Dana White’s Contender Series Storylines | Week 6, Season 6
The storylines for this season have been tremendously fascinating thus far. That said, when it comes to talent, this week might very well be the most promising.
Yusaku Kinoshita vs Jose Henrique
There’s nothing more intriguing than two vibrant young prospects headlining a contender series card with an opportunity of a lifetime. And this week’s headliner features Japan’s Yusaku Kinoshita squaring off against Brazil’s Jose Henrique.
The young 22-year-old Kinoshita enters tonight’s bout with a record of 5-1, with all his victories coming inside the first round. Yusaku’s only loss came by way of disqualification for grabbing the fence. Aside from that bump, the pride of Japan has looked like a wrecking ball.
Idolizing MMA legend Jose Aldo while growing up, Jose Henrique has always believed that at some stage, he would grace the UFC octagon. The 20-year-old rising star enters the contest with a staggering six foot three frame, alongside an undefeated record to up the stakes.
Both athletes are incredibly young in their careers at this stage. So, this week’s outcome won’t tell the entire story of their career trajectories. That said, only one can leave with a contract. Who will it be?
Sedriques Dumas vs Matej Penaz
Two undefeated middleweights hold the co-feature spot this Tuesday as both young finishers collide in a showdown that’s inconceivable to disappoint.
25-year-old Matej Penaz looks to join UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka in an all-out Czech takeover.
Penaz began his mixed martial arts journey at 11 years old after being inspired by the likes of Bader Hari and Alistair Overeem. As the young Penaz looks to progress fluently with his career, he decided to train for this camp at All Stars Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden, alongside Khamzat Chimaev, Darren Till and UFC legend Alexander Gustafsson.
Sedrique Dumas came from humble beginnings, to say the least. From learning how to fight at 6 years old to protect himself to escaping death countless times, Dumas enters this week’s contest with battle scars that lead him to this moment.
“Fighting is in me for one reason: I had to survive on my own being in the street; it was either fight or flight, So I had to learn how to fight at 6 years of age.”
Both men come from thoroughly different backgrounds. However, they’re similar in so many ways. Both hold a record of 6-0 with five finishes. Also, both middleweights share the same height of six foot three. Lastly, both men have vicious power in both hands, resulting in a recipe for an explosive firefight while it lasts.
Rodrigo Lidio vs Mateusz Rebecki
A classic grappler vs striker showdown takes place at light heavyweight this week as Brazil’s Rodrigo Lidio clashes against Poland’s Mateusz Rebecki.
Both men understand this week’s opportunity’s magnitude, leading them to change some details in their preparation ahead of their contest.
Rebecki joined fellow polish fighters Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Mateusz Gamrot as he moved to Florida’s American Top Team ahead of this fight, with the intent of leaving no stone unturned. However, Rodrigo Lidio decided to base his camp for this fight in Brazil, where it all started.
Even though this is a classic grappler vs striker matchup, both men can hold their own in all departments and facets of the fight game.
Will Rebacki join the Polish takeover by getting a UFC contract, or will the ferocious strike Lidio produce a jaw-dropping finish that might land him on the UFC Brazil card in January?
Maria Silva vs Viktoriia Dudakova
Unquestionably, last week’s female fight stole the show as two fiery Brazilian traded heavy leather for 15 minutes. Maria Silva and Viktoriia Dudakova look to pick up where their compatriots have left off.
Brazil’s Silva enters the contest with a shiny undefeated record of 8-0 as she looks to impress the boss in her second attempt at securing a UFC contract.
Maria Silva appeared on last season’s contender series when she defeated Kathryn Paprocki by decision. However, her performance didn’t send shock waves across the sport, resulting in her being overlooked. That said, Maria earned this second chance by delivering an impressive third-round finish over Ewelina Wozniak. On the other hand, 23-year-old submission ace Victoria Dudakova hails from Volgograd, Russia, with a record of 5-0, with all her wins coming inside the distance.
The potential for both ladies is still unknown since they’re both young and inexperienced in their respective careers. However, a contract will undoubtedly be the next best step at world-level progression. Both finishers are hungry for that chance. Who will leave Tuesday night as a UFC fighter? Not long to find out.
Blake Bilder vs Alex Morgan
Two battle-tested featherweights will open this week’s card as they prepare to shed blood in what will most likely be their last shot at a UFC contract.
Canada’s Alex Morgan started training at 17 years old at Tri-Star Gym in Montreal, Canada, alongside Rory Macdonald, GSP and many other pioneers in the sport. Although Morgan’s record might not be the most impressive, he knocked out former UFC fighter TJ Laramie twice in spectacular fashion while giving current UFC star Charles Jourdain a sturdy fight before getting submitted.
His opponent, CFFC champion Blake Bilder, is also an experienced veteran with an amateur record of 5-0 and a professional record of 6-0-1.
Bilder enters this fight with a heavy heart: before his last fight, Blake’s brother took his own life, leaving him with so many questions unanswered. It was a make-or-break moment for the 32-year-old veteran as he competes this week to inspire the millions around the world that faced his type of adversity in losing a loved one.
What makes this fight unique is the element of now or never. Both men are competing for their last chance at a UFC contract. Both went through so much leading up to this moment, but only one gets the lift-off.
