Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series was a violent one.
Ten fighters entered the UFC Apex on Tuesday night with hopes of winning a UFC contract.
UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers were cageside for the three-round war between Sean O’Malley’s teammate Tommy McMillen and David Mgoyan, which really set the bar for the rest of the episode.
Week 4 of Contender Series also featured names like LFA Flyweight Champion Eduardo Chapolin, who recently jumped into Daniel Cormier’s arms after a KO win at LFA 215 just 11 days ago.
Chapolin halted top prospect An Tuan Ho by decision.
UFC’s White gave contracts to all the winners except for Chapolin, even giving someone he usually wouldn’t go for a chance in the big show.
Dana White signs 36-year-old Mandel Nallo and four others from Contender Series
White first offered a contract to McMillen after his hard-fought decision win over Mgoyan, saying both men will get their win money. McMillen was transported to the hospital post-fight.
The UFC boss passed on Chapolin after his second win in 11 days, telling him ‘maybe next time’.
Team Cormier’s Chapolin was the #1 overall pick on the latest season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
Bellator MMA veteran Mandel Nallo won his Contender Series fight with a tremendous knockout of Samuel Silva at 36 years old.
White had never signed a fighter to Contender Series over the age of 35 until he saw Nallo.
“I do not love your age, but I like your style,” White said as he welcomed Nallo to the UFC.
Brother of UFC middleweight and Fighting Nerds star Michal Oleksiejczuk, Cezary Oleksiejczuk won a UFC contract with a TKO stoppage of former Bellator fighter Theo Haig.
In the last fight of the night, deadly striker Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani slept Jack Congdon with a head kick before finishing him off with a running punch to secure his UFC future.
The UFC signed Patricio Pitbull at 37 years old
Moving on from Contender Series, the oldest UFC signing in recent memory is Bellator ‘GOAT’ Patricio Pitbull.
Pitbull was 37 when he signed to the UFC earlier this year and now he’s 38, fighting a fellow former two-division champion in Losene Keita at UFC Paris this weekend.
As we covered, the UFC doesn’t typically sign fighters over or around the age of 35, but they have made a few exceptions in recent years.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page was 36 when he was picked up by the UFC. Former Bellator fighter Austin Vanderford was 34 and made his UFC debut days before turning 35.