DANA WHITE’S TUESDAY NIGHT CONTENDER SERIES
AUGUST 29, 2017
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER GYM IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
AIRED ON UFC FIGHT PASS
Dan Hellie welcomed viewers to the show and introduced Paul Felder onto the broadcast. The two talked about how by now fighters know what Dana White is looking for. They then ran down the five-fight card starting with the main event and working backwards down the card. They then introduced Snoop Dogg and Urijah Faber and the Snoopcast.
Main Card
(1) Don’Tale Mayes (3-1) vs. Allen Crowder (8-2, 1 NC) – Heavyweight 265 lbs.
ROUND ONE: Mayes comes out with a quick leg kick. Crowder looking to come over the top every time Mayes comes in. They clinch at the 3:50 mark. Mayes gets Crowder to the mat and takes his back with 3:22 to go. Crowder works back to his feet at 2:55. Crowder with a take down with two and a half minutes to go. Crowder goes to take the back but Mayes rolls through. Crowder settles in with top control at the 1:40 mark. With under a minute left Crowder hasn’t been able to better his position and with thirty seconds to go Mayes gets back to his feet. The fight remains on the feet for remainder of the round with neither fighter landing anything of significance.
10-9 Crowder
ROUND TWO: Both guys come out throwing punches and Mayes lands a nice right forty seconds in. The action slows until Crowder rushes Mayes and takes him down with 3:20 to go. Crowder works from top position and lands ground and pound. Mayes looks gassed. Mayes rolls and is now in top position with just over two minutes left in the round. Mayes is executing the lay and pray style of offense. Crowder is able roll and switch position, but Mayes reverses back to top control. More lay and pray from Mayes with under a minute to go. There’s nothing behind Mayes punches. With ten seconds left Crowder reverses and goes for a Kimura. The horn sounds saving Mayes.
10-9 Crowder
ROUND THREE: Both guys are gassed big time. Neither fighter throwing anything with power. Mayes pushes Crowder to the fence and lays on him until Crowder spins out. Crowder seems to be a little fresher at this point and takes Mayes down with 3:11 left in the round. Crowder postures up and lands a few weak punches. Crowder still working from on top at the 2:30 mark. Crowder landing some nice ground and pound with under two minutes to go. Crowder goes for a Kimura, doesn’t have it and goes back to landing ground and pound. He starts landing heavy elbows with under a minute to go. Jason Herzog stops the fight as Mayes isn’t fighting back.
Result: Allen Crowder over Don’Tale Mayes by TKO (4:12 of Round 3)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: That fight was awful. It was two big heavyweights with no gas tank. Although Crowder got the win, I can’t see White giving him a contract.
(2) Lauren Mueller (3-0) vs. Kelly Velasco (2-1) – Bantamweight 135 lbs.
ROUND ONE: Mueller comes out and lands a big kick. Mueller is off to a fast start landing some nice strikes and kicks. She runs Velsco to the fence, but she gets reversed. They trade positions against the fence until Velasco pushes her off and they are back to center with 3:30 to go. Velasco lands a big right hand that hurts Mueller. Mueller runs Velasco to the fence after landing a right hand. They work in the clinch trading punches. Back to center with two minutes to go. Mueller continues to apply pressure and lands knees and elbows in the clinch. With 1:03 Velasco gets out and they stand at center. Mueller lands again and hurts Velasco. With ten seconds left Mueller lands big punches with Velasco against the cage. She looks for the finish but the horn sounds. The fight was over if there was five seconds left.
10-9 Mueller
ROUND TWO: Velasco comes out and lands a big combination to open the round. Mueller gets inside and starts landing heavy punches. Velasco goes down and Mueller takes the back. Velasco works her way back up and goes for a double but Mueller reverses. Velasco tries to get Mueller to follow her to the ground but Mueller tells her to get up. At the 3:00 minute mark they stand at center cage. They trade punches and Mueller lands a big shot and clinches against the fence. Velasco reverses along the fence and pushes off Mueller. With under tow minutes to go they trade punches on the feet. Velasco starts landing punches from range. Finally Velasco is using her length and landing strikes from the outside. With ten seconds left Mueller ends up on top after stuffing a take down attempt.
10-9 Mueller
ROUND THREE: Big kick to the body from Mueller to start the round. They both land big punches a minute into the round. Mueller tries to clinch, but Velasco runs away to create space. Mueller lands a big right and runs Velasco to the fence. Velasco reverses position and lays on Mueller against the fence. They break the clinch at the 2:48 mark. Velasco lands a nice combination from outside. Mueller comes back and gets inside and lands a punch. She runs Velasco to the fence but Velasco reverses and goes for a standing guillotine. Mueller slips out and they trade from center with a little over a minute to go. Mueller lands a heavy spinning back fist that Velasco takes like a champ. Mueller works from the clinch and Velaco tries to reverse position as the round ends.
10-9 Mueller
Result: Lauren Mueller over Kelly Velasco by Unanimous Decision
Grocke’s Viewpoint: That was a heck of a scrap! Mueller had a ton of success by pressuring Velasco and getting inside. She landed at will once she was able to get inside. She landed the bigger shots. Velasco was having success when she was able to keep distance, but she just couldn’t handle the constant pressure of Mueller.
(3) Casey Kenney 7-0-1) vs. Adam Antolin (12-3) – Flyweight 125 lbs.
ROUND ONE: Kenney takes center cage. They trade kick thirty seconds in. Kenney lands a heavy kick to the body with 4:00 minutes to go. Kenny landing big punches and is working in kicks with a lot of success. Haleay through the round Kenney is the aggressor and throwing punches with bad intentions. A low kick from Kenney drops Antolin at the 1:48 mark. Antolin just can’t seem to get going. Kenney is just marching Antolin down landing punches. Kenney stumbles and goes to the mat but Antolin can’t capitalize. With thirty seconds left they stand at center cage and trade shots. Antolin comes over the top and lands a right hand. They trade on the feet as the round ends.
10-9 Kenney
ROUND TWO: They trade leg kicks to start the second round. Kenney comes out and starts getting crestive with his offense and gets a little sloppy allowing Antolin to have success early in the round. Antolin is working his offense in better this round, but Kenney is still beating him to the punch. Not much defense in this fight as both guys are landing at will. Kenney is having a ton of success with kicks to the body and legs of Antolin. Antolin is just following Kenney around the cage throwing punches. Kenney is doing a good job countering. They clinch with both guys landing knees to the body as the round ends.
10-9 Kenney
ROUND THREE: Nice combo from Kenney thirty seconds into the round. Antolin continues to march Kenney down but he isn’t landing anything of significance. They continue to trade punches with three minutes left in the fight. Antolin catches a kick but can’t do anything with it at the two minute mark. There are a ton of punches being thrown but both guys are missing a lot. Nice combo lands flush for Kenney under a minute to go. Kenney gets Antolin to the mat with ten seconds to go and he goes for a submission. Antolin slips out and the round ends.
10-9 Kenney
Result: Adam Antolin over Casey Kenney by Split Decision
Grocke’s Viewpoint: What?!? That’s a terrible decision. Antolin even looked surprised when the decision was announced.
(4) Bevon Lewis (3-0) vs. Elias Urbina (3-0) – Middleweight 185 lbs.
ROUND ONE: Urbina lands a big left and follows with a flying knee thirty seconds into the fight. Lewis takes it and land a nice right hand. The action furious to start with both guys landing their offense. Lewis with a take down with just under three minutes left in the round. Lewis works from top position and lands a short elbow. Lewis transistion to side control and lands another elbow. Urbina pushes Lewis off at the hips. Lewis lets him up. Urbina lands a big combo and Lewis covers against the cage. Urbina tries to clinch but Lewis spins out. Back to center with a minute to go. Lewis lands a heavy elbow from the feet with thirty seconds to go. Urbina looked hurt but Lewis might not have known it and lets him off the hook as the round ends.
10-9 Lewis
ROUND TWO: Big flying knee from Urbina to open the second round. He misses badly with a wild uppercut to follow. Lewis seems be unfazed as he lands a leg kick. Lewis lands a big right hand that looks to hurt Urbina. Lewis follows with a heavy elbow. Lewis to the body with a kick. Lewis with a straight right. Another straight right drops Urbina and Lewis pounces. He follows up with hammer fists and Big John stops it.
Result: Bevon Lewis over Elias Urbina by TKO (2:47 of Round 2)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Good stoppage from Big John. That was a nice performance from Lewis. He landed some big knees and heavy elbows early. Lewis took over in the second round and started landing at will. This is a performance that might earn Lewis a contract considering the way the previous three fights went.
(5) Matt Frevola (5-0) vs. Luke Flores (7-0) – Lightweight 155 lbs.
ROUND ONE: Both guys come out missing kicks. Frevola landed a big right hand that drops Flores twenty seconds in. Frevola pounces but Flores works his way back to his feet. Flores comes back and hurts Frevola with a heavy kick to the body. Flores lands another kick. Frevola goes for a take down but is stuffed. With 3:00 to go they trade on the feet from center cage. The action slows after a crazy fast start. Flores starts to work the knee and thigh with kicks. Frevola shoots and lands a take down with 1:20 to go. Frevola takes the back from thirty seconds to go. He tries for a choke for the remainder of the round with Flores fighting it off.
10-9 Frevola
ROUND TWO: Frevola comes out and lands a kick. Frevola shoots and lands a take down but lands in Flores’ Guillotine. Frevola slips out. Both fighters back their feet with 4:10 left in the round. Flores lands short knees in the clinch and lands a big right as they break. Back to center and Frevola lands another take down with three minutes to go. Flores gets an arm bar but Frevola escapes. They scramble and Frevola sinks in a choke. Flores is out. Frevola transitions to an arm-triangle and has it locked in. Flores is forced to tap.
Result: Matt Frevola over Luke Flores by Submission – Arm-Triangle Choke (3:32 of Round 2)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: That was a fun, exciting fight. Frevola looked great and probably earned himself a UFC contract with that performance.
Allen Crowder, Lauren Mueller and Matt Frevola all earn UFC contracts on the season finale of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.
While I wasn’t all that impressed with Crowder’s performance, the division does need fighters so I understand White’s decision to award him with a contract. Frevola was a no-brainer and Mueller was well deserving of the contract.
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