DWCS Season 10, Week 7: Results, Contract Winners (And What's Next?)

Week 7 of Dana White's Contender Series was a night of extremes. The first three fights were among the wildest of the season, the main event fizzled into a grappling grind, and Dana White handed out six contracts, including two to fighters who lost. For our betting card it was the first cold night of the year: we back every underdog on the Contender Series, and none of our five dogs cashed. We're still up 10.34 units on the season, and Nano gets bragging rights after taking the over on contracts.

The Fights

Damian Piwowarczyk def. Emilio Quissua (TKO, R1 4:55)

We had Quissua at +110, and for most of the round he looked like the right call. He buzzed Piwowarczyk with a head kick, landed a big overhand and did nasty work with knees in the clinch. Piwowarczyk kept walking forward, though. He found his range with a check left hook and heavy right hands, put Quissua down late in the round, and chased the finish on the ground until Herb Dean waved it off with five seconds left. That comeback is exactly how you earn a contract, and he did.

What's next? A UFC debut at light heavyweight. The pressure and the power are real, but he'll need to get a lot tighter defensively than he looked early in this fight.

Piero Guaylupo def. Callum Connor (UD, 30-27 x3)

This is the fight people will be talking about all season, and it was right up there with anything we've seen this year. We backed Connor, whose teeps, body kicks and elbows made the early going look like his fight. Then Guaylupo's right hand turned into a heat-seeking missile. He dropped Connor late in round one and poured on damage for the next ten minutes, landing nearly 200 significant strikes, and Connor absorbed it all and never stopped coming forward. Guaylupo is only 21, still unbeaten, and kept his pace for all 15 minutes. He was the most impressive performer of the night. The cards read 30-27 across the board, but Connor's heart made it a fight, and we said on the broadcast that both men deserved contracts. Dana agreed and signed them both.

What's next? For Guaylupo, a debut that lets him keep swinging that right hand. For Connor, our chat had the right idea: put him on the next UFC card in London.

Marcos Degli def. Paris Moran (RNC, R2 4:46)

We took a flier on Moran at +320, and round one made that look optimistic. Degli took the back, locked a body triangle and came close to finishing with a face crank. Moran survived and had some success in round two, but Degli got back to the back and finished with an unusual one-armed choke, cranking against his own shoulder with 14 seconds left in the round. We had a real debate about whether a grappling-only approach fits a show built on excitement, and the crowd wasn't thrilled. But a 13-fight win streak and an LFA title are hard to argue with, and he got his contract.

What's next? A flyweight debut against someone who will test whether he can win the fight standing up before it hits the mat.

Alvi Dasuyev def. Jaden Ortega (UD, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

This was our most anticipated fight of the night, and it delivered. Dasuyev jumped the cage on his walkout and fought just as fast as he entered, with quick hands and hook combinations that dropped Ortega more than once. Ortega, our +225 underdog, kept surviving and kept firing back with flying knees and heavy hands, but we wanted him going to the body. Dasuyev was clearly running on fumes by the middle of the fight, and Ortega pushed the pace late. Then, in round three, Dasuyev launched himself onto Ortega with a genuine frog splash straight out of the WWE. We scored it 29-28 for Dasuyev, so the two 30-27 cards were a tough look for a fight that competitive. Both men have cardio work to do, and we floated developmental deals for both. Dana went further and signed them both.

What's next? Dasuyev's hands will play in the UFC, but his gas tank has to catch up. Ortega is from Spokane and of Mexican heritage, so the next UFC Seattle card or a Noche UFC undercard would make sense.

Norbert Novenyi Jr. def. Theo Haig (UD, 29-28 x3)

We had Haig at +330, and early on that looked live. Novenyi hurt him with a right hand in the opening moments, and after that the fight turned into a grappling match: Haig took the back, locked a body triangle and hunted face cranks and chokes. Novenyi dug out and kept landing that heavy right hand, but he also went hunting for arm bars and knee bars from bad positions, which looked like week-one jiu-jitsu. Despite a clear striking advantage, the son of an Olympic wrestling gold medalist kept choosing to grapple, and rounds two and three got sloppy and slow. The fight IQ has to improve, and luckily that's fixable for someone this physically gifted. Dana wasn't impressed and passed on a contract, though he left the door open for a return.

What's next? Another shot on the show, but only if he comes back willing to fight to his strengths. A camp with a hands-on game-planning coach could make a big difference.

Contract Winners

• Damian Piwowarczyk (light heavyweight)

• Piero Guaylupo (lightweight)

• Callum Connor (lightweight, in a loss)

• Marcos Degli (flyweight)

• Alvi Dasuyev (welterweight)

• Jaden Ortega (welterweight, in a loss)

This was the first time two losing fighters earned contracts on the same night, meaning both men from two separate fights are now on the roster. The UFC clearly wants young, entertaining fighters on its roster, and this season it has been generous with contracts.

Looking Ahead

Six contracts from five fights is a reminder that on the Contender Series, how you fight matters as much as whether you win. Earlier signees are already making the jump, too: Week 6 winner Luis Hernandez turned around in 11 days and won his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 121. Our underdog bets go back on the board next Tuesday. Stay tuned…