It was another wild night at the UFC APEX as Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series rolled into Week 5. Following a three-week run that produced 14 new recruits, a dozen finishes in 15 bouts, and nine first-round stoppages, the action continued hot-and-heavy on Tuesday night.
Strawweights Carol Foro and Shanelle Dyer kicked things off with a fight that brought Dana White into the Octagon to congratulate both athletes, with Foro coming away with the victory. From there, the finishes just started rolling, as Samuel Sanches stopped Chasen Blair and Freddy Vidal snatched a submission in the final minute of his fight with Felipe Franco before Lerryan Douglas detonated a left hook on the chin of Cam Teague. And then, to close out the night, Steven Asplund needed just 16 seconds to dispatch Anthony Guarascio to close out the evening.
After brief deliberations, White emerged to announce the new additions to the UFC roster, awarding contracts to both Foro and Dyer, Sanches, Douglas, and Asplund while also announcing that Vidal would get another opportunity to compete on the final episode of the season.
Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Week 5
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Contract Winners And Interviews | Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Week 5
With five more athletes earning contracts, that brings the total for Season 9 up 22 competitors through five weeks, with Vidal hopeful to join the graduating class with a more complete showing in five weeks.
It’s been non-stop action for the last four weeks, and we have all the details on what transpired on Tuesday night collected for you below.
Results, Fight Recaps and Scorecards
Heavyweight Main Event: Steven Asplund defeats Anthony Guarascio by TKO (strikes) at 0:16 of Round 1
Steven Asplund and Anthony Guarascio came out swinging for the fences from the jump and it was “Concrete” that came out on top.
Steven Asplund reacts after a knockout victory against Anthony Guarascio in a heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week five at UFC APEX on September 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The heavyweight brawlers met in the center and started chucking, and it was Asplund that found Guarascio’s chin, dropping him with a left hand before chasing him to the canvas and pounding out the finish.
The 27-year-old Minnesota native has now earned three straight wins to advance to 6-1 as a professional. This was a massive finish and one of the quickest finishes in Dana White’s Contender Series history for the former 500-plus-pound heavyweight.
Featherweight Bout: Lerryan Douglas defeats Cam Teague by KO (right hand) at 0:36 of Round 1
Lerryan Douglas didn’t waste any time dispatching Cam Teague to the Shadow Realm on Tuesday night.
The Brazilian veteran floored the returning DWCS hopeful with a three-four combo that landed clean, and when Teague climbed back to his feet, Douglas sent him back to the canvas for good with another thunderous left hand.
When you make matchmaker Mick Maynard drop his head to the Octagonside table in disbelief, you know you delivered a ferocious finish. It’s safe to say that the 30-year-old “Gunslinger” is aptly named.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Freddy Vidal defeats Felipe Franco by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:48 of Round 3
Freddy Vidal found a finish in the dying seconds of his clash with Felipe Franco, snatching up a submission win in his short-notice assignment on Wednesday.
Freddy Vidal of Colombia secures a submission against Felipe Franco of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week five at UFC APEX on September 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The young Brazilian slammed Vidal to the canvas early in the first, but was reversed and forced to the canvas, where the Longo MMA representative Vidal was able to advance to a modified crucifix and rained down elbows for the remainder of the frame. Fatigue began to be a factor for each man in the second, with Franco getting the better of the exchanges. The two engaged in a protracted clinch entanglement for much of the third before spilling to the canvas, where Vidal pulled Franco on top of him and locked up the fight-ending rear-naked choke.
This was an “out of nowhere” finish for the Phys. Ed teacher, who has only been fighting as a professional for 11 months. Taking the fight on a week’s notice resulted in the New Yorker missing the mark on the scale on Monday, but he went out and made the most of his opportunity, fighting right to the very end and finding a third straight finish.
Lightweight Bout: Samuel Sanches defeats Chasen Blair by KO (strikes) at 2:01 of Round 1
Samuel Sanches was patient when Chasen Blair was on his back, and as soon as he shook him off, the Brazilian lit up and knocked out the returning hopeful.
Samuel Sanches of Brazil reacts after a knockout victory against Chasen Blair in a lightweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week five at UFC APEX on September 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Blair closed the distance early and jumped on Sanches’ back, searching for a choke. But the young Brazilian did well to defend, eventually shaking Blair off, and with the America backed against the fence, Sanches unleashed a heavy combination of strikes, mixing in to the body before putting him down with a thudding overhand right.
Sanches’ teammate — and fellow DWCS grad — Jailton Almeida has been shouting out the 22-year-old for a couple years, and this performance shows why. This was a tremendous showing that extended his winning streak to eight and answered some questions about what kind of upside “The Prodigy” genuinely possesses. What a finish!
Strawweight Bout: Carol Foro defeats Shanelle Dyer by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Carol Foro bounced Shanelle Dyer from the ranks of the unbeaten in the opening bout of the night, marching down and battering her British counterpart on the way to win on the scorecards.
Carol Foro of Brazil punches Shanelle Dyer of England in a strawweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week five at UFC APEX on September 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Foro dropped Dyer twice in the opening round with heavy hooks, prompting referee Mark Smith to advise the Brit to fight back or risk the fight being stopped. While Dyer survived and had some success, the power discrepancy was the key differentiator in this one, as Foro dropped Dyer again in the second and continued to land the more impactful blows throughout the third as well.
The judges all scored the fight in favor of the Brazilian, who offered shades of Jessica Andrade, as Michael Chiesa suggested on the broadcast. That’s now seven consecutive victories for the 28-year-old, who advanced to 9-1 with the victory.
