Dana White’s Contender Series ‘Week 2’ Play-by-Play & Results

C.J. Hamilton vs. Casey Kenney

Round 1

Hamilton with a teep to the body to start. Kenney is winging hooks from the southpaw stance, but Hamilton slows him up with a head kick. Kenney returns with two left kicks to the body then a flurry of short uppercuts. Another hard kick from Hamilton, then Kenney shoots, eating a short counter on the way in. The Indiana native regains his feet and stuns Hamilton with a head kick. Frenetic action from the two flyweights. More rushing hooks from Kenney push Hamilton back to the fence, then from the clinch, Kenney rips him with two hard elbows. Kenney is leading now, pressing forward with hard left hooks and crosses, but Hamilton continues to drill him with counters off his back heel. Uppercut from Hamilton lands, but Kenney keeps pressuring, eventually getting another collar tie, a hard elbow-knee. Hamilton is eating some major heat from Kenney now, but he's doing it gladly. Outsanding round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kenney
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Kenney
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-9 Kenney

Round 2

Hamilton switching stands freely, using an open crouching stance, darting in with hard counters. Kenney keeps relying on forward pressure and his left cross, continuing to back Hamilton up. Hamilton has got a second wind now, successfully fending off a Kenney takedown attempt and back take attempt along the fence, then laying in a three-punch combo. Kenney just keeps on trotting forward, eventually putting Hamilton on the fence, grabbing a rear waistlock, then taking the back and fishing for a rear-naked choke. Hamilton manages to stave it off, push off the cage and explode to his feet. Kenney is glued to him, drags him down and lands elbows before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kenney
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Kenney
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-9 Kenney

Round 3

Kenney's pressure is still on point, motoring forward, landing left crosses, eating Hamilton's left-hand counters, shooting takedowns.

Hamilton is doing well to defend the takedown, but Kenney is unfazed by any strikes he lands and won't stop throwing punches and shooting takedowns. At the halfway mark of the final round, the undefeated Kenney beautifully times a level change on an incoming “Autobot”, double-legging Hamilton to the mat. Kenney is heavy on top, but he is slowed up by a Hamitlton kimura attempt from bottom. Kenney turns the corner and has a chance at a farside armbar. Hamilton blocks it, but winds up having his back taken again. Kenney looks for another RNC until the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kenney (30-27 Kenney)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Kenney (30-27 Kenney)
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-9 Kenney (30-27 Kenney)

The Official Result

Casey Kenney def. C.J. Hamilton via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Michael Cora vs. Sidney Outlaw

Round 1

Outlaw stays patient while coming forward on Cora, timing a single-leg attempt, running his man into the fence, then switching to a crotch lift and dumping him on the mat. Outlaw briefly triangles his legs over Cora's, then settles into half guard. Cora's guard is wide open and he's not doing much to defend against the idle punches and elbows from Outlaw. Finally Cora explodes and gets to his feet, but winds up getting dragged back to the mat and now Outlaw takes his back with both hooks. Cora gets his ears boxed, but does a generally decent job fighting the hands. Late in the round, Outlaw sinks two RNC's, but Cora escapes both, gritting the frame out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Outlaw
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Outlaw
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-8 Outlaw

Round 2

Cora is more aggressive, feinting hard and making Outlaw move, looking for a big left hand. Eventually, Outlaw times another single attempt, taking his man down along the fence, climbing over his legs, then taking the back once more, picking up where the first round ended. Outlaw is relentless from the back and eventually sinks another two rear-naked chokes in short succession, while turning Cora over and forcing him to roll. Just when the fight looks like it's over as Outlaw goes palm-to-palm on the choke, Cora powers out again and somehow survives to hear the second-round horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Outlaw
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Outlaw
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-8 Outlaw

Round 3

After a minute of stalking, Cora finally unloads his left hook, glancing Outlaw. Unfortunately for the Florida native, Outlaw changes levels again, runs him into the fence and dumps him.

Cora closes full guard and is purely defense as Outlaw just punches to the ribs on top. Referee Mark Smith tires of the stalemate and stands the welterweights with two minutes to go. Cora stalks and clips Outlaw with a head kick, prompting another Outlaw shot. Cora sprawls, Outlaw tries to pull guard and sweep with double butterfly hooks, but can't flip Cora over, giving up position. Cora punches away from full guard while Outlaw just stays defense. Cora finally unloads with both hands with a little fire, but it's too little too late.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Cora (29-27 Outlaw)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Cora (29-28 Outlaw)
Brian Knapp scores the round 10-9 Cora (29-26 Outlaw)

The Official Result

Sidney Outlaw def. Michael Cora via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Thanh Le vs. Lazar Stojadinovic

Round 1

The southpaw Stojadinovic circles Le, feinting, as Le stands in the center of the cage. Eventually, Le circles away with get a different look, then jumps in with a hard right kick to the body. Stojadinovic catches it but gets run over by an incoming Le, who winds up swiping down a few hard shots while Stojadinovic looks for a grapevine on his leg. Stojadinovic wisely abandons it and stands after eating some hard shots. Another hard right body kick from Le, then another moments later. Stojadinovic rushes in, shoots and gets denied by his opponent. Heavy feinting from both fighters standing, but no clean, hard strikes are landing save Le's right body kick. Stojadinovic stalking now, but Le wards him off with counter jabs. Just before the horn, Le unloads a wild spinning back kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Le
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Le
Brian Knapp scores the round:10-9 Le

Round 2

Stojadinovic misses a lame spinning back kick, then Le drills him with a right body kick-right hand. Stojadinovic gets visibly heated after eating both shots, chasing Le, throwing heaters with both hands, but not being able to locate the elusive target. Stojadinovic steps into the pocket and Le smashes him with a right head kick. Stojadinovic collapses to his knees and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 winner is all over his down target with punches, then brutal left hammerfists that knock Stojadinovic clean out.

The Official Result

Thanh Le def. Lazar Stojadinovic via KO (Head Kick and Punches) R2 1:35

Alfred Khashakyan vs. Sean O'Malley

Round 1

Khashakyan pressuring immediately, punching with both hands, touching O'Malley with both hands. O'Malley lands a neat, clean jumping knee off his back foot that rocks Khashakyan, but winds up eating more punches, then being taken down and pounded on briefly. O'Malley regains his feet, but “The Fearless” is all over him, glancing with both hands again. Khashakyan is cut over his left eye and O'Malley puts a right hook on it, then a head kick.

O'Malley feints, then rips Khashakyan with a clean right cross that puts Khashakyan on the deck. O'Malley just misses a big head kick as Khashakyan stands, but keeps the pressure up, ripping him both hands. “Sugar Sean” lands a spinning back kick, continuing to trot forward and attack. O'Malley drops his lead hand and it freezes his opponent, then the MMA Lab fighter fires a rocket right hand into Khashakyan's chin, collapsing him along the fence. Referee Mark Smith is in there in a heartbeat. Nasty knockout for Sean O'Malley.

The Official Result

Sean O'Malley def. Alfred Khashakyan via KO (Punch) R1 4:14

Angel DeAnda vs. Dan Spohn

Round 1

DeAnda predictable gives early pressure, but when he steps in on the advancing, taller man, he eats a shin to the cup. Referee John McCarthy calls for a break, DeAnda fixes his cup and we're back on quickly, with the Californian firing both hands inside and dinging the bigger Spohn. A southpaw Spohn lands a soft spinning back kick on DeAnda, then a counter right a moment later on a rushing DeAnda. Collar tie for Spohn as he intercepts his charging opponent and lands two knees, but DeAnda comes right back, touching Spohn with four or five punches. Heavy pressure from DeAnda, who rocks Spohn with winging hooks, then puts him down with a right uppercut. Spohn is struggling to survive, but as he turtles, DeAnda hits him with several right hammerfists that appear to land on the back of the head.

John McCarthy calls for time, breaks the action and sends the ringside doctor into talk to Spohn, who is cleared to continue. McCarthy also deducts a point from DeAnda for the illegal blows. On the restart, Spohn rushes DeAnda, bashing away with both hands, landing heavy hooks. DeAnda crumbles to the mat, but John McCarthy gives him every chance to recover and eventually, “The Dream” works back to his feet under heavy fire from Spohn. Spohn takes his back along the cage and drags him down, then moves in an arm-triangle choke from top that forces the tap from DeAnda.

The Official Result

Dan Spohn def. Angel DeAnda via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R1 3:10