Dana White’s Contender Series 2020 Week 5 Play-by-Play & Results

Tucker Lutz (155.5) vs. Chase Gibson (156)

Round 1

Gibson fires off a hard body kick and then connects with a combination. Lutz moves forward and Gibson catches him with a superman punch counter. Gibson is throwing everything with bad intentions in the early going. Lutz stalks his foe and lands a low kick. The lightweights wade forward and Gibson lands a couple hooks in the pocket. They trade, and once again Gibson gets the better of the exchange. Lutz with a body kick that partially lands, although Gibson catches. Lutz wades forward and eats a straight right. Lutz connects with a pair of low kicks as he works to close the distance. Lutz lands a left hand, and Gibson loses his balance and falls backward. Lutz transitions to Gibson’s back with a rear waistlock and lands some right hands to the side of the head. Lutz makes Gibson carry his weight near the fence, and it’s only in the final few seconds that Gibson is able to explode to his feet.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lutz
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lutz
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lutz

Round 2

Lutz pressures with a kick to the body as Gibson circles on the outside. Lutz fires off a left hook-right hand combo that finds a home. Another hard kick to the left side of the body lands for Lutz. Gibson has a high kick partially blocked, and Lutz returns with a snapping low kick. Lutz lands a body kick followed by a left hook, then moves forward with an uppercut. Moments later, Lutz punctuates a combination with a right hand that snaps Gibson’s head back. Lutz is really starting to find his range. A two-piece from Lutz stings Gibson, who is really starting to absorb damage now. A left jab sneaks through Gibson’s guard. Gibson fires off a low kick but Lutz returns with a pair of quick combinations. Gibson appears to have a cut under his left eye. Gibson counters a body kick with a big overhand right, but Lutz is unfazed. Lutz pressures with a flurry of punches; his volume has increased significantly this round. Lutz ends the round with a pair of clinch knees.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lutz
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lutz
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lutz

Round 3

Lutz opens up with a left hook-low kick combination. A Gibson low kick is countered by a straight right from Lutz. Gibson throws one shot, and Lutz answers with a multi-punch combination. Gibson stings Lutz with a nice straight right hand. Lutz jabs the body. Lutz continues to throw with more volume than his opponent. A body kick finds a home for Lutz, who then counters a low kick with a combination upstairs. Gibson changes levels and shoots for a takedown. Lutz defends against the cage and reverses the position. Lutz uses a wizzer to stuff a takedown and ends up in side control with his opponent on all fours. Gibson eats some right hands to the side of the head near the fence. Gibson executes a nice switch and reverses position. He quickly transitions to Lutz’s back with about 40 seconds to go. Gibson falls back with a body triangle secured, but he has limited time to slide an arm under the neck of his foe. Lutz is able to fight off his opponent’s hands until the final horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gibson (29-28 Lutz)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Gibson (29-28 Lutz)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lutz (30-27 Lutz)

The Official Result

Tucker Lutz def. Chase Gibson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

William Knight (206) vs. Cody Brundage (205)

Round 1

Knight, who earned a developmental deal on Season 3 of the Contender Series, makes his second appearance on the show. Knight fires off a low kick right away, and Brundage answers with a front kick followed by a level change for a takedown. Brundage is able to power his man down and transition to Knight’s back. Brundage flattens Knight out and unloads about 10 to 12 punches to the side of the head. Herb Dean takes a close look but Knight is able to trap Brundage’s arms to stop the assault. Brundage remains in back mount as Herb Dean urges the fighter to free his hands and get to work. Knight is eventually able to power his way back up. Brundage fires a right hand to the head and changes levels, driving Knight into the fence. Knight defends and begins landing elbows to the side of the head. After about four or five, Brundage’s knees buckle and he slumps to the mat. Brundage is still clinging to a single-leg as Knight unloads with 10 to 12 unanswered punches to the side of the head. Dean has seen enough. What a stunning turn of events for Knight, who was on the verge of being finished earlier in the frame.

The Official Result

William Knight def. Cody Brundage via TKO (Punches) R1 2:23

Jose Johnson (135) vs. Ronnie Lawrence (135.5)

Round 1

Johnson’s four-inch reach advantage is visible at the outset and he tags Lawrence with a solid right hand. Lawrence responds by securing a body lock and taking Johnson to the canvas. Lawrence stands, looking to clear the legs of his opponent. Johnson stands but Lawrence grabs a front headlock and lands a knee. Moments later, Lawrence executes another powerful body-lock takedown near the fence. Lawrence passes his foe’s long legs to side control, but Johnson recovers full guard. Lawrence passes to side control and momentarily threatens with a guillotine before Johnson stands. Lawrence is still attached to him, and he muscles Johnson off the cage and to the mat. Lawrence jumps on the back and quickly slips off to the floor. Johnson lets him back up and now they’re on the feet. Lawrence is attacking with hard low calf kicks. Johnson blocks a head kick. Lawrence times a level change and takes Johnson down in the center of the cage. Johnson is able to stand and drops a standing to ground punch after Lawrence slips off a guillotine. The round ends with a scramble on the mat.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence

Round 2

Lawrence is cut under his right eye, but he should be up one round. Johnson catches his foe coming forward with a body kick. Lawrence lands a takedown with relative ease less than a minute in. Lawrence works to advance, but Johnson is able to regain full guard. Lawrence creates some space and lands punches to the ribs and head. Johnson creates space with his legs and is able to stand, where he lands a knee. Lawrence looks for another takedown and eats a couple elbows to the side of the head. Lawrence is giving Johnson no room to work with whatsoever, and he takes Johnson down yet again. Johnson bucks off the fence and reverses to a rear-waistlock. Lawrence frees himself and they’re back in the center of the cage. Lawrence slips a punch and trips Johnson to the canvas, this time taking side control. Johnson explodes and takes top position. Lawrence works his guard up and attempts to frame an armbar. Johnson escapes and drops an elbow and hammerfist. In the waning seconds, Lawrence goes belly down on a triangle armbar, but Johnson is able to defend until the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence

Round 3

Lawrence opens up by landing a spinning back kick to the head, but Johnson eats it without issue. They tie up and Lawrence drops for a single leg. Johnson reverses but Lawrence is right back in his face and takes him down against the fence in short order. Lawrence pulls Johnson’s back off the fence and attempts to get to work inside his foe’s full guard. Johnson tries to scramble out of danger, but Lawrence is now threatening to take his back. Lawrence turns Johnson off the fence and dumps him back on the canvas. Lawrence passes to half guard, remaining heavy on top. Lawrence briefly achieves full mount, but Johnson is able to recover full guard. However, he’s still on his back with 60 seconds left in the fight. Lawrence does his best to land punches and elbows from above, though not many are getting through. Lawrence passes to side control, and that’s where the fight ends.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence (30-27 Lawrence)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence (30-27 Lawrence)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Lawrence (30-27 Lawrence)

The Official Result

Ronnie Lawrence def. Jose Johnson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Jimmy Flick (125.5) vs. Nate Smith (125.5)

Round 1

Smith with a hard low kick followed by a left hook. Flick feints a level change, drawing a big reaction from Smith. Flick catches a kick and takes Smith to the canvas. He quickly transitions to his opponent’s back. Flick is working to get his hooks in but Smith scrambles into top position. Smith drops some short elbows to the head of his opponent. From side control, Smith lands some knees to the body, but Flick is able to transition to a straight armbar. Smith is doing an incredible job fighting out of a precarious position. Another scramble results in Flick locking in a brabo choke. Flick switches to a guillotine, and Smith again escapes. Flick moves to a different guillotine near the fence. He gives up on it as Smith works his way up. They separate with 45 seconds left. Flick fires off a hard kick to the body. A low kick appears to make Smith a little gimpy.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Flick
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Flick
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Flick

Round 2

Flick lands an inside low kick. Smith is looking to find the range on his punches, but he lands a low kick of his own. Flick lands a body kick and then closes the distance, shoving Smith against the fence. Smith attempts to attack with a kimura, but Flick steps into mount. Now Flick is framing an arm-triangle choke from top position. He lets it go but maintains a dominant position. Now Smith sets up a triangle choke from his back. Flick has his hand inside the hold to give himself a little breathing room. Smith is finally forced to release the hold, and Flick passes to full mount. Flick drops some elbows before looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Flick relents on the hold and goes back to dropping elbows. He transitions to an armbar and goes belly down. It looks bad for a moment, but Smith is out. Flick is just flowing from submission to submission, and he ends the round with Smith trapped in a triangle choke.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Flick
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Flick
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Flick

Round 3

The flyweights trade low kicks early, and Smith lands a front kick to the chin that has Flick nodding his head in approval. Flick shoots for a takedown, locks his hands behind Smith and slams him to the floor. Flick lands in side control. Smith recovers half guard, but Flick is applying heavy shoulder pressure. Flick lands some short elbows to the body before passing to full mount. He has Smith flattened out, and he attacks with elbows and punches. That creates an opening for a rear-naked choke, but he can’t get it under Smith’s chin. Flick is back in mount and he has a tight arm-triangle choke framed. Flick passes to the left side and tightens the squeeze. Smith can only hold out for a few more seconds until he is forced to tap.

The Official Result

Jimmy Flick def. Nate Smith via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R3 3:15

Dennis Buzukja (145.5) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (145)

Round 1

Baghdasaryan is on the offensive early, throwing a body kick followed by a quick combination. Buzukja feels it and ties his foe up. They separate and Baghdasaryan lands a body kick. They tie up and Baghdasaryan is attacking with knees and elbows in the clinch. Everything is powerful, but Buzukja is still in it. Baghdasaryan separates and tees off with about four elbows. He’s muscling Buzukja in the clinch. They separate and Buzukja blocks a head kick. They’re back in the clinch, where Baghdasaryan is landing more knees, elbows and punches. Buzukja is able to free himself, and he chops down his man with a low kick. Baghdasaryan wades back into the clinch, then lands a high kick on the break. A standing elbow backs up Buzukja momentarily. A left to the body from Baghdasaryan gets through. Buzukja lands a body kick and Baghdasaryan answers with push kick down the middle. A hard body kick connects for Baghdasaryan. Buzukja responds with a low kick. They tie up again, and Buzukja reverses and puts Baghdasaryan’s back into the fence before landing a single-leg takedown. Baghdasaryan is on his feet, but Buzukja is controllling the clinch as time winds down, anding knees before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan

Round 2

Buzukja pressures with a body kick, and Baghdasaryan attempts to counter. They tie up, and Baghdasaryan lands a quick elbow on the break. A left hook to the body connects for Buzukja. Baghdasaryan’s pace has slowed somewhat from Round 1. A left gets through for Baghdasaryan. Buzukja is going to work attacking with low kicks. A kick to the body lands for Buzukja, who lands a throw from the clinch shortly thereafter. Buzukja attempts to take the back as Baghdasaryan stands. They break from the clinch and are back to trading. Buzukja ties Baghdasaryan up and pushes him into the fence. Knees from Buzukja before he lands a takedown. Baghdasaryan is up, and he lands an elbow in close quarters. A short left hook lands for Baghdasaryan. Buzukja is looking for a body lock takedown late, but Baghdasaryan defends. A counter right hand lands for Buzukja before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Buzukja
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan

Round 3

Baghdasaryan lands some solid lefts early and then defends a takedown from the clinch. Buzukja makes Baghdasaryan slip with a low kick. Baghdasaryan with an inside leg kick of his own. A spinning back kick to the body connects for Baghdasaryan. They clinch in the center of the cage and quickly separate. A straight left gets through for Baghdasaryan. Baghdasaryan gets a takedown from the rear waistlock position but the featherweights scramble up quickly. Baghdasaryan lands a body kick near the fence. Baghdasaryan stuffs a takedown and shoves Buzukja back into the fence. Buzukja rolls for an armbar. Baghdasaryan is trying to free himself, and he clears his elbow and Buzukja stands. Buzukja lands a counter uppercut as Baghdasaryan pressures. A left lands for Baghdasaryan. Baghdasaryan wades into the clinch. He gives up on it and lands a clinch knee. Baghdasaryan lands a combo on the break and Buzukja answers with a knee. The round ends without further incident.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan (29-28 Baghdasaryan)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan (29-28 Baghdasaryan)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Baghdasaryan (30-27 Baghdasaryan)

The Official Result

Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Dennis Buzukja via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00