Contender Series Week 3 Recap and Reactions

Dana White’s Contender Series 2021 continued last night with six fights. After handing out ten contracts through two weeks, Dana White has shown how generous he plans to be this season. White chose to continue this pattern by handing out five more contracts during week 3. Although all six winners put on impressive performances, White decided that one fighter needed more experience. Let’s take a look at the recap and reactions for week 3 of the Contender Series 2021.

Mo Miller denied UFC contract at Contender Series week 3

Going into week 3, Mo Miller was considered most likely to earn a UFC contract. Holding a 6-0 pro record, Miller had a tough opponent in Brandon Lewis (5-1). Although he dominated throughout the fight, Miller’s inability to finish Lewis was White’s takeaway. White decided he needed more experience before getting a shot in the UFC. Miller could have gotten the finish, but honestly, he is UFC caliber and deserved the contract. After racking up more experience, no doubt Miller will be in the UFC sooner rather than later.

Jasmine Jasudavicius is a darkhorse in women’s flyweight division

Jasmine Jasudavicius came out against Julia Polastri, looking impressive. Her combination of reach advantage and grappling caught everyone’s attention early. The only issue was her inability to dominate the entire fight. She began to fade in the later rounds, allowing Polastri back into the fight. When the fight ended, Jasudavicius was awarded the unanimous decision victory. The women’s flyweight division always needs more fighters, and White awarded her with a UFC contract. Only time will tell how far she can go, but her well-rounded fight style makes her a dark horse in the division moving forward.

Lukasz Brzeski joins the heavyweight division

Lukasz Brzeski was a perfect representation of Polish MMA. Brzeski had a solid chin, relentless pressure, and looked for the finish constantly throughout the fight. He continued to damage his opponent, Dylan Potter (10-6), deep into the third round. Potter started to fade away, and Brzeski managed to keep the pressure going. Brzeski found himself in a dominant position in the third round and finished the fight with a rear-naked choke. Although Potter did not actually tap, Brzeski was gonna win by decision regardless. The heavyweight division needs new fighters, so White offered Brzeski a contract into the UFC.

Albert Duraev smashes opponent with first-round submission

Albert Duraev came into this fight with the Russian smash mentality. He lived up to the expectations from the second the fight started. Duraev landed a takedown quickly and started to inflict serious damage to his opponent Caio Bittencourt (14-7). He continued to smash until a submission opportunity opened up in the first round. Duraev pulled a brutal neck crank and ended the fight with a first-round submission win. He earned a UFC contract and made a statement to the middleweight division.

Jack Della Maddalena steals the show at Contender Series week 3

Jack Della Maddalena is one of the most exciting fighters in DWCS history. Formerly a rugby player, Maddalena has heavy hands and a never-give-up attitude. He was matched up against a tough opponent in Ange Loosa (7-2), a training partner of Kamaru Usman. Maddalena showed off his fan-friendly style that consisted of endless heavy punches, creative grappling, and cardio to match it. Although the fight went to decision, Maddalena showed the potential to be a problem in the welterweight division. Safe to say, most UFC fans will be tuning it to see his promotional debut.

Jailton Almeida puts the light heavyweight division on notice

In the headliner, Jailton Almeida was a decent underdog against Nasrudin Nasrudinov going into the fight. The tale of the tape was that Nasrudinov was another Khabib-like grappler that could smash anyone. On the contrary, Almeida was a BJJ specialist that developed solid boxing skills. Nobody could have expected the result. Almeida beat Nasrudinov at his own game and relentlessly wrestled his opponent to the ground. Once on the ground, Almeida was searching for submissions and continuing to damage Nasrudinov. In the second round, Almeida sunk in a rear-naked choke and easily earned his UFC contract. If that Almeida shows up every fight, his potential in the light heavyweight division will be endless.