DWCS 77 is upon us. It’s been 10 months since an MMA fan may come house from work on a Tuesday night, take off their sneakers, have dinner and watch some fights. With the calendar now in the course of August, a favourite summer time custom is again once more.
DWCS 77 on Tuesday evening marks the start of the ninth season of Dana White’s Contender Collection. For every of the subsequent 10 weeks, celebrated MMA prospects will go on a enterprise journey to the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, NV with a singular purpose in thoughts:
Securing a UFC contract. This week, the season begins, and as ordinary, DWCS 77 will characteristic 5 MMA fights. Like we’ve seen so many occasions earlier than, simply profitable a combat on Contender Collection isn’t sufficient. UFC CEO Dana White has whole discretion over what number of or how few contracts get handed out on a Tuesday evening.
Heading into season 9 of Contender Collection, 287 alumni of the present have gotten a contract as a direct results of showing on this system, together with 42 final 12 months.
DWCS 77 Marks Anticipated Starting of Ninth Season Tuesday
All of it begins once more with DWCS 77 on Tuesday. Usually seen at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT over ESPN+, this week solely, the cardboard begins one hour forward of schedule at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT, in order to not battle with this week’s episode of The Final Fighter.
All fights on the schedule for Contender Collection are an marketed most of three rounds at 5 minutes per spherical. Let’s discuss a few of this week’s fights.
DWCS 77 Essential Occasion: Ilian Bouafia vs. Neemias Santana
On the prime of the invoice this week, the middleweights vie for a UFC contract when undefeated Ilian Bouafia (6-0 MMA) strikes down from mild heavyweight and places his streak on the road vs. Neemias Santana (7-2-1 MMA.) Bouafia has but to lose up to now in his skilled MMA profession. Again on Valentine’s Day, he bested Paulin Begai (7-4 MMA) by unanimous choice in Ares FC 29.
This was the primary time that Bouafia wanted to have his win confirmed by the judges’ scorecards. He’s an thrilling prospect in his house nation of France, with 5 knockouts on his resume already. What’s going to occur when he fights in America for DWCS 77?
In the meantime, Neemias Santana has posted a 3-1-1 mark in his final 5 fights. In the meanwhile, he’s on a four-fight unbeaten streak forward of DWCS 77. Final day out, he scored a second-round knockout by the use of a straight proper vs. Marcos Vinicius (6-1-1 MMA) on March 28.
These two fighters come into DWCS 77 having mixed for 9 wins inside the space. One thing has to present right here on Tuesday evening. Who will emerge victorious?
DWCS 77: Ty Miller vs. Jimmy Drago
Forward of the featured bout, you’ll be seeing a welterweight scrap matching Ty Miller (5-0, 1 NC MMA) with Jimmy Drago (7-2, 1 NC MMA.) A common storyline right here: Each males are coming in off of no-contests of their final bout.
The previous might be making the stroll in DWCS 77 nonetheless holding an ideal skilled report within the sport. Again on Dec. 6 within the LFA, his combat vs. Arthur Barros (4-1, 1 NC MMA) led to a no-contest at 3:30 into the opening spherical after the latter fighter couldn’t proceed within the bout upon struggling an inadvertent eye poke.
This was Miller’s solely bauble in his profession. Can he safe a contract on Tuesday evening?
Throughout the way in which, Jimmy Drago touches down in Enterprise with a 3-1 report with one no-contest in his final 5 fights. He’s unbeaten in his final 4 contests, however his March 14 combat versus Junior Melo (14-9-1, 1 NC MMA) ended with a no-contest contained in the second spherical throughout CFFC 140 attributable to a conflict of heads.
Win or lose, Drago’s story is an inspiring one. This can be a man who was hooked on heroin earlier than changing into clear and sober within the fall of 2015. A decade later, he could possibly be quarter-hour of motion (or much less) away from securing a UFC deal.
DWCS 77: Baysangur Susurkaev vs. Murtaza Talha
Additionally on DWCS 77, you’ll see a cracking affair at middleweight between undefeated Baysangur Susurkaev (8-0 MMA) and Murtaza Talha (7-1 MMA, 0-1 DWCS) within the latter’s second Contender Collection look. Susurkaev has but to style defeat as knowledgeable, ending seven of his eight profession opponents.
On Feb. 21, he completed Iraki Kuchukhidze (4-2 MMA) in Fury FC 102 contained in the second spherical. Get your popcorn prepared earlier than the cage door shuts on Tuesday evening. With Susurkaev sporting an 88 % end fee going into this combat, you might not have a lot of an opportunity to pop the corn as soon as the combat begins.
Within the different nook, Murtaza Talha has gone 4-1 in his final 5 contests. This previous February, he stopped Oleg Klimov (0-5 MMA) inside the primary spherical with floor and pound photographs. Klimov’s report has come beneath scrutiny on Tapology with every of his final three bouts being disputed.
As beforehand talked about, Talha might be making his second look on Contender Collection this coming week. Again in 2023, his combat versus Rodolfo Bellato ended with the latter scoring a second-round knockout victory with 14 seconds remaining within the interval.
Will Talha’s second probability end in a UFC contract? Solely time will inform.
Remainder of the Card on DWCS 77
Two different bouts will happen on opening evening for season 9, a featherweight affair matching BFL Featherweight Champion Radley Da Silva (7-1 MMA) with George Mangos (7-0 MMA) and a middleweight contest between Christopher Ewert (7-0 MMA) and Yuri Panferov (8-1 MMA), the latter being the premise for one of many wildest tales in DWCS historical past.
Ewert and Panferov have been initially booked for DWCS 77 earlier than the combat was postponed after the previous was signed to the UFC. Ewert’s supposed UFC debut was then known as off the morning earlier than UFC 317 upon encountering weight minimize points, being minimize from the UFC.
Panferov and Ewert’s combat was then again on for opening evening as of the day after UFC 317.
Remaining Ideas
Which of the 5 fights are you trying ahead to on DWCS 77? Tell us within the feedback.
