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Paddy Pimblett Goes Crazy as Undefeated Teammate Secures UFC Contract With Brutal KO

"The Baddy" was in attendance for last night's DWCS card in Las Vegas.
Drew Beaupre|
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett was in Las Vegas last night to witness a stunning win from his teammate George Staines.

Now in its 10th season, Dana White’s Contender Series has firmly established itself as the primary pipeline for promising MMA prospects to try and make the jump to the UFC by fighting for contracts in front of Dana White.

Week 8 of DWCS took place at the Meta APEX last night and featured four fights following the late-notice loss of Erick Visconde vs. Ilias Bullaid, and all four of those bouts ended with big finishes that secured UFC contracts for the winners.

George Staines Wins UFC Contract With Incredible Slam KO

One of the most highly-touted fighters competing on this year’s DWCS slate was the undefeated Staines, who brought a perfect 10-0 record into a lightweight matchup with Loai Abushaar that closed out Week 8.

“Saint” had already collected a pair of wins with Cage Warriors in his two previous outings this year, and the 26-year-old left no doubt about whether or not he’d be offered a UFC contract when he knocked Abushaar out with a huge slam just 61 seconds into their fight.

Staines trains out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool, which is home to a number of top-level fighters and more than a few names that either currently fight in the UFC or formerly competed with the promotion.

Paddy Pimblett and Luke Riley Celebrate George Staines' DWCS Victory

Easily the biggest name training out of that camp is former interim UFC title challenger Pimblett, who was cageside at the Meta APEX with featherweight Luke Riley and went crazy when Staines slammed Abushaar into the canvas.

“The Baddy” began this year with a loss to now-undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje but rebounded in stunning fashion at UFC 329 when he submitted Benoit Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds, while Riley is now 3-0 in the UFC after stopping Kai Kamaka III in his second outing of the year at UFC 329.

Dana White Handed Out Four UFC Contracts After DWCS Week 8

Staines wasn’t the only fighter that scored a first-round finish on Week 8 of DWCS, as Ian Escuza also extended his undefeated record to 8-0 and secured a UFC contract when he stopped Luca Borando with strikes in just 32 seconds.

That result kicked off what turned into three-straight knockouts on Week 8, with Adama Diop upsetting Zaurbek Sabanov via second-round finish in between the wins from Escuza and Staines.

Last night’s DWCS card also kicked off with a highly-anticipated strawweight bout that saw former IMMAF standout and LFA titleholder Aieza Bertolso improve to 8-0 when she submitted Calima Reynoso just over three minutes into their fight.

Many fans were also looking forward to the scrapped featherweight contest between Visconde and Bulaid, but that fight has already been rebooked for the final week of this year’s DWCS season on October 13.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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