Competitors across five divisions punched their tickets to the UFC roster last week at the APEX, including promising bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott, Australian lightweight Tom “Big Train” Nolan, and veteran kickboxer Cesar Almeida.
This week, another five pairs of hopefuls make the walk to the cage, eager to showcase their abilities and deliver the kind of performance that earns them the call to the Octagon as well.
For each of the last three seasons, all five victors on Week 2 have graduated to the UFC roster, including Adrian Yanez, Chidi Njokuani, and Chris Duncan, giving this week’s competitors a little something extra to push them to perform on Tuesday night.
Here’s a look at the Week 2 lineup.
George Hardwick vs Abdul-Kerim Al-Selwady
This week wraps with one of the best matchups in DWCS history, as Abdul-Kerim Al-Selwady and George Hardwick face off in a battle of lightweight standouts.
A representative of Fortis MMA, Al-Selwady claimed the vacant Fury FC title last time out with a unanimous decision win over Michael Murphy that ran his winning streak to four and his record to 14-3 overall. The reigning Cage Warriors lightweight champ, Hardwick enters on an eight-fight winning streak, all but one of which has come by way of finish, and brandishing a sterling 12-1 record for his career.
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These are two promising young standouts with quality, championship experience in excellent promotions, and their efforts to date show they are capable of not only competing at the UFC level, but potentially thriving, as well. This should be an outstanding way to close out Week 2 and whoever emerges victorious will have registered an excellent case for being one of the best lightweight prospects in the sport.
Ibo Aslan vs Paulo Renato Junior
Former heavyweights Paulo Renato Junior and Ibo Aslan drop down a division and meet in hopes of doing enough to impress the UFC President on Tuesday evening.
Renato Junior dropped a decision to Jamal Pogues last season on the Contender Series, but has since rebounded with consecutive first-round stoppage wins to advance his record to 12-2. The 27-year-old Aslan is 11-1 overall, with his lone setback coming against former DWCS competitor and current UFC light heavyweight Anton Turkalj.
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Over the last three seasons, every light heavyweight to earn a victory has found their way into the Octagon, and now Renato Junior and Aslan meet in hopes of keeping that run intact.
Hyder Amil vs Emrah Sonmez
Hyder Amil and Emrah Sonmez collide in a featherweight clash that occupies the middle slot on this week’s fight card.
Amil is 33 years old and undefeated, having earned his last three victories under the LFA banner, with his most recent win being a second-round stoppage win over DWCS alum Chase Gibson. Representing Great Britain Top Team, Sonmez arrives in Las Vegas on a three-fight winning streak and carrying a 14-4 record overall, with 11 of his victories coming inside the distance.
Will Amil remain unbeaten or can Sonmez extend his winning streak to four? And will whoever wins do enough to garner an opportunity to compete inside the famed UFC Octagon?
Eduarda Moura vs Janaina Silva
It’s a clash of undefeated Brazilian strawweights, as Eduardo Moura takes on compatriot Janaina Silva.
Moura sports the nickname “Ronda” and arrives with an unblemished record, with all but one of her eight career victories coming inside the distance. The 31-year-old Silva also sports a clean sheet, having collected five straight victories since making her professional debut just under four years ago.
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Cameron Smotherman vs Charalampos Grigoriou
Regional champs Cameron Smotherman and Charalampos Grigoriou go head-to-head in the opening bout of the week.
“The Baby-Faced Killer” has spent his entire career competing under the Fury FC banner, building an 8-3 record and four-fight winning streak, claiming the vacant bantamweight title last time out with a second-round stoppage win. A fixture on the East Coast regional circuit, Grigoriou has earned three straight victories, including a fifth-round finish last time out to claim the Combat FC strap.
After an impressive showing from Payton Talbott last week, the bar has been set high for the bantamweight competitors on this season of the Contender Series, and now we’ll see if Smotherman and Grigoriou can reach those same heights.
