DWCS Season 7 Week 3 Recap: Four Fun Fights, Three Contracts

As we close out on Season 7, Week 3 of the DWCS, we’d like to take a closer look at the contract winners of the night. With only four fights, we just got to see three contracts get handed out. The previous two weeks saw five fights each Tuesday, both times had Dana White awarding five contracts.

This week, we didn’t see all of the winners get rewarded a contract. Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t just about winning, it’s about making a statement. Here, we’ll talk about the winners, the performances that won contracts, and recap the night of action from these UFC hopefuls.

DWCS Season 7, Week 3 Opening Match: Luis Pajuelo Defeats Robbie Ring

Luis Pajuelo was able to score the first-round TKO win as an underdog to open up Tuesday’s action. He went toe-to-toe with Robbie Ring, making for a fantastic open to this week of Dana White’s Contender Series. A furious start to the night and to the fight resulted in a short bout.

Not even four minutes into the first round, Ring went down and he ate a brutal knee to the body. Couple that with the other ground and pound and it was a wrap. Both fighters fought well and really looked to be UFC ready, but there can only be one winner in these situations. Fan should look forward to Luis’ UFC debut, and keep an eye out for Robbie Ring to bounce back and make another reach at a UFC contract in the future.

Josefine Knutsson Beats Isis Verbeek

While Joefine Knutsson dominated, Dana White just didn’t see what he wanted to. At 27-years-old and undefeated, it’s hard to imagine that Knutsson won’t get another shot on the Contender Series or at least be watched closely by the UFC brass, but last night just wasn’t her time. She was able to rock and mostly dominate her opponent; it was impressive, but not UFC contract impressive.

Looking at the MMA record of Josefine, it’s obvious that she’s great but the finishes tend to elude her. Granted, when looking at her opponent’s collective record, there’s hardly any stoppage losses in there. In fact, Verbeek has never been finished. Should Josefine find that killer instinct inside the cage, she’s sure to get a UFC contract in the future.

Despite not getting the contract, this was a performance that Knutsson should be proud of and celebrate. Only onward and upward from here.

DWCS: Oban Elliot Beats Kaik Brito in an Absolute War

What a banger this one was! This fight highlighted the skill of both Elliot and Brito. Kaik throws everything with the intent to knock over a house and Elliot had no intentions of leaving without a contract or on a stretcher. This fight went back and forth; the momentum vascilated between the two fighters and it was hard to tell who was going to get the job done.

Oban came out with a point to prove in the third round after almost being finished in the second. He nearly got the stoppage himself in the final minute of the bout. He received a UFC contract following this win, though Dana White was on the fence for some reason. Expect big and exciting things from this guy as he begins his journey as a UFC fighter.

DWCS Main Event: Zachary Reese Makes Quick Work of Eli Aronov

This week’s main event for Dana White’s Contender Series was a quick one. The matchmakers for the DWCS know what they’re doing and they know how to pick out the talent. Both parts of our main event had their moments in the short time that they had to display themselves. Aronov was landing bombs up until he was caught in an armbar.

29-years-old, 6-0 with a 100% finishing rate, signing Reese was a no-brainer. This guy is a force to be reckoned with in the UFC’s middleweight division. Though Eli suffered his first loss here, we should expect some great things out of this guy in the future as well.

Tune in next week for more exciting action! With Sean O’Malley, a DWCS alum, winning bantamweight gold, it shows that the Contender Series is legitimate and it’s best to get familiar with these fighters sooner rather than later.