Event Overview
Card Name
Dana White's Contender Series
Subtitle
Dana Whites
Status
OVER
Date
2025-10-14
Promotion
Dana White Contender Series
Venue
UFC Apex
Location
Las Vegas
Event Series
Previous Card
Dana White's Contender Series
Next Card
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Broadcast
No broadcast partners listed yet.
Tickets
Ticket information coming soon.
Pre-Fight Narratives
Levi Rodrigues vs Freddy Vidal
- Main event on Dana White's Contender Series Season 9 Week 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Oct 14, 2025. https://mmamania.com/
- Both men entered as undefeated light heavyweight prospects — Levi Rodrigues (listed 5-0/6-0) and Freddy Vidal (4-0) — with Rodrigues nicknamed 'Baby Monster' and Vidal 'The Barbarian'. https://mmafighting.com/
- Vidal had previously missed weight on Week 5 and this bout was framed as a second-chance appearance for him on DWCS. https://mmafighting.com/
- Weigh-ins, physicals and betting: Rodrigues 205.5 lb, Vidal 204.5 lb; Rodrigues 6'0" reach 76.5", age 28; Vidal 6'3" reach 79.5", age 31; odds Vidal -140/Rodrigues +120 and Tapology polling favored Vidal 61%-39. https://tapology.com/
Juan Diaz vs Kwon Won Il
- Kwon entered the bout as the betting favorite thanks to his extensive ONE Championship experience. https://mmafighting.com/
- Juan Diaz came in noted for his speed and combination boxing, carrying a strong record and a seven-fight win streak as the LUX Fight League 135‑lb champion. https://mmafighting.com/
Marwan Rahiki vs Ananias Mulumba
- The bout was booked as the co-main event of Dana White's Contender Series Season 9 Week 10 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. https://si.com/
- The fight was contested at bantamweight. https://si.com/
- Entering the fight, Juan Diaz carried a 15-5-1 MMA record while Kwon Won-Il was 14-6 MMA. https://si.com/
Michael Oliveira vs Victor Valenzuela
- Michael Oliveira entered the DWCS welterweight bout undefeated and was billed as a Brazilian military veteran; card listed him ~27 years old, 6'1" with a 78.5" reach. https://tapology.com/
- Victor Valenzuela came in as a tough Chilean contender and Fury FC welterweight champion with a pro record shown around 12-3/12-4 on fight cards. https://mmamania.com/
- The bout was billed at welterweight (170 lb) for DWCS Week 10 at the UFC Apex; both fighters made weight and betting/board support heavily favored Oliveira (Tapology showed -270 odds and ~92% user picks). https://tapology.com/
Jovan Leka vs Azamat Nuftillaev
- Bout scheduled as a heavyweight (265 lb) on Dana White's Contender Series Season 9, Week 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Oct. 14, 2025. wikipedia.org
- Matchup listed Octagon League Champion Azamat Nuftillaev vs. Jovan Leka; reports note all fighters made weight for Week 10. si.com
- Pre-fight statistics: Jovan Leka 11-2, age ~23, weighed in 259.0 lbs, 6'4" height, 75" reach; Azamat Nuftillaev 13-2-1, age ~31, weighed in 234.0 lbs, 6'0" height, 77" reach. tapology.com
- Betting and fan sentiment: Leka listed a slight favorite (about -125) while Tapology user predictions favored Nuftillaev (~65%); bout was No.2 on the card. tapology.com
During Fight Narratives
Levi Rodrigues vs Freddy Vidal
- Rodrigues controlled the striking early — landing authoritative kicks and big rights — repeatedly stuffing Vidal's takedown attempts and working in the clinch before landing a decisive knee that led to the finish. https://cagesidepress.com/
- Official finish: Levi Rodrigues defeated Freddy Vidal by TKO (knee and punches / knees and hammerfists) at 3:20 of Round 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Fight stats: Rodrigues 31 of 35 total strikes (15 of 19 significant) with one knockdown; Vidal 24 of 32 total (7 of 9 significant); control time Vidal 2:18 vs Rodrigues 0:28; no successful takedowns or submission attempts recorded. https://www.espn.com/mma/
- Bout details noted by event listings: 205 lb light heavyweight main event, ended R1 3:20; referee listed as Mark Smith in card reporting. https://tapology.com/
Juan Diaz vs Kwon Won Il
- Round 1 – Diaz worked body shots and a midsection kick, landed a big overhand right that rocked Kwon, then climbed to Kwon's back late in the round securing both hooks, a body triangle and briefly attacking an armbar before they returned to the feet. https://cagesidepress.com/
- Round 2 – Kwon tried to use lateral movement while Diaz pressed with a body lock and a double‑leg; after trading strikes in the closing seconds Diaz landed a spinning back elbow that knocked Kwon out at 4:58 of Round 2. https://tapology.com/
- The finish—a spinning back elbow—was emphatic and quickly went viral, with outlets and the UFC calling it one of the best KOs in DWCS history. https://si.com/
Marwan Rahiki vs Ananias Mulumba
- Diaz and Kwon traded significant strikes throughout the contest. https://si.com/
- In the closing seconds of Round 2, Juan Diaz landed a spinning-back elbow that connected cleanly. https://si.com/
- The spinning-back elbow produced a knockout finish in Round 2, a highlight that quickly went viral and was promoted on UFC social channels. https://si.com/
Michael Oliveira vs Victor Valenzuela
- Round 1: Oliveira pressed forward with jabs and leg kicks while Valenzuela landed a straight right that briefly staggered Oliveira; Valenzuela's activity earned him the round on some scorecards (10-9). https://cagesidepress.com/
- Round 2: Oliveira increased pressure, opened a cut on Valenzuela, dropped him multiple times and landed sustained ground-and-pound before the referee intervened — official stoppage TKO (punches) at 3:56 of Round 2. https://cagesidepress.com/
- Finish details listed the sequence as left hook, right hook and hammerfists leading to the stoppage; bout was recorded as a TKO/KO at 3:56 of Round 2 (referee listed as Keith Peterson on the event card). https://tapology.com/
- Official result: Michael Oliveira defeated Victor Valenzuela via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 3:56 — listed on event/Wikipedia fight results. https://en.wikipedia.org/
Jovan Leka vs Azamat Nuftillaev
- Nuftillaev opened the fight strong, closing distance to secure takedowns and top control to win the first frame, but was warned by referee Mark Smith for inactivity as Leka worked back to his feet late in Round 1. cagesidepress.com
- Nuftillaev appeared gassed after Round 1; Leka stuffed takedowns, sprawled, took the back, landed punches and a pair of 12-6 elbows, repeatedly threatened chokes and transitioned to mount to dominate Round 2 (scored 10-8 by scorecards). cagesidepress.com
- In Round 3 Leka kept the pressure—landing uppercuts, sprawling, placing Nuftillaev in a crucifix and nearly finishing with back/elbow sequences; Nuftillaev showed heavy legs late and the bout went the distance. cagesidepress.com
- Official judges rendered a unanimous decision for Jovan Leka after three 5-minute rounds (scores reported as 29-28, 29-27, 29-27), with the fight lasting the full 15:00. tapology.com
Post-Fight Narratives
Levi Rodrigues vs Freddy Vidal
- Levi Rodrigues was awarded a UFC contract following the win. https://www.espn.com/mma/
- MMAFighting reported Dana White praised Rodrigues on the mic, saying Rodrigues 'saved us' from Vidal and that Rodrigues won White's admiration; the same report also indicated White offered Vidal a UFC contract. https://mmafighting.com/
- Several outlets noted there were no extended winner/loser quotes or callouts in the immediate aftermath; Tapology indicated post-fight interviews were conducted by Laura Sanko but included no direct Rodrigues or Vidal quotes in the article text. https://tapology.com/
Juan Diaz vs Kwon Won Il
- Diaz became the first fighter in Contender Series history to win via a spinning back elbow. https://mmafighting.com/
- The knockout earned high praise from Dana White and widespread media attention; the UFC promoted the finish heavily on social media. https://si.com/
- As a result of the performance Diaz was awarded a UFC contract following the event. https://tapology.com/
Marwan Rahiki vs Ananias Mulumba
- Juan Diaz was awarded a UFC contract—one of five fighters signed following the episode. https://si.com/
- Dana White urged ESPN's 'SportsCenter Top 10' to include Diaz's knockout in its nightly highlights. https://si.com/
- White quipped about the knockout, saying, 'Koreans have a rough time with those elbows.' https://si.com/
- At the post-fight presser Dana White added, 'I f****** love this show.' https://si.com/
Michael Oliveira vs Victor Valenzuela
- Following the stoppage Dana White awarded Michael Oliveira a UFC contract and said he looks forward to seeing him fight in the UFC. https://mmafighting.com/
- The finish generated social buzz, including a UFC tweet highlighting Oliveira's combination that produced the TKO. https://si.com/
Jovan Leka vs Azamat Nuftillaev
- Official result: Jovan Leka def. Azamat Nuftillaev by unanimous decision (scores reported 29-28, 29-27, 29-27); the bout went the distance with no finish. wikipedia.org
- Dana White called Leka "young" and told him to get back to work, signaling he was not especially impressed; media described the bout as one of the more forgettable fights of the season and noted there were no notable winner/loser callouts or quotes. mmafighting.com
| Fighter | VS | Fighter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | |||
|
✓
2-0-0-0
tko
R1
3:20
|
VS |
1-0-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
3-1-0-0
ko
R2
4:58
|
VS |
16-5-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
0-0-0-0
tko
R2
2:13
|
VS |
0-0-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
8-0-0-0
tko
R2
3:56
|
VS |
11-6-2-0
x
|
|
|
✓
2-1-0-0
dec
R3
5:00
|
VS |
8-1-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
4-3-0-0
sub
R1
1:51
|
VS |
4-0-0-0
x
|
|
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