Dana White’s Contender Series 2024 Week 4 Play-by-Play & Results

Quillan Salkilld (155.5) vs. Gauge Young (155)

Round 1

Jason Herzog gets the first assignment of the night. The lightweights trade leg kicks and Salkilld tests the waters with a head kick. They trade and Young lands hard enough to make Salkilld stumble backward. He seems to be OK though. Salkilld with a solid body kick. Young answers with a front kick. Salkilld digs the body with a left hook and shoots for a takedown shortly thereafter. Young defends nicely and they separate. Salkilld with a hard body kick as he looks to control the range. Another body kick by the Aussie lands. Young pressures and lands a head kick. Salkilld lands a left to the body and follows with a switch kick. Young keeps the pressure on and lands a glancing straight right before Salkilld kicks to the body once again. Salkilld tries an unusual takedown attempt. It doesn’t work initially, but he is able to work his way to the back. Young is able to fight the grip and get back into space. Salkilld pumps a jab. A hard 1-2 connects for Young. Young sprawls on a takedown as we hit the 1:00 mark. A front kick by Salkilld clips Young. Salkilld follows a thudding right with a level change. He gets his man down but Young is back to his feet. Young with a slashing elbow as he breaks from the clinch, and he pressures Salkilld until the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld

Round 2

Salkilld ducks under and then cracks Young in an early exchange. They clinch and it’s Young who is able to escape and get back at range. Salkilld cracks his foe with a straight right. Young kicks the body, but Salkilld answers with a combination followed by a double-leg takedown. Young gets to his feet but Salkilld maintains his grip with a body lock. Salkilld jumps on the back and briefly threatens with a choke before transitioning into mount. Young is able to shake his foe off the top and he drives the Aussie into the fence and lands an elbow on the break. They trade and Salkilld tags Young with several solid shots. The volume is picking up as they trade again before Young defends a takeodown. Salkilld flicks a glancing kick up high. Young stalks his man and lands some solid shots. Young tags his foe again and Salkilld sticks his tongue out. Young keeps the pressure on and attacks the body before Salkilld responds with a takedown attempt. He gets Young down and maintains a body lock against the fence. They break free and Salkilld lands a combination. Young stalks and lands a couple rights before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld
Edwin Ayala scores the round:10-9 Salkilld

Round 3

Salkilld finds the range on his right and then digs the body. He puts Young on the retreat with a combination and then digs a left to the body. Salkilld with another nice combination as he applies the pressure. Young shoots for a takedown but Salkilld reverses it and slams his opponent to the mat. Salkilld is trying to work his way to Young’s back. Young fights it off and stands, shoving Salkilld into the wire. Now it’s Young who’s battling for a takedown against the fence. Salkilld spins to the back and they tumble to the canvas. Young lands a knee as they stand, and Young drives Salkilld into the fence. Salkilld reverses and slams Young to the mat. Young hustles to his feet and they’re back at range. Salkilld lands a glancing head kick. Young moves in an lands an uppercut. They trade in the pocket and Salkilld digs the body again. Salkilld lands a combination, prompting Young to shoot. They battle in the clinch, and Salkilld reverses position, finds his way to the back and tries to lift Young. He briefly drags him to the canvas and then lands some knees in close. Salkilld is relentless as he drags Young back to the floor. The Aussie is able to take Young’s back and flatten him out in the waning seconds. He lands some ground-and-pound before threatening with an arm-triangle choke. He can’t get the submission but it’s a strong finish for the Perth native.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld (30-27 Salkilld)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld (30-27 Salkilld)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Salkilld (30-27 Salkilld)

The Official Result

Quillan Salkilld def. Gauge Young via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Yuneisy Duben (125) vs. Shannon Clark (125.5)

Round 1

Mike Beltran will officiate the first women’s bout of the current Contender Series season. Clark attacks the legs and then Duben tags Clark on the way in. Clark presses forward and lands a knee in the clinch. Clark is rushing in with her chin up and Duben lands a spinning back fist. Clark is getting tagged by her opponent as she continues to wade forward recklessly. The Canadian doesn’t seem to have a backup strategy and Duben is primed to take advantage. The Venezuelan catches Clark with a massive overhand right to the jaw, and the Canadian crashes to the canvas. Duben threw her punch from the hip, and Clark walked straight into it. That’s a one-shot knockout win for the biggest underdog on the card. Duben is beside herself in the cage, and Dana White essentially guarantees her a contract on the spot.

The Official Result

Yuneisy Duben def. Shannon Clark via KO (Punch) R1 1:13

Austin Bashi (145) vs. Dorian Ramos (145.5)

Round 1

Jason Herzog will be the third man in the cage for this featherweight affair. Bashi misses on a head kick and Ramos looks for a takedown. They clinch and scramble and the tempo is high early. They’re back at range and Bashi throws some combinations before getting Ramos down with a single leg. Ramos scrambles to his feet against the fence as Bashi maintains a rear body lock. Bashi wraps a kick up high and loses the position. Back at range and Ramos lands a right. A left hook connects for Bashi and he changes levels, getting Ramos down in the center of the cage. Ramos is on his knees and Bashi is hunting for hooks. Ramos stands and Bashi executes a mat return. Bashi can’t take the back before Ramos returns to his feet. Bashi lands a knee and a hook on the break. Bashi gets in deep on a double leg and lands the takedown. Bashi wants the back, but Ramos is defending well. Bashi finally gets both hooks in. He’s finding different angles to land ground-and-pound from the position. Ramos stands and walks to the fence. Bashi is forced to give up on the position. Bashi pushes Ramos back with a right and and follows him to the canvas. Bashi is on the back, landing more shots until the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bashi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bashi
Edwin Ayala scores the round:10-9 Bashi

Round 2

Bashi throws a high kick that’s blocked. Bashi lands a leg kick and Ramos moves in and they trade power shots before Bashi shoots for a takedown. He presses Ramos into the fence, lifts him and dumps him on the mat. Bashi with a mat return, but Ramos powers his way up. Bashi secures a front headlock and knees the head. Ramos goes for a takedown and Bashi briefly has a guillotine. Ramos escapes but Bashi is looking to take the back again following a scramble. Ramos stands and they’re at range. Bashi follows a hard front kick with a takedown. Bashi showcases strong hips as he keeps top position and again looks for a back take. Bashi can’t get the hooks in, but he shoots again and takes Ramos down. It looks like a rinse and repeat effort, but this time Bashi is able to jump on the back and lock in a rear-naked choke as his opponent stands. With the submission locked in, Ramos falls backward to the canvas and taps out after he hits the floor.

The Official Result

Austin Bashi def. Dorian Ramos via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 3:15

Will Currie (185.5) vs. Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos (184.5)

Round 1

Mike Beltran will be in charge for this middleweight contest. Santos kicks the inside lead leg. Currie with a leg kick of his own. Currie slips as they trade kicks but he’s up quickly. Currie feints a spinning attack and eats a combination for his efforst. Santos lands another stiff right as he moves forward. Currie with a body kick and a nicely timed level change immediately after. Santos defends with his back to the fence. Currie lands some knees as they work along the fence. Santos reverses the position and puts Currie on the wire. Santos controls the position for a while and then they break. Santos pressures and attacks, and Currie answers with a kick. Santos is staring to let his hands go, and he’s having some success. They clinch and quikcly separate, with Currie landing a body kick. Santos stuffs a takedown and they return to their feet. Santos lands a right and Currie glances at the clock. Santos lands more punches. They clinch and Santos walks Currie into the cage. Santos lands a knee before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Edwin Ayala scores the round:10-9 Santos

Round 2

Currie with a body kick and Santos makes him stumble backward with a counter. Santos sprawls on a takedown and the Englishman shoves him into the fence. Santos is able to free himself. Currie lands a body kick and Santos pressures with punches agi=ainst the fence. Santos denies a takedown attempt and shoves Currie into the fence. Santos grinds away in the clinch and they separate. It isn’t long before Currie shoots again, but Santos is able to sprawl successfully. Santos turns off the fence and forces a tie up. Santos wisely creates some space to land punches in close quarters before clinching again. Currie misses a spinning back fist as they separate, and the Brit quickly shoots for another takedown. It doesn’t work, and they are quickly back at range. Santos lands an uppercut and also does some good body work. The Brazilian is connecting with significant punches, but he elects to clinch again. They separate and Santos tags Currie with a straight right. He follows up with a flying knee and dumps Curry on the floor. Santos will end the frame in top position.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Santos

Round 3

Santos lands a stiff right at the outset and he backs up his foe with a barrage of punches. Santos ducks under a spinning attack from Currie. Currie lands a body kick and then walks his opponent into the fence with a single leg attempt. Santos is able to break the clinch and he gets to work with more punches as Currie stands against the fence. Santos is mixing things up nicely, not throwing everything with full power but landing plenty. Currie finally halts the momentum by shooting and shoving the Brazilian into the fence. Santos breaks free and eats an elbow from Currie. Santos steps in and lands an uppercut at the end of a combination. Santos is just walking Currie down, teeing off with punches. Santos clinches and grants Currie a reprieve. Currie reverses and drops to his knees, but he can’t get Santos down. Santos defends another attempt. The Brazilian snatches a guillotine briefly, and it allows him to turn Currie into the fence. Currie is able to toss Santos to the canvas, but an ensuing armbar attempt fails and Santos is back up. Currie shoots from distance with less than a minute to go. Santos defends against the fence. Curry muscles Santos down, but he’s going to need a lot more to win this fight. From one knee, Santos lands a backward elbow late in the round.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Santos (30-27 Santos)

The Official Result

Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos def. Will Currie via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Igor Cavalcanti (169.5) vs. Seok Hyun Ko (170)

Round 1

Jason Herzog will ref the evening’s featured bout. Cavalcanti wings a right and lands as both men look to find their range. Ko avoids a massive overhand. They clinch and Ko pushes his foe into the fence. Cavalcanti reverses, and Ko lands an elbow on the break. Cavalcanti is swinging with bad intentions, but hasn’t landed clean yet. Ko is struggling with the reach deficit. Cavalcanti jabs the body and Ko counters with a combination. Cavalcanti fires back with a striaght right. Ko lands a big left and Cavalcanti eats it. Cavalcanti forces the clinch and stuffs a takedown. Ko steps in with a left. Cavalcanti jabs to the body, then lands a body kick. Ko steps in and connects with a left. They’re swiging heavy leather for amoment, but nothing lands clean. Cavalcanti swings wildly and lunges into the fence as Ko angles out. Ko with an inside leg kick. Ko with a nice straight left. An inside low kick lands for the Brazilian. Cavalcanti punches his way into the clinch at the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ko

Round 2

Ko shoots for a takedown, but Cavalcanti is up quickly. He answers with a takedown of his own, but Ko scrambles to his feet. They clinch against the cage and Cavalcanti lands a big right in the clinch. Cavalcanti knees the thighs of his opponent, then moves up to the midsection. Ko escapes and lands a two pounch combination on the break. A left lands for Ko in the pocket. Cavalcanti backs up his foe with a pair of right hands. Ko lands a combination and punctuates it with a stiff left. They clinch again and Cavalcanti lands a knee up the middle. Back at range, and Ko lands a left and avoids his foe’s counter offerings. Cavalcanti throws a front kick that lands on the groin, and time is called. Herzog warns Cavalcanti that another low blow will result in a point deduction. Ko lands a left to the body and Cavalcanti pretends to be hurt. That sparks a furious exchange. Both guys are swinging away, and Ko continues to target the body. That ends when Ko hip tosses Cavalcanti to the floor. Ko is working inside Cavalcanti’s guard, landing ground-and-pound. Ko backs away and allows his foe to stand. A coutner right gets through for Cavalcanti. Ko evades a head kick. Cavalcanti lands a leg kick before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ko
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ko

Round 3

They hug at the eginning of the period. Cavalcanti with a push kick and a right hand. Ko answers by landing a takedown near the fence. Ko is in half guard, applying heavy pressure from above. Ko postures up and lands a hard right, but offense is limited here for the most part. Cavalcanti regains full guard. Ko is doing his best to navigate the guard and land punches from top opsition. Cavalcanti is throwing elbows from his back. Ko passes back to half guard and then full mount. Cavalcanti pushes off the fence and creates a scramble. While he escapes being mounted, the effort doesn’t get Ko off of him. The South Korean grinds away, landing ground-and-pound when he can. Ko advances to side control with 60 seconds left. He spins around to take the back and knees the ribs. Cavalcanti stands with Ko still attached. Ko wants to drag him back down. He keeps his hands locked against the fence. With 20 seconds to go they separate. Cavalcanti takes some big swings. Ko circles away and fires off one last combination before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Ko (30-27 Ko)

The Official Result

Seok Hyun Ko def. Igor Cavalcanti (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00