Knockdown Daily 10/20/21: Four Fighters Offered UFC Contracts on 'Contender Series'
Results from the recent "Dana White's Contender Series" episode lead the MMA headlines for Wednesday
Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today is a busy issue, covering the top MMA stories from the past 48 hours.
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Dana White’s Contender Series Season 5 Episode 8 Results: UFC Offers Contracts To Four Fighters
UFC handed out four more contracts on Tuesday’s episode of “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
Armen Petrosyan, Caio Borralho, Piera Rodriguez and Jonny Parsons were all asked to join the promotion after their wins at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Parsons had a hard-fought win in the main event, taking a split decision win over flashy CFFC veteran Solomon Renfro.
LFA Strawweight Champion Rodriguez retained her undefeated record in the co-main event, picking up a unanimous decision win over Valesca Machado.
Borralho scored his second win of the season Tuesday, making quick work of Jesse Murray for a more emphatic victory than last time. He had appeared earlier in the season but wasn’t offered a UFC contract after defeating Aaron Jeffery via decision.
Petrosyan scored one of the more brutal stoppage wins of the season, flooring Kaloyan Kolev late in the first round with strikes. After hurting Kolev with punches, Petrosyan scored a knockdown with a perfectly-timed knee to the head. This knocked Kolev out, causing the fight to end moments afterward.
The sole winner on this card that went unsigned was Pedro Falcao, who scored a third-round ground and pound finish win against James Barnes in the opening bout of the card.
A full report on the episode can be read here.
Conor McGregor Accused Of Assaulting DJ In Italy
Former two-division UFC Champion Conor McGregor is back in the news after allegations of committing assault in Rome, Italy.
Famous Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti took to social media Sunday to allege that McGregor had attacked him during a night out. He alleges that the attack came unprovoked, and that he was unsure of why it occurred.
“The very famous McGregor, who punched me in the mouth, broke my nose in front of ten witnesses, his friends and his bodyguards,” said Facchinetti via Instagram Story, per a translation published by MMA Mania. “He attacked me without motivation as we talked for more than two hours and we also had fun together.”
Facchinetti has mentioned his intention to file a lawsuit due to the incident.
McGregor has yet to issue a public comment on the allegations.
McGregor made headlines last month after getting into a physical confrontation with rapper Machine Gun Kelly at the MTV VMAs in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
LA County District Attorney Drops Domestic Battery Charge Against Former UFC Champ Chuck Liddell
Charges of domestic battery on former UFC Champion Chuck Liddell will not be pursued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, per recent reports.
The prosecution cited “lack of sufficient evidence” as their reasoning for not pressing charges, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. The situation was filed as a “cross complaint,” as both Liddell and his wife had accused the other of committing domestic violence.
Liddell was arrested on October 11 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Following his release from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, Liddell claimed that he was the victim in the situation and that more details would be revealed in “due course.”
Documents obtained by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting include details from a report filed the night of the arrest.
Liddell reportedly had a red mark on his face and chest following the incident that authorities responded to last week. His wife did not have any physical marks. Liddell’s daughter told police that the couple engaged in an argument and that they were “pushing each other.”
Liddell has since filed for divorce with his wife.
UFC, Pancrase Alum Brian Gassaway Passes Away At 49
Brian Gassaway, an MMA veteran of over 50 fights, has passed away at age 49.
The UFC and Pancrase alum reportedly passed away Sunday, with the cause of death unknown at the moment.
Gassaway fought as a pro from 1996 to 2010, facing many big names in the scene during its early years.
He competed in the early years of pivotal Japanese MMA promotion Pancrase, putting together a promotional record of two wins and four losses. His time in the promotion included matchups against legendary names like Minowaman and Yuki Kondo.
Gassaway fought at UFC 54 in 2005, where he lost to Diego Sanchez.
Gassaway’s extensive career included appearances in top promotions like UFC, WEC and Bellator. His last pro win, a fight in August 2010, was a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Knabijan at Bellator 25.
A donation box has been opened at the crowdfunding site GoFundMe for Gassaway’s memorial. The fund has a goal of $20,000 and surpassed $16,000 by Tuesday night.
Undefeated Lightweight David Onama Joins UFC Roster, Booked To Face Mason Jones At October 23rd Event
Lightweight prospect David Onama has joined the UFC roster and already has his first bout in place.
The undefeated eight-fight pro is expected to face Mason Jones at this weekend’s UFC “Fight Night” October 23rd card, as first reported by Marcel Dorff of MMA DNA.
Onama has developed into a super-prospect while fighting in the Missouri regional scene. After putting together a flawless 10-fight amateur run from 2014 to 2018, he turned pro in 2019.
Onama has scored eight pro wins since then, including seven via finish. His last victory was just 11 days ago, stopping Brad Robison within a round on a FAC card.
Onama will also be making UFC history, being the first fighter in the promotion to represent Uganda.
The new matchup keeps Jones on Saturday’s card. The former two-division Cage Warriors Champion was originally scheduled to rematch Alan Patrick, but that fight was thrown out due to COVID-19 protocol, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
Jones will be in the hunt for his first UFC win. He has struggled since joining the promotion, losing to Mike Davis and having an unsatisfying no contest finish in his first bout against Patrick.
UFC Releases Memo Following Updated U.S. Travel Policy, Informs Fighters of Vaccine Requirement
Top MMA promotion UFC sent a memo to talent recently, making them aware of a new travel policy put in place by the U.S. government that is set to take effect on November 8th.
Travel restrictions placed on entering the U.S. will be lifted on November 8th, with a new policy allowing anyone to enter who has been fully vaccinated from COVID-19.
The recent change was confirmed by White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz on Friday. It marks the end of a massive sanction that had been in place for nearly two years.
While the changes open the U.S. up to more travel since the beginning of the pandemic, the plan also places a hard restriction on those who are not vaccinated.
People who plan to enter the country must provide proof of vaccination before entry and take a COVID-19 test within the first three days of being in the country, as reported by the New York Times.
UFC informed their fighters of these changes earlier this week, per a memo obtained by Nolan King of MMA Junkie. The promotion’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell suggested solutions for unvaccinated fighters and stressed that the new policy is one that they had no part in selecting.
“To be clear, this is NOT a UFC policy,” said Campbell. “UFC is not requiring you to get vaccinated. We are simply communicating the new guidelines recently announced by the U.S. government.”
Campbell suggested that unvaccinated fighters could enter the country before the policy takes effect, or that they “make arrangements” to get a shot.
The majority of UFC’s events have taken place in the U.S. since the pandemic, with a few shows also being hosted in Abu Dhabi.
Cynthia Calvillo To Replace Jessica Eye In November 13th UFC Matchup Against Andrea Lee
Andrea Lee has been given a new opponent for her November 13th UFC booking, now being paired against Cynthia Calvillo instead of Jessica Eye. The change of opponent was confirmed by Farah Hannoun and John Morgan of MMA Junkie.
Eye announced Monday on social media that a severe allergic reaction forced her out of the matchup.
“I was dealing with [an] allergic reaction to fish eggs that I didn’t notice on my sushi roll until it was too late,” said Eye via Instagram Story.
She detailed a week of medical struggles following the allergic reaction, including being recently admitted to the hospital.
“They are still running [tests] and looks like we have clear diagnoses that I will share soon,” said Eye.
Eye was looking to snap a three-fight losing streak that has developed.
Now with a new matchup ahead set for next month, Lee will be attempting to ride the momentum of a submission victory she earned against Antonina Shevchenko in May.
Calvillo will be fighting to break a two-fight skid that she has received over the past year.
UFC Looking To Book Newcomer Chad Anheliger Against Jesse Strader For February 19th Event
UFC is looking to give Chad Anheliger his first test in the promotion on February 19th, pairing him against Jesse Strader. News of the potential matchup was first reported by Farah Hannoun and Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
Anheliger secured a UFC contract during the ongoing season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” He extended his win streak to nine consecutive with his fight, which was a split decision victory over Muin Gafurov.
Strader will also be aiming to get his first UFC win. He lost his promotional debut in March, getting stopped within a round by Montel Jackson.
Strader received the UFC call-up after a four-fight run in notable promotion Combate Global (formerly known as Combate Americas).
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