Jul 17, 2018
DWTNCS Episode 5 Recap: Shahbazyan shines to lock up contract
Episode 5 on the second season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS) included 20-year-old Edmen Shahbazyan impressing in a 40-second finish, while fellow 20-year-old Maycee Barber put on a strong display as well.
It had been awhile since we had seen Edmond Tarverdyan cornering in MMA. He recently cornered Gennady Golovkin’s opponent Vanes Martirosyan in his defeat to the undefeated boxing powerhouse.
Tarverdyan returned to corner his newest prospect, 20-year-old Edmen Shahbazyan, who is managed by his original standout fighter Ronda Rousey. Shahbazyan, like Rousey, has a penchant for finishing fights in the first round, as he sports a 6-0 record with all first-round knockout finishes.
Tuesday night was no different, as Shahbazyan got the evening started by finishing his opponent Antonio Jones in just forty seconds. Based on his performance, he almost certainly locked up a UFC contract.
The next fight featured Paige VanZant’s past, Team Alpha Male (where VanZant previously trained) product Angelo Trevino against her future fiancee, Austin Vanderford.
The first round was all Trevino as he nearly scored a finish over Vanderford. In the second round, Vanderford turned the tables and was able to earn a knockout victory over Trevino in a huge comeback effort.
After two very exciting finishes, the next fight was a more tactical affair as Chibwikem Onyenegecha went back and forth with Anthony Adams. In one of the more bizarre moments in the show’s history, the lights went out during the third round and the fight paused until they were fixed. Once the match resumed, it was more of the same as the two battled for the fight’s duration, which resulted in a split decision win for Onyenegecha.
The following fight was similar to the matchup between Vanderford and Trevino, as Vince Morales nearly defeated Domingo Pilarte, who managed to barely survive the first round. Heading into the second, Pilarte was unfazed and managed to secure a very deep choke to submit Morales in an incredible show of resilience.
Finally, in the most hyped prospect of the night, 20-year-old Maycee Barber, who has stated that her goal is to become the youngest-ever UFC champion, fought Season 1 veteran Jamie Colleen.
Barber showed a great diversity of attack en route to a late TKO finish against Colleen.
My two contract selections: For me, Shahbazyan is a no-brainer. Given his age, how he has finished fights previously and how he continued that trend on Tuesday, he is absolutely deserving of a UFC contract.
While seeing Vanderford and Pilarte show incredible heart en route to two very big comeback wins, I would give the other contract to Barber based on her upside and her versatility.
Shahbazyan and Barber are both 20-year-old prospects who have bright futures in the sport.
Dana White’s contract selections: White agreed with me on Shahbazyan and Barber and also awarded a contract to Pilarte, who was unfortunately hospitalized after the fight and unable to celebrate the contract in person.
Highest ceiling: Given how thin the women’s strawweight division is, Barber likely has the most upside. Like Shahbazyan, she has been training in MMA since she was a child and both represent the next wave of UFC talent who are well-rounded and dangerous everywhere.
Biggest question mark: Given that Pilarte was in trouble during his fight and was a decent underdog heading into the contest, it will be interesting to see what he can bring to the table. He hasn’t been a particularly active fighter and as a result, he has not lost a fight in more than four years. He enters a pretty deep bantamweight division at age 28, so his upside is questionable.
Next week, one of the most anticipated fights of the season will play out in the main event between Nick Newell and undefeated Alex Munoz.
This fight will be intriguing because Newell is a congenital amputee and at 15-1, many feel that he has been deserving of a spot in the UFC for quite some time. At one point, UFC President Dana White said that he would not sign Newell, mostly due to the optics of how it would look for an amputee to lose a fight.
White recently changed his tune and is giving Newell a chance to prove himself on the show. His opponent Munoz is a Team Alpha Male product sporting a 4-0 record. He has a collegiate wrestling background and will be a tough test for Newell.
The Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series airs Tuesday nights at 8pm et during the summer on UFC Fight Pass.