkalj vs. Acacio dos Santos
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
145 lbs.: Dennis Buzukja vs. Kaleio Romero
Round one: Romero slips early, eats a body kick. Buzukja advancing, getting caught on the way in. Single-leg attempt by Romero, who hauls Buzukja to the fence. One minute in. Still grinding. Two minutes in. There’s a lift, nothing doing. Jockeying for position. Two minutes to go.
Buzukja still defending, unable to separate. Romero still fighting for a takedown. One minute to go. Buzukja reverses, gets reversed in turn. Romero tries one last level change. 10-9 Romero
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
125 lbs.: Alessandro Costa vs. Juan Andres Luna
Round one: Luna switching stance. Nobody throwing anything as we approach the one-minute mark. There’s a low kick from Costa. Luna tries a head kick, gets warned for extended fingers. Straight left lands for him, simultaneous kicks. Neither man really willing to engage; they’re sitting at the very end of kicking range. Costa low kick. Two minutes in. Luna fires a body kick in return. Costa just misses with a counter right. Luna does the same with a lead overhand. Head kick to head kick. Two minutes to go.
Luna tossing out plenty of kicks, none within range. Punches fall short as well. Costa answers a low kick with a blitz. One minute to go. Starting to push forward, tries a body kick. Luna lands a front kick and has to deal wiith another blitz coming his way. Costa jumps cup-first into Luna’s outstretched heel for a last-second pause. 10-9 Luna on activity?
Round two: Solid jab and kicks from Luna. He backs away from a combination. Costa having issues with the range. One minute in. Luna going in-and-out, nice low kick. Knee to the body in the clinch. Costa continuing to fall short. Two minutes in. Luna just feeding him a steady diet of rangy shots as he circles. Two minutes to go.
There’s a calf kick from Costa. He tries a head kick, Luna comes back with a front kick. Luna avoids a wheel kick and backs away from a combo. Costa appears to sting him with a right hand inside and they start trading. One minute to go. Luna trying to answer back but gets floored with another heavy right when slinging an uppercut. Costa follows him down into side control, only to gets swept in seconds. He briefly considers an arm triangle. Both men attacking with strikes. 10-9 Costa but it wouldn’t be wrong to give Luna the round for the early control.
Round three: Hard calf kick from Costa. Trading low kicks. Counter left lands for Luna. Back to trying to potshot. One minute in. Luna shoots, denied, eats a right hand on the exit. Things have slowed way back down. Counter right by Luna. Swatting left as they exchange, body kicks. Two minutes in. Costa whiffs on a two-piece. Nice calf kick. Counter right to answer a naked kick. Chucking overhand rights, lands another calf kick. Two minutes to go.
Costa tries a right hand and head kick. Luna low and front kicks. Right hand on the exit. Awkward spinning back kick attempt. Long uppercut, right hand in combination with a minute to go. Costa shuts down a takedown, fires some heavy rights. Both land to the body. Luna changes levels, denied. Costa tries to swing hit and denies one last level change. 10-9 Costa.
Final result: Costa def. Luna by split decision
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