Brunno Ferreira, 17-Year-Old Raul Rosas Jr. Among UFC Signees from Week 9 of DWCS

One clubbing right hand was all Brunno Ferreira needed to shift momentum—permanently.

The undefeated Brazilian was one of five competitors signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship from Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he wrecked Leon Aliu with punches in the first round of their middleweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Aliu (10-2, 0-1 DWCS) met his end 95 seconds into Round 1.

Ferreira (9-0, 1-0 DWCS) tested the water with kicks, then connected with a right hook to the temple that set the Albanian on rubbery legs. Aliu never recovered, his equilibrium having been shaken beyond repair. Ferreira gave chase with punches, denied a desperate single-leg takedown attempt, drove his compromised counterpart to the canvas and connected with a diving standing-to-ground right hand that drew the curtain.

In addition to Ferreira, the UFC also linked arms with bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr., lightweight Nurullo Aliev, flyweight Jafel Cavalcante Filho and heavyweight Austen Lane.

Takedowns, stellar offensive grappling and a steady stream of submission attempts carried Rosas to a unanimous decision over Mando Gutierrez in a three-round bantamweight tilt. All three cageside judges scored it for the 17-year-old Rosas (6-0, 1-0 DWCS)—the youngest fighter to ever compete on the Contender Series.

Gutierrez (7-2, 0-1 DWCS) was overwhelmed by the teenaged wunderkind and often played right into his hands. Rosas progressed to full mount on more than one occasion and countered reversals from the Murcielago MMA standout with some of his own whenever he got carried away with his youthful aggression. Gutierrez never posed much of a threat in the 15-minute battle, always seemingly a step behind in the chaotic grappling exchanges.

The setback stopped Gutierrez’s run of consecutive wins at three.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s Aliev kept his perfect professional record intact, as he took care of Josh Wick with punches in the first round of their lightweight affair. Wick (12-6, 0-1 DWCS) succumbed to blows 4:36 into Round 1, suffering his first defeat in more than three years.

Aliev (7-0, 1-0 DWCS) withstood a rake of the eyes while clinched with the Elevation Fight Team, then struck for an immediate takedown upon the restart. From there, he settled in top position and fired elbows into Wick’s face, slowly but surely increasing the intensity of his ground-and-pound. Aliev eventually turned it into an all-out blitz of elbows, punches and hammerfists, forcing referee Jason Herzog to intervene.

The loss snapped Wick’s modest two-fight winning streak.

Elsewhere, Filho, a former Shooto Brazil champion, put away the previously unbeaten Roybert Echeverria with punches in the third round of their flyweight pairing. Echeverria (7-1, 0-1 DWCS) checked out 1:31 into Round 3.

Filho (14-2, 1-0 DWCS) set the tone with clinches and takedowns in the first and second rounds. He progressed to Echeverria’s back at one point and nearly cinched a rear-naked choke before the Venezuelan managed to slip out of danger. Early in Round 3, Filho dodged a head kick and countered with a devastating left hook that sat down his counterpart at the base of the cage. A volley of punches followed, prompting the stoppage.

The 29-year-old Filho has rattled off five consecutive victories, all of them finishes.

Finally, Lane disposed of Chute Boxe rep Richard Jacobi with punches in the first round of their heavyweight clash. Lane (12-3, 1-1 DWCS)—who was victimized by Greg Hardy during Season 2 of the Contender Series in 2018—brought it to a close 4:34 into Round 1.

Jacobi (6-1-1, 0-1 DWCS) somehow weathered a brutal kick to the groin, managed to complete a takedown after the restart and climbed immediately to full mount. Lane stayed composed and called upon his considerable strength and athleticism to execute a reversal into top position. He lulled Jacobi into a false sense of security, then postured out of full guard before unleashing a hellacious barrage of punches that sealed the Brazilian’s fate.

Lane, 34, has won six bouts in a row.